Fall Activities Fill the DMV This Weekend
Fall is in the air this weekend, and there are plenty of fall activities in the DMV. It is the last weekend for the Maryland Renaissance Festival, so if you haven’t been there yet, this is your last chance! Other fall activities include Boo at the Zoo all weekend, Fall Harvest Family Days at Mount Vernon on Saturday and Sunday, the Kids’ Euro Festival begins this weekend and Air & Scare comes to the Udvar-Hazy Center on Saturday. Plus, Dorothy’s ruby red slippers go back on display Friday at the National Museum of American History.
Red Line trains single track at Shady Grove and between Silver Spring and Wheaton with trains running every 22 minutes. Orange and Silver Lines single track between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory with trains operating every 24 minutes. Blue Line trains will run every 24 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Eastern Market ONLY. Green Line trains single track between U Street and Georgia Avenue-Petworth with trains operating every 16 minutes. Yellow Line trains run every 16 minutes between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square ONLY.
Maryland Renaissance Festival
The Maryland Renaissance Festival closes its 42nd season at Revel Grove this weekend. Travel back to 1529 as King Henry VIII visits the village as the wants his marriage to Cathrine of Aragon annulled so he can wed the bewitching Anne Boleyn, who is traveling with the king. Check out this unique festival that takes place every year outside Annapolis, roughly 50 minutes from downtown D.C. Take along the entire family and celebrate olde times with more than 140 Renaissance-themed artisans, dazzling performances, including dancers and musicians, and plenty of plate-filling food, like giant turkey legs. You can also dress up in your own costume, if ye so wish, or rent one there. Buy your tickets online or arrive early, since they have been selling out.
Oct. 20 and 21 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. at 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis.Tickets are $26 for adults, $22 for seniors 62 and older and $11 for children ages 7-15. Children 6 and younger are FREE!
A Revolution in Arms
Anderson House dives into an essential element in America’s fight for its independence during the Revolutionary War in A Revolution in Arms: Weapons in the War for Independence. When the war began in 1775, there were not many shops or factories producing weapons in America. In order to battle the well-armed British, the Continental Army had to resort to numerous resources in order to procure firearms and swords. This exhibit showcases muskets, pistols, swords and other weapons used by American troops during the effort.
Through Mar. 24 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday at Anderson House, 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Nordic Impressions
Celebrated Nordic painters are showcased in this in-depth exhibit, Nordic Impressions. A total of 53 artists, including Franciska Clausen, Fanny Brate, Edvard Munch and Harriet Backer, are a part of this survey that spans nearly 200 years. Visitors can discover the true artistic brilliance that circulated through Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and self-governing Nordic islands during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Through Jan. 13 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday and noon-6:30 on Sunday at The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors 62 and older, and children 18 and younger are FREE!.
Sketching Is Seeing: Mindful Sketching
The National Gallery of Art is celebrating the art of sketching throughout the month of October. On Friday, head to the East Building Atrium to join Mindful Sketching with Take Five Meditation as they guide you through 45 minutes of sketching exercises that will combine close looking and drawing with basic meditation techniques. Sketchbooks with activities and thought-provoking prompts will be available throughout the month at all information desks.
Oct. 19 and 26 at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art, East Building Atrium, Sixth and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE, but registration is requested!
Return of Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers
Thanks to 6,000 Kickstarter backers who donated more than $300,000, Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz are back on permanent display at the National Museum of American History beginning Oct. 19. After their journey to the museum’s conservation lab, they are stabilized, sparkling clean and ready to be on view for years to come. For a few months, the iconic red shoes will be joined temporarily by Scarecrow’s hat. On Friday and Saturday, celebrate opening weekend of the Ruby Slippers gallery and eight American culture displays with a few fun activities. Wear your red shoes, share your Wizard of Oz memories on the Talk Back Board, see the Ruby Slippers in their new home and pose for a group photo in your Oz-inspired outfit at 12:30 p.m. on both days. The museum will also show the 1939 classic movie in 35mm in the Warner Bros. Theater at 1:50 and 4:10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Daily from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE! Tickets for the screening of The Wizard of Oz are $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and $13.50 for youth.
