Thursday, September 13: I’m all for more opportunities to shop and drink together, so that’s why the Listopad/Red Onion cocktail party tonight sounds so appealing. Red Onion, a used-record and -bookstore (1901 18th Street, NW), hosts the event, which will offer music by DJ Ian Svenonius, free food and wine from Yazuza in Adams Morgan, and vintage clothing for sale from the Listopad Vintage Shop. You can see a small preview of the goodies they’ll be offering here. 6 to 9 PM. Free.
Friday, September 14: The 89 films in the DC Shorts Film Festival at the E Street Cinema offer glimpses into the lives of a hitchhiker, a poker player, a fortune-cookie writer, and dozens of others. The shorts—documentaries, comedies, dramas, experimental and animated films—come from 14 countries and range from 11⁄2 to 24 minutes. Bonus: Tonight is the opening cocktail party for the festival. If you have a valid ticket for a Friday screening, you can go to the courtyard of Poste Brasserie (555 8th Street, NW ) for drinks, live music, and much film discussion. 6 PM. Tickets to the festival can be purchased here.
Saturday, September 15: Head down to Penn Quarter for Arts on Foot, where the neighborhood’s restaurants, museums and performance spaces show their stuff in this annual festival. There’ll be art, crafts, live music, and dance at the Old Post Office Pavilion and performances by Washington Improv Theater. Plus, an outdoor art market at Eighth and F streets displays the work of nearly 100 artists. In a nearby tent, Penn Quarter chefs give “cooking as art” demonstrations. Galleries and theaters host special events. For a complete list, visit artsonfoot.org. 11 AM to 5 PM. Free.
Ansel Adams was one of the first photographers to use a camera to foster respect for the environment and promote conservation. We have the late William H. and Saundra B. Lane of Massachusetts to thank for collecting the 125 black-and-white Adams photographs on view in “Ansel Adams” starting today at the Corcoran (500 Seventeenth Street, NW). Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and military, $10 for students; tickets for exhibits and discussions are available at corcoran.org or ticketmaster.com.
In one of the most anticipated openings this fall, G Fine Arts shows Ian Whitmore’s honi soit qui mal y pense show. The show focuses on two themes in Whitmore’s paintings, the “hunt” and key members of the Bush administration. The show is sure to be packed, so to get a good look at Whitmore’s intriguing work, get there early. 6:30 to 9 PM. G Fine Art is located at 1515 14th Street, NW, Suite 200.
Celebrate Scottish heritage at the annual Virginia Scottish Games. There’s everything from traditional Scottish athletics to dancing, music, crafts, food, and fashion. The Games are held at Sky Meadows State Park, 11012 Edmonds Lane, Delaplane, VA. 9 AM to 6 PM. $15, kids $5, under 5 free. Call 703-912-1943 for purchasing information.
Sunday, September 16: Head out with a picnic and open ears, because there are several hours of free jazz on the National Mall today as part of the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. From noon until 7 PM, performers like Paquito D’Rivera and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band play the Sylvan Amphitheater located at 15th Street and Independence Avenue, SW. Free.
Some of Washington’s grand embassies and private residences open their doors for the Kalorama House and Embassy Tour today. See the residence—inspired by the Chateau Balleroy in Normandy—of the Ambassador of Colombia. The tour is from noon to 5 PM. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the tour. Meet at the Woodrow Wilson House, 2340 S Street, NW; 202-387-4062 ext. 18; woodrowwilsonhouse.org.For more help planning your weekend—and your week—check out our easy-to-use Events Finder, and our Happy Hour Finder. Or return for more nightlife and entertainment posts on the After Hours blog.
