Saturday’s forecast may be hot and humid, but there’s plenty of events going on inside, especially if it rains. But if you like the heat, there’s several events going on outside too. From plays and the second biannual Chinese Film Festival to a cat show, museum sidewalk sale and a food truck cookoff to an oyster fest and a brewery’s birthday bash, there’s something for everyone this first weekend of September.

Blue and Yellow line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. Yellow Line trains will run between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square only. Green Line trains will operate every 16 minutes and Orange and Silver line trains will operate every 15 minutes. Red Line trains will run every 15 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmon, and every 8-10 minutes between NoMa-Gallaudet between 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Jenna Sokolowski (left) and Jayne Houdyshell star in The Shoplifters at Arena State. (Photo: Arena Stage)

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The Shoplifters

Tony Award-nominated Broadway actress Jayne Houdyshell plays an unapologetic pilferer in the world premiere of Morris Panych’s The Shoplifters, at Arena Stage. Houdyshell plays Alma, a woman who prefers the five-finger discount over the senior one. Eventually, she’s caught by a rooking security guard who thinks he’s Eliot Ness and an older one who just wants to go home.

Tuesday-Sunday now through Oct. 19 at various times at Arena Stage’s Kreeger Theater, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets cost $45-$90.

The second biennial D.C. Chinese Film Festival takes place this weekend. (Photo: D.C. Chinese Film Festival/Facebook)

D.C. Chinese Film Festival

The biennial D.C. Chinese Film Festival is back this weekend with 69 films, four panels and 31 screenings and events. The festival includes screenings at E Street Cinema, the U. S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center, the Wilson Center, the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery, the Goethe-Institut, American University Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theater, Busboys and Poets on Fifth Street NW and Silo. The films come from eight countries and include five documentary features, nine documentary shorts, nine experimental shorts, animation shorts, four narrative features, and 18 narrative shorts. Free spotlight screenings include The Silk Road of Pop, Cop Shop II, I’m Here, New Beijing, New Marriage, Stray Dogs, Rock Me to the Moon and Old Dog.

Through Sept. 7 at various times and locations (see above) around D.C. Seven spotlight screenings are FREE! Individual tickets are $10, opening film tickets are $15 and closing film tickets are $20 and include a cocktail party. An all access Festival Express Pass is $66, a Friday pass for all Friday screenings is $15, Saturday and Sunday passes are $25. Passes are available online or at the venue box offices.

National Capital Cat Show

The National Capital Cat Festival is at the Dulles Expo Center with everything cat. (Photo: National Capital Cat Show)

Cat lovers will be purring over the chance to see up to 450 cats compete in championship, premiership, kittens and household pet classes at the National Capital Cat Show. This year’s show will feature the Havana Brown and the Korat. Watch cats run the agility course, jumping over hurdles, through tunnels and around the ring in timed trials. There will also be vendors selling all kinds of cat supplies and cat rescue leagues so you can adopt a cat.

Sept. 6 from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sept. 7 from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Va. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children under 6 and seniors 60 or older and $30 for a family of five at the door.
 
 

Start your holiday shopping at the Kennedy Center’s Museum Sidewalk Sale. (Graphic: Kennedy Center)

Museum Sidewalk Sale

Start your holiday shopping early at the Museum Sidewalk Sale. The Kennedy Center is hosting a number of museums including Dumbarton House, International Spy Museum, Navy Museum Store, President Lincoln’s Cottage and Tudor Place Historic House and Garden for a special shopping event featuring gifts, books, textiles, prints, jewelry and more.

Sept. 6 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Atrium at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. Admission is FREE along with two hours of parking!

Curbside Cookoff

Food trucks compete for fun and prizes at the Curbside Cookoff on Saturday at 1st & M Streets NE. (Photo: Public-Private Passion)

The DMV Food Truck Association hosts the Curbside Cookoff, a food truck festival featuring 20 food trucks, awards, culinary battles and lots of food. Participating food trucks include lunchtime staples Arepa Zone, Feelin’ Crabby, Fire & Rice, Phowheels and That Cheesecake Truck. Purchase tickets in advance and you’re automatically entered to win a spot on the judges’ panel for the chef battles. Prizes will be awarded for eight categories including Food Truck of the Year, Chef of the Year and Breakthrough Dish.

