Love Is in the Air this Valentine’s Weekend
It’s Valentine’s Day weekend and many of this weekend’s events center around the lovers’ holiday. For singles and families, there are some other events in the DMV to keep your mind off your sorrows. But with the cold temperatures and possible snow forecast for Saturday, the best place to celebrate may be snuggled up on the couch or in front of a fireplace.
This weekend, Orange, Silver, Yellow and Green line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. On Saturday and Sunday, Red Line trains will run every 20 minutes with additional trains providing service every 10-12 minutes from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. between Shady Grove and Dupont Circle and between Judiciary Square and Glenmont. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, there will be no Blue Line service between Van Dorn Street and King Street-Old Town stations. Blue Line trains will run at regular weekend intervals between Huntington and Largo Town Center and between Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street. The last train will leave Franconia-Springfield Station 29 minutes earlier than usual. Free shuttle buses will operate between Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Ave stations every 5-10 minutes. Riders should allow an extra 15 minutes for travel time. On Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 16, Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. and close at midnight. Trains will operate on a Saturday schedule. Parking at all Metro-owned lots and garages is free on Presidents Day.
Drawing at Dusk
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a special evening session of its Draw and Discover! program., Drawing at Dusk. Sketch from a live clothed model or take inspiration from one of the thousands of artworks on view. Basic drawing materials are provided. Open to all ages and levels of artistic ability.
Feb. 13 from 5;30-7 p.m. at the Luce Foundation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Love Hurts
This year, celebrate Valentine’s Day at Love Hurts, a night of broked-hearted cocktails, curated vinyls and an old school film screening. You’ll enjoy cocktails like the Smoother Operator (gin, ginger syrup and champagne) and the Is It a Crime? (bourbon, creme de violette and blood orange) from resident cocktail expert Brian Kay. Heartbreaking hits from the likes of Rick James, Whitney Houseton, Aretha Franklin, Phyllis Hyman, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan and Shirley Bassey will be playing all night long.
Feb. 13 from 6 p.m.-2 a.m. at Napoleon Bistro and Lounge, 1847 Columbia Road NW. Tickets are $10 online. Ticket includes admission and one cocktail.
Casablanca
It’s Valentine’s Weekend and love is in the air and on the screen. Everyone thinks of Casablanca as one of the most romantic movies ever, yet the leads don’t end up together at the end. Still, the classic film is a classic for a reason. Sure, Ilsa gets on the plane, but just because a relationship ends doesn’t mean it fails – after all, they’ll always have Paris.
Feb. 13 and 14 at 11:59 p.m. at Landmark E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Admission is $9 online or at the box office.
Chinese New Year Family Festival
Celebrate Chinese New Year at the American Art Museum’s Chinese New Year Family Festival. Usher out the year of the horse and bring in the year of the sheep with fun craft activities, a reading corner, puppet performances by the Shaanxi Folk Arts Group, Calligraphy demonstrations, traditional dance performances by the Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe, artists and demonstrations. Get there early to see the Lion Parade around the building (weather permitting) by the Young Han Lion Dance Troupe, followed by an Awakening Ceremony to start the festivities.
Feb. 14 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets Nw. Admission is FREE!
Gourmet Symphony
This concert series, premiering Saturday at Atlas Performing Arts Center, uses food to connect listeners with works by classical composers. Saturday’s Gourmet Symphony four-course meal and beverage pairings – inspired by classic European dishes provided by Vendetta Bocce Bar & Tavern, Smith Commons and Beuchert’s Saloon – will be served in a space without assigned seating. The orchestra, composed of musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and service bands, will perform recognizable classics in the center of the room. Between songs, performers will engage with guests while John Coco, the organizer and beverage director of Bistro 360 in Arlington, and a music scholar from the University of Maryland share historical anecdotes.
Feb. 14 starting at 7 p.m. at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $125 online.
My Funny Valentine Comedy Jam
Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or hating it with a passion, the My Funny Valentine Comedy Jam should offer something for everyone to laugh at. Comedians D.L. Hughley, John Witherspoon, Aries Spears, Mark Curry and Joe Tory provide the jokes.
Feb. 14 starting at 7 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. Ticket are $59-$125 online.
Virtue & Vice
Celebrate the opening night of Hillwood’s exhibition Splendor & Surprise: Elegant Containers – Antique to Modern with a Valentine’s Day affair Virtue & Vice. Naughty and nice guests will revel in an evening of cocktails, dancing, sweet and savory delights, tours of the estate exhibition and greenhouse full of orchids, and a silent auction.
Feb. 14 from 7-10 p.m. at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Tickets are $100 or $80 for members online or at the door.
Seth MacFarlane & the NSO
Take your Valentine’s Day date to see Family Guy funny man and Grammy-nominated artist cartoon mogul and all-around swell guy Seth MacFarlane sings politically incorrect love songs including I Met a Girl, Face to Face, Violets for Your Furs and many more with the NSO Pops.
Feb. 14 starting at 8 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $20-$88 online or at the box office..
John Pizzarelli and Jane Monheit
For a soulful, sultry Valentine’s Day celebration, Strathmore presents an evening of solo performances, charming duets and charismatic banter with jazz guitarist, singer and bandleader John Pizzarelli and Jane Monheit, a jazz chanteuse. Both master interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Pizzarelli and Monheit will perform music from their own repertoire and latest albums before swinging to classics by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, the Gershwins, The Beatles and more. Make a night of it with a special Valentine’s dinner in the historic Mansion at Strathmore catered by Restaurant Associates. The four course menu, with complimentary glass of Champagne or wine, is available for $95 per person. Table seating begins at 6 p.m. Dinner reservations can be made by calling Restaurant Associates at 301-581-5220.
Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $48-$78 online or at the box office.
Cupid’s Undie Run
Good causes validate dumb decisions, like running through a city street in just your skivvies. That what Cupid’s Undie Run is all about. The annual event, which takes place all over the country, is a benefit for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, and last year it raised over $2.8 million. The event is sold out for participants, but voyers are welcome.
Feb. 15 with the party starting at noon and the run steopping off at 2 p.m. at 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. FREE to watch!
LOC Presidents Day Open House
The Library of Congress will hold its semi-annual Main Reading Room open house The Main Reading Room will be open for viewing and photography will be allowed. Guided tours of the Thomas Jefferson Building begin on the ground floor at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. At 10 a.m., author Patricia Smith, the 2014 recipient of the Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, reads from her works. From 10 a.m.-3 p.m., The Young Readers Center celebrates past and future presidents. And mark the 200th anniversary of the acquisition of Thomas Jefferson’s library for the Library of Congress with a visit to the ongoing exhibition of his books.
Feb. 16 from 10 a.m.-3 pm. with the building open until 4:30 p.m. at the Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!
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.