Hey, can you believe we’re halfway through December? Me either, honestly. What’s fun To Do?
TONIGHT: The Night Market at Eastern Market is happening!!! Enjoy our beloved market, both indoor and outdoor vendors, for an extended period of time–– 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will be live music and family games at the North Hall! Shop for your list and for yourself, and support our market, vendors and neighborhood businesses!
Get ready to Baroque out for Christmas! The Folger Consort’s Baroque Christmas Story at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, a Capitol Hill tradition since 1977, is happening December 15 through 22 and you’re invited! For more tickets and info, click here.
Make time for strolling around some of our local light displays. The trees at Eastern Market Metro Park put on a light show every hour on the hour, from 5-7 p.m. through January 3. How fun is that?
Bells more your speed? Then catch the ones at Yards Park– they are also swings! *Swing* by for fun and for the ‘Gram at Swinging Bells, through January 7, 2024 and enjoy the beautiful display! More info here.
The Capitol Hill Books community invites you to celebrate Jim Toole on Saturday, December 16, from 4-7 p.m. There will be readings that start at 4:30 p.m.
The neighbors at Save Mott’s Market invite you to Mott’s Winter Wonderland, Saturday, December 16, 1-5 p.m. (rain date is Sunday, 12/17). Get photos with Santa, explore the space, enjoy a winter marketplace and treats, and meet Peyton Sherwood. Peyton will be the new tenant of the space, infusing modern needs to the concept of the corner market and gathering space. If you’re feeling extra generous, bring a toy or two to donate! For more info on this event, click here.
Join Eastern Market in welcoming two fun holiday characters:
Santa will stop by the Market on Saturday, December 16th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Get your list ready and share it with the big man. More info here.
Betty the Yeti will be at the North Hall of Eastern Market starting at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 17th, ready to spread holiday cheer! More info here.
At Union Station, enjoy free concerts on Thursdays, 4:30-6:30 p.m. AND on Wednesdays at various times, at the Stage at Union Station, presented by Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, in partnership with Sing for Hope. The lineup is as follows, per USRC (more info here):
December 20—4:30-6:30 p.m.
Cellist Amy Domingues leads Holiday Favorites with DC Strings
December 21—4:30-6:30 p.m.
Famed Saxophonist, Herb Scott leads his DC Jazz Quartet with Holiday music and more!
December 27—4:30-6:30 p.m.
DC Native Singer-Songwriter, Heidi Martin leads her jazz quartet with Auld Lang Syne and end of the year favorites!
December 28—4:30-6:30 p.m.
Famed Saxophonist, Herb Scott leads his DC Jazz Quartet with Holiday music and more!
On December 16, join Hill Family Biking for a tour of tiny streets! Bike with like-minded folks and enjoy the sightseeing. Sign up here.
Do you miss the old Corner Store concerts? Hey, us too! One of the performers from past years, OCEAN Celtic Quartet, is performing not too far from the old Corner Store venue, at the Hill Center. Catch them on December 17! Tickets here.
Want to get into the holiday spirit and listen to and sing along with soprano Amber R Monroe? Then Capital City Symphony’s Sleigh Ride is the concert for you! See you at the Atlas Performing Arts Center this Sunday, December 17. More info and tickets here.
On December 19, Dish! The Storytelling Cocktail Hour pops up at the Hill Center. Enjoy adult story time and cocktails in a new venue (RIP, Crazy Aunt Helen’s) but with the same format. For more info, click here. For tickets, click here.
Enchant is back at Nats Park this holiday season, starting today! You know you want to be surrounded by twinkly lights and wonder! More info and tickets here.
And while you’re visiting Enchant, make a plan to drop by Duke’s Grocery‘s Holiday pop-up bar, Dreamland. The pop-up bar, a Nutcracker-themed fantasy from the imagination of Adriana Salame-Aspiazu (who did Maxwell Park’s Taylor Swift-themed bar last year, among others), features twinkling decorations, plenty of photo-friendly backgrounds and a large selection of minty, sparkly, spicy, festive concoctions to put a little twerk in your step.
AND! Tap 99 is doing a Whoville Hideaway for the holidays, with Christmas beers, special cocktails and more! On Wednesday, December 20, drop by and play Music Bingo! For more info on Tap 99 and their sister ice cream parlor, Kilwin’s, click hereand here.
And even though this is happening on February 3-4, sign your kiddos up now for a sleepover they won’t forget. Sleepovers at the National Archives are back! Click here to sign up.
