Thursday, December 27: A can’t-miss show is tonight’s Dresden Dolls performance at the Sixth and I Synagogue (600 I Street, NW). You get two great things in one: the wacky yet inspired “punk cabaret” of the goth musical duo Dresden Dolls, plus the inspired venue setting of the historic synagogue. 5 PM. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.

For an intimate evening of music, head to the back stage of the Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW) where several of the area’s most talented folk-pop guitarists will perform. Meredith Bragg, who plays lovely, melancholy guitar pop. is hosting his CD-release party. Musicians Paul Michel and Ed Donohue will be opening. 9 PM. $8.

Friday, December 28: Lighten up this weekend with the Monty Python at the Movies series starting tonight at AFI Silver (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). They’re showing all the classics: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life, all through January 7. For tickets and screening times, click here.

Saturday, December 29: Paintings by elephants? Sounds surprising, but the artworks at the newly opened Hotel Palomar Arlington in Rosslyn (1121 N. 19th Street) are by elephants who have been trained to create patterns and shapes—and some of the pieces are lovely. Today is the last day the exhibit is open.

It’s the penultimate night of Zoo Lights, in which the National Zoo shines with nearly 50 light sculptures made of thousands of environmentally friendly LED lights. The larger-than-life displays, some up to 25 feet tall, highlight the zoo’s most popular animals and those the institution is dedicated to conserving, including giant pandas, Asian elephants, kori bustards, and golden lion tamarins. $10; 6 to 8:30 PM.

Sunday, December 30:  If you’re a rough ’n’ tumble sort of lady, you might want to check out a recruitment event this evening at Dr. Dremo’s (2001 Clarendon Blvd.) for the DC Rollergirls. Watch derby videos, meet the girls on the team, and learn a little more about the sport. 6 to 9 PM. Bonus: Dremo’s is closing in January, so it’s also a chance to enjoy the bar while it’s still around.

Photograph by Vincent Ricardel

Happy hour at PS7’s sleek lounge (777 I St., NW; 202-742-8550) is packed with suited young professionals who flock here before 7 pm for discounted drinks and appetizers like tuna sliders and mini-half-smokes. Even at full price, the innovative cocktails created by bar manager Tiffany Short are worth the trip to the restaurant, just a block away from the hub of Penn Quarter.

Short, an Inn at Little Washington alum, divides the seasonal drink roster into two sections: classics and creations.  From the former, the subtly sweet vanilla sidecar with house-made sweet-and-sour mix and vanilla syrup will turn anyone into a brandy drinker, and the lavender-scented gimlet is refreshing and tart with fresh lime juice.  A recent star of the "creations" group is a deep-purple concoction called the Bolshevik; the color comes from beet-infused Snow Queen vodka.  "I had my concerns that people wouldn't order a drink made with beets," Short says.  "But then I gave out samples." It's smooth and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness and beet flavor that catches you at the finish.

Thursday, December 20: The lovely Morrison-Clark Historic Inn and Restaurant tries to help you forget the cold with its weekly Thursday-night happy hour. The Big Chill, as it’s called, offers warming winter drinks and free appetizers. Get cozy and sip the night away.

Friday, December 21: To celebrate the holidays in a more . . . unorthodox manner, head to the Palace of Wonders (1210 H St., NE) tonight for its Sexy Santas striptease. Burlesque performers will be infusing their acts with a special holiday spirit. 10 pm; $10.

In the mood for the wacky and offbeat? Head to the Source Theatre (1835 14th St., NW) tonight, where Washington Improv Theater continues its holiday improv offering, Seasonal Disorder—some of the best local improv around. 8 pm; $12. Purchase tickets here.

Last Train Home kicks off its semiannual weekend of shows at Iota (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-522-8340), where the band will be playing its signature country-rock tonight, Saturday night, and at an all-ages show Sunday at 2 pm. Tonight’s show is at 9; $13.

The National Mall: The Open Park Project, a local nonprofit, brought wireless Internet to the Mall, so now you can browse the Web while sitting amid some of Washington’s best museums and gardens. Try grabbing signals at these three spots: the Enid A. Haupt Garden behind the Smithsonian Castle, the plaza beside the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The only catch is that the settings are so lovely, you might find it hard to concentrate on your work.

Big Bear Cafe: A market and liquor store in DC’s Bloomingdale neighborhood has been transformed into a welcoming neighborhood coffee shop where neighbors enjoy the Counter Culture Coffee and free Internet service. Friendly baristas and good coffee and sandwiches make the cafe a laid-back spot to check e-mail or get some work done. First and R sts., NW.

The Willard (1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW) already has one of the best afternoon teas in Washington. This time of year, it not only adds festive touches to the menu, but in Peacock Alley—the elegant space where the tea is held—potted topiary trees are draped with Christmas decorations and white lights.

The $47-a-person tea starts with a glass of Moët & Chandon Champagne or a vodka-tea cocktail—your choice. While you sip, you can dip into a chocolate sleigh filled with fresh berries sprinkled with powdered sugar. That’s just one treat. Other sweet touches include cranberry and gingerbread scones—accompanied by jams, lemon curd, and Devonshire cream—as well as such pastries as bite-size fruit tarts and delicate chocolate napoleons.

The scones and pastries are presented on a three-tiered china tray; the top layer is devoted to savory finger sandwiches, including ham and cheddar on a Scottish oat cake, turkey on a buttermilk biscuit with orange-cranberry chutney, maple-smoked salmon on New England brown bread with fennel butter, egg salad with poached quail egg on rye, and shaved English cucumber and watercress with cream cheese on country white. If you want more of anything, just ask.

Then, of course, there’s the tea.

Although Tommy Mensing’s professional golf career came to an end after an unsuccessful attempt at the 1997 PGA tour, the University of Maryland graduate has found the perfect way to incorporate golf—in fact, all sports—into his life. Mensing is bar manager at Cleveland Park Bar & Grill (3421 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-806-8940). His late hours allow him to squeeze in a morning golf game before an afternoon at the restaurant. Once at work, Mensing is clearly at home behind the bar—whether pouring drinks, speaking Spanish to the kitchen staff, or cheering on his Terps.