Enjoy Indoor Events This Arctic Weekend
It is supposed to be cold in the D.C. area this weekend, so it is a good weekend to find some indoor events to entertain you and your family. The annual auto show is in town if you’re looking for a new vehicle or, if you’re a vinyl collector, there is a record show on Sunday. It is also a good weekend to visit the Smithsonian’s dinosaur exhibit before it closes in April for five year. And, if you just can’t get enough of baby panda Bao Bao, she’s now on display to the public, but dress warmly because there are long lines and long waits outside to see her.
Metro continues its work. The Yellow Line will end at Mount Vernon Square this weekend instead of Fort Totten. Orange, Blue and Yellow lines will operate every 20 minutes. Green Line trains will operate every 16 minutes and Red Line trains will run every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont, with additional trains providing service from 9 a.m. -9 p.m. between Farragut North and NoMa.
2014 Washington Auto Show
The 2014 Washington Auto Show opened Thursday with more than 700 new cars and trucks from 42 automakers on two floors. The second floor is where Buick, GMC, Chevrolet, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, Fiat, Toyota, Scion and Ford are located with the big, revolving displays. Among the celebrities slated to appear are National’s Bryce Harper, Friday 6-8 p.m. at the Toyota displays; National’s Jayson Werth, Sunday 1:30-3 p.m. at the State Farm booth; Redskins’ Pierre Andre Garçon, Monday 6:30-8:30 p.m.; WWE Superstar “The Miz”, Tuesday from 6-8 p.m.; Dancing with the Stars winner Karina Smirnoff, Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Mazda display; and WWE Superstar “Sheamus”, Wednesday from 6-8 p.m.
Through Feb. 2 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW from noon-10 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on closing Sunday. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, and free for children 5 and under. Tickets are available here online or at the convention center. Military, veterans and seniors 65 and older are $4 off weekdays and $2 off weekends. Students are $4 off on weekdays and $7 off on Jan. 27 with ID and military are free on Jan 28 with ID. Discount tickets are only available at the box office.
Tapas. Spanish Design for Food
At the inaugural lecture of TAPAS. Spanish Design for Food, architect and designer Juli Capella, curator of the exhibit, and writer Linda Hales, former design critic of the Washington Post, will discuss the interaction between design and gastronomy, and how this discipline applies to cuisine across a variety of fields including food design, food preparation, interior design of restaurants and wine labeling among others. Organized by Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), Tapas. Spanish Design for Food provides a rich panorama of the most recent Spanish design as applied to cuisine. It is like a creative taster menu of ‘tapas’ from all the fields in which design plays a role in the act of eating. The exhibition opens to the public on Jan. 24 in the former residence of the Ambassadors of Spain and will be on view through Mar. 23.
Jan. 25 from 1-2:30 p.m. at the former residence of the ambassador of Spain, 2801 16th St. NW. FREE tickets are available here.
Girls Rock! benefit concert
D.C. Music Download is hosting a benefit concert for Girls Rock!DC at the 9:30 Club. Girls Rock is an organization that brings girls the gift of music — instruments, instruction and confidence. For one night only, four of the District’s top bands will come together for a massive celebration: Drop Electric, Young Rapids, The Sea Life and The Raised By Wolves. D.C. comedian Jamel Johnson (You, Me, Them, Everybody talk show, Wonderland Ballroom) will be the MC. Live artwork presented by Lindsay “LA” Johnson.
Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets cost $16 here with $1 going to Girls Rock!DC. There will be a pre-party from 6-8 p.m. at Vera Cruz, that all are welcome to attend.
D.C. Record Fair
The D.C. Record Fair, D.C.’s ONLY record fair returns to celebrate its fifth birthday with cocktails, food and DJs. Sponsored by Som Records, DC Soul Recordings and The Vinyl District.
Jan. 26 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Penn Social, 801 E St. NW. Admission is $5 from 11 a.m.-noon and $2 after noon.
Alexandria’s Destination Bridal Showcase
Sponsored by the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association presents Alexandria’s Destination Bridal Showcase. This boutique event is dedicated to offering the modern bride the highest quality of products, services and creativity. Featuring a variety of local vendors from Alexandria and throughout the metropolitan area.
Jan. 26 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at The Carlyle Club, 411 John Carlyle St., Alexandria. Tickets are $10 at the door or free with promotion code BRIDE here.
Fifth Annual Meat Week
For the fifth year, Washington barbecue lovers will gather to enjoy slow-smoked meats across the Washington region during Meat Week. Simply show up at the host venue and look for the Meat Week flags. Participants order and pay for their own food and drinks and then join in the festivities with other Meat Week attendees. Most host venues will be offering Meat Week specials. The food truck face-off is on Friday at Living Social and features one PBR Tall Boy and 15 Tastings: one beef, one pork and one side dish sample from each of five trucks including BBQ Bus (last year’s grand prize winner), Carnivore BBQ, Curley’s Q Food Truck and Catering, Hardy’s BBQ, Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co. There will also be demos of butchering, sauces, rubs, knife skills and fuel options.
Jan. 26-Feb. 1 as follows: Jan. 26 – Urban Bar-B-Que (Rockville), 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 27 – Hill Country Barbecue Market, 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 28 – DCity Smokehouse (at Showtime Lounge), 7 p.m.; Jan. 29 – Pork Barrel BBQ, 7 p.m.; Jan. 30 – Smoke BBQ, 7 p.m.; Jan. 31 – Barbecue Food Truck Face-Off at Living Social, 6 p.m.; Feb. 1 – Mr. P’s Ribs & Fish, noon. Tickets for the food truck face-off cost $49 here for 15 samples from five truck and a PBR tall boy.
See the baby panda
Giant panda cub Bao Bao made her public debut to big crowds last weekend. If you didn’t feel like fighting the crowds at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and waiting in line, make the trip this weekend for the first time since she was born Aug. 23. For now, mother and daughter are only on display inside the panda house at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat. Visitors will be allowed into the house in small groups to avoid overcrowding on a first-come-first-served basis. Bao Bao and Mei Xiang will have access to the den during those times, and may choose to spend time in it instead of on exhibit. The amount of time the two will be on exhibit each day will depend on the bears’ behavior. As time passes, Bao Bao is expected to be more visible in her enclosure.
Daily at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (winter hours, grounds are open from 6 a.m.-6 p.m.). Admission is FREE!!
Visit the dinosaurs
Take a trip to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaurs before the extinct creatures disappear again. The museum announced Jan. 17 that the dinosaur hall will close on Apr. 28 for five years to get a $48 million facelift. When it reopens in 2019, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton from Montana will be the centerpiece of the new 31,000-square-foot fossil hall. There are currently 46 dinosaur specimens in the museums collection.
Through Apr. 28 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily at the National Museum of Natural History, 1000 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Alexandria Restaurant Week
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.
Through Jan. 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 restaraurant’s offers and menus.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.