It’s the weekend it’s not even super cold, so let’s find you things to do — this weekend, this week and into February!
You can still celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with a tasting flight from Ice Cream Jubilee! Through January 28, tease your senses with flavors like Red Bean Almond Cookie and Ume Plum Sesame Leaf. Buy tickets here.
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.
Strings for a Winter Evening is a benefit concert for Good Neighbors of Capitol Hill, happening at St. Mark’s on Saturday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. GNCH is a non-profit that helps resettle refugees in our area. Donation is $20 per person and $40 per family. Secure your space by emailing info@goodneighborscapitolhill.org or get them at the door.
The first Capitol Hill Art League show of the year, Locally Inspired, opens on January 28 and hangs at Frame of Mine through February 24. More details, including a preview of the show, here.
The Miracle is our local second-pass theater. This weekend, they have Wakanda Forever, Elvis and more. Buy tickets here.
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.
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.
On Thursday, February 2, Mason & Greens is holding their first in-person informative sessions at the store. If you’ve ever wanted to get started on being more frugal and consciously being responsible from producing less waste, this session, from 6-6:30, is for you. Free. Sign up here. From 6:45 to 7:15, The Zero-Waste Gentleman is a crash course in how to look dapper while skipping the plastic.
Fancy yourself a little witchy? Then the session on Friday, February 3 is for you! Love “Making” teaches you how to make bath oils and other sensual potions to show yourself or someone else love. 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.
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.
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.
During the month of February, Peruvian restaurant and favorite place Pisco y Nazca is doing a special Valentine’s Day Pisco Sour flight. For every flight they sell, they’ll donate $1 to the American Heart Association. My heart is warmed.
PLAN AHEAD
Worried about crime? The First District Citizens’ Advisory Council is holding a community safety briefing with MPD’s First District staff. The briefing will take place via WebEx and you can sign up and learn more about it 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.
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.
And starting Friday, February 10 through the 19,indulge your sweet tooth with a dessert tour! For $29, you can enjoy one dessert from each of the participating eateries around Barracks Row and Eastern Market and vote to crown the best dessert. From Ted’s signature pop tarts to The Duck and The Peach’s Apple Caramel Cake, you are sure to find your new favorite. More info and tickets 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.
Calling all fur baby pawrents! Parker & Ace, a members-only veterinary clinic coming to H Street in March, is hosting the Ulti-Mutt Valentine’s Day Yappy Hour on Thursday, February 9! This adorable free event is happening at Anthology, 625 H Street NE, and it sounds extremely cute. There will be a sketch artist, prizes for best-dressed pets, live music and treats for two-legged and four-legged friends. For more info and to RSVP, click here.
Maury Elementary is having a Book Sale on February 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the school’s cafeteria. This is a great chance to support your local school and some of the fun year-end activities for fifth graders. More information here.
Frager’s (and all its sister stores under the A Few Cool Hardware Stores banner) is having a plant market sale February 9-12. All plants are 20% off! More details 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.
On February 25, Ice Yards and the Polar Plunge return! Ice Yards is a celebration of winter at Yards Park. complete with seasonal drinks, axe throwing and more. The Polar Plunge, benefiting Special Olympics, is a centerpiece of the celebration. You can collect donations and take the plunge, or you can contribute to brave souls’ fundraising efforts and watch as they take the plunge! For more information on the Polar Plunge, click here. Ice Yards will happen from 1-4 p.m. and you can get more info here.