FRIDAY, DEC. 2
MERRI MARKET: The folks at Merriweather District are wishing you Merri Christmas this December with their annual Merri and & Bright Holiday Market. Taking place on Friday (5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.), Saturday (1 p.m.-8 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.-5 p.m.), the market brings hot cocoa, an outdoor wine chalet, carolers and a wide selection of holiday shopping to Maryland. (Color Burst Park; Friday-Sunday; FREE)
EUROPEAN FILMS: Fifteen dollars won’t buy you a trip to Europe anytime soon, but it can buy you a ticket to a European film. On Thursday, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center rolls out its European Union Film Showcase, which runs through Dec. 20. Among this weekend’s offerings are Mother and Son, which follows a family who moves from Abidjan to Paris in the ’90s, and Chiara, a revisionist look at a 13th century Italian icon. (AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; Dec. 1 through 20; $15)
MOTHERLOAD: Our relationships with our mothers can be a lot to unpack — a motherload, if you will. In this show of that same name, Jenna Hall and Justine Hipsky talk about their personal baggage and their complicated relationships with their mothers. Motherload is being produced by Washington Improv Theater comes after winning Best Comedy at the Capital Fringe Festival earlier this year. (Studio Theatre; Friday 9:30 p.m.; Saturday 4 p.m.; $15+)
MORE: Fire Drill Friday with Jane Fonda (Freedom Plaza; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; FREE), Tech Art Gala (1666 Connecticut Ave. NW; 6 p.m.; $50+), Capitol Movement Sip & Support (Capitol Hill Arts Workshop; 6:30 p.m.; $50), Christmas Concert for Charity (Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; 7 p.m.; FREE), Fall for Jazz (American University; 7:30 p.m.; $15), Funny Africans Comedy Show (500 Irving St NW; 7:30 P.M.; $19), Ugly Sweater Comedy Show (City-State Brewing; 8 p.m.; $10), Transformer20 (The GW Corcoran School of the Arts and Design; through Dec. 10; FREE), Snow Maiden (Synetic Theater; through Dec. 23; $25)
SATURDAY, DEC. 3
HOLIDAY POTTERY SALE: Support your local artisan community while getting some holiday shopping done this weekend at District Clay Center’s Holiday Pottery Sale, which takes place all day on Saturday and Sunday in front of the District Clay Center studio. Over 30 potters will be selling their creations, and there will be snacks and drinks. (District Clay Center; Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; FREE)
PEPPERMINT MOCHA COMPETITION: Peppermint mochas may (arguably) be the reigning winter drink, but which is the reigning peppermint mocha? Find out this weekend at the National Landing Business Improvement District’s second annual Peppermint Mocha Latte Competition. Three Crystal City coffee purveyors will drum up their take on the holiday classic, then attendees will get to try each one and vote on their favorite. You can stop by the corresponding holiday market while you’re there. (23rd Street Restaurant Row; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; FREE)
ARTS, BEATS AND EATS: The name says it all. This Saturday, head out to Prince George’s County’s Gateway Arts District for the Arts, Beats and Eats Festival. Stroll through art studios, listen to local musicians, and grab a variety of eats from vendors at miXt Food Hall. (Gateway Arts District; 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; FREE)
AXÉ FEST: Are you capoeira-curious? This weekend, you have the chance to try your hand at the Afro-Brazilian martial art and dance. Capoeira DC is hosting Axé Fest, a free festival featuring yoga, capoeira for kids, teens and adults, and a closing celebration of live drumming and dancing. (The Capoeira Spot; 1 p.m.; FREE)
SHOTGUN SEAMSTRESS: In 2006, Osa Atoe noticed she was frequently the only Black kid at the punk show, so she did the most punk rock thing she could think to do about it: She made a zine. That zine, Shotgun Seamstress, has now been captured into an anthology. Atoe is celebrating the release of her collection with a book release party, which will feature fellow Black zinesters and punks, as well as a zine-making activity. (Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library; 1 p.m.; FREE)
KARAOKE NIGHT: It’s the first Saturday of the month, which means it’s time to pick a song from a collection of over 40,000 and belt it out to the crowd at your local coffee shop. That’s right — Dwayne B, aka the Crochet Kingpin, is back at Busboys and Poets in Anacostia for their monthly Karaoke Night. (Busboys and Poets Anacostia; 7 p.m.; $5)
MORE: Craft Fair (Joe’s Movement Emporium; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Rudolph’s Rockin’ Reindeer Games (The Boro Tysons; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; FREE), Super Stamps and the Season of Giving (National Postal Museum; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Comedy Workshop (Aurora Market; 11:30 a.m.; $99), Winter Holiday Family Day (Smithsonian American Art Museum; 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; FREE), Holiday Pop-Up (Dupont Circle; 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; FREE), Winter Wonderland (Bethesda; 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Gay Men’s Chorus Holiday Show (Lincoln Theatre; 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; $25+), Spark! Art Fest & Small Business Party (Chevy Chase; 3 p.m.-7 p.m.; FREE), Alexandria Boat Parade of Lights (Alexandria Waterfront; 5:30 p.m.; FREE), District Holiday Boat Parade (The Wharf; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; FREE) Maria Ressa (Library of Congress; 6 p.m.; FREE), Improv Comedy Night (DC Arts Center; 7:30 p.m.; $15), Curse Words (The Runaway; 8:30 p.m.; $10)
SUNDAY, DEC. 4
CHEICK HAMALA DIABATE: The banjo has a West African ancestor: the ngoni. Cheick Hamala Diabate has made a name for himself by being an expert at both, as well as a Malian-born griot — a traditional storyteller. Diabate is now based in Maryland, and he’s coming to D.C. to put on an energetic show at Hill Center. (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 4 p.m.; $10)
HANDEL’S MESSIAH: There’s a lot of Christmas-themed performances taking place this weekend: Here’s one you can stream from the comfort of your couch. The National Cathedral is hosting performances of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, a holiday tradition, all weekend long. On Sunday, they’ll host a live webcast for those who can’t attend in person. (Virtual; 4 p.m.; pay what you wish)
THE PATSY: The beauty of a silent film is that it can be accompanied by live music without any interruption to dialogue. That’s the plan this weekend at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, which is screening 1928 film The Patsy, with accompanying music by Andrew Earle Simpson. The show is part of the center’s Sounds of Silence Film Series. (Atlas Performing Arts Center; 4 p.m.; $25)
12 DAYS OF J.A.M.: If you’re looking for a holiday show with a twist, look no further than 12 Days of J.A.M., taking place this weekend at Marymount University. The Christmas spectacular combines seasonal carols and classics with modern pop songs, and was made with the whole family in mind. (Marymount University; Friday and Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 5 p.m.; $25)
MORE: Holidays in Old Town Tour (Old Town Alexandria; 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; $60); Global Holiday Market (St. Thomas Church; Saturday and Sunday; 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; FREE); Park View Holiday Market (Hook Hall; 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; FREE); “Strange Country, Strange Times” (Morton Fine Art; through Dec. 20; FREE); I’m Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas (St. Columba’s Episcopal Church; 4 p.m.; $25)
This story had been updated to reflect who is producing Motherload. It is a production of Washington Improv Theater.
