>> See more Knock Out photos in our slideshow here 

What: Knock Out Abuse Against Women 16th anniversary fundraiser.

Where: Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC.

When: Thursday, November 5.

Ticket price: $500.

Attire: Cocktail or “groovy ’60s attire.” Lots of women got into the spirit with sequined minidresses, psychedelic prints, headbands, and touches of tie-dye. More than one sported afro wigs, and several wore perfect bouffants that would have made Jackie O. jealous.

Who: The sold-out gala, created by DC events planner Andre Wells, hosted more than 750 Washington women. The more notable names in the crowd included Channel 9’s Andrea Roane, who played emcee for the evening; Knock Out founders Cheryl Masri and Jill Sorensen; actress and domestic-abuse survivor Robin Givens; socialite blogger Pamela Sorensen; and two of Bravo’s Real Housewives of DC, Mary Amons and Lynda Erkiletian. Among the handful of lucky men in attendance were fashionisto and founder of Evolution Look modeling Paul Wharton and hair guru Erwin Gomez. Hunk-of-beef Clinton Portis was scheduled to attend, but word around the party was that the Redskins star got sick and had to cancel.

 >> To see more photos from the event, head to our photo slideshow

What: A night filled with more than 25 food-sampling tables, silent auction items, and a fast-paced live-auction finale.

Where: The Ritz-Carlton hotel ballroom in downtown DC.

When: November 2, 6:30 to 10.

Why: To benefit March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization committed to preventing premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality.

Ticket prices: $200 per person, $2,000 per table.

Who: The evening was a who’s who of the local restaurant scene. PS 7’s mixologist Gina Chersevani, chef Travis Timberlake of Art and Soul, and Restaurant Eve bar wizard Todd Thrasher manned their food stations while ABC 7’s Leon Harris, former Top Chef finalist Carla Hall, and Hell’s Kitchen winner Rock Harper hosted the auction ceremonies. Redskins defensive end Andre Carter was called out from his seat by the audience, and Citronelle and Central’s Michel Richard was rumored to be milling about, though we never saw him.

>> See more photos from the gala in our photo slide show here 

What: Harman Center for the Arts Annual Gala

Where: Harman Center for the Arts and the National Building Museum

When: Sunday, October 25, 6 to 11 PM

Ticket prices: $750 per person, $15,000 per table

Why: To fundraise for the center’s outreach and educational programs (fans of the Shakespeare Free for All, say thanks), to honor British actor Sir Ian McKellen (known to many as X-Men’s Magneto) with the William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre, and to give the Sidney Harman Award for Philanthropy in the Arts to Heidi and Max Berry.

The Agenda: Theater patrons walked up the red carpet and into the Harman lobby for drinks and socializing an hour before curtain. At 7, guests were ushered into the theater for award presentations and a series of scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Actors from the Shakespeare Theatre Company cracked highbrow jokes between Synetic Theater’s goblinesque, eerily unspoken “That Shrewd and Knavish Sprite” performance, Step Afrika’s powerfully rhythmic Zulu dance number, and a surprise appearance by Mickey Rooney. The actor—who at age 15 played Puck in the 1935 movie version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream—received a standing ovation for his revival of the Fairy King’s jester. Ian McKellen’s acceptance speech—peppered with smart quips, a soliloquy from Sir Thomas More, and a flawless English accent—was met with similar enthusiasm. After the show, guests followed a wood fairy through the crisp autumn evening to the nearby National Building Museum for a sit-down dinner, drinks, and dancing.

>> See more photos from the event in our slideshow here

What: 1869 Society Fall Fete: “A Nautical Affair”

Where: Corcoran Gallery of Art

When: October 25, 8 to midnight.

Ticket price: $100 regular admission; $150 VIP; $200 “captain” pass.

Who: The latest collection of young, bright, beautiful things Washington has to offer, dressed in—for the most part—beautiful gowns and suits. “Who ever said DC is Hollywood for ugly people never attended this party,” we heard a photographer exclaim. In keeping with the night’s nautical theme—a nod to artist John Singer Sargent’s current exhibit at the museum—plenty of guests donned sailor and captain hats. We also saw some designer boat shoes and plenty of navy blue on dresses, accessories, and ties.

Organized by the museum’s 1869 Society—which targets young professionals between ages 25 and 42—the Corcoran’s Fall Fete drew hundreds of Washington’s next wave of politicos, power players, socialites, and wannabes. We also occasionally spotted the older guest trying to, um, get down with the kids.

Whiskey was cause for celebration at Wednesday night’s rare-spirits auction, held at George Washington’s estate. The Spirit of Mount Vernon has held its annual Industry Heritage Dinner and auction since 2002 to raise money for education programs at Mount Vernon, and this year’s event brought in more than $200,000. Auctioned spirits came from the recently reconstructed distillery at the Virginia property, reopened to the public in 2007 to give researchers insight into Washington’s ahead-of-his-time distillation techniques.

The most sought-after item went to an anonymous bidder from the United Kingdom, who took home five gallons of George Washington Distillery Dedication Rye Whiskey for $25,000. The spirits were specially produced in honor of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, to mark his ribbon cutting at the distillery.

View Real World Watch: Where Are the Members of Real World DC Hanging Out? in a larger map

MTV's Real World is moving to our city. It's inevitable. So why not have some fun with the situation?

Therefore: we present our Real World DC Watch Map.

That's right, following the tradition of Gawker Stalker and Gossip Girl, we've created a map that will document the whereabouts and shenanigans of Washington's newest residents. We want you, reader, to send us tips reporting on your candid encounter(s) with MTV's latest batch of twentysomethings.

Saw them in line at Ben's Chili Bowl? Causing a scene at Lauriol Plaza? Throwing up near Adams Morgan? Let us know by sending your tips to realworld@washingtonian.com, or by using #rwwatch on Twitter.

Filming supposedly starts June 20, so keep your eyes peeled. Send your Real World DC sightings to realworld@washingtonian.com and we'll post them on our map above (as well as keep a static list here for your reference purposes).

What happens when people stop being polite, and start reporting Real World sightings to the internet everywhere the cast goes? We'll find out!

Emmy Rossum and John Legend. Photograph by Julie Fischer.

What: W Washington D.C. hotel’s grand-opening fête.

Where: W Washington D.C. hotel (515 15th St., NW).

When: Thursday, October 8.

Ticket prices: Invitation only.

Who: An eclectic mix of more than 500 guests, including some Hollywood stars, White House staffers, media personalities, and the local socialite set. “I’m excited by my proximity to Mr. Obama,” gushed Phantom of the Opera actress Emmy Rossum about the hotel’s position near the White House. We also spotted Obama’s bodyguard, Reggie Love; MSNBC’s Norah O’Donnell; Capitals hockey player Alex Ovechkin; Washington Wizards player Caron Butler; and CNN’s John King, Dana Bash, and Suzanne Malveaux. Singer John Legend played an hourlong set in the ballroom. Sadly, rumors of an appearance by Robert De Niro were false.

Why: Although the hotel, purchased and renovated by Starwood Hotels, had a “soft” opening in July, this was the official debut party, complete with a purple-carpet entryway—a play on both the de rigueur red carpet as well as the hotel brand’s signature color.