A new exhibit opening at the National Postal Museum in June will celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service by exploring how mail has moved to and from the national parks and historic sites throughout history.
The exhibit, “Trailblazing: 100 Years of Our National Parks,” is set to open on June 9 will feature artifacts from the museum’s collections as well as postage art inspired by national parks and items loaned by the National Park Service. The exhibit will run through March 2018 at the Postal Museum at 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE.
“This exhibition marks the centennial of the National Park Service by exploring how the parks and the mail are intertwined, sometimes in surprising and unusual ways,” Daniel Piazza, the museum’s chief curator of philately said in a press release. “We’ve also managed to bring a little bit of the national park experience indoors through artifacts and photographs loaned by Grand Canyon, Sequoia, Petrified Forest and other national parks.”
The museum will celebrate the exhibit’s opening with a family day on June 11. Families will be able to achieve “Junior Ranger” status by exploring the exhibit with an activity booklet that will guide them through kid-friendly activities.
Photo via National Postal Museum
The wind may have made today feel even colder than it was, but fortunately warmer weekend weather is blowing in. Temperatures are expected to reach into the 60s this weekend, and with several outdoor events planned across the Capitol Hill area, there are plenty of chances to take advantage of the springlike weather before it cools down again next week. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this weekend in the Capitol Hill area:
Events
Public Observances for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
Supreme Court Great Hall
Friday 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Members of the public can pay their respects to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia until 8 p.m. Friday at the Supreme Court building. Scalia’s body is currently laying in repose at the Supreme Court’s Great Hall. His funeral will be held on Saturday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Catholic University.
14th Annual Old Fashioned Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church (201 4th St. SE)
Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon
Capitol Hill Boy Scout Troop 500 will hold a pancake breakfast to raise funds for their programs and community service projects. The breakfast will feature all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, bacon, juice, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Tickets will be available at the door and will cost $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12.
Winter Grill Out at Ocopa
Ocopa restaurant (1324 H St. NE)
Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Peruvian restaurant Ocopa’s new chef Yuki Nakandakari will be enjoying the sunny weather on the restaurant’s patio, where guests can sample unlimited Peruvian grilled skewers called anticuchos and Nakandakari’s Incajito cocktails for $35. Tickets are available online.
‘A Will for the Woods’ Screening
Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE)
Saturday, 6 p.m.
The Congressional Cemetery will host a screening of “A Will for the Woods,” a documentary about green burial, followed by a discussion led by the film directors and officials at the cemetery. Those interested in attending can RSVP to [email protected].
Light Yards Art Installation at The Yards
The Yards (355 Water St. SE)
Saturday, 7-10 p.m.
The Yards in Navy Yard are celebrating the arrival of Light Yards, a new art installation that will be at Yards Park through March 6. Several art installations by New York based light artist and architect John Ensor Parker. The opening party on Saturday night will feature a live DJ. The event is free and open to the public.
I Draw Slow at Hill Center
Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Saturday, 8-10 p.m.
Dublin roots band I Draw Slow will bring their unique blend of Irish traditional music and Amaricana to Hill Center in support of their new album “White Wave Chapel.” Tickets are available online.
The Coil Project presents “Three Days of Rain”
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE)
Saturday, 8 p.m.
The Coil Project presents a two-act play about the children of Greenwich Village architects in the early 1960s.
Metrorail
Weekend repairs will take place on all six lines this weekend:
- Red Line trains will be single tracking between Friendship Heights and Grosvenor and between Forest Glen and Wheaton. Trains will run every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont and every 12-13 minutes between Farragut North and Silver Spring from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Orange and Blue line trains will be single tracking between Smithsonian and Federal Center SW and will run every 20 minutes starting at 7 a.m. Saturday
- Silver Line trains will only run between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston
- Yellow Line trains will run every 20 minutes between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square only starting at 10 p.m. Friday
- Green Line trains will be single tracking between L’Enfant Plaza and Navy Yard and will run every 20 minutes starting at 10 p.m. Friday
If you’re hoping for a break from this week’s cold weather, you’re out of luck this weekend. Temperatures are expected to continue to dip on Saturday with highs forecasted in the low-20s all weekend. The three-day weekend could also be bookended by snow, with flurries expected tonight and on President’s Day.
Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day over the weekend or going out to enjoy a day off on Monday, you will need to bundle up this weekend. We’ll be off for Presidents Day and back on Tuesday. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of the holiday weekend in the Capitol Hill area:
Events
Friends of the Southeast Library Book Sale
Southeast Library (403 7th St. SE)
Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Friends of the Southeast Library will be selling used books to raise money for children’s programs at the library.
My School DC School Lottery Info Session
Northeast Library (330 7th St. NE)
Saturday, 11 a.m.
Join My School DC at the Northeast Library to learn more about how to apply through the common lottery for DCPS and public charter schools.
Valentine’s Concert and Sparkling Wine Tasting
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church (201 4th St. SE)
Saturday, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This fundraiser hosted by Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church benefits community food programs and features a concert performed by local musicians and a sparkling wine tasting conducted by Capitol Hill sommelier @DCWineWonk. Free child care is included for the duration of the event. Tickets are available online.
Holy Name Catholic Church St. Valentine’s Ball
Holy Name Catholic Church (920 11th St. NE)
Saturday, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Holy Name Catholic Church and The Knights of St. John Commandery #388 invite you to a St. Valentine’s Day Ball featuring food, dancing and a live DJ. Tickets are $15 per person or $25 per couple. To purchase tickets call 202-397-2525
Presidents Day Closings
- Trash and recycling collection will be suspended on Monday, and collection will occur a day later for all of next week
- Parking restrictions will not be enforced on Monday
Metrorail
- The Waterfront Metro station will be closed for tunnel repairs all weekend, with buses replacing service between Gallery Place and Navy Yard
- Yellow Line trains will run every 10 minutes between Huntington and National Airport only
- Silver Line trains will run every 10 minutes between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston only
- Orange and Blue line trains will run every 20 minutes
- Red Line trains will run every 6-20 minutes
- On Monday, the metrorail system will open at 5 a.m. and run on a Saturday schedule (trains leave every 12 minutes)
Capitol Hill Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Capitol Hill area. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out our event submission form.
For more events, be sure to check out our event calendar.
Wednesday
Pre-Show Talk: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Folger Shakespeare Library (201 East Capitol St. SE)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Folger Shakespeare Library Director Michael Witmore will give a talk about Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” ahead of the Library’s first performance of the comedy.
Thursday
Dreams as a Source for Holocaust Research
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.
2016 Ina Levine Invitational Scholar Barbara Engelking will address how dreams, which are most often used during psychotherapy, can also be a historical source-a testimony to the experiences of specific people in a certain cultural context at a specific moment in time. Dreams from the time of the Holocaust show victims’ diversity of emotions, inexpressible experiences, and longing for their relatives.
Friday
DPR Fun Day Camp
Sherwood Recreation Center (640 10th St. NE)
Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
D.C. Public Schools will be closed for staff development on Friday, so recreation centers across the District will be holding free day camps for kids. The all-day camp offers sports, arts and crafts and more for kids age 6-12. Online registration is required before noon Thursday.
Saturday
Friends of the Southeast Library Book Sale
Southeast Library (403 7th St. SE)
Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Friends of the Southeast Library will be selling used books to raise money for children’s programs at the library.
My School DC School Lottery Info Session
Northeast Library (330 7th St. NE)
Time: 11 a.m.
Join My School DC at the Northeast Library to learn more about how to apply through the common lottery for DCPS and public charter schools.
Valentine’s Concert and Sparkling Wine Tasting
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church (201 4th St. SE)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This fundraiser hosted by Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church benefits community food programs and features a concert performed by local musicians and a sparkling wine tasting conducted by Capitol Hill sommelier @DCWineWonk. Free child care is included for the duration of the event. Tickets are available online.
