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Thursday, September 10: Tonight in New York City, all fashionistas are taking to the streets in a guerilla marketing campaign to get people back into stores and stimulate the economy. It’s sponsored by the American icons of fashion: Vogue magazine and its editor, Anna Wintour. To celebrate, all Washington Neiman Marcus stores are throwing a nightlong party. From 6 to 9, hit the Mazza Gallerie location, where you’ll find DJs, giveaways, chef demos, cocktail samples, and tons of great chances to win swag. The event is open to the public, but RSVPs are strongly suggested; call 202-274-3911. Get more Fashion's Night Out info here.
Moonlight, which opens this week at the Studio Theatre, is a family drama by Harold Pinter, directed by Joy Zinoman and starring Ted van Griethuysen. The comedy/drama tells the story of a mother’s attempt to reconnect her sons with their bedridden father. 8 PM; $49. Get tickets here.
The DC Shorts Film Festival, which kicks off tonight, includes screenings and moderated discussions of international short films. To qualify, movies must be 20 minutes or less—including credits. On the last day, there’s an awards ceremony for the winning entries. Screenings will take place at Landmark’s E Street