What: National Museum of the American Indian 20th Anniversary Gala.

Where: National Museum of the American Indian.

When: October 7, 7 PM.

Ticket prices: $500 regular admission, $1,000 VIP.

Who: The charming, no-nonsense former Colorado senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, that’s who. Campbell, who now is a member of the museum’s board of trustees, was an honoree at the event. “I refer to myself as a recovering senator,” he cracked during his speech. Also honored: Hawaii senator Daniel K. Inouye, who sponsored the NMAI Act during his 18-year tenure on the Committee of Indian Affairs. Prior to his speech, we spotted Senator Inouye munching on miniature skewers of chicken and bison, served with a sweet-potato sauce.

>> See the photo slideshow from the night here! 

What: Walk This Way fashion show.

Where: Liaison Hotel rooftop.

When: October 6, 6 to 10 PM.

Ticket prices: $125 regular admission, $300 VIP ticket.

Who: Washington’s glitterati were out in full force to fight domestic violence. NBC4 sports anchor Lindsay Czarniak, wearing a strapless pink dress and a pearl-illusion necklace, emceed the evening from atop a water-surrounded runway. Redskins running back Clinton Portis cohosted and brought out fellow players Jason Campbell, Gary Clark, Santana Moss, DeAngelo Hall, Albert Haynesworth, and Stephon Heyer to walk the runway. DC United kickers Bryan Namoff, Santino Quaranta, Devon McTavish, and Ben Olsen were seen tossing back drinks. R&B Singer Ginuwine, a ’90s favorite, was out promoting a new album, and K Street Kate blogger Kate Michael was also seen milling about.

Why: To support Becky’s Fund and serve as a kickoff for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Founder Becky Lee’s organization works to combat abuse through educational programs and awareness events and provides assistance to domestic-violence victims.

What: Fight for Children golf tournament.

Where: TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.

When: Monday, October 5. There were golf tournament and spa events all day followed by a cocktail reception and dinner.

Ticket prices: $1,000 for a day of golf, $500 for non-golfing events.

Attire: Polos, khakis, and visors galore.

Who: About 100 Washington businesspeople and philanthropists took a swing at the Inaugural Golf Challenge to benefit the Fight for Children organization—better known for its annual Fight Night fundraiser. The event, which raised more than $135,000 for education and health-care programs for local low-income youth, drew a handful of semi-boldface names including former Redskins Brig Owens and Brian Mitchell and actress Gloria Reuben. Musical performances by saxophonist Ski Johnson and the Grammy-nominated R&B singer and DC native Kenny Lattimore closed the night on a smooth note.

>> See a slideshow from the evening here

What: The Navy Memorial Lone Sailor Awards dinner.

Where: The National Building Museum.

When: Tuesday, September 22, 6 to 10:30.

Who: The black-tie gala was a who’s who of distinguished men in uniform, politicians, and their spouses attached at the arm. With so many decorated seamen, high-ranking Marines, and Congressmen, the only misters and misses in attendance seemed to be with the media. Among those drawing the most attention were Kentucky Senator and former major-league pitcher Jim Bunning; Tennessee Congressional representatives Marsha Blackburn and Steve Cohen; Pennsylvania Congressman Christopher Carney; vice chief of naval operations Jonathan Greenert; former NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe; former CEO of CNN and managing editor of Time Walter Isaacson; John McCain’s mother, Roberta McCain; master chief petty officer of the navy Rick West; and former commandant of the Marines Paul X. Kelley. After hobnobbing with photographers and admirers during the VIP cocktail hour, the boldfaced names turned their attention to the evening’s three awards recipients: cosmetic business giant Leonard Lauder; FedEx founder Fred Smith; and baseball great Yogi Berra.

Scene: Named after the symbolic statue standing outside the Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, the Lone Sailor Awards honor distinguished sea-service veterans who exemplify military values in their civilian career. In fact, without a resume of brass honors dangling from your uniform or a posse of aids trailing your every move, even those in the blackest of ties could feel under-dressed beneath the vaulted arcades and Doric columns of the National Building Museum. This was probably the only awards show in town preceeded by a national anthem and pledge of allegiance (capped off with a cry of “Go Navy, beat Army!”), and at no point did Kanye West rush the stage to dispute the show’s outcome. Slick government contractors rubbed shoulders with well-heeled dignitaries, and two jumbo-trons played narrated videos recapping each recipient’s lifetime achievements to more standing ovations than a State of the Union address.

What: The sixth annual SneakerBall, a fundraiser for the Greater Washington Sports Alliance, a nonprofit that focuses on civic improvement through sports.

Where: National Building Museum

When: Tuesday, September 15, from 6:30 until around 11, when the sporty set of guests left for the after-party at Public Bar in DC’s Dupont Circle.

Table price: $7,500.

Attire: Black tie—with sneakers. “It’s always fun to dress up,” said Redskins player Chris Cooley, who was given a Solid Character award. He and his wife, Christy, a former Redskins cheerleader, happily followed the formal/sporty dress code. Though a surprising number of female guests opted out of the comfy break from stilettos, colorful kicks of all kinds (we even spotted a few sequined pairs) were on display on guests and served as the decorative centerpieces in the dining room courtesy of Art Whino.

• For photos of the event, click here.
  

Tuesday night, the Gibson Guitar Showroom saw members of Congress, White House staffers, and other Washington boldface names convene for the launch party of The Beatles: Rock Band, a new video game that lets players rock out to the Fab Four’s tracks with plastic instruments.

Congress members in attendance included Democrats Mike Quigley of Illinois, Bill Pascrell of New Jersey, Joseph Crowley of New York (who was seen shredding to “I Saw Her Standing There” early in the evening), and Republican Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.

“And Jesse Jackson Jr. couldn’t be pulled off the mike!” said one member of the Entertainment Software Association, a video-game trade organization that sponsored the event.

The showroom was decked out with a full stage for partygoers to perform virtual renditions of Beatles classics, complete with plastic replicas of the band’s trademark guitars and a big-screen TV where the audience could watch the game in action. Those who felt a touch of stage fright could perform in two private rooms, where Laura Breckenridge of TV’s Gossip Girl was spotted doing her best Ringo impression on drums.

The International Spy Museum proved sex sells everything, including after-hours academic lessons, with a second installment of the popular 18-and-older Sexpionage Lecture last night. Lured by promises of authentic sexual-entrapment videos and compromising photographs, an initially uptight audience loosened its collar and guffawed its way through a two-hour, case-by-case presentation of seduction strategies, memorable affairs gone awry, and racy bedroom footage. H. Keith Melton, historian and Spy Museum board member; Nigel West, author of The Historical Dictionary of Sexpionage; and former KGB member Oleg Kalugin were on hand to dish the historical dirt, crack a few jokes, and answer questions. Read on for a summary of the sometimes scandalous, often salacious, and always surprising information we picked up from the presentation.