Holy Name Catholic Church St. Valentine’s Ball
Holy Name Catholic Church (920 11th St. NE)
Time: 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Holy Name Catholic Church and The Knights of St. John Commandery #388 invite you to a St. Valentine’s Day Ball featuring food, dancing and a live DJ. Tickets are $15 per person or $25 per couple. To purchase tickets call 202-397-2525
Photo courtesy of Teresa Wood/ Folger Shakespeare Library
Up to 100 special needs students and young adults from around the District are set to attend a special prom celebration at Nationals Park this weekend.
The event, hosted by Waterfront Church, is part of the national Night to Shine, an annual event started by the Tim Tebow Foundation that holds proms for special needs students across the country.
The prom will take place this Friday from 6-9 p.m. at Nationals Park. It will be the first Night to Shine event in the District and the fifth annual event for the Tebow Foundation, a Christian foundation started by football player Tim Tebow in 2010.
The attendees will arrive at Nationals Park in limos and enter through a red carpet lined with “friendly paparazzi” and supporters. Inside, the students will have a chance to dance and celebrate. At the end of the night, every attendee will be crowned a prom king or queen.
The prom will also feature a room for caretakers – parents, guardians and teachers that care for children with special needs every day.
“It’s not just a chance to take care of and celebrate those kids, but also a chance to celebrate their caretakers,” Waterfront Church’s Lead Pastor Zack Randles said. “A few local businesses donated gift bags for the caretakers to celebrate the hard work they put in for these children.”
Randles said that support for the event from within and outside of his congregation has been overwhelming. He said the church is expecting between 75 and 100 students to attend the prom and over 150 people have volunteered to help out, including about 75% of the members of Waterfront Church.
The church, located at 140 L St. SE, partnered with D.C. Public Schools to let special needs students learn about the prom and also connected with a local chapter of Young Life, a non-denominational Christian group for teens and adolescents. Randles said that he hopes the partnerships are the beginning of a long-term effort to reach out to and help special needs students.
“As far as our church goes, I think this is going to be a yearly thing for us,” Randles said. “There is so much excitement swirling around this.”
The Tebow Foundation partners with churches to hold Night to Shine prom events in part because it hopes to build lasting relationships between churches, special needs students and their caretakers. Randles said he hopes not only to throw a prom every year, but also to work with special needs organizations in the area throughout the year.
“It’s a neat thing that the Tebow Foundation chose churches specifically, because they wanted to connect people with special needs to organizations where they could get help regularly,” he said. “Our church aims to be one that is consistently involved.”
Just as the final piles of snow around the area are beginning to melt, meteorologists are warning about another potential snow storm at the beginning of next week. Before then, though, we’re slated to have a weekend of sunny weather and above-freezing temperatures in the Capitol Hill area.
Though the Super Bowl may keep most people indoors on Sunday afternoon, this weekend will be perfect to enjoy the outdoors in the area. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this sunny weekend in the Capitol Hill area:
If you don’t have Super Bowl plans yet, check out our guide to viewing parties around the area.
Events
Haitian Art and Handcraft Sale
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (301 A St. SE)
Friday 6-9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Over 200 original Haitian paintings and unique handcrafts will be for sale at the church this weekend to raise money for sustainable development in Haiti.
Pisco Sour Day
Ocopa (1324 H St. NE)
All Day
Peruvian restaurant Ocopa is celebrating the South American cocktail for Pisco Day. In Peru, the first Saturday of February is National Pisco Day.
First Citizen – A Staged Reading
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE)
Saturday 8 p.m.
The Taffety Punk Generator, a workshop focused on new works, will present a reading of First Citizen. First Citizen is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus told from the perspective of the common citizens of Rome. The reading is free and open to the public.
