Image courtesy of the District Sample Sale.

Are you ready for the District Sample Sale, the famed bargain boutique free-for-all sale tonight (6-9pm, 3307 M Street, NW in Georgetown)? We hope so—but as a few local blogs have reminded us, being ready for the massive shopping event takes more than just mental preparation and a willingness to max out your credit card. It takes strategy.

If you think you’re in for an evening of leisurely browsing of designer clothes, you’re in for a bit of a shock. DC Culture and Fashion talks about last summer’s District Sample Sale, revealing the fact that hundreds of eager but ultimately unfortunate women were lined up outside the door. Read on for her thoughts, and more:

It’s the best when good causes and good times come together for an event, and that’s what’s happening tonight at the Second Annual Washington Humane Society Pet Fête at Helix Lounge (1430 Rhode Island Ave, NW). The event, a cocktail benefit, supports the Washington Humane Society and its program “Good Home Guarantee,” which aims to find a home for every adoptable dog or cat that enters its shelters by 2010.

The cocktail benefit features drinks like the Pet Peeve ($8) and the Pawtini ($8) - okay, so I could do without the cutesy names, but I enjoy the sentiment. Even better is the raffle the Humane Society is offering, which will give out prizes including overnight stays at all the local Kimpton Hotels. Raffle tickets will run you $10.

All the proceeds from the raffle, and a portion of those taken from the sales of the cocktails, go to the Humane Society. So if you’ve got a soft spot in your heart for pets without homes - and who doesn’t? - head on over to Helix. For the record, animals won’t be allowed at the Pet Fête, but you can bet they’ll be there in spirit.

For arts lovers on a budget, TICKETplace’s 50-percent discounts represent a recovered Eden of affordability. As DC’s only authorized half-price ticket outlet, TICKETplace hearkens to a kinder, gentler time when attending an arts event could cost as little as $3.20.

Unfortunately, just as Adam and Eve suffered for their wisdom, so you, too, must endure hardships for your savvy. Beware logistical difficulties as you buy tickets only at prescribed times and prices (for example: online sales are only available Tuesday through Friday from noon - 4 pm) and plan for fairly hefty service charges—12 percent of the original ticket price if you buy in person, 17 percent if you buy online. Even with the half-price discount, some events, like an upcoming performance of “Lord of the Dance,” will set you back a solid chunk of change ($43.10 per ticket).

Still, your journey to half-pricedom comes with friendly local arts experts who work the counter at 407 Seventh Street, NW (between D and E streets near the Gallery Place and Archives Metro stops) and are happy to talk with you if you buy tickets in person.

Need some ideas on what events to buy tickets for? Check out our events listings, and for even more guidance, visit our theater reviews that tell you what's worth seeing. 

Photograph courtesy of the DC Idiotarod

Imagine the scenario: People dressed in ridiculous costumes. Shopping carts transformed into vehicles as far-fetched as papier-mache space rockets and cardboard Rolls-Royces. Lots of beer. Aforementioned costumed people racing around all over Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle in shopping carts. General mayhem and hilarity.

That’s pretty much the 2007 DC Idiotarod in a nutshell. The wacky annual event mimics the Iditarod, the famous Alaskan long-distance sled race—um, except without the snow . . . or the dogs . . . or the sleds. It may sound a tad insane, but having witnessed an Idiotarod or two in my time, I guarantee it’s one of the most entertaining events you can catch. Check out these Flickr photos of last year’s race.

Want to go a step further and actually participate? Slots are still available. Sign up your six-person team by noon on Thursday, March 1, pay the $50 entry fee, and show up at the Front Page (1333 New Hampshire Ave., NW) by 2 pm on Saturday, March 3. (You’ll have to acquire the shopping cart yourself.) The race begins at 2:30, and prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place (by fastest time), best costumes, and even “best sabotage.”

Funds raised go to the Arlington Food Assistance Center, which distributes supplemental groceries to needy families in Arlington.

The DC Idiotarod’s web site includes more rules and answers other questions. Happy shopping-carting!

Still from "Combustible Russ," a film showing at the DCIFF. Courtesy the DCIFF.

You film buffs out there probably already know that the DC Independent Film Festival kicks off this Thursday, March 1, featuring more films than you can shake a stick at—more than 100 features, animations, shorts, and documentaries over 11 days. There will also be 30 themed film showcases; loads of panel discussions on subjects from advocacy to legal issues in film; and an independent music festival in tandem with the filmfest.

What you might not know is that, through the rest of today, the DCIFF is offering a two-for-one-special on tickets to all the films. Here’s how it works: Purchase a ticket online to the film of your choice before or on Wednesday, February 28 (that's today, folks), when the two-for-one special ends. Bring the ticket to any screening, present it at the box office, and get a second pass free. Nifty, eh?

To check out trailers of some of the films playing at the festival, go to the DCIFF Myspace page. A schedule of events can be found here, and directions and location info—it’s on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Ave., NW—are here. Descriptions of films and times are located here. Individual tickets and full passes are $11 to $226; seniors and students $8 to $201. Call (202) 537-9493 for more info.

What films are you interested in catching? Let us know in the comments.

Roots of Peace has been working to remove landmines around the world and support victims of landmine explosions since it was founded in 1997. Ten years on, the organization has helped remove around 100,000 landmines from the Shomali Plains north of Kabul, and trained thousands of Afghan farmers to grow new crops in the space that remains. 

Tonight Roots of Peace celebrates their 10 years by showing the film “Planting the Roots of Peace,” which chronicles a journey of Shamim Jawad, the wife of the Afghan ambassador, and Heidi Kuhn, the founder of Roots of Peace.  The film shows  their travels around Afghanistan, discovering problems land mines have caused and looking for ways to rebuild schools, farms, and a way of life.  Both the women will give speeches at the event, as will the Afghan ambassador.  

Since this event is a cause for celebration as well as education and reflection, traditional Afghan foods will also be served.  The menu includes rice and lamb dish qabili paleo; kabobs; leek-stuffed dumplings; and dessert.  Hopefully guests will leave with full bellies as well as minds.  Guests should contact Riga Sadeq at (202) 292-4190 to find out more.

Tuesday Feb. 27
6-9 pm
Free
2341 Wyoming Ave. NW

The internet comes with its pluses and minuses. One advantage is that it provides lots of information you wouldn’t otherwise find. The negative is that sorting through all those bytes can be overwhelming and dang near impossible. This can be especially true with tickets to great concerts. One day you’ll hear that a show you’re particularly excited about is coming to town. The next day you hear that tickets already sold out, and you didn’t  even know they’d gone on sale.

With that in mind, we present the Hot Ticket, a weekly guide appearing every Tuesday that will let you know which concerts are going on sale in the days ahead. Read on for this week’s goodies: