• Mon. Dec 2nd, 2024

The 29 best things to do in D.C. this weekend and next week

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Presidential Family Fun Day at the National Portrait Gallery

What better place to celebrate Presidents’ Day than the National Portrait Gallery, home to a complete collection of presidential portraits? During the museum’s Presidential Family Fun Day, historian Mindy Farmer leads tours of the “America’s Presidents” exhibition, while family-friendly activities like story times, workshops, and arts and crafts stations kick off throughout the day. Kids can play with White House building blocks or create a Lincoln-esque stovepipe hat, and visitors of all ages can enjoy a performance by the Linton Hall School Fife and Drum Corps or dance to music from DJ Farrah Flosscett. 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free.

Season 16 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is only a few weeks old, but Nymphia Wind has already made quite an impression on viewers, from her banana-themed entrance outfit to becoming the first queen to win two challenges. The Taiwanese star visits Shakers off U Street as a guest during the weekly Shook party, hosted by Crystal Edge and Tatianna. Labella Mafia and Whitney Gucci Goo are the featured performers. The show begins at 10 p.m., but there’s a meet-and-greet with Nymphia Wind at 9 p.m. — pick up a free ticket at Shakers or sister bar the Dirty Goose beginning at 6 p.m. 10 p.m. Free.

Clarendon Mardi Gras Bar Crawl

It’s been a decade since the infamous Clarendon Shamrock Crawl, which, The Post reported afterward, was attended by 5,000 revelers and “yielded 205 ‘incidents,’ 105 ‘folks too intoxicated to take care of themselves,’ 25 arrests, 10 reported episodes of public urination — one of which was committed at 7 p.m. on a squad car attended by a police officer — and the delirious tableau of a 26-year-old Reston woman, wasted and naked, trying to bail her drunk husband out of the Arlington County jail.” This seven-hour party promises drink specials, including $3 beers and $4 shooters; “outrageous” costume contests; live music; souvenirs; and “beads, beads and more beads” at a number of Clarendon bars, including B Live, Coco B’s, the Renegade and the Clarendon Ballroom. 3 to 10 p.m. $7-$10.

Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival

The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival returns to the Hilton in Rockville for three days of jazz music performed on five stages around the hotel. There are also master classes, live interviews with artists, swing dancing and a midnight jam session. Featured artists this year include Orrin Evans’s Captain Black Big Band and the Herlin Riley Quartet; a full list of artists is on the festival’s website. Through Sunday. Prices vary by show.

Speak Softly at Union Station

Morris American Bar wants you to leave the 2020s behind in favor of an evening in the 1920s: The D.C. cocktail bar is once again holding a Gatsby-inspired Roaring Twenties party called Speak Softly in Union Station’s ornate East Hall and Presidential Suite. An 18-piece band plays swing versions of current hits, while performances include aerialists and a burlesque dance show. Guests are invited to dress the part, so reach into your closet for tuxedos, flapper dresses, sequins and feathered accessories. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. $75-$225.

BHM24 at Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center

The BHM24 concert at Montgomery College’s Silver Spring Cultural Arts Center showcases a lineup of dance companies from across the region, including the Washington School of Ballet’s adult and youth programs, the Maryland Youth Ballet, the University of Maryland, Bowie State University, Princess Mhoon Dance Institute and the Ktm eXtreme dance project. There are three shows in one day, each with a different lineup, and the 5 p.m. performance is available for streaming as well as in-person attendance. 3, 5 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets $20-$25 adults, $15-$20 seniors and children. $10 live stream.

Black History in Lafayette Park’ walking tour

Local tour company Washington Walks offers two themed programs during Black History Month. “Black History in Lafayette Park” tells a diverse set of stories about the area around the White House, including those of Paul Jennings, who was enslaved by President James Madison, and James Wormley, a free Black hotelier and restaurateur. 2 p.m. $35.

‘Criminal’ podcast at Lincoln Theatre

One of the first and most beloved true crime podcasts is making a tour stop in D.C. for its 10th anniversary. Watch host Phoebe Judge (in corporeal form!) share the types of true stories you can find on the podcast but also, atypically, stories about herself. 8 p.m. $35-$80.

Ex-Presidents Party at Vagabond

“Point Break” is an essential part of Vagabond, a surfing-themed restaurant and bar near Dupont Circle: The hideaway basement bar features a giant mural of Patrick Swayze as Bodhi, as well as the quartet of bank robbers known as “the Ex-Presidents” for the rubber masks worn during heists. Pay tribute to the felonious leaders of the free world during Vagabond’s annual Ex-Presidents Party, where admission includes a rubber president mask as well as a drink, and if it’s like last year’s event, you can expect to hear the DJ spinning retro tunes that would have fit on the film’s soundtrack. 9 p.m. $20.

‘The Five Missing Rings’ at the Embassy of France

Does your child have an interest in the Olympics? The French children’s play “The Five Missing Rings” uses the Games, held this summer in Paris, as a way to teach about sports, teamwork and other values. An English version of the play visits the French Embassy this weekend, no subtitles required. 4 p.m. $15-$30.



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