Sept. 6 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at First and M Streets NE. Tickets cost $5 online or at the gate, children 12 and under are free.

D.C. Oyster Fest comest to Union Market on Saturday. (Photo: Lanna Nguyen/DC on Heels)

D.C. Oyster Fest

For the first D.C. Oyster Fest, Rappahannock Oyster Bar serves up a bevy of oysters along with a selection of other local foods, craft beers and wines. Admission grants you six oysters and a glass of booze. You can also test your stamina and your stomach during an oyster-eating contest. There will also be a shucking contest. It will feature some of the best food, beer and wine producers in the DMV, including D.C. Brau, 3 Stars Brewing Company, Red Apron, Gordy’s Pickles, Early Mountain Vineyard, DCity Smokehouse, James River Distillery, Catoctin Creek Distillery, Timber Pizza, Flying Dog Brewery and more. In between sampling all of the food and drink options, listen to live bluegrass music, take the kids to the oyster arts and craft tent and make some oyster trinkets.

Sept. 6 from noon-6 p.m. at Union Market’s Dock 5, 1309 Fifth St. NE. Admission is $20 for adults and $5 for children.

Harry Potter and the Art of Spying

Harry Potter and the Art of Spying mixes the young wizard and espionage. (Photo: International Spy Museum)

Is Severus Snape the best double agent ever? Join International Spy Museum executive director Peter Earnest and spy novelist Lynn Boughey as they reveal the spycraft contained in the Harry Potter series. Be part of the kick-off celebration of their new book, Harry Potter and the Art of Spying. Using his experience as a real spy, former CIA clandestine operations officer Earnest and co-author Boughey discuss Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, disclosing all the wizardly spy craft employed by our Potter friends and their enemies as they form a subversive organization and learn spycraft and magic by themselves. Then delve into specific spy topics — using the Potter series as examples — such as types of spies and recruiting, codebreaking, the art of intelligence gathering, practicing deception and intelligence analysis. Come as your favorite Potter character and you could win a prize. There will also be giveaways and demos.

Sept. 6 from 1-3 p.m. at the International Spy Museum, 800 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!

Atlas Brew Works Home Rule beer. (Photo: Atlas Brew Works)

Atlas Brew Works first anniversary

Atlas Brew Works is celebrating its one-year anniversary. For one day only, it will open the brewery doors, take over the street and throw one heck of a party. Atlas will be pouring their finest brews, D.C.’s best food trucks will be serving up their specialties and three area bands will take the stage. Food trucks include D.C. Sliders, Cap Mac, Woodland’s Vegan Bistro and Goodie’s Frozen Custard. Additional beer will be available for purchase from the bar inside the brewery. Bumper Jacksons, Unstable Heights and Sunwolf will provide live music.

Sept. 6 from 1-5 p.m. at Atlas Brew Work’s brewery, 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE. Tickets cost $10. You must be 21 or older to attend. Tickets include admission, one beer and a donation to the Washington Humane Society.

24th annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival

The Rosslyn Jazz Fest is back with jazz, food and fashion trucks, beer and wine. (Graphic: Rosslyn Business Improvement District)

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District hosts the 24th annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival. Performers include Rebirth Brass Band, New Orleans Grammy-winners who uphold the tradition of brass bands while bringing in funk ad hip-hop rhythms; Red Baraat, an eight-piece band from Brooklyn that merges North Indian bhangra rhythms with elements of jazz, go-go, brass funk and hip-hop; Ghost Train Orchestra, founded by composer/arranger Brian Carpenter, a critically-acclaimed ensemble whose bold, energetic performances reimagine jazz from the 20s and 30s; and the Corey Wallace DUBtet, a five-piece band led by Baltimore trombonist Corey Wallace, who’s been called the area’s “best and most consistently exploratory musicians.” Local food trucks including La Tingeria, Baba’s Big bite, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Kafta Mania, Lemongrass Truck, Willie’s Po’ Boy, Wanna Shawarma and The Big Cheese will be there as will fashion trucks The Thread Truck and Street Boutique. Beer and wine will be for sale. Streets around the park will be closed on Saturday from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Festival parking is available in the parking garage at 191 Fort Myer Drive (enter on North Moore Street). Bring blankets or low chairs.