Metrorail
Construction will take place on all six Metro lines this weekend:
- Green Line trains will run every 24 minutes
- Yellow Line trains will operate on a normal weekend schedule between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square only
- Silver Line trains will run every 10 minutes between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston only
- Shuttle buses will replace Metro service between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly & Benning Road on the Orange and Blue lines
- Red Line trains will run every 9-20 minutes
Between 3 and 7 a.m. Sunday, Metro will be performing maintenance to the SmarTrip system and passengers will not be able to use credit or debit cards to reload their SmarTrips.
It took most of the week, but the snow is (almost) cleared in the Capitol Hill area just in time for the weekend. The snow that’s left over may melt over the weekend, with sunny weather and mid-50s temperatures expected.
The warm weather could make this weekend a perfect chance to make up for time spent hiding inside from the storm last weekend. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of the weekend in the Capitol Hill area:
Events
Restaurant Week
Multiple Locations
Friday-Wed. Feb. 3
Winter Restaurant Week continues through the weekend with more than 200 eateries throughout the D.C. area offering special fixed-price menus, offering multi-course lunches for $22 and dinners for $35.
The Escape Artist Album Release Party
Rock and Roll Hotel (1353 H St. NE)
Friday 8 p.m.
Local band The Escape Artist will celebrate the release of its new album Constellations with a concert Friday night at Rock and Roll Hotel. Other D.C. bands Drop Electric, Caustic Cassanova and Boon will also play.
The City of Conversation
Arena Stage (1101 6th St. SW)
Friday and Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The Arena Stage debuts a new recent Off-Broadway hit “The City of Conversation” about a Georgetown hostess who opens her home to political elite but clashes with her son’s conservative wife. Tickets are available online.
Winter Fun Day
Southwest Library (900 Wesley Pl. SW)
Saturday 3 p.m.
Children and families are invited to enjoy winter-themed stories and activities at the Southwest Library. The Van Ness Elementary PTO will also hold a play date at the party for students, family, faculty and staff to meet.
Kids’ Night Out at Labyrinth
Labyrinth Games & Puzzles (645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Saturday 5-9 p.m.
Parents can free up a date night by registering their kids age 7-10 for Labyrinth’s kids’ night. The event, complete with games, puzzles and pizza runs from 5-9 p.m. and costs $40 per child. Parents can register online.
Ice Yards
The Yards (355 Water St. SE)
Saturday 2-6 p.m.
Ice Yards, which was snowed out last weekend, brings ski chalet vibes to the District with boozy snow cones, a frosty beer garden, live music and ice sculptures. Tickets are for sale online.
Trash Collection
Trash collectors with the District Department of Public Works will spend the weekend collecting trash and recycling from homes along their regular Thursday and Friday routes that they missed during the week. If your trash/recycling is usually collected on Thursday or Friday but was not collected this week, leave cans out through the weekend. Regularly scheduled collection will resume on Monday.
Metrorail
Weekend repairs will begin on all six Metro lines at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
- Orange, Blue, Yellow and Green line trains will run every 20 minutes
- Red Line trains will run between Shady Grove and Silver Spring every 18 minutes, between Farragut North and Silver Spring every 10 minutes and between Silver Spring and Glenmont every 24 minutes
- Silver Line trainswill run every 10 minutes between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston only
The D.C. Public library has opened registration for the Books From Birth program, which is set to deliver a free book every month to children under the age of 5 in the District.
Parents or guardians can sign up online to receive a free book for their toddler in their mailbox every month. Parents must register separately for each child under age 5 to receive books.
The Books From Birth program was proposed by Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen last year as a way to increase early childhood literacy.
“I firmly believe we can tackle the achievement gap in education by attacking the word and literacy gap in early childhood,” Allen said in a community newsletter.
Photo via D.C. Public Library
Capitol Hill Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Capitol Hill area. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out our event submission form
For more events, be sure to check out our event calendar.
Thursday
Marmalade by Claire Parsons Co.
Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St. NE)
Time: 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Thursday through Sunday, the children’s theater at Atlas Performing Arts Center will host the circus show Marmalade, a participatory, visual show for kids age 2-6. Tickets and show times are available online.
