FRIDAY, DEC. 1
BIGGEST HOLIDAY WEEKEND: Kick off December with holiday spirit at Old Town Alexandria’s Biggest Holiday Weekend. Highlights include Saturday’s 52nd annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, which features Scottish clans and Scottie dogs, and the Holiday Boat Parade, with other festivities sprinkled throughout the weekend. (Old Town Alexandria; Friday-Sunday; FREE)
COCKTAIL WEEK: You don’t have to make it to happy hour to get a good drink deal this weekend. Courtesy of DC Cocktail Week, restaurants and bars around the D.C. area offer deals on cocktail and food pairings through Tuesday. Visit the official website for a list of participating locations and their menus. (Various locations; through Dec. 5; $15+)
MERRIWEATHER HOLIDAY MARKET: It’s officially holiday market season. If you’re in the Maryland area, check out the Merriweather District Holiday Market in Columbia, opening up shop this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sip on hot cocoa or wine as you browse potential gifts from over 40 local vendors. (Color Burst Park; Friday through Sunday; FREE)
THE SEA OF LIFE: A bit of Bahrain lands in D.C. this weekend. The Sea of Life, a new exhibit that opened at the Middle East Institute, puts the spotlight on modern and contemporary art from the kingdom. See how fourteen artists connect to their island’s landscape, rituals, mythology and future. (Middle East Institute; through March 2024; FREE)
DC101-DERLAND: If you ever let alternative rock station DC101 soundtrack your drives, you might consider letting them soundtrack your Friday night with DC101-derland, the station’s annual winter festival. This year’s lineup includes indie favorites Young the Giant, MisterWives, Lovejoy and Weathers. (The Anthem; 7 p.m.; $75+)
REQUIEM OF A DREAM II: To honor World AIDS Day, the Atlas Performing Arts Center teams up with Washington Health Institute and DC Health for an evening that honors those infected and affected by AIDS. Free STI and HIV screenings will precede a candlelight vigil and a performance of Requiem of a Dream II, a dance that honors those affected by the epidemic, by the Black Leaves Dance Company. (Atlas Performing Arts Center; 7 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Georgetown Glow (Georgetown; through Jan. 7; FREE), Countryside Artisans Studio Tour (Various locations; Friday-Sunday; FREE), Del Ray Artisans Holiday Market (Del Ray Artisans Gallery; Friday-Sunday; FREE), Heurich Christmas Markt (Heurich House Museum; Friday-Sunday; $12+), The Lodge Holiday Festival (Metropolitan Park; Friday-Sunday; FREE), World Aids Day Celebration and Community HIV Screening (Skyland Town Center; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; FREE), Observe the Conservation of James Hampton’s Throne of the Third Heaven (Smithsonian American Art Museum; 2 p.m.-6 p.m.; FREE), Cathedral Commons Holiday Tree Lighting & Celebration (3701 Newark St NW; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.; FREE), Day With(out) Art 2023 (David Bethuel Jamieson Studio House at Walbridge; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; FREE), “Disposition” Opening Reception (Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; FREE), CDR Record Release Show (Rhizome DC; 7 p.m.; $15), Global Sounds on The Hill: Iranian Classical Singer Roxana Sarrafi (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 7 p.m.; $20), Jed Harrelson (The Pocket; 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; $15+), Trivia Night Featuring Washington Area Bicyclist Association (The Coupe; 7 p.m.-9 p.m.; FREE), American University Chorus (American University; Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.; $15), Will Butler & Sister Squares (DC9 Nightclub; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m.; $18), Frédéric Yonnet (Carlyle Room; 9:30 p.m.; $45)
SATURDAY, DEC. 2
NATIVE ART MARKET: The first weekend of December brings an abundance of holiday markets, as you may have already noticed above. Our pick for Saturday and Sunday is the Native Art Market, which brings the work of Indigenous artists from across the Western hemisphere to the National Museum of the American Indian. Enjoy live music as you shop for traditional and contemporary beadwork, paintings, pottery and more. (National Museum of the American Indian; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; FREE)
HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE: Christmas is coming to the Wharf this Saturday. The annual Holiday Boat Parade brings over 60 decorated boats to the Washington Channel, lighting up the horizon before a fireworks display. Don’t miss nearby events like an ornament decorating workshop, a s’mores roasting, holiday karaoke and more. (The Wharf; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; FREE)
A JAZZ PIANO CHRISTMAS: Hear your favorite holiday songs like you’ve never heard them before at NPR’s A Jazz Piano Christmas, which makes its annual return to the Kennedy Center this weekend. This year’s edition spotlights three Cuban pianists, who will infuse holiday classics with a distinctly Afro-Cuban rhythm and energy. (Kennedy Center; 7 p.m.-9 p.m.; $75)
