Do you appreciate the effort that goes into this list? Support us by sending a tip via Venmo! Thank you.
September was particularly great this year and it wraps itself in joy and fun to close itself off with a bang. What fun will you have this last weekend of September around beautiful Capitol Hill, DC and beyond?
Art All Night is happening across the District on September 27 and 28. On September 27, come down to Eastern Market and Barracks Row and enjoy vendors, live art demonstrations, displays, music, a night market through 10 p.m. a masquerade and so much more! On Saturday, go to H Street NE and enjoy live painting, activations, an art-filled Streetcar running through 1 a.m. and more! It’s a special event that only comes once a year, so come out and play!
Shameless plug: I will have photography on display at Coldwell Banker Capitol Hill at 350 7th Street SE. AND I will also be doing three-card tarot readings at Relume on Friday, September 27. Sign up here and get your cards read.
Don’t forget! It’s homecoming week for Eastern High School. The parade is this Friday, September 27 at 1 p.m. and the game is at 6 p.m. Go Ramblers!!!! While you’re at it, getting pumped for the game, watch this beautiful mini-movie produced by DC Public Schools.
Feeling peckish after the game? Stop by Hill East Burger! They are doing a collab through Saturday with Your Only Friend and it sounds amazing. Don’t forget to make reservations if you’re dining in-person (or you could do carryout!) More info here.
This weekend is the Maury Annual Yard Sale! On Saturday, September 28 from 9 am -2 pm, come down to Maury Elementary School, 1250 Constitution Ave NE, for their famous annual yard sale (deals! deals! deals!) and annual bake sale. Stop by for kids’ gear, gently-used fashion, treats, and hot dogs around lunchtime. ALL ARE WELCOME. More info here.
The Hill Preschool, 337 North Carolina Avenue SE, will have their Community Helpers Parade and CPR Demo on Saturday, September 28. All are welcome! The CPR demo starts at 10 a.m. followed by the parade at 10:30 a.m. More info here.
Also on Saturday, September 28, join J. O. Wilson Elementary’s PTA at Solid State Books, 600 H Street NE, for a Back-to-School Shopping Event. Part of the day’s proceeds go to the school’s PTA.
Love biking with the fam? Then the Hill Family Biking Tiny Streets ride is for you! Go on a 4+ mile bike ride through adorable tiny streets (read: one-block) and then enjoy FREE ICE CREAM at The Capital Candy Jar! More info and RSVP here.
Why are Tiny Streets important? Because they provide a safe and beautiful alternative to more heavily used streets. Small adjustments to your daily bike route can have a profound impact on your safety and can improve bike joy!
And at I Egg You, you can celebrate an underrated character from the ’70s: Mrs. Roper! Wear your best mu’umu’u and red wig and have Scotch eggs, fondue and Jell-o shots! Baby, the ’70s never left– they just got better! More info here.
A fan of the theater? Then make sure you sign up for Mosaic Theater’s Season 24-25 here! The first play in their lineup, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, is absolutely incredible and has been extended through October 13 so you have more chances to catch it. Buy tickets here!
Mini review: Lady Day places us at the eponymous venue in Philadelphia, a place that holds a painful chapter in Billie Holliday’s life. Actor Roz White, backed by an incredible three-piece band, embodies Holliday with empathy, beauty and grace. She takes us on an aural journey that weaves a personal story with Holliday’s jazz standards as it confronts us with racism, misogyny, and the triumph of art over sorrow. If you are able, sit in the cabaret area and make sure you include a donation to Mosaic with your ticket purchase, so they can keep producing must-watch theater for at least ten more years, if not many, many more.
And speaking of the theatre, this weekend the Taffety Punk Theatre Company’s Riot Grrls interpret Macbeth with a talented ten-woman cast. The sordid tale of ambition and obsession is a great way to ease into spooky szn so get your tickets here.
The Because They’re Funny Comedy Festival, showcasing comedians of color, is this weekend, September 27-29! Prepare to laugh your behind off as you check out the list of finalists here for Breakout Comedian of the Year: Mel Mitchell, Flo Hernandez, Khrissy Y.S.F., Lamar Jones, Sammy Anzer and Alex Babbitt. And, of course, get tickets to festival events here.
The Stage at Union Station is back! Catch soulful jazz and talented musicians at the beautiful Union Station main hall Thursdays in September. The last Thursday performer is singer-songwriter Heidi Martin. The show starts at 4:30 pm and is free.
