Thursday, October 16
PHILANTHROPY: Want to donate to a good cause but afraid of doing the Ice Bucket Challenge in chilly weather? Head to Georgetown Piano Bar’s grand-opening party, where you can benefit ALS research by drinking rather than dumping ice on your head. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served, and 100 percent of proceeds from certain drinks benefit the local chapter of the ALS Association. Bring along your challenge videos to share with everyone. Free. 5 PM.
BEER: Ashburn’s Old Ox Brewery, which doesn’t have a whole lot of history since it was only founded in June, will be at the Heurich House tonight for its History and Hops night. The history part comes from touring the house itself, where one of DC’s most successful brewers lived. Old Ox will serve a session IPA, a Belgian Golden Ale, and a Rye Porter. Tickets ($30) are available online. 6:30 PM.
LITERATURE: Hillyer Art Space is getting into the Halloween spirit with readings from Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven. If you read, you’ll get a Kramerbooks T-shirt or pint glass, and if you wear a costume, you’re eligible to win a prize. Bonus points if you can turn yourself into an 1800s-esque headless person. Free. 6:30 PM.
Friday, October 17
FILM: Union Market’s drive-in movie this week is Rushmore, the Wes Anderson movie that really kick-started his (and Jason Schwartzman’s) career. It’s weird by normal movie standards, but for Anderson, it’s held up as one of his best (and least eccentric) movies. $10 per car; free otherwise. 8 PM.
MUSEUM: The Hirshhorn stays open late tonight for its monthly After Hours party. This month, it debuts its new exhibitions, “Days of Endless Time” and “At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection” (see our preview for more), as well as its newly renovated third floor. There will also be a performance by Zola Jesus, booze, and film screenings. Tickets ($25) are available online. 8 PM.
PARTY: Chief Ike’s Mambo Room is throwing a ’90s party that has all sorts of things going on with the number nine. Drinks are 90 cents between 8 and 10 PM, there’ll be ’90s music, games, and fashion, and the best themed costume wins $90. Free. 8 PM.
Saturday, October 18
MIMOSAS: Beer-soaked bar crawls are so passé. Class things up with a bit of bubbly at the DC Mimosa March, which stops by all the usual Dupont Circle watering holes—except this time for mimosas, obviously. Admission gets you six of them, and there’ll also be specials on food and extra cocktails. Tickets ($50) are available online. Noon to 8 PM.
WINE: The Rosslyn Pop-Up Space is hosting the A-Z of Beer + Wine, in which you’ll be able to learn your ABCs in the booziest way possible: by sampling a beer or wine from every letter of the alphabet. Your admission gets you 26 samples of beer or wine (one for every letter, duh), and small bites from Spain’s awesome sandwich import 100 Montaditos and Heavy Seas. Tickets ($36.50) are available online. 3:30 and 7:30 PM.
BEER: Even if you don’t brew your own beer, you can hang out with and support the people who do at the DC Homebrewers barbecue fundraiser. There’ll be a home-brewing demonstration and barbecue (duh), plus you can try beers from Sierra Nevada, Stone, and Boulevard. Proceeds benefit the organization’s educational programming. Free to attend, or $10 for a barbecue ticket. 1 PM.
Sunday, October 19
FILM: The Naval Heritage Center’s Burke Theatre is hosting all sorts of shorts screenings as part of Docs In Progress. Things get started with Our Teachers, which, unsurprisingly, follows three DC teachers as they pass down their knowledge. At 3:30, you’ll catch documentaries about DC’s changing neighborhoods; at 6, there are screenings of Inside/Out and High Hopes; and at 8, you can watch The Bayou, about DC’s long-gone, lamented music venue. Tickets ($15) are available online. See website for showtimes.
SCARY THINGS: Just a couple weeks left to check out DC Dead, Fringe’s interactive haunted house/theater-esque thing. It’s a spooky dart game zombie hunt through Fort Fringe, and from everything I’ve heard, it’s very fun. Tickets ($35) are available online. 7 to 11 PM.
Know of something cool going on around town? E-mail Jason Koebler at jasontpkoebler@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter at @jason_koebler.
