Monday, August 13: Screen on the Green closes its run tonight with Casablanca. Because it’s the last night of the series and Casablanca is such a cinematic touchstone, the Mall is likely to be especially crowded. Get there early to secure a good spot—we’re talking as early as 5 PM. The movie will screen as soon as it gets dark, around 8 or 8:30. Free.
If you’re more in the mood for outdoor music, head to Fort Reno (3950 Chesapeake St., NW), where the band Georgie James will headline the next-to-last show of the free summer concert series. Georgie James has been making waves in the local music scene with its ’70s-tinged jangly pop and charming, upbeat performances. 7:15 PM; Perfect Souvenir and Brandon Butler open.
Tuesday, August 14: Feeling patriotic? Head to the Washington Monument grounds for the US Army Band’s annual performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture—complete with cannon salutes. 8 PM. Free.
Wednesday, August 15: This week is your last chance to catch “Academy 2007,” an exhibit that brings together works by recent fine-art graduates from Washington and Baltimore colleges. Conner Contemporary Art (1730 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-588-8750), where the exhibit is located, handpicked local BFA and MFA grads to show everything from video installations to sculpture. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM; “Academy 2007” closes Saturday at 3.
Hump day should mean happy hour, don’t you think? Try the $3.50 sangria (plus trays of free pizza!) at Ella’s Wood-Fired Pizza (901 F St., NW), where happy hour runs from 4 until 7. Or there’s the one at Birreria Paradiso in Georgetown (3282 M St., NW), where all of the great selection of draft beers are half-price. Those two and plenty more are all in our Happy Hour Finder, where new bars are added all the time. Check it out!
Thursday, August 16: The 59th Montgomery County Agricultural Fair wraps up this weekend. Complete with all the adorable farm animals, funnel cake, and fun activities you could want, it’s well worth the trip out to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds (16 Chestnut St., Gaithersburg). Tonight at 8, there’ll be a monster-truck rally. $7 adults; $3 children ages two to seven; free under age two.
A bit smaller but no less charming, the Arlington County Fair (3501 S. Second St.) kicks off tonight. There will be pony rides, a petting zoo, plenty of food and other vendors, carnival rides, and racing pigs. I’m not sure why racing pigs seem to be such a staple of county fairs—Montgomery’s got them, too—but it’s too amusing not to watch. The fair’s open tonight from 7 PM until 10 PM; free.
