Thursday, July 3
BEER: Yuengling isn’t America’s best beer, but it is the oldest, having been brewed since 1829. Celebrate that incredible longevity at Penn Social, which is holding a birthday party for the beer and America. Yuengling will be discounted, people will be wearing red, white, and blue, and there’ll be sports, live music, and all the games you’re used to from the bar. Free. 7 PM.
#TBT: There are plenty of ’80s and ’90s theme nights these days, but how about one that’s just generally about the past? America’s birthday is as good a time as any to #TBT—Local 16 and DJ Miggl will be playing music videos from the ’80s, ’90s, and yesterday. That counts as the past, right? Free. 7 PM.
BURGERS: Now that the US is out of the World Cup, you’re going to need another excuse to sneak out of the office for hours at a time. Well, on this day before a long weekend, Z-Burger has you covered with its sixth annual Independence Burger Eating Contest. Starting at noon at the Tenleytown location, you can watch pro eaters gorge themselves trying to win a $1,500 prize. Just for attending, you’ll score a free burger.
Friday, July 4
AMERICA: Happy Independence Day! Check out our roundup of events for the scoop on parties, parades, and more, and visit our Guide to the Fourth for grilling tips, recipes, and other celebration suggestions.
Saturday, July 5
COOKOUT: Not gonna lie, most of the city is throwing all its eggs into the Fourth of July basket (wrong holiday?)—this weekend is looking pretty thin after Friday. One place that is on its game, however, is the DC MeetMarket, which is hosting a summer cookout featuring deejays, art installations, barbecue from No Kings Collective, gelato from Dolcezza, root beer and floats from Thunder Beast, and all the arts and crafts you’ve learned to expect from the market. Free. 11 AM to 5 PM.
FASHION: Urban Chic’s SyleCable trunk show ends this weekend, so if you didn’t get a chance to check it out yet, now’s your last chance. StyleCable’s pieces are normally sold online only, so this is a good opportunity if you prefer to do your shopping in person. Free. All day.
COMEDY: Dan St. Germain, who has been featured on Conan and was named one of Paste Magazine’s Top 10 Great Underrated Comedians (maybe that’s why you haven’t heard of him), is performing at Black Cat. He’s currently developing a show for Fox and is about to perform a standup special for Comedy Central, so catch him now before he blows up. Tickets ($10) are available online. 9 PM.
Sunday, July 6
SLAM POETRY: Penn Social hosts the David vs. Goliath Poetry Slam, a competition between the DC Youth Slam team and the decidedly non-youths of the Beltway Poetry Slam team. It may seem like an unfair matchup, but everybody wins—proceeds will help both teams compete in their respective national tournaments. $10 in advance or $20 the day of. 5 PM.
FESTIVALS: Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival ends this weekend. The Mall will be taken over with cooking lessons, dance performances, movies, music, kites, dragon-lion carts, and everything else you’d expect from a festival designed to teach you about the traditional cultures in China and Kenya. Free. 11 AM to 6 PM.
Know of something cool going on around town? E-mail Jason Koebler at jasontpkoebler@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter.