Sept. 6 from 1-7 p.m. at Gateway Park, 1300 Lee Highway, Rosslyn. Admission is FREE!

There’s plenty on the calendar to keep you busy this weekend. From free chicken sandwiches and Slurpees across the DMV to ukulele music in Reston, there’s something for everyone going on. The Capital Fringe Festival and Fort Reno concerts are both back, and the National Symphony Orchestra plays along to Fantasia. And for microbrew fans, Mad Fox Brewing throws itself a fourth birthday party.

On Metrorail, Green and Yellow line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. Orange and Blue line trains will operate every 20 minutes. Red Line trains will operate every 15 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont and every 10 minutes between Grosvenor and NoMa-Gallaudet from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

7-Eleven is giving away free Slurpees on 7/11 (July 11). (Photo: 7-Eleven/Twitter)

Oh thank heaven: It’s free Slurpee Day

It’s July 11, and 7-Eleven is celebrating 7-Eleven Day with free small Slurpees from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. today while supplies last. The company will give away 500,000 gallons of Slurpee today For the uninitiated, a Slurpee is 7-Eleven’s frozen flavored drinks that are similar to slushies and “icees.” The cold drink comes in a variety of fun flavors, including Blue Lightning Blast, Fanta Oddball Orange, Alienade, Lemonade, Cherry Orange Blitz, Sprite Snowball Blast, Diet Coke Frost Cherry and Mountain Dew Game Fuel along with favorites like Coke, cherry and banana. There are also sugar-free varieties. And instead of having a single celebration, the retailer has decided to make all next week, 7-Eleven Week. You can also buy a quarter-pound Big Bites hot dog for $1 all day Friday. During 7-Eleven week, from tomorrow to next Saturday, guests can use the 7-Eleven app to get more freebies. Free treats include a Big Gulp on Saturday, M&M’s brand birthday cake chocolate candies Sunday, Grandma’s Cookies on Monday, Hostess Twinkies on Tuesday, Twix or Snickers brand ice cream bars on Wednesday, Quaker Chewy yogurt snack bars Thursday and Pillsbury cookies Friday. The week closes with another free small Slurpee drink July 19. To receive all of the 7-Eleven Week freebies, you need to download and register on the 7-Eleven app, then have your member barcode on your phone scanned at checkout.

July 11 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at participating 7-Eleven stores. For a list of stores in the DMV, click here.

Cow Appreciation Day

Dress up like a cow and get a free meal at Chick-fil-A. (Photo: Chick-fil-A)

Some people will do anything for a free meal, even dress like a cow. Chick-fil-A is hosting its annual Cow Appreciation Day July 11 at its restaurants including those in the DMV. Customers who visit Chick-fil-A dressed head to toe as a cow will receive a free full breakfast, lunch or dinner meal. The meals include an entree, side and beverage. Don’t want to get dressed up all the way? You can still don a cow item such as a T-shirt, hat, scarf or purse, and get in on the action. Those who partially dress as a cow will receive a free entree such as a breakfast or chicken sandwich. According to the chain, more than 900,000 customers participated in last year’s Cow Appreciation Day. If you’re looking for tips on how to get your spots on, Chick-fil-A lists costume suggestions on its website including taking a white sweatshirt and pants and adding black construction paper spots. Or you can download a DIY costume kit here.

July 11 at Chick-fil-A restaurants including those in the DMV such as Catholic University and the University of Maryland. Click here to find the location nearest you.

Capital Fringe Festival

The Capital Fringe Festival runs now through July 27. (Photo: thisisbossi/Flickr)

The Capital Fringe Festival, the DMV’s smorgasbord of offbeat theater, is back with 18 days of creative and uninhibited performances. In its ninth season, this year includes more than 145 independent productions.

Through July 27 at Fort Fringe, 607 New York Ave. NW, the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE and various other locations in D.C. Admission is $17 plus a one-time purchase of a $7 Fringe button. Tickets and buttons can be purchased at the Fort Fringe box office from 10 a.m.-midnight on Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 a.m. on Saturday, 3 p.m.-midnight Tuesday through Thursday and noon-1 a.m. Friday. Tickets are on sale from 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Atlas. Tickets are also available online or at other venues starting 45 minutes before the play begins.