The Lives He Saved and the Secrets We Keep
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW)
Time: 7-9 p.m.
On the eve of World War II, Nicholas Winton organized a series of rescue missions to transport 669 children out of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to England. Most were Jewish children whose families were later killed in the Holocaust. In her book, “If It’s Not Impossible”, Barbara Winton draws from her father’s diaries and personal papers to fill in the details of his extraordinary actions, uncovering other surprising details of the family’s history along the way.
Friday
D.C. Public Opera Performs “Sumeida’s Song”
Eastern Market North Hall (225 7th St. SE)
The D.C. Public Opera will perform the District premiere of Mohammed Fairouz’s opera “Sumeida’s Song,” an adaptation of the Arabic play “Song of Death.” Details and ticket information is available online.
Saturday
Ice Yards 2016
The Yards (355 Water St. SE)
Time: 2-6 p.m.
Ice Yards brings ski chalet vibes to the District with boozy snow cones, a frosty beer garden, live music and ice sculptures. Tickets are for sale online.
DC Rollergirls Season Debut
D.C. Armory (2001 East Capitol St. SE)
Time: 3 p.m.
The District’s roller derby team, DC Rollergirls, will start their 10th season with a bout at the D.C. Armory Saturday afternoon. Tickets are $15 for aduls and $6 for children age 6-11 and are available online.
Photo via Facebook/ DC Rollergirls
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is coming on Monday and bringing with it a blast of arctic air that will bring some seriously cold temperatures and another chance of light snow. Before the cold moves in, though, this weekend is expected to stay mild, with temperatures in the high 40s with rain only expected Friday night.
Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this holiday weekend in the Capitol Hill area:
Events
Yale A Capella in D.C.: Whim ‘n Rhythm Concert
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE)
Friday 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Yale University’s all-female, all-seniors a cappella group Whim ‘n’ Rhythm will perform a concert that ranges from traditional jazz standards to contemporary pop and rock hits. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids.
St. Mark’s Players present Sweeney Todd
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (3rd and A streets SE)
Friday and Saturday 8 p.m.
The St. Mark’s Players, a community theater company on Capitol Hill, will be performing “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” from Jan. 15-23. Tickets are available online.
Sweat
Arena Stage (1101 6th St. SW)
Friday and Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
The Arena Stage and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival present Sweat, a play written by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. The play “explores America’s industrial decline at the turn of the millennium by examining the inhabitants of one Pennsylvania town who still struggle to reclaim what’s lost, find redemption and redefine themselves in a new century.” Tickets can be purchased online.
I Have A Dream Story Time
Northeast Library (330 7th St. SE)
Saturday 10:30 a.m.
the Children’s Department of the Northeast library will celebrate the birthday of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with an “I Have A Dream” story time. Families are invited to listen to stories and sing songs about accepting and celebrating differences, working together, friendship, and dreaming big dreams. Afterward, children can make an inspirational craft.
Make Your Own 12×12 Painting Workshop with MasPazThe Fridge (516 8th St. SE)
Saturday 2-4 p.m.
Artist MasPaz, who curated the current exhibit “Kids” at The Fridge, will lead a workshop where participants will create their own 12×12 inch painting. All supplies will be provided and admission is $30 at the door.
Maketto Coat and Blanket Drive
Maketto (1351 H St. NE)
Monday all day
The H Street coffee shop and retail store will offer a free coffee to anybody who donates a gently used coat or blanket to be donated to homeless individuals.
Metrorail
- On Saturday from 3-9 a.m. Metro will be conducting maintenance work on the payment system for SmarTrip cards. Customers will not be able to load or reload their SmarTrip card using a debit or credit card during that time.
- Shuttle buses will replace trains on the Orange and Blue lines between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly and Benning Road
- Silver Line trains will only operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston
- Yellow Line trains will only operate between Huntington and Fort Totten
- Red Line trains will operate every 9-18 minutes
- On Monday, Metro will open at 5 a.m. and run on a Saturday schedule. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day and parking will be free at all Metro-operated facilities
Metrobus
- On Monday, all busses will operate on a Saturday supplemental schedule, with some post-midnight trips canceled on some routes.
