Summer is about over with most kids in the DMV heading back to school on Monday, although some in Maryland and Virginia hit the books this past week. That means it is time for the Maryland Renaissance Festival with jousting and giant turkey legs in Crownsville. It also means Bao Bao, our baby panda, is turning 1 year old and Maryland’s newest casino, Horseshoe Casino, opens in downtown Baltimore not far from Inner Harbor next week. D.C. Beer Week is wrapping up so you only have a few more days to imbibe, then you’ll have to wait another year for the week-long celebration of hops.

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

Jousters at the 2012 Maryland Renaissance Festival. (Photo: Chuck Dufur)

Maryland Renaissance Festival

The Maryland Renaissance Festival is back for its annual end-of-summer appearance. Enter the gates of Revel Grove of the 16th Century ruled by King Henry VIII and leave the hectic pace of the 21st Century behind. Stroll the wooded paths. Quaff an ale and relax in one of the pubs. Shop for unique, handcrafted gifts made by real artisans. And there’s food galore including fish ‘n chips, giant turkey legs, hot apple dumplings and more modern fare such as fried cheese, crab cake sandwiches, soft pretzels and croissant sundaes. Performers entertain on the many stages while the streets and woods are filled with characters to amuse and delight. Watch authentic jousting in full armor, listen to music and choral groups, thrill at jugglers, magicians, and comely wenches.

Aug. 23-Oct. 19 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day at 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis. Tickets, available online or at the gate beginning at 9:30 a.m. are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors 62 or older and $8 for children 7-15 between Aug. 23 and Sept. 14. From Sept. 15 and Oct. 19, adults are $22, seniors are $19 and children are $10.

Sarah Jessica Parker (Photo: Profimedia)

Sarah Jessica Parker

Meet and greet Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker after she shows off her Nordstrom exclusive Fall 2014 SJP Collection at Tysons Corner Center. Items from the line – including shoes and handbags – will be available for purchase.

Aug. 22 from 5-6 p.m. at Nordstroms Tysons Corner Center store, 1961 Chain Bridge Road, McLean. Admission is FREE!

Smithsonian Sleepover

Kids sleepover in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. (Photo: Smithsonian Natural History Museum)

A smash hit of summer on the kids’ agenda, Smithsonian Sleepovers, is coming to an end. Youngsters can cap off summer with the ultimate sleepover at the National Museum of Natural History. Activities include the IMAX film, Island Of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D, exploring exhibits as part of a game, exhibit-based craft projects and other games and challenges. The budding archaeologist’s sleepover is open to kids ages 8-12 (and their chaperones, one for every three children).

Aug. 22 from 7 p.m.-9 a.m. at the National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue Nw. Cost is $135 per person or $120 for members.Tickets are available from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. by calling 202-633-3030 or visiting the ticket window at in the Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW.
 

Bao Bao turns 1 on Saturday. (Photo: Abby Wood/Smithsonian National Zoo)

Bao Bao’s birthday

Celebrate Bao Bao, the nation’s favorite baby panda, by attending her first birthday bash. While the 42-pound panda cub and mom, Mei Xiang, eat a birthday fruitsicle at 11:30 a.m., visitors will be offered a limited supply of Szechuan-style noodles called dandan, sample Bearitos snacks and there will be free, limited-edition Coca-Cola mini-cans personalized with guests’ names. Visitors can also stop by the FedEx tent and make a card for Bao Bao which will be delivered to panda keepers. Kids be able to take home a commemorative giant panda coloring sheet. The event includes talks with panda keepers at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Aug. 23 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW at the Clint Fields Plaza and around the panda yards. Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) may enter between 9-11 a.m. and will receive a piece of birthday cake. Admission is FREE!

Trillectro

A band performs at Trillectro last year. (Photo: DJ Wonder)

Now in its third year, Trillectro brings together numerous musical genres and forms of art for a rousing end-of-the-summer blast. Its success the past two years ensures this year’s edition will be the wildest yet. Catch DJs blaring crowd favorites, food trucks serving up their finest eats, area vendors showing off their latest fashions and lots of good vibes. Headlining acts include Big Sean and Baauer, with dozens of others set to drop their beats.

Aug. 23 starting at 1 p.m. at RFK Statium’s festival grounds in Lot 8, 2400 E. Capitol St. SE. Tickets cost $39-$140. Use promo code “DCCOOL” and save 20 percent on general admission or VIP tickets.

Tysons Table Tennis Camp

Kids 10 and over can attend table tennis camp on Sunday at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center. (Photo: Shake Shack)

Children ages 10 years and older can join Kwame Mubarak by the table tennis tables outside Shake Shack for Tysons Table Tennis Camp as he conducts a lively table tennis lesson for those interested in joining Tysons Corner Center’s table tennis team. Starting off with active stretches, registered players will be scheduled in groups.

Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center outside Shack Shack, 1961 Chain Bridge Road, McLean. Admission is free by you must preregister by emailing [email protected].

Brewers on the Block at Suburbia

Brewers on the Block wraps up D.C. Beer Week. (Photo: D.C. Beer Week)

Don’t fret that D.C. Beer Week is ending. Give it a grand send-off at Brewers on the Block, where several local breweries will be supplying the suds that make your taste buds tingle. The lineup reads like an all-star team of D.C. beer purveyors: D.C. Brau, 3 Stars, Chocolate City, Lost Rhino and the list goes on. To create quite a Capital combo, Suburbia will provide slushees and Red Apron Butcher will cook up some hot dogs.

Aug. 24 from 2-8 p.m. at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Tickets are $35 and include all you can drink beer and slushees.
 
 

Horseshoe Casino opens

Ceasar’s Horseshoe Casino opens in downtown Baltimore on Tuesday. (Photo: Horseshoe Casino)

The new Horseshoe Casino from Caesar’s opens in downtown Baltimore on Tuesday. Maryland’s fifth and newest casino features 2,500 slot machines, including more than 150 video poker machines. There also 122 game tables offering blackjack craps, baccarat, roulette, fortune pai gow poker, four-card poker, let-it ride bonus poker, Mississippi stud poker, three card poker and ultimate Texas hold ‘em. There’s also plenty of places to eat including Johnny Sanchez, a casual Mexican/southwestern restaurant from Aaron Sanchez and Johnny Besh, Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar with casual American food, Jack Binion’s Steak upscale steakhouse, Ruby 8 Noodles and Sushi and Baltimore Marketplace, a food court with five local eateries from Heavy Seas Burgers, Tark’s at the ‘Shoe, Lenny’s Deli, The Mallow Bar and Pie-Zetta from Mamma Ilardo’s. There’s also the 14Forty bar open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (1,440 minutes), a three-floor bar in the middle of the casino.

Aug. 26 at 9 p.m at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, 1525 Russell St., Baltimore. Admission and parking are FREE. 21 and over.

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.

The new 6.2-liter engine, 455 horsepower Chevrolet Corvette Stringray is on display at the 2014 Washington Auto Show. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

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

elBulli Seed Plate. Designed by Ferran Adrià/elBulli. (Photo: Francesc Guillamet)

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

Girls Rock! benefit concert (Photo: 9:30 Club)

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.

DC Record Fair (Photo: DC Record Fair)

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

Destination Bridal Showcase (Photo: Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association)

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

Meat Week (Graphic: 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

Bao Bao (Photo: Associated Press)

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

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will close dinosaur hall for five years on Apr. 28 to remodel. (Photo: Chip Clark)

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

Arlington Restaurant Week is Jan. 17-26. (Graphic: Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association)

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.