FRIDAY, NOV. 3

FOOD HISTORY WEEKEND: How are women shaping the future of food? Find out at the ninth annual Smithsonian Food History Weekend. It’s taking over the National Museum of American History this Friday and Saturday with a series of talks and panels covering everything from Indigenous food knowledge to climate change’s effect on beer. (National Museum of American History; Friday and Saturday; FREE)

INVESTIGATIVE FILM FEST: Dive into the worlds of artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, deepfakes, NFTs and much more at this year’s Double Exposure Investigative Film Fest. Dedicated to the intersection of investigative reporting and visual storytelling, the festival highlights documentaries that go digging for the truth. (Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library; Thursday-Sunday; $15+)

ROMANIAN FILM FEST: A bit of Romanian culture is landing downtown this weekend. The Romanian Film Festival kicks off on Thursday at E Street Cinema, showcasing the European country’s burgeoning arthouse film scene with six screenings curated by Romanian film critic Mihai Fulger. (E Street Cinema; Thursday-Sunday; FREE)

SIDE YARDS: Side Yards isn’t your typical family-friendly fall festival. Head to The Yards this Friday to be entertained by aerialists, contortionists, escape artists, fortune tellers, jugglers, magicians, sword swallowers, tightrope walkers and more. (The Yards; 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.; FREE)

GRANDMASTER FLASH: Learn about the birth of hip-hop from one of the genre’s founding fathers: Grandmaster Flash, who will be at the Kennedy Center for The Birth of a Culture: A Conversation and Master Class. The intimate discussion and workshop is part of the Kennedy Center’s continuing celebration of 50 years of hip-hop. (Kennedy Center; 7:30 p.m.; $30+)

MORE: Dendrofemonology: A Feminist History Tree Ring (Wednesday-Saturday; FREE), Pleasing Truths, Framing Identity: A Symposium (DAR Museum; 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; $45+), Carolyn Rogers and Susan Darrow Exhibition Opening Reception (Arts Club of Washington; 5 p.m.-7 p.m.; FREE), JMSN (9:30 Club; 6 p.m.; $25), Line Dance Party (Deanwood Rec Center; 6 p.m.-10 p.m.; FREE) DC Design Week Closing Event (Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington; 6 p.m.-11 p.m.; $17), Metopic Ridge Opening Reception and Artist Talk (Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.; FREE), Pleasure Portal: Sacred Play & Authentic Expression (Eaton DC; 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; $40), Martha Redbone Roots Project (Dumbarton Arts & Education; 7:30 p.m.; $14+), Bureau of Sensory Affairs (Brentwood Arts Exchange; 8 p.m.-10 p.m.; $20), Nellie McKay (The Hamilton Live; 8 p.m.; $15+), Holiday Death Tribute (Slash Run; 9 p.m.; $10), Hazardous Materials (Perisphere Theater; through Nov. 18; $35)

SATURDAY, NOV. 4

CZECH CHRISTMAS MARKET: You read that right — there’s already a Christmas market in town. Get a head start on your holiday shopping at the Embassy of the Czech Republic’s Czech Christmas Market, where you’ll find mulled wine, glass ornaments, handcrafted jewelry, wooden toys and more. (Embassy of the Czech Republic; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; FREE)

DC BEER FESTIVAL: Raise a glass to the D.C. area’s breweries this weekend at the DC Beer Festival. Taking over Nats Park, the festival brings attendees samples from over 80 breweries, as well as live music, a dueling piano bar, and a sampling of local food trucks. (Nationals Park; 12 p.m.-3:30 p.m.; 5 p.m.-8 p.m.; $50)

VEGAN FEST: Are you vegan curious? There’s a festival for that. Head to miXt Food Hall this Saturday for the first annual Vegan Curious Fest. Kicking off with a panel titled “The Future of Food is Vegan,” the festival brings together local vendors and organizations for a celebration of vegan foods and products. (miXt Food Hall; 12 p.m.-6 p.m.; FREE)

