Break Out Your Leather, MAL Is Here
It is Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday weekend and many of us have Monday off. It is a weekend of kink with both a leather convention and tattoo convention going on. There’s also events for those not so adventurous or those with kids. Plan ahead if you’re taking the metro this weekend. Green Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between College Park and Branch Avenue stations; buses will replace trains at Greenbelt Station on Saturday and Sunday. Trains on the Orange and Blue lines will run every 20 minutes, rather than the usual 12-20 minutes; and on the Red Line, buses will replace trains between Woodley Park and Metro Center.
Participants at the 2012 Mid Atlantic Leather Weekend in the hotel lobby. (Photo: First Coast Leather Society)
Mid Atlantic Leather
It is time for the 40th Mid Atlantic Leather weekend, better known as MAL, sponsored by the Centaur Motorcycle Club. Thousands of (mostly gay) people descend on the District for a long weekend of harnesses, chaps, whips and parties. You don’t really have to be into leather to attend. It’s more than fine to go-and-look and dip your toe into the leather world. But be warned: this is not for kids. According to the website, the dress code in the hotel is “Nudity is not allowed in the public areas of the hotel. You are able to walk around the hotel shirtless, in a jock or in chaps with a jock. When dining, your butt must be covered and at least have a vest on. When leaving the hotel, you must have at least a 1 inch strap covering your ass-crack.”
Jan. 16-19 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW and other venues around the city. Events start at 3 p.m. Friday and run through 4:30 a.m. Monday. The exhibitor hall is open from 4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday in case you are opening for some early Valentines Day gifts or to recreate 50 Shade of Grey at home. Click here for the entire schedule.
D.C. Tattoo Expo
A tattoo artist tattoos a visitor at last year’s D.C. Tattoo Expo. (Photo: Gary Robinette/Flickr)
More than 160 of the world’s best tattoo artists, including the finest tattoo artists from the D.C. metro area will be at the D.C. Tattoo Expo this weekend. There will be live tattooing and body piercing. If it’s the body art industry, it’s here. A full list of the tattoo artists is here. There will be a tattoo contest at 9 p.m. nightly with categories such as sleeve, back piece, best tattoo of the day (must have been done from start to finish at the expo) and worst tattoo (winner gets a certificate for a cover up). Winners receive plaques. There will also be the Miss D.C. Pin-Up Contest at 7 p.m. Saturday with the winner taking home $500.
Jan. 17-19 from noon-10 p.m. Friday and Sunday and noon-11 p.m. on Saturday at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington. Tickets are $25 a day or $55 for all three days at the door. Children under 12 are free with paying adult and active military members receive a discount.
Officer and an Auction: Stars and Studs
Officer and an Auction benefits the GI Film Festival. (Graphic: GI Film Festival)
For one magical evening the GI Film Group, in partnership with Sip with Socialites, will host the 2nd annual Officer and an Auction: Stars and Studs charity bachelor auction. Celebrity bachelor’s include Top Chef Spike Mendelsohn, Parker Young from ABC’s Suburgatory and Fox’s Enlisted as well as a date in Los Angeles with actor Mark Valley from ABC’s Body of Proof. Admission includes open beer and wine bar, live entertainment, appetizers, desserts and a silent auction. There’s an after party following at L2 Lounge, 3315 Caddy’s Alley NW.
Jan. 17 from 7-10 p.m. at the Embassy of Austria, 3524 International Court NW. Advance tickets are available here for $50 or $60 at the door.
Political Cartoon Exhibit
Democrats vs. Republicans, a political cartoon exhibit (Graphic: Art Soriee)
Art Soiree presents its fourth annual political cartoon exhibit, Democrats vs. Republicans. Editorial cartoons are unlike any other form of commentary. For over 500 years the art of political cartoons has been used to convey social and political messages through the use of images familiar to all of the people in a society. Visual in nature, cartoons highlight minute details to make a specific point. With simple pen strokes, they provide a commentary in ways that eludes written or spoken reporting, a truly unique historical perspective-entertaining, yet clever, and insightful. In the U.S., this powerful form of art has always reflected key moments in history. Look back through artistic commentary and critique on Democrats and Republicans alike. Friday is Republican night and Saturday is Democrat night. Predict who will win with year with your attendance on the corresponding night. LIve performance by Suspicious Package and music by DJ Agent Max.
Jan. 17 and 18 from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, 3100 South St. NW. Admission is $10 per night or $15 for both nights and can be purchased here.
Ice skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
Ice skating at the National Galley of Art Sculpture Garden (Photo: National Gallery of Art)
Take the kids ice skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink. View magnificent works of sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying music from the state-of-the-art sound system.
Open through mid-March, weather permitting at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive at 9th Street. The rink is open Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors over 50, students with school ID and children 12 and under. Skate rental is $3, locker rental is 50 cents.
D.C. Restaurant Week
Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week will be held Jan. 13-19. (Image: RAMW)
The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s annual Winter Restaurant Week is winding down, but you still have time to try out a new restaurant or visit one of your favorites. More than 230 area restaurants are offering a three-course prix-fixe lunch for $20.14 or dinner for $35.14.
Through Jan. 19 at more than 230 participating area restaurants including just about every cuisine, chain restaurants as well as independent local eateries. Price: $20.14 for lunch, $35.14 for dinner.
Alexandria Restaurant Week
Arlington Restaurant Week is Jan. 17-26. (Graphic: Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association)
Visit some of 50 participating restaurants during Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week and for $35 choose from a dinner for two or a three-course prix-fixe menu, depending upon each restaurant’s special offer. At a range of locales, from fine dining establishments to casual neighborhood favorites, guests savor the flavors of Alexandria’s distinctive collection of eateries.
Jan. 17-26 at 50 participating restaurnts in Alexandria. Price: $35 for dinner for two or a three-course prix-fixe dinner. Click here to see specific restaurant’s offers and menus.
Transforming the American Table
Julia Child’s kitchen on display at the Museum of American History. (Photo: Museum of American History)
Featuring the Smithsonian Museum of American History’s rich and varied collections of artifacts, documents, photographs, and films, Food: Transforming the American Table explores the major changes in food — its production, distribution, preparation and consumption — in the United States. Touching on topics such as the dramatic rise of convenient, processed foods and on-the-go eating; the arrival and widespread adoption of cuisines from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East; the movements toward artisanal, organic and locally-grown foods; and the development of the American wine industry, the exhibition will offer visitors a stimulating and engaging experience. Highlights include Julia Child’s kitchen; a section highlighting supermarket innovations, shortcuts for home cooks, and food on the go; Resetting the Table section focusing on social and cultural shifts between 1950 and 2000 and their impact on food, its preparation and consumption; and a section teaching visitors about the wine industry in America and its tremendous growth in the past 60 years.
Through Nov. 20 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily in the first floor east section of the National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