Boo at the Zoo
Boo at the Zoo, the National Zoo’s annual family oriented Halloween evening event, is an essential part of the holiday in D.C. Geared toward wholesome fun, the three-day celebration features more than 40 treat stations, as well as after-hours access to many of the zoo’s animal houses and exhibits, including the Great Ape House, small mammal house, Great Cats Circle, the Elephant Community Center and Reptile Discovery Center. Halloween-themed trails will be fun for a stroll and live entertainment will also be featured. Make sure to come in costume!
Oct. 19-23 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Smithsonian National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the gate. Saturday tickets and all weekend parking are SOLD OUT.
Soul Strolls
Congressional Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 65,000 individuals such as J. Edgar Hoover and John Philip Sousa. Originally founded in 1807, the burial site is still active and operated by a local church. The annual Soul Strolls twilight guided hour-long tours give guests have a chance to learn about some of the other notable names buried on the grounds — expect some surprises along the way with costumed interpreters and vignettes. Each tour runs an hour and departs every 15 minutes. Visitors should take a flashlight. Beer, wine and cider will be for sale in the chapel.
Oct. 19 and 26 from 7-10 p.m. and Oct. 20 and 27 from 6-10 p.m. at Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St. SE. Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for children 12 and younger. (Note: This weekend’s tickets are SOLD OUT but some remain for next weekend.)
The Fall
As the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes was dismantled at the University of Cape Town, seven students wrote The Fall, charting their experiences as activists who brought down a statue and then grappled with decolonizing what was left standing in its wake: the legacies of race, class, gender, history and power 24 years after the official end of Apartheid. Political and deeply personal, vibrating with song, dance and the energy of youth, The Fall comes to D.C. with the urgency of history being told as it’s created, resonating with America’s debates about falling monuments, rising tuition and “appropriate” ways to fight for long-promised equality.
Through Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$55.
Fall Harvest Family Days
‘Tis the season at Mount Vernon, where fall truly shines across the estate’s beautiful grounds. Head to George Washington’s former abode for Fall Harvest Family Days. Among the activities: horse-drawn wagon rides, 18th-century dancing, fabric-making and corn husk doll demos, a straw bale maze, games on the bowling green and music from early America.
Oct. 20 and 21 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon. Tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for seniors 62 and older and $11 for youth ages 6-11 in advance and $20, $19 and $12 at the door. Children 5 and younger are FREE!
Costume & Prop Sale
Do some Halloween costume shopping — or add some unique pieces to your wardrobe — at the Shakespeare Theatre Co.’s Costume & Prop Sale at its costume shop near Eastern Market. Browse through ball gowns and suits as well as props and furniture all made by STC’s artisans; pieces come from productions like Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night and Kiss Me, Kate.
Oct. 20 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the STC Costume Shop, 507 Eighth St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Kids Euro Festival
One of D.C.’s greatest family events is organized by countries thousands of miles away. The 11th annual Kids Euro Festival brings the culture of the 28 countries of the European Union to the DMV for two weeks of film screenings, story times, art activities and traditional music and dance performances at venues that include embassies, the American Film Institute and city libraries. It is most fun for kids and parents when countries put their own whimsical touches on the event: For example, after a Sunday screening of the Czech animated film Oddsockeaters, about creatures who devour stray clothing (1 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Texitle Museum, 701 21st St. NW), children can make their own Oddsockeater at the Textile Museum.
Oct. 20-Nov. 4 at various times and locations in the DMV. Most events are FREE, but some require RSVPs.
Hiking the Site of the Blair Witch Project
More than 20 years ago, legend and Hollywood tell us about the three young filmmakers who toured the parks at Burkittsville, Md., and disappeared at the hand of the Blair Witch. A year later their film was found. In actuality, the movie was filmed nearby at Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County. On Saturday, you can hike the site of the Blair Witch Project and see the locations where the film was made. Be on the lookout for the signs of the Blair Witch!
Oct. 20 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Black Mill Rock, 16500 Black Rock Road, Germantown. Tickets are $15 and include a light snack.
Air & Scare
Explore the spooky side of air and space at Air & Scare at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Participate in creepy crafts, spooky science experiments and other Halloween-themed activities. Arrive in costume to get into the Halloween spirit and enjoy safe, indoor trick-or-treating.
Oct. 20 from noon-5:30 p.m. at the National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly. Admission is FREE, but parking is $15.