Help HIPS (Honoring Individual Power & Strength) buy their building on H Street NE by joining their live virtual celebration and fundraiser, September 30 from 7-8:30 p.m. Play bingo, connect, and learn more about HIPS’s harm reduction, support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ folx. More info and link here.
And on October 1, we are pretty sure you’ll be watching the VP debate, but the key question is, WHERE? Lucky for you, Union Pub will be doing a “Who Does Number 2 Work For?” watch party with Springfield specials such as “They’re Eating the Dogs” (corn dogs) and “They’re Drinking the Cats” (Whiskie =^.^= sours), with part of the proceeds going to Lucky Dog Animal Rescue (yessssss!). First come, first served, so get there early. We’ll be ready to Walz while averting the couch’s eyes.
Barrel on Pennsylvania Avenue is celebrating the democratic process in the best way possible: “All the Presidents’ Bars” is a series of themed Presidential bars rocking tradition in the basement. The fun will go on 6 p.m. to close, Thursday to Saturday, starting October 3 through November 2. From a sax-y bar celebrating Bill Clinton to an ice-cream flavored boozy delight in honor of President Biden, every weekend in October pays homage to a Commander-in-Chief. Follow Barrel on Instagram and plan your visit around your favorite prez.
OUTDOOR MOVIE SEASON
Outdoor movie season happens as long as you’re willing to stand outside and it’s not just a spring and summer activity anymore. Here are a few (list is constantly updated). Please make sure to check on the day of screening as movies may be postponed due to rain:
OFF-HILL
On October 2, go to the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in the former Newseum space, and enjoy a free show with bassoonist and faculty member Brad Balliett, part of the Peabody Performance Series. More information and details here. Mark your calendar for October 13, October 22 and more in the future, These performances are free.
The Bach Consort’s Noontime Cantata Series are fantastic lunchtime concerts and they are also free. Many take place in our neighborhood, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. October 1, however, is happening at the Church of the Epiphany, downtown. Field trip! More info here.
Oktoberfest? Pink Pony Club? This can only mean one thing: You need to drop by Wunder Garten in NoMa and partake of the fun, going through October 13. More info and RSVP here.
This show has been on view since July 14, but I’m looking forward to seeing the National Gallery of Art‘s curation of Gordon Park’s photographs, selected primarily from the Corcoran Collection. Take a look at their online selection and make sure to catch it in person. The show will be at NGA through January 12, 2025. More information here.
The National Building Museum has a new exhibit called Capital Brutalism. Take a loving look at some of our most polarizing, beloved architecture. (#teamBrutalism). Click here for more information and click here for tickets to the Building Museum.
The National Portrait Gallery has an exhibit on view through June 3, 2025, called “Brilliant Exiles.” The exhibit, which takes over a large part of the second floor, focuses on mostly American women who emigrated to Paris between 1900 and 1939. During that tumultuous 40-year period, these migrants excelled in different areas. From writing, painting and dancing to publishing and interior design, these forward-thinking avatars pushed boundaries and found that Paris did not judge them for their womanhood or for being people of color or queer, but instead celebrated them and let them be. The exhibit is a carefully curated view of the women through their own eyes and, far more often than you might hope, through the eyes of important men in their lives. You can learn more and plan your visit here.
PLAN AHEAD
Keep the Downtown Holiday Market for DC and managed by Diverse Markets. Sign the petition here.
The Folger starts their season on October with the timeless tale of woe, Romeo and Juliet. Don’t forget: the Folger has special deals for students and seniors as well as performances for theater lovers with disabilities, so visit the play’s page and get yourself a ticket! Click here for information, tickets and membership options.
The St. Mark’s Players will be putting The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter on. Performances start Friday, October 4 and you can get tickets here.
Pencil in Oktoberfest at the Wharf, coming October 5. Enjoy the Wiener 500 (register your pup here), stein-hoisting, polka and more! More info here. Prost!
The Literary Hill is happening again at Eastern Market on October 6, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come meet local authors, explore new reads and nerd out on books. You can even meet my blogging partner-in-crime, Robert Pohl, who’ll be selling his books! What could be better? More info here.
The Capitol Hill Community Foundation’s Literary Feast wants YOU to sign up for one of their intriguing, enticing dinners. Click here for more info.
On November 2, sign up to walk or volunteer for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk. Raise awareness of heart conditions or learn about cardiovascular disease, which will affect almost one-half of Americans in some form or other. Click here to sign up!