FRIDAY, DEC. 22
ONE MO’ TIME: Travel back in time to 1920s New Orleans with One Mo’ Time, an Off-Broadway hit that celebrates old school Black vaudeville. If you can’t catch the production this Friday or Saturday, you’ll have one more chance next weekend. (Anacostia Playhouse; through Dec. 31; $35+)
TIPSY SANTA TOY DRIVE: The price of admission to get tipsy at Hook Hall this Friday is a toy. Join Drinks in the District for the Tipsy Santa Toy Drive, which features live music, an ugly sweater photo booth, pictures with Santa, rein-beer pong and more holiday fun. (Hook Hall; 7 p.m.-10 p.m.; FREE+)
THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER: Tchaikovsky got a remix this week in The Hip Hop Nutcracker, a special holiday performance that follows Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince as they venture through modern-day New York City. You’ve got one more chance to catch the show this Friday. (The Music Center at Strathmore; 8 p.m.; $48)
GO-GO SYMPHONY: ‘Tis the season for go-go. This Friday, the Go-Go Symphony presents ‘Twas the Night, a performance of holiday classics with a percussive funk update. “JuJu” Julius House, a local drummer who has performed with Roberta Flack and Experience Unlimited, is the evening’s guest of honor. (Union Stage; 8 p.m.; $25+)
MORE: BDX the Don (The Pocket; 7 p.m.; $15), Art Bites Gallery Talk (Smithsonian American Art Museum; 12:15 p.m.; FREE), Kendall Street Company (The Atlantis; 6:30 p.m.; $20), Rhizome Audio Laboratory (Rhizome DC; 7 p.m.; $10+), Motown Christmas (The Birchmere; 7:30 p.m.; $35), Boat House Row (The Hamilton Live; 8 p.m.; $7+)
SATURDAY, DEC. 23
MODERN NUTCRACKER: Can’t make it to The Hip Hop Nutcracker? You’ve got another chance to catch a reinterpretation of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece at Source Theatre, where Aru Dell’Arte Dance Company presents Christmas Legends, which puts a fresh spin on The Nutcracker. (CulturalDC’s Source Theatre; 3 p.m.; $35+)
PUNK ROCK PARKING LOT: Winter solstice is almost here, and Pie Shop is inviting you to spend the longest night of the year rocking out to local punk, courtesy of Punk Rock Parking Lot. Local acts Buko Buko, Heinous Crime, Shagwüf and Kinda Evil will take the stage for this free evening of music. (Pie Shop; 8 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Last MIKKO Holiday Market (MIKKO; 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; FREE), The Magic Flute screening (National Gallery of Art; 2 p.m.; FREE), Natural Dye Workshop (Rhizome DC; 2 p.m.; $20+), Youth Bowlarama (Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling; 2 p.m.; FREE), Dial Code Santa Claus (Suns Cinema; 6 p.m.; $12), Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas (Miracle Theatre; Friday and Saturday; $6+), Garden of Lights (Brookside Gardens; 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; $10), An Irish Carol (Keegan Theatre; Dec. 31; $65)
SUNDAY, DEC. 24
VIRTUAL REALITY: Experience virtual reality like you never have before at Sandbox VR, an immersive virtual reality venture that opens its doors in Tysons this weekend. Using advanced full-body technology, Sandbox invites you to immerse yourself in games inspired by Star Trek, Squid Game and more. (Sandbox VR Tysons; Saturday and Sunday; $39+)
CHRISTMAS EVE ON O STREET: Spend your Christmas Eve getting lost in the Mansion on O Street, a quirky D.C. landmark that boasts over 100 rooms and over 80 secret doors. You can start the day there for breakfast and a tour, or swing by in the evening to pair your tour with sweet treats. (The Mansion on O Street; 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; $60)
HOLIDAY CLASSICS: Get in the holiday spirit at AFI Silver, where Christmas classics like Die Hard, Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life will be playing through Christmas Eve. If you prefer to catch a movie on Christmas Day, AFI will be screening Alexander Payne’s instant holiday classic The Holdovers at 4:15 p.m. (AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; through Sunday; $13)
MORE: O Night Divine! (Kennedy Center; 2 p.m.; $35+), Season’s Greenings Holiday Exhibit (United States Botanic Garden; through Jan. 1; FREE), Bull Run Festival of Lights (NOVA Parks; through Jan. 7; $30+)
MONDAY, DEC. 25
SPECTACULAR FACTORY: If you’re looking for a Christmas activity on Christmas itself, look no further than ARTECHOUSE. Spinning candy canes, floating Christmas bells and thousands of Nutcrackers await you at Spectacular Factory, ARTECHOUSE’s annual holiday installation. (ARTECHOUSE; through Jan. 3; $32+)
HISTORY OF JEWISH WASHINGTON: Most of the city might be closed, but Off the Mall Tours will be open for business this Christmas, offering their History of Jewish Washington tour. Join tour guide Ami Greener on this walking tour that highlights D.C.’s Jewish history, from synagogues to the recently opened Capital Jewish Museum. (Gallery Place; 10 a.m.; $25)
MORE: Enchant: Reindeer Games (Nationals Park; through Dec. 31; $30+), Light Yards (The Yards; through Jan. 7; FREE), Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights (Meadowlark Botanical Gardens; through Jan. 7; $18+)
