Just like that, January has almost passed us by. Happy Aquarius season, lovelies! How about we get this season of madcap weirdness and love for humanity kicked off with that one amazing diss track Aquarian goddess Shakira wrote to her ex? Ok! What else is going on?
Winter Restaurant Week is still happening, through January 22! This is a great chance to try a new restaurant by sampling a curated menu at an affordable price per person. Brunch and lunch are $25 and dinner is between $40 and $55 per person. Click this linkand find a new favorite this winter.
***A forever reminder: Tip extra well during RW, because it can be a very stressful time for industry workers. You’re getting a deal, but your tip should reflect how much you appreciated the food and service as if you were paying full price. Another reminder: If you are the kind of diner who needs to have substitutions or who prefers à la carte offerings, perhaps Restaurant Week is not for you.
On Sunday, January 22, we wish everyone who celebrates a Happy New year of the Wood Rabbit! Want to watch dancing lions in the area and celebrate with a parade? You can go to Union Market this Saturday and get a paw up on the celebration, starting at 2 p.m. More info here. If the citywide parade in Downtown is more your speed, make it Sunday at 2p.m. and click here for more info. Don’t know which zodiac animal you are? Go here and scroll to the bottom to find out.
Did you know that the DC Statehood bill has over 172 co-sponsors? It might be an uphill struggle because of the Republican majority, but let’s rally! Our friends at United for DC Statehood will be handing out signs at Eastern Market Metro Park on Saturday, January 21, from 1-3 p.m. Can’t make it? Request a sign here.
At Congressional Cemetery, the Death Doula is in! Laura Lyster-Mensh is a trained death doula, or a person who helps with end-of-life decisions. And what better place to have death-positive conversations than the hippest cemetery around? Learn more about death positivity and come on down. More info here. Want to meet the death doula and join the Doula Day this upcoming January 21? Fill the form out here.
A special book event is coming to the Hill Center on Saturday, January 21. Author and illustrator Susan Stockdale will be sharing her book, Line Up! Animals in Remarkable Rows and you and your little ones want to be part of the fun. More info and tickets here.
At the Wharf, the Fire and Ice Festival is happening on Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Enjoy wintry activities, watch fire dancers and ice sculptors, and sample whiskies — and make sure neighbors stay warm by donating at the Washington Area Fuel Fund, which will be running a warmth station at the District Pier. Tickets are available in person only. More info here.
The Folger Theatre has a new play festival spanning three days, January 19-21 at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation. For more information on the plays and lectures included in the festival, and to purchase tickets, click here.
The Lutheran Church of the Reformation welcomes everyone, especially LGBTQ+ members and their families, to Reconciling in Christ Sunday, January 22 at 11 a.m. To learn more about the ELCA Lutheran Church and about Reformation, click here.
The Library of Congress has a wonderful Zoom lecture on January 26 at 1 p.m. called, Researching Women and Gender at the Library — Hazel Scott and Dana Suesse: Polymaths of the Piano. In this conversation, curator Janet McKinney discusses these two trailblazing musicians and sheds light on their lives through their papers. Sign up here.
as you are on Barracks Row has great events happening almost every day of the week: from crafting on Wednesdays to karaoke on Thursdays and Sundays to Saturday dance parties, this queer-safe space welcomes everyone. Check out their calendar of events here.
Every day is a good day to play a game and Labyrinth Games and Puzzles is here to help. Check out their event calendar here. Sundays are for Dungeons and Dragons and Tuesdays are for Magic: The Gathering. There are theme nights every night except for Monday, so make sure you take a closer look!
Last week, we told you to go see “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” at the Angelika. If you missed it, you’re in luck: The Miracle Theatre on 8th has it this weekend! Tickets here.
Looking for a book club? Our friends at Solid State Books on H Street have SO MANY BOOK CLUBS! You can sign up for one and meet over the coming week, or you can create your own and host it (you get 10% off books!). More information here and fill out this form to propose your own.