Trash Collection
There will be no trash collection on Monday, so collection days will be pushed back by one day for the entire week.
Parking
Parking meters will not be enforced on Monday.
Photo via Flickr/afagen
This week, D.C. broke the record for time before the first snow of winter, and the snowless streak is set to continue at least through this weekend. With possible scattered showers across the area and temperatures reaching the low 60s on Sunday, this weekend is shaping up to be wet and relatively warm.
It is also shaping up to be a busy weekend in the Capitol Hill area, with the holidays over and multiple events planned across the area. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this weekend in the Capitol Hill area:
Events
Freed Bodyworks Open House
Freed Bodyworks (1337 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Friday 5-7 p.m.
Learn about Freed Bodyworks’ newest services, meet practitioners, enter a raffle and snack on handmade pies, punch and mulled wine.
All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
Maury Elementary School (1250 Constitution Ave. NE)
Saturday 9 a.m.-noon
The Basketball and cheerleading teams at Maury Elementary School are hosting an all-you-can-eat breakfast to raise money for the basketball team’s annual trip and the cheerleading team’s trip to a championship competition in Virginia. The breakfast will include pancakes, bagels, bacon, sausage, fruit, juice and coffee. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for preschoolers.
Winter Coat and Potato Giveaway
D.C. Armory (192 19th St. SE)
Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Hundreds of gently used winter coats and other clothing and more than 11 tons of potatoes will be distributed for free Saturday at the D.C. Armory. There is no need to pre-register for the event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and everything will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in volunteering to help set up the event can arrive between 7:45 and 8 a.m. to help sort the clothes into men’s, women’s and children’s areas.
Friends of the Southeast Library Book Sale
Southeast Library (403 7th St. SE)
Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
So many books, so little time! Come to the Friends of Southeast Library book sale on the lower level of the library the second Saturday of each month. History, biography, mystery, fantasy, literature, photography, cookbooks — it’s all here! Plus, most books are only $1. Proceeds from the sale supplement programs for children.
Meet Up With Mendo
Ben’s Chili Bowl (1001 H St. NE)
Saturday 10-11 a.m.
Join DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson at a community ‘Meet Up’ in Ward 6. Share your questions and concerns with the Chairman on Saturday January 9, at 10 am until 11 am at the H street location of Ben’s Chili Bowl (1001 H Street Northeast). For more information call: 202.724.8032
12th Night Mardi Gras Party
Gallery O on H (1354 H St. NE)
Saturday 8-11 p.m.
The H Street corridor gallery will have live music, king cake, fortune tellers and more at their annual Twelfth Night party, celebrating the begining of the Mardi Gras season. There’s no charge but the gallery will be collecting donations for Santa’s Cause D.C., an organization that supports foster children in the area.
Metrorail
- Green Line Trains will operate on regular intervals between the Branch Avenue and College Park Stations, with shuttle buses replacing service to Greenbelt
- Silver Line Trains will operate between Wiehl Reston-East and East Falls Church only
- Red Line Trains will operate every 10-18 minutes
- Orange and Blue Line trains will operate every 20 minutes
- Rebuilding on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines will stop at noon on Sunday, allowing trains to run every 15 minutes Sunday evening for the NFL game at FedEx field
Parents in the Navy Yard area can ring in the new year and still put the kids to sleep by bedtime thanks to Noon Yards Eve at Yards Park on Thursday.
The kid-friendly celebration is set to take place between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and will feature a balloon drop at noon to mark the beginning of 2016.
According to the event’s Facebook page, the free party will include music, dancing, face painters, inflatables and crafts for kids. The celebration is hosted by The Yards development and will take place at Yards Park at the intersection of Water and 4th streets SE.
