11 Things to Do This Weekend in the DMV
Thanksgiving is almost upon up, and holiday events are in full swing. Here are some things to do from ice skating at Canal Park to visiting the reopened Renwick Gallery to fill your weekend.
Metro is planning construction on all six subway lines this weekend beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through closing on Sunday. Red Line trains will run every 22 minutes, while Orange, Silver and Blue Line trains will operate every 20 minute. Yellow Line trains will also operate every 20 minutes, but only from Huntington to Mount Vernon Square. Green Line trains will run at regular weekend intervals except on Saturday when every other train from Greenbelt will end at Naylor Road intead of Branch Avenue.
Renwick Gallery Reopens
The Renwick Gallery reopens this weekend after a two-year renovation. The Smithsonian museum devoted to American art and craft is celebrating with a tribute to the 152-year-old building, which served as the original home of the Corcoran and shares a street with the White House. For “Wonder,” the Renwick is filling its rooms with huge, site-specific installations by nine artists. The museum also will host a festival on Saturday, with musicians performing all day in the Grand Salon, including Barry Louis Polisar at noon, demonstrations in the Octagon Room, stilt walkers and a docent tour at 1 p.m.
Daily from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Renwick Gallery, 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Museum Shop Around
The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and the 26th annual Museum Shop Around event at the Strathmore mansion offers gift from 18 area museums and cultural shops all in one spot. Participating museums include The National Geographic Museum, Hillwood Museum, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Phillips Collection, the International Spy Museum, the National Building Museum, the National Museum of Women in the Arts and more.
Nov. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Nov. 15 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Admission is $9.
Ice Skating
It’s that time of year again and the Canal Park ice rink reopens this weekend for the season. Open daily, including Christmas and New Year, the rink offers lessons, cartoon skate every Saturday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Rock n Skate Fridays from 7-9 p.m., 2 for 1 Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. and College Night from 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays with $2 off with college ID.
Monday and Tuesday from noon-7 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from noon-9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at Canal Park, 202 M St. SE. Adult admission is $9, children/military/seniors are $8 and skate rental is $4. Season passes are $150 for an individual and $350 for a family of up to four.
Fashion Fights Poverty 10th Anniversary Gala
Celebrate Fashion Fights Poverty’s 10 years of doing good while looking good in fashion that empowers. The gala includes a cocktail reception, runway presentation with emcee Will Thomas from Fox 5.
Nov. 13 from 7-10 p.m. at the French Embassy, 4101 Reservoir Road NW. Tickets are $100 for standing room runway admission and $150 for seated runway admission with gift bag.
Twyla Tharp
Choreographer Twyla Tharp, a 2008 Kennedy Center honoree who also has Tony and Emmy awards on her shelf, refuses to coast on her 16-city Twyla Tharp 50th Anniversary Tour. The 74- year-old is debuting two pieces, “Preludes and Fugues” and “Yowzie,” tinkering with them throughout the 10-week run, which celebrates five decade of dance.
Nov. 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 14 at 1:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $49-$89.
Cider Week Virginia
Cider Week Virginia events start Friday, including a handful in Alexandria. Daniel O’Connell’s Restaurant and Bar, 112 King St., hosts a Virginia Cider Tap Takeover on Friday and Saturday featuring Bold Rock and Potter’s Craft. Indigo Landing, 1 Marina Dr., is offering happy hour featuring Potter’s Craft and Bold Rock from 4-7 p.m. all weekend with special food pairing from the chef. And Rustico Restaurant & Bar, 827 Slater’s Lane, will have food pairings with ciders from Castle Hill, Albemarle Ciderworks and Foggy Ridge this weekend.
Nov. 13-22 at locations around Virginia. Find more details and events here.
Wunder Garten End of Season Party
Wunder Garten will hold an end-of-season party at the outdoor, pop-up beer garden in NoMa celebrating its first year in business. It’s last day of operation for the year is Saturday. Enjoy German beers and a few locals with drink specials, s’mores, live music and prizes and giveaways.
Nov. 13 from 3 p.m.-midnight at Wunder Garten, 150 M St. NE. Admission is FREE!
Emporiyum
The Emporiyum at Union Market gives you a chance to eat, shop and sip from a curated group of vendors from throughout the region. Expect to see familiar D.C. names and newcomers — Maketto, Milk Bar, Swizzler Gourmet Hot Dogs, Timber Pizza, Runningbyrd Tea, Taco Bamba, Bullfrog Bagels and Whisked! to name a few — as well as such out-of-town artisans as Sfoglini Pasta Shop, Kinderhook, Mast Brothers chocolate and Bulls Bay Saltworks.
Nov. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Dock 5 at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Tickets are $15-$40.
Washingoton Project for the Arts 40th Anniversary
The Washington Project for the Arts celebrate its 40th anniversary by debuting a new location at the Atlantic Plumbing Building and with a new exhibit, “Washington Produced Artists.” The inaugural exhibition in the new space recognizes local artists who created significant works in conjunction with WPA early in their careers and who have since built esteemed reputations including by longtime D.C. metro-area resident artists William Christenberry, Jim Sanborn, Joyce J. Scott and Dan Steinhilber, The exhibit showcases a mobile public art project created by Workingman Collective, a video installation by Michelle Lisa Herman, and an opening reception performance by Maida Withers Dance Construction Co.
Nov. 14 from 6-9 p.m. at Washington Project for the Arts, 2124 Eighth St. NW. Admission is FREE!
Internet Cat Video Festival
The Internet Cat Video Festival purrs into AFI Silver with 100 minutes of some of the funniest, most ridiculous and charming cat clips from the past year. This is a real thing, LOL The festival, which is on a 31-city tour, drew an audience of 13,000 at the August premiere in St. Paul, Minn, and the videos that made the cut were culled from 15,000 submissions.
Nov. 15 starting at 11 a.m. at AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $5.
Commemorate and Celebrate Freedom
In anticipation of its grand opening, the National Museum of African American History and Culture present Commemorate and Celebrate Freedom, a video display projected on the south (facing Madison Drive) and west (facing 15th Street and the Washington Monument) exterior of the museum featuring a display of projected images from the museum’s collection. The images commemorate the ratification of the 13th Amendment, passage of the Voting Rights Act and the end of the Civil War 150 years ago. The outside of the museum will be transformed into a five-story-tall, one-block-long 3D canvas. The display is seven minutes long and will run continuously.
Nov. 16-18 from 5:30-9 p.m. at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Madison Drive between 14th and 15th Streets. 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.