Looking for Christmas dinner plans? The Capitol Hilll BID has rounded up specials from your favorites all around the neighborhood here.
SKATING RINKS
Our area boasts several ice skating rinks so you can live your best icy life. Most rinks open around this time of year and stay open through February. Check the websites for additional info:
District Wharf
Canal Park
Sculpture Garden
Enchant Christmas at Nats Park (add-on to your admission ticket)
WEEKLY FUN
Every Tuesday through Thursday, from noon until 8 p.m., the 1908 Lounge pops up at Union Station. The bar serves cocktails, beer and wine and offers a fun atmosphere for locals and commuters alike.
The Library of Congress is open late on Thursdays for Live! at the Library. These events are free but require timed passes. You can also sign up for a recording of the performance (more info here) and watch at home with your favorite alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage.
At ReLume, you can make something beautiful and have fun while doing it! From candles to seasonal decorations to starting a new hobby, you can do it all there. Make a holiday wreath this Sunday! More info here.
Want to get your square dance on with the DC Rawhides? They are yee-hawing their way into our hearts on select Friday and Saturday evenings, 7-11 p.m., at Eastern Market’s North Hall. Click here for more info.
Mr. Henry’s is THE place to listen to jazz on the Hill. They have performances Wednesday through Saturday, but we have a soft spot for Saturday Showcase. Tickets and more info on all the performers past and future here.
A Sunday tradition, the Flea Market at Eastern Market is your one-stop shop for wonderful art, clothing, cosmetics and more. Follow them on Instagram here.
Labyrinth has great events almost every night of the week, except for Monday. If you’re looking to demo board games or enjoy some of your favorites with old and new friends, check out their event calendar. Guess what? Labyrinth is open Mondays during the busy holiday season!
On Monday evenings, Trivia Kings takes over Barrel for trivia night. For more info, click here. (They also host trivia nights all over town.)
On Wednesday evenings, make it trivia! Two Girls Trivia runs a quiz at Fight Club starting at 7 p.m. For more information and quiz hints, check out their Twitter, @twogirlstrivia.
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 Thursday and Friday, Kelly’s Irish Times has comedy! The Batting Cage Comedy show starts at 8 p.m. and is free on Thursdays. More info here.
OFF-HILL
Looking for a dance party and meditation session that can leave you with a feeling of lovingkindness inside? Then the Metta Dance Party is for you. The Friends Meeting House of Washington will be hosting this lovely event, which starts at 7 p.m. We need all the love we can. For more info on the party, the venue and the suggested donation, click here.
Looking for something different? Golf Wang, purveyors of what may only be described as “very cool clothes” are popping up inside Union Market through December 24. Check out their website here and go visit them ar 1285 4th Street NE. They are open every day!
Feeling like getting out of the city while still being in the city? Go to Forest Hills and take in the majesty of the Hillwood Estate during the holidays. Learn more here.
The Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market has a great selection of movies, including RENAISSANCE: A FLIM BY BEYONCÉ THIS WEEKEND. I know you screamed when you read that. Check them out here and get tickets to the Beyoncé movie here.
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.
The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center has FREE performances that you can also catch on their livestream. For more info click here.
RANDOM FUN THINGS
Looking for a one-of-a-kind present? Well, you’re in luck because Lip Lab is now open at the Wharf! Create your own lip shade for yourself or for someone special. How fun is that? The best part is that you can add your favorite flavors and engrave your unique color name on the cap! It’s even more fun than you can imagine! More info here.
I was recently sent a sample of Kerastase’s Discipline Fondant Set– a set of three products designed to make frizz-prone hair not soak up all the available moisture in the air and grow exponentially. So far, I’ve really enjoyed the results! My hair is, in fact, a lot less frizzy and a lot more silky-feeling, especially when I follow the use instructions and let the product sit for a whole minute on towel-dried hair. So if you’re looking for a different kind of present for someone in your list, why not give the gift of fancy shampoos? You’re welcome!
PLAN AHEAD
Looking for a family-friendly New Year’s plan? How about Kraken Kourts and Skates? From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 31, say farewell to this crazy year with a skating pajama party and a pickle ball drop! Click here for more info.
And welcome the New Year by giving a new restaurant a try! Winter Restaurant Week is coming January 15-21 and you can check out all the participating restaurants here.
The Reading Room Festival, a collection of exciting new works inspired by and in conversation with Shakespeare’s oeuvre, will happen January 25-28, 2024 and you are invited! To learn more and to buy tickets, click here.