ADMO PORCHFEST: Your neighbors are turning their porches into stages this weekend for the rescheduled Adams Morgan PorchFest, which arrives with a few upgrades: There are two main stages this time, and 18th Street NW will be entirely closed off to traffic. Make sure to pick up a map and a wristband to score discounts at local businesses. (Adams Morgan; 2 p.m.-6 p.m.; FREE)

DISABILITY FILM FEST: Arlington’s Mason Exhibitions is putting a spotlight on the disabled community this weekend with the Disability Film Fest, hosted in collaboration with the ReelAbilities Film Festival. The festival features three films that promote awareness of, appreciation for, and artistic expression by disabled folks. (Mason Exhibitions; 2 p.m.-4 p.m.; FREE)

FUEGO FLAMENCO FESTIVAL: Things are heating up at GALA Theatre this month. The Columbia Heights theater’s 19th annual Fuego Flamenco Festival kicks off this weekend. Catch the Middle Eastern inspired group La Banda Morisca, which arrives from Andalusia, this Saturday and Sunday. (GALA Hispanic Theatre; through Nov. 19; $35+)

MORE: Cultivated Stones: Chinese Scholars’ Rocks from the Kemin Hu Collection (National Bonsai & Penjing Museum; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Parade of Trabants (International Spy Museum; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), It’s Britney, Brunch! (Lyle Hotel; 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; $27+), Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington (Keegan Theatre; 2 p.m.; 5 p.m.; 8 p.m.; $45), The Mall Beyond the Museums Walking Tour (Ulysses S. Grant Memorial; 2 p.m.-4 p.m.; $15), When You Wish Upon a Star: A Jazz Tribute to 100 Years of Disney (McLean Community Center; 7 p.m.; $30), Improv Comedy Night (DC Art Center; 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; $15+), Comedy Karaoke Trivia Funtime Show (HIGHLINE RxR; 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; $15), Choral Abstractions (Katzen Arts Center; 7:30 p.m.; $15), DC Square Dance Party (St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church; 8 p.m.-11 p.m.; $10), Soundtracks Flashband Showcase (Pearl Street Warehouse; 8:30 p.m.; $25), Romeo & Juliet (Kennedy Center; through Nov. 18; $45+)

SUNDAY, NOV. 5

ALEXANDRIA FALL FESTIVAL: Fulfill your fall festival needs this weekend at the Alexandria Fall Festival, hosted by Alexandria Living Magazine. Taking place at River Farm, the festival will feature local food trucks, a beer garden, pony rides and a petting zoo. (River Farm; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; $20)

ANHELOS UNIVERSALES: The Washington Chorus’ first concert of the season is a collaboration with the National Philharmonic. Anhelos Universales features the east coast premiere of James Lee III’s Breaths of Universal Longings, followed by an intermission and then Antonio Estévez’s Cantata Criolla, which tells the story of a Venezuelan cowboy. (The Music Center at Strathmore; 3 p.m.; $19+)

DIWALI: Diwali, southeast Asia’s festival of lights, takes place on Nov. 12, and the National Museum of Asian Art is celebrating early. Join them this Sunday for an after-hours event featuring food vendors, crafts, and performances that borrow from both traditional and modern Indian dances. (National Museum of Asian Art; 3 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; FREE)

MORE: America’s Voices Against Apartheid (Kennedy Center; through Nov. 5; FREE), Girl Scout Day 2023 (International Spy Museum; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; $30.69), On The Noodle Road with Jen Lin-Liu: Deep Dive into Dumplings (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; $125), Dorothea Lange: Seeing People (National Gallery of art; 12 p.m.; FREE), Bluegrass at the Barn (Mt. Defiance Cider Barn; 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Portrait of an Indigenous Womxn [Removed] (National Portrait Gallery; 1 p.m.; FREE), Black Hole Symphony (National Academy of Sciences; 3 p.m.; donation), Poetry in the Parks (Meridian Hill Park; 4 p.m.-7 p.m.; $10+), Second Floor Session: Sushi Workshop (Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town; 4 p.m.-6 p.m.; $65), (Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens (George Mason University; 7 p.m.; $41+)

This post has been updated to reflect that the Washington Chorus is performing Anhelos Universales with the National Philharmonic.