On Wednesday evenings, make it trivia! Two Girls Trivia runs a quiz at Fight Club starting at 7 p.m. You can also catch them at Biergarten Haus on Tuesday evenings. For more information and quiz hints, check out their Twitter, @twogirlstrivia.
Every Thursday, Kelly’s Irish Times has comedy! The Batting Cage Comedy show starts at 8 p.m. and is free. More info here.
Did you know Washington, D.C. is in the top ten best cities for cheese lovers? That’s what Lawnstarter‘s compiled list tells us, anyway! If you’re craving some cheese, why not walk yourself down to Bowers’ Cheese at Eastern Market? I could use a grilled cheese sandwich right about now.
OFF-HILL
Mondays can be tough days, but Songbyrd has Music Trivia this and every Monday up in Union Market district to gladden hearts and fuel your competitive spirit. The best part? It’s ALL AGES! Enjoy it with friends or as a family. More info here.
Some days — especially cold, winter days– are for watching a movie in a comfy theater. The Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market has Tom Hanks doing what he does best, in A Man Called Otto. Tickets here.
Do you miss the Folger Theater‘s programming? We do too! Here’s a perfect off-Hill activity for all Shakespeare aficionados: Go see The Tempest at the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, playing through January 29. Don’t worry–– the theater is just a short walk off the Red Line. More information and tickets here.
PLAN AHEAD
On January 28, visit the National Museum of the American Indian for an afternoon playing games. Winterblast: A Week of Indigenous Games takes place in the museum’s atrium, where you will be introduced to fun pastimes from indigenous people from Bolivia, Hawaii and the Great Plains of the United States. Click here for more info.
Also on January 28, from 10-noon, River Park Nursery School, a co-operative school for children ages 3-5, has an open house. If you’re planning on attending, please fill out the Google Form. Celebrating 60 years in 2023, RPNS is committed to offering a program of developmentally appropriate activities for nursery-school aged children, under the guidance of highly qualified professional instructors. Classes are held Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and families may choose a schedule of 3, 4 or 5 mornings a week. Applications are open now.
On January 29, Labyrinth Games and Puzzles celebrates National Puzzle Day with discounts and special events! Buy yourself a new puzzle, swap with fellow puzzle lovers, make your own puzzle and say three cheers for one of the MVPs of the pandemic, which single-handedly kept many of us sane during that dark time. For more information, click here.
Mosaic Theater Company, based inside the Atlas Performing Arts Center, always has thoughtful and thought-provoking productions. You can still give the gift of theater to yourself or to a loved one. Their next production is Bars and Measures, which opens in February. For more information and tickets, click here.
Wunder Garten, the lovely NoMa outdoor biergarten, is having a very hygge/gezellig winter event: Après Ski! Enjoy hot cocoa, yappy hours, trivia, dance parties AND MORE! It’s happening all February long! Cozy up, you beautiful babies. More info here. And if you’re into Shrek, make sure you go to their Shrek-themed dance party on February 10. Paint yourself green, wear your finest burlap and snack on onions. Tickets here.
Did you know February 9 is National Pizza Day? Celebrate the big event on Barracks Row with a food journey through six pizza joints and counting! It’s like a bar crawl but much more delicious. For more details and to RSVP, click here.
What event raises awareness of Neurofibromatosis (NF) while featuring runners in their skivvies? Cupid’s Undie Run! The annual, delightfully silly and sweet event is back on February 11 this year in DC –its flagship city– as well as other 29 cities across the country. Take your pants off, don some red frillies, and help raise awareness and funds for three related conditions where tumors grow along the nervous system. For more info and to register or donate, click here.
On February 13, join Bill Press at the Hill Center, as he sits down for what promises to be a very interesting chat with current Secretary of Energy and former Michigan Governor, Jennifer M. Granholm. More information and tickets here.