Disney’s Fantasia Live in Concert

A scene from Disney’s Fantasia (Photo: Disney)

Experience Disney magic on the big screen when the National Symphony Orchestra casts an enchanting musical spell on sorcerer Mickey and other animated characters in Disney Fantasia Live in Concert while performing Beethoven, Gershwin, Tchaikovsky and more along with scenes from the original 1940’s Fantasia and the updated Fantasia 2000.

July 11 and 12 beginning at 9:30 p.m. at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $22-$55 online or at the gate.

5th annual Ukulele Festival

Ukulele fans will gather at Lake Anne in Reston this weekend. (Photo: Lake Anne Plaza/Facebook)

Ukulele fans will head to the waterfront at Lake Anne this Saturday to enjoy the tranquil tunes when the plaza hosts the 5th annual Lake Anne Ukulele Festival, sponsored by the Lake Anne Merchants, the Reston Community Center, Friends of Lake Anne and the Northern Virginia Ukulele Ensemble. The festival features performances by several internationally known and local ukulele musicians, music demonstrations, a public jam session, vendors and other family-friendly activities. Workshops and open mic sessions will be held at 9:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. at Café Montmartre. Performers on the main stage on Lake Anne Plaza include The Aloha Boys, Sweater Set, Kathy & Marv, Stuart Fuchs and Gerald Ross.

July 12 from 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza, 1609 Washington Plaza, Reston. Admission is FREE!

Mad Fox Brewing celebrates 4th anniversary

Falls Church’s Mad Fox Brewing celebrates its 4th anniversary on Saturday. (Photo: howderfamily.com)

Falls Church beer baron Mad Fox Brewing Co. turns 4 with a party at the brewpub. The fun starts at 11 a.m. with the first 400 guests getting a free pint glass. From there, they’ll tap specialty beers Orange Whip IPA at noon, Praha Pils at 2 p.m. and the rare Batch 100 at 4 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by the Justin Trawick Band at 1 p.m. Happy hour prices begin at 5 p.m. and birthday cake will be cut at 5 p.m.

July 12 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Mad Fox Brewing Co., 444 W. Broad St., Falls Church. Admission is FREE!

Fort Reno

The Fort Reno concert series will go on Mondays and Thursdays in July. (Photo: WRC)

Back on track after a brief scare, the free outdoor concert series Fort Reno kicked off this week and runs through the rest of the month. Here are the DMV bands playing in the next week: July 14: Indie-pop solo artist Baby Bry Bry, punk band Aloners and psych rock act Tiger Horse. July 17: punk band the Priests, the indie-rock band Sotano and art-punk band Puff Pieces. You are welcome to bring friends, babies, dogs, lawn chairs, babies and food but not drugs, alcohol or glass bottles.

Mondays and Thursdays through July 31 from 7-9:30 p.m. at Fort Reno Park across from Woodrow Wilson High School off Belt Road in Tenlytown. Admission is FREE.

Venus and Serena posing on the red carpet.

Among the 500 gala attendees were V.I.P. A-listers, including none other than Venus and Serena Williams and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.  They graced the red carpet to show their support for the children at the tennis center.

Even the celebrities wore sneakers to show their support.

“Mayor Vincent Gray expressed his enthusiasm for being a part of this event.

Another VIP guest, Miss Black Maryland, walked the red carpet.

Venus herself is no newcomer to this youth tennis center, as she has played matches at the recreation facility herself.  Venus said, “Serena and I are proud to be a part of this 10^th anniversary celebration as we have watched the growth of the Southeast Tennis and Leaning Center from its groundbreaking.”

The woman behind the creation of the tennis center, Cora Masters Barry.

Gala attendees were treated to a fabulous night of dinner and dancing.  All proceeds from the event will go towards more tennis clinics and resources at the center.  Even the children who go to the center were present at the event, in a special “Blacks in Wax” production.  This was a highlight of the night as the enthusiastic kids showed off their theatre skills in this epic Black History Month production.

Young girls imitate Serena and Venus Williams for the “Blacks in Wax” performance.

A local tennis player at the center plays Rosa Parks for “Blacks in Wax.”

The second annual Tennis Ball gala really hit the ball out of the court!

by Ariana Snow

DCOH Social Media Correspondent