The To Do List

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After the flurry of December activity, quiet weekends of early January come as a huge relief, but now I’m itching to get out and find some things to do in the neighborhood. Perhaps it’s the frigid weekend forecast and my distaste for sitting for too long near my drafty windows; no fear, there’s a great variety of things to do this weekend. Bundle up and get out and enjoy Friday the 13th and MLK Day; free and inexpensive, thoughtful and raucous options abound.

Thursday

The weather just can’t figure out what it wants to do, but while the temperatures are ridiculously warm, make the most of it. Maybe that means enjoying the patio at Wisdom for Yappy Hour (each Thursday) starting at five. Yes, in early January. Make the most of patio time while you can. I’m convinced it’s going to be in upper 30s come April.

If it’s a free night of amazing music you’re looking for, the Bluegrass Night at SOVA starting at 9 p.m. is always a hit.

If you’ve got small fry in your charge, you can start the holiday weekend off with an activity to help the kids understand why everyone is out of school on Monday. As part of the Southeast Library’s  birthday party for Martin Luther King Jr. for school-aged children at 4 p.m. the librarian will lead revelers in  stories and craft making.

Friday

To ward off the bad karma of Friday the 13th, walk your downward dog at the weekly free class at St. Marks Yoga Studio at 7 a.m.

The name alone for the headlining band at the Rock & Roll Hotel on Friday night makes me want to brave the jinxes of a night on the town on Friday the 13th. Fear of Virginia, a DC-based folk rock band that refuses to wear skinny jeans (I knew I liked them) will perform with XO and the Highballers starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Ebenezer’s Coffee House hosts  the Songwriters Association of Washington Emerging Artist Showcase, a free performance, from 7-10 p.m.

Saturday

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) has kicked off their 40 Free Events in 40 Days series. Saturday offers three great opportunities to see what all the fuss is about. From 10 a.m. – noon, stop by and lend your voice and artistry as Murals by Kids for Kids paints murals inspired by artwork sent from children around the world. The end product will be headed to an AIDS orphanage in Mumbai, India. At 11 a.m. there’s a family concert by All Points West, a chamber collective of DC musicians whose mission is to make classical music accessible and exciting for young audiences that highlights all aspects of the music making process. At 6 p.m. there’s another free family concert by the Bokamoso Youth in from Winterveldt Township near Pretoria, South Africa who will talk and sing about their challenges and dreams.

At the Corner Store at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m., Dee Dee Stewart presents her one-woman show about her southern upbringing called Dirty Barbie and Other Girlhood Tales. With a name like that, this spin on scarlet fever, scotch over ice, and girls gone wild, is sure to make you marvel at the events happening in this small, charming art space at the corner of 9th and South Carolina in Southeast.

Monday

As an alternative to sale-focused commercial reverie of Dr. King’s birthday, head to the Folger from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.  on Monday. Not Another Day Off, a free family event combines dramatic readings in speeches and poetry. The theme of this year’s event is protest, referencing civic movements as varied as the Tea Party to the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street. Poets including Carlos Parada, Kim Roberts and Dan Vera will respond to the protest theme in their own work and through the work of others.