On any given Saturday night, you’ll find hordes of nattily dressed ladies and gents flocking the bars of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest. But a certain crowd (we’re talking to you, Late Night Shots) frequents establishments better known for their exclusivity than their dollar drafts.

Last Saturday’s 17th-annual Santa Soirée, put on by the Capital Club, was no exception. The group, a DC-based social club of 100 young men, is known for hosting several large events every year. This week’s event was held at the members-only City Tavern Club, a four-level rowhouse that’s been around since the time of George Washington.

Where: City Tavern Club in Georgetown.

Ticket Price: $90 for gents, $75 for ladies.

Who: Four-hundred-fifty of Washington’s young socialites, benefactors, and political up-and-comers (including Luke Russert) sipped cocktails in Vineyard Vines-sponsored cups, swayed to the sounds of a band, and chatted with friends on the club’s four floors, one of which was reserved exclusively for Capital Club members and their guests.

Scene: A very merry crowd—filled with Vineyard Vines signature foam whale hats—mingled on all levels, stopping frequently to pose for photos in front of a brightly decorated Christmas tree.

Fashion for the ladies: Standard holiday colors such as red, silver, and gold had a strong showing, and many of the ladies opted for dresses with additional metallic sparkle. The vast majority chose short cocktail frocks despite the black-tie dress code, although one attractive woman did sport a fetching black-pants-and-white-blouse combo. Seasonal trends abounded such as purple, sequins, and feathers, and most dress cuts were on the ladylike side—and nary a scandalous cleavage or ultra-low back was found. Unfortunately, the feathered headdress and ultra-ruffle, a highlight on shows like Gossip Girl, fell flat on the majority wearers.

What: National Museum of American History Grand Reopening Gala.

Where: National Museum of American History.

When: November 18, 7:30 to 11.

Ticket price: Free but by invitation only.

Who: In the Smithsonian realm, the gala was full of important people: G. Wayne Clough, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; Brent D. Glass, director of the museum; and John Rogers, chair of the museum’s board, were all in attendance. Invitations were extended to high-profile guests, friends of the Smithsonian, and other staffers.

Maybe it was the thick haze of cigar smoke or the rose-tinted glasses that one dons around the fifth bourbon of the evening—whatever it was, the Hilton Washington Thursday night was a picture of camaraderie and back-slapping happiness for the well-heeled crowd at the 19th annual Fight Night charity gala.

Sure, the Dow dropped 929 points in the last two days and is down some 34 percent for the year. Sure, the housing bubble—which had helped make many of the developers in the room crazy amounts of money—has burst in a major way. Sure, the nation just Tuesday elected a new president who, despite his historic campaign, has been quite vocal about raising taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year—which would be nearly every one of the 2,000 or so people in the ballroom.

Fight Night, though, is a worry-free zone, a throwback to the era of Mad Men, when heavy drinking and cigar smoking were socially acceptable—rather, the norm—and men dominated the working world. Each year, however, the outside world seems to encroach more and more on Fight Night. Last year, the DC smoking ban forced the event to start getting a special dispensation to allow its trademark cigar-focused revelry—which wasn’t that hard because the city’s movers and shakers, including ex-mayor Tony Williams and current mayor Adrian Fenty, all attend—and this year there was a noticeable increase in the number of women at the tuxedo-heavy event. It’s still nearly all-male, but there was a time when the entire female population of the dinner consisted of the Redskinettes, the cocktail hostesses assigned to each table, and Washington Post gossip columnist Roxanne Roberts.

What: 15th annual Knock Out Abuse Against Women gala, “A Celebration of Women.”

Where: Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.

When: Thursday, November 7.

Ticket price: $500 and up.

Who: More than 600 women—and a few lucky men—packed the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton to celebrate the anniversary of the local charity Knock Out Abuse Against Women. At the helm were KOA cofounders Jill Sorensen and Cheryl Davis Masri. We also spotted NBC4 anchor Barbara Harrison, BET head Debra L. Lee, socialite Pamela Sorensen, and DC councilmembers Muriel Bowser and Yvette Alexander. Washington Wizards wives Charrisse Jordan, Ione Jamison, and Andrea Butler also made the rounds. Actress Kathleen Turner—raspy voice and all—was the evening’s emcee.

Y chromosomes in attendance included Redskins star Clinton Portis and eyebrow-shaper and stylist to the stars, Erwin Gomez, and his partner, James Packard-Gomez. The evening’s eye candy: shirtless DC firefighters.

What: The Harman Center for the Arts Annual Gala hosted by the Shakespeare Theatre Company. The evening included a cocktail reception, a series of performances based on different interpretations of Romeo and Juliet, and “A Night in Verona”-themed dinner and dancing.

Where: Reception and performance at Sidney Harman Hall followed by dinner and dancing at the National Building Museum.

When: October 27, 2008.

Ticket Price: $1,000 for the basic ticket, which provides a seat at the performances and a place-setting at dinner. For a donation of $50,000, patrons received a table for 12 at the dinner, premium seats at the performances, invitations to the pre-gala reception hosted by the British ambassador and his wife at their residence, and season tickets to the 2008-2009 Shakespeare Theater Company season.

Who: Many glittering members of Washington’s social elite attended the gala in their best tuxedos, ball gowns, and jewels. Mayor Fenty was there, as well as Queen Noor of Jordan and ambassador couples from Lebanon, Yemen, Oman, Morocco, Syria, and Egypt. Barbara Harrison of NBC news and Chris and Kathleen Matthews were present, as was NBC’s David Gregory, who was seen grooving on the dance floor. Past and current government officials also showed their support including Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte and former Clinton chief of staff Thomas McLarty.

What: 1869 Society Fall Fête: “Party With the Power Players.”

Where: Corcoran Gallery of Art.

When: October 25, 7:30 to midnight.

Ticket price: $80 to $200, depending on how much VIP access you wanted.

Who: Hundreds of well-dressed young professionals ages 25 to 42—the target audience of the Corcoran’s 1869 Society. The group hosts this annual event to raise money for arts education for area students.