AN IRISH CAROL: It’s A Christmas Carol, just a lot more Irish. At the center of this play is David, a wealthy pub owner in modern-day Dublin who has become obsessed with success at the expense of his relationships. Based on the Dickens classic, An Irish Carol is a fresh, funny fable told “as only the Irish can.” (The Keegan Theatre; through Dec. 31; $65)
THINGS UNSEEN: Anacostia’s Valley Place Arts Collective brings a magic show by Ran’D Shine to the neighborhood. Evidence of Things Unseen: An Intimate Magic Experience promises sleight of hand and illusions at two shows, one for youth from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. and one for adults at 5:30. (Anacostia Arts Center; 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.; $10)
MORE: Christmas in Middleburg (Middleburg; 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; FREE), American Indian Society Holiday Bazaar (Sandy Spring; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Annual Holiday Boutique (Woman’s Club of Bethesda; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Department Stores: A Feminine Oasis (Navy Memorial; 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; $55), Winter Festival (National Arboretum; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Holiday Market and Celebration (The Parks at Walter Reed; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Mt. Rainier Holiday Craft Fair (Joe’s Movement Emporium; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Van Ness Main Street’s 8th Annual Holiday Pop-Up (Connecticut Ave. NW; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Piñata Making Workshop (Bryant Street Market; 1 p.m.; $35+), Record Fair (Hellbender Brewing Company; 1 p.m.-6 p.m.; FREE), Winter Wonderland (Bethesda; 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Latinx Art and the Intimacy of Dislocation (National Gallery of Art; 2 p.m.; FREE), Double IPA Release Party (Atlas Brew Works; 3 p.m.-5 p.m.; $35), City Ridge Tree Lighting and URBN Market (City Ridge; Saturday 3 p.m.; Sunday 4 p.m.; FREE), Kinship: An Artist Talk with Jessica Todd Harper (National Portrait Gallery; 3 p.m.; FREE), Rhode Island Row Holiday Tree Lighting (Washington Place NE; 5 p.m.-7 p.m.; FREE), Evidence of Things Unseen: An Intimate Magic Experience (Anacostia Arts Center; 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.; $10), Pussy Riot (9:30 Club; 6 p.m.; $30), milk. (The Atlantis; 6:30 p.m.; $20), The Christmas Formal 2023 (Washington Marriott Georgetown; 7 p.m. to midnight; $120), The Nutcracker (Prince George’s Publick Playhouse; 8 p.m.-10 p.m.; $25), The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington Holiday Show (Lincoln Theatre; 8 p.m.; $25+), Sherlee Skai (Juste Lounge & Restaurant; 8 p.m.; $35)
SUNDAY, DEC. 3
PAJAMARAMA: Don’t bother changing before you head to Pajamarama — you’ll score some discounts if you show up in your PJs. Pajama-wearers can take advantage of discounts before 11 a.m. on Sunday at Takoma’s annual holiday shopping extravaganza, which continues into the afternoon. (Takoma Theater; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; FREE)
CATALYTIC SOUND FESTIVAL: If you’re looking for live music, Rhizome is the place to be this weekend. The Catalytic Sound Festival, a multi-city event hosted by international music cooperative Catalytic Sound, comes to Takoma this Saturday and Sunday with sets by local artists like Alma Laprida, Brian Weitz, Toshi Makihara and more. (Rhizome DC; Saturday and Sunday; 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; $15)
RAMY YOUSSEF: Didn’t get your Ramy Youssef tickets the first time around? You’re in luck: The stand-up comedian and actor, best known for starring in his hit comedy show Ramy, has added a late show to his Lincoln Theatre stop on Sunday. (Lincoln Theatre; 10 p.m.; $38+)
MORE: The Eight Mountains (Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema; 10 a.m.; $15), Decorate Gingerbread Houses with UpCycle (The Garden at Building Momentum; 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; $35+), Winter Wonderland Market (Wonderland Ballroom; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; FREE), Open Studios (Jackson Art Center; 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; FREE), Silver Spring Christmas Market (Veterans Plaza; 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; FREE), The Legendary Ingramettes (George Mason University; 2 p.m.; $34+), Drag Santa Tea (Hank’s Dupont Circle; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; $65), Cleveland Park Winter Market (Connecticut Avenue NW; 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; FREE), A Celtic Christmas (Dumbarton Arts & Education; 4 p.m.; $48), Fresh Talk: Digital Futures (National Museum of Women in the Arts; 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; $20), Silent Film Series: The Merry Widow (Atlas Performing Arts Center; 4 p.m.; $25), Cluelesque: A Musical Murder Mystery Burlesque (DC Comedy Loft and Bier Baron Tavern; 7 p.m.; $25), Emmylou Harris (The Hamilton Live; 8 p.m.; $90)
