Thursday, March 27
PARTY: Lights, Camera, (Collective) Action! is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a party at Room & Board featuring a DC Brau open bar, vegan hors d’oeuvres, live music, dancing, and, cuz you probably have a pretty stressful life, a free massage table. If tickets ($30) sell out online (they’re running low), a limited number will be available at the door. 6 PM.
ART: Drones can be used to bomb and spy on people, but they can also be used to monitor endangered animals and find missing people—and apparently they make pretty good dancers, too. Dancer Veronika Bayer’s partner will be a small drone at “She Who Dances With the Drone,” a one-night-only free performance at the Embassy of Austria. Free. 7:30 PM.
Friday, March 28
DANCE: Looking for a new dance party? CoalBox at DC9 features indie dance jams and music videos plastered all over projectors on the walls. To get the courage to hop up on the (admittedly very small) stage and do your thing, Jim Beam and Pinnacle Vodka drinks are $2 between 9 and 11. Free. 9 PM.
COMEDY: Don’t Block the Box, Wonderland’s super-cheap but good standup comedy night, is back this week, featuring Adrian Rodney, who has performed on NBC’s Stand Up for Diversity and has opened for some nationally touring acts. Openers include Nate Johnson, Jheisson Nunez, and Chelsea Shorte. Afterward, things turn into a crazy dance party. $3. 7:30 PM.
DANCE: Black Cat has two good dance parties, but unless you feel like shelling out for both, you’ll have to choose one. Close 2 the Edge features deejay Dredd spinning golden-era hip-hop and early dance tracks backstage, while the main space is going ’80s with everything you’d expect it to: leg warmers, Spandex, and big hair. Your choice.
’80s Mayhem: $10, 9:30 PM
Close 2 the Edge: $7, 10:30 PM.
Saturday, March 29
ART: Art Enables gallery hosts the Night of 1,000 Hot Dogs, which sounds like something a competitive eater would be into. As you might expect, the event features LOTS of hot dogs, both of the edible variety and of the artistic (ceramic, painted, metaphorical) variety. As you might not expect, there’ll also be circus acts, music, and probably a few vegetarians. Free. 7 PM.
BEER: Corona Light comes on draft now, for lord knows what reason. But hey, it’s worth a try, right? The launch party will be at Agua 301 in Southeast, with all-you-can-drink Corona Light drafts, a free T-shirt, and lots dancing. Tickets ($10) are available through LivingSocial. All day.
DANCE: As far as I’m concerned, Cherry Blast is the best nightclubby event DC puts on all year. The annual institution generally takes over a random warehouse and fills it with art, crazy lighting, and huge sound systems and lets people go nuts. This year it happens at Blind Whino, which is a really cool space. Tickets ($15) are available online. 7 PM.
SCAVENGE: DC’s got lots of hidden secrets, as evidenced in the fantastic film series National Treasure. Dig into some of those secrets with the Great Urban Race, a citywide scavenger hunt. Teams of two to four will scour the city for all sorts of oddities, with the winners taking home a cash prize. Tickets ($60) are available online. 11 AM.
Sunday, March 30
PING PONG: A series of ping-pong masters (or just enthusiasts) have been training all month for 826DC’s Paddlestar Galactica II tournament. The main event is at U Street Music Hall, and you can check out all the hot sweaty action, featuring best uniform and “best at ping pong” contests. Free. 1 PM.
BEATLES: The National Cherry Blossom Festival is here, and before we’re mobbed by tourists (too late?), you should check out what’s going on. Beatles cover duo Doctor Robert and Penny Lane will be playing the festival’s welcome stage at the Tidal Basin, which seems like a pretty fun and spring-y thing way to spend a Sunday. Free. 1 PM. For more ways to celebrate, check out our guide to all the flowery fun.
Know of something cool going on around town? E-mail Jason Koebler at jasontpkoebler@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter.