Ongoing events
1968: Civil Rights at 50 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 2 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is $21.21 for adults, $16.96 for seniors 65 and older, and $12.71 for children ages 7-18 in advance or $24.95, $19.95 and $14.95, respectively, at the door.
Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon from 10a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Mar. 3 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!
The American Revolution: A World War from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through July 9 at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Americans from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2022 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Baseball Americana from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday through June at the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Between Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Mar. 17 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through Mar. 10 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! Born Yesterday at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$62.
Bound to Amaze: Inside a Book-Colleting Career from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 25 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older and students, and FREE for youth 18 and younger.
Churchill’s Shakespeare from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 6 at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Admission is FREE!
The Comedy of Errors at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (except Sept. 30), 7 p.m. Sunday, and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday through Nov. 4 at Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW. Tickets are $44-$118.
Community Policing in the Nation’s Capital from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 15 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors 60 and older, students with valid ID and youth ages 3-17 Children are FREE!
Corot: Women from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 31 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Daguerreotypes: Five Decades of Collecting from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through June 2 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Dawoud Bey: The Birmingham Project from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Mar. 17 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Diane Arbus: A Box of Ten Photographs from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Jan. 21 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice across Asia from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 29, 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Evicted from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through May 19 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
Fabergé Rediscovered from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday through Jan. 13 at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for college student, $5 for children 6-18 and FREE for children younger than 6. Adults and seniors get $3 off weekdays and $1 off on weekends when purchased online.
LAST CHANCE! Fridays at the Fountain from 5-9 p.m. Friday at the Crystal City Water Park, 1601 Crystal Drive, Arlington. Admission is FREE!
A Glimpse of Ancient Yemen from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Aug. 18 at the Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Heisenberg at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday through Nov. 11 at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $40-$89.
LAST CHANCE! If I Forget at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 7 p.m. Sunday at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$104.
Intersections: Richard Tuttle from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday and noon-6:30 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 30 at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors 62 and older. Children 18 and younger are FREE!
Investigating Where We Live from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through mid-January at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors 60 and older, students with valid ID and youth ages 3-17 at the door. Children are FREE!
Japan Modern: Photography from the Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck Collection from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 21 at the Freer|Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Japan Modern: Prints in the Age of Photography from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 21 at the Freer|Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Let’s Get It Right: Work Incentive Posters from the 1920s from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Jan. 6 at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Mark Bradford: Pickett’s Charge from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 12 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Mural from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 11 a.m-6 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 28 at the National Gallery of Art East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 21 at the Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW. Admission is FREE!
One Year: 1968, An America Odyssey from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through May 19 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Outbreak from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2021 at the National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Pictures of the Year: 75 Years of the World’s Best Photography from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 20 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $24.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors 65 and older, $14.95 for your 7-18 and free for children 6 and younger.
Playball and the National Pastime from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday through Apr. 30 at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Building 76, 736 Sicard St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Portraits of the World: Switzerland from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 12 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Postmen of the Skies: Celebrating 100 Years of Airmail Service from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through May 27 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!
Rachel Whiteread from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 13 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Recent Acquisitions from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 4 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Remembering Vietnam from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 6, at the National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Represent: Hip-Hop Photography from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through May 5 at the National Museum of African American History & Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE. Timed tickets are required on weekends and for groups of 10 or more.
Sean Scully: Landline from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Feb. 3 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Secret Cities from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Mar. 3 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors 60 or older, students with ID and children 3-17. Children younger than 3 are FREE!
Sense of Humor from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 6 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Shaping Clay in Ancient Iran from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through September 2019 at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Subodh Gupta: Terminal from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Jan. 6 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! Turn Me Loose at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $76-$115.
UnSeen: Our Past in a New Light, Ken Gonzales-Day and Titus Kaphar from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Jan. 6 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
War on Our Doorsteps from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday through Nov. 3 at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum, 437 Seventh St. NW. Tickets are $9.50 for adults, $8.50 for seniors 60 and older and military, and $7 for students.
Watching Oprah: The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Culture from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through June 2019 at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE, but timed passes are required.
Water, Wind and Waves: Marine Painting from the Dutch Golden Age from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 25 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Welcome to the New World from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Spring 2019 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $24.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors 65 years and older, $14.95 for youth from 7-18 at the door with a 15 percent discount when purchased online. Children 6 and younger are FREE!.
What Absence Is Made Of from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through the summer of 2019 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. 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.