Photo via Facebook/ Noon Yards Eve 2015
Our last weekend before what might be the warmest Christmas on record for the D.C. area will have something we haven’t seen much of this season: normal temperatures. With temperatures expected to hover around the mid-40s, this weekend may be the only opportunity to show off any holiday-themed sweaters and scarves before the next heat wave forces us to shed the extra layers by Christmas.
Whether you’re scrambling to finish holiday shopping or trying to take advantage of the unusually seasonable weather while you can, there’s plenty to do around the Capitol Hill area this weekend. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this weekend:
Hypothermia Alert
With the cooler weather comes the risk of hypothermia for homeless individuals across the city. The District government will activate its hypothermia alert at 7 p.m. Friday as temperatures are expected to sink to 31 degrees with wind gusts as high as 21 miles per hour.
The District issues hypothermia alerts when the forecasted temperature, including wind chill, dips below 32 degrees.
To request shelter transport for D.C. residents who are homeless and on the street, contact the shelter hotline at [email protected], 202-399-7093 or 1-800-535-7252.
Events
“Confessions of an Unlikely Runner” Book Signing
Pacers Running Store (300 Tingey St. SE)
Friday 5:30 p.m.
Dana Ayers accidentally became a runner more than 10 years ago when she ran a 5k with the President of the United States. She has since proven it’s possible to be a long-term runner without gaining much speed, losing much weight, or sacrificing a fairly lax approach to exercise. Confessions chronicles her awkward mishaps and adventures in transitioning from childhood bookworm to accidental accomplished athlete.
Seasonal Craft Beer Tasting
Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Friday 6:30-8 p.m.
Join Drinky Events for a tasting of some awesome, hard to find seasonal craft beers! Mike Stein from Lost Lagers is providing the education and Pipetown Traders will provide 5 seasonal craft beers to get you in the holiday spirit. The best ugly holiday sweater will win an awesome prize! Online registration is $38.
Santa’s Secret Bookshop
Southwest Library (900 Wesley Pl. SW)
Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m.
The Friends of the Southwest Library will offer children the ability to select two books or DVDs from our store, wrap these gifts for their loved ones, and receive a treat for thinking of others. Children under 9 must be accompanied by a caregiver.
The Nutcracker Suite with DC Swing
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
DC Swing! presents Duke Ellington’s jazz treatment of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, and other big band holiday favorites. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online.
Live DJ Yoga for UN Refugees + Ugly Sweater Party
405 Yoga (1000 Florida Ave. NE)
Saturday, 7-8 p.m.
405 Yoga will hold a flow class set to the live beats of DJ Equaniseung. A donation of $20 to UN Refugees is requested at the door.
Jazz Hip Hop Nutcracker
Stuart-Hobson Middle School (410 E St. NE)
Saturday 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday 3 p.m.
Barracks Row-based Momentum Dance Theatre is performing its annual Jazz Hip Hop Nutcracker December 19-20, 2015, at Stuart Hobson Middle School. This is a professional dance and theater production that brings together both professional dancers and students from the Hill as young as five years old to provide a fresh, urban take on the Nutcracker story based on Duke Ellington’s version of the Nutcracker Suite.
Metrorail
- Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow and Green line trains will operate on regular weekend schedules
- Red Line trains will single-track between Judiciary Square and NoMa-Gallaudet for repairs. Trains will run every 15 minutes.
Students at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, kids and adults alike, will present their work from the past semester at the workshop’s annual Winter Arts Festival Saturday.
The free, all day festival will take place at CHAW at 545 7th St. SE and will include performances by students as well as galleries of student art for sale.
The annual festival is a chance for the over 400 students at the workshop to show off what they’ve created, but it’s also part of the curriculum.
“Most of the classes have presentation built in, because a really important part of creating art is being able to present it,” Hannah Jacobson, director of marketing development and strategy at CHAW, said. “All the classes are gearing up for this at the end of the semester.”
In addition to the performances and gallery exhibitions, the Humanities Council of Washington, D.C. will also be on hand in the afternoon to collect D.C. historic and pop culture items in their digital database. Residents can bring their favorite piece of D.C. memorabilia which the Humanities Council will digitize and add to their archive.
The festival will run from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., though visitors can come and go throughout the day. Here’s the schedule for the day, from CHAW’s website:
- 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. – Shop & Drop art sale
- 10-11:30 a.m. – Suzuki & Ballet dance performances
- 12-1:30 p.m. – Youth arts program art show and performances
- 1-4 p.m. – D.C. Digital Museum, Humanities Council of Washington, D.C.
- 2-3 p.m. – Adult solo and class performances with A Second Wind Chorus
- 2-3 p.m. – Pinocchio! presented by Faction of Fools Theatre Co.
- 5-6:30 p.m. – Adult student art show
All of the performances and shows are kid-friendly, but Jacobson says that the evening reception for the adult student art can also be a great time to relax away from the kids.
“Really fun opening reception for the adult gallery in the evening,”she said. “There are kid-friendly events throughout the day but this is always a great opportunity for adults to come have some wine and snacks and enjoy the galleries.”
Photo via Facebook/ Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
Holiday decorations may be the only thing to remind us that it is, in fact, December this weekend, with temperatures expected to feel more like Spring. Winter weather lovers may lament another warm weekend, but the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang predicting a perfect weekend for outdoor activities and a possibility of some record-setting high temperatures.
Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this Spring-in-December weekend:
Events
Used Book Sale
Southeast Library (403 7th St. SE)
Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Friends of the Southeast Library will hold their monthly used book sale at the library on Saturday. Most books will cost about $1.
Meet the Mormons On The Hill
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Capitol Hill (522 7th St. SE)
Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Mormons on the Hill are looking forward to welcoming you to their new home at 522 7th Street SE. Join the congregation on Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for some holiday cheer and a chance to see the new meeting house, conveniently located one block south of the Eastern Market Metro station. There will be tours of the building (including a scavenger hunt for children), holiday crafts, apple cider, holiday treats,and caroling.
EdFEST 2015
D.C. Armory (2001 East Capitol St. SE)
Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Parents will have a chance to learn about more than 200 schools in the District tomorrow at a free education fair at the D.C. Armory, hosted by My School DC.
Your Art Here: Winter Arts Festival and Holiday Sale
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE)
Time: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Singing, dancing, theater and more! Join us for a day of performances with CHAW’s adult students and Youth Arts Program students performing all day. The ceramics studio will be present at the event selling artwork at the event as well.
Santa on Barracks Row
Barracks Row (8th and G streets SE)
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Santa will arrive on Barracks Row in a big red firetruck before listening to kids’ wish lists. Toy train, cider & hot chocolate by Bayou Bakery, elves, caroling, candy canes- it’s your chance to take photos of your family just in time for holiday cards. Pets of all persuasions are invited, too! This is a Toys for Tots event so bring along a new, unwrapped toy for those in need.
Santarchy DC
National Mall
Time: 1-11 p.m.
Santarchy is a FREE holiday celebration. Dress as a Santa, a reindeer, a menorah, a gingerbread woman, or any festive holiday costume of your choice and join us for a flash mob-style romp through town. Imagine hundreds of Santas spreading merriment through D.C. and giving gifts to unsuspecting tourists. That’s what Santarchy looks like!
Sunday
“Autism in Love” Film Screening
Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Time: 4-6 p.m.
Together with Indie Lens Pop-Up and Howard University Television (WHUT), Hill Center proudly presents “Autism in Love” by Matt Fuller. Four adults at different places on the autism spectrum open up their personal lives as they navigate dating and romantic relationships. Eye-opening, first-person portrayals show that despite many challenges faced by those with autism, love can find a way.
Metrorail
- Orange, Blue and Silver line trains will run on a normal weekend schedule until 8 p.m. Saturday to accommodate crowds expected at Arlington National Cemetery for Wreaths Across America
- After 8 p.m. Saturday, Orange, Blue and Silver line trains will run every 18 minutes
- Red Line trains will run every 18 minutes on Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sunday