It isn’t Top Chef, but at least you get a vote: Brightest Young Things All City is bringing you its first annual Amateur Cheeseburger Grilling Competition at Jimmy Valentine’s (1103 Bladensburg Rd., NE; 202-555-1212) Thursday. Ballots are $7, so use your power to decide which of the four competitors is the ultimate grill-master. 7 PM.
The Capitol Riverfront’s Ultimate Underdog Movie Festival continues Thursday at Canal Park (200 M St., SE; 202-465-7093). This week is the original Shrek, the story of a homely ogre that’s now the feature of three sequels. Free; 8:45.
The World Cup happens once every four years, so why not take off Friday morning to watch the US versus Slovenia at the Arlington Cinema ’N’ Drafthouse? The game will be shown on the theater-sized screen, and admission is free. Doors open at 9:30 AM, and the game starts at 10.
Prepare yourself for battle at two special screenings of director John Woo’s epic Chinese war film Red Cliff as part of the Made in Hong Kong Film Festival at the Freer Gallery. The movie features a cast of thousands and vast recreations of Han Dynasty-era combat during the famous Battle of Red Cliff. Free; 7 PM Friday and 2 PM Sunday.
The Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival brings nostalgia to you this week with Mrs. Doubtfire. The movie, shown Friday at dusk at Gateway Park, is part of the I Love the ’90s theme. Free.
This weekend brings the 15th annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival in Arlington (South Walter Reed Dr. and Columbia Pike; 703-892-2776). Listen to local and national musicians as you check out the wares and food from local businesses at this block party. Saturday 1 to 8.
Author Sam Munson discusses his debut novel, The November Criminals, at Politics and Prose Saturday at 6. Set in Washington, it follows a socially awkward high-schooler-turned-detective solving the mystery of a fellow student’s death. Free.
Saturday, U Street Music Hall brings in Holy Ghost!, an indie-disco duo that honed its sound working alongside LCD Soundsystem and has released hit remixes for artists such as MGMT and Phoenix. $10. 7 PM to 3 AM.
If you like your dancing sorted by decade, check out the A Whole Lot of ’80s With a Pinch of the ’90s Dance Party at Darlington House Saturday. A $5 minimum donation is requested to benefit Polaris Project, which helps victims of modern-day slavery. 8 PM to 2:30 AM.
The 12th annual Festa Italiana is this weekend at the Holy Rosary Church (595 3rd St., NW; 202-638-0165). This street festival features live music, Italian folk-dance lessons, childrens’ activities, Lamborghinis on display, and of course, plenty of Italian food. Free admission. Sunday 11:30 to 5:30.
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Michael J. Gaynor has written about fake Navy SEALs, a town without cell phones, his Russian spy landlord, and many more weird and fascinating stories for the Washingtonian. He lives in DC, where his landlord is no longer a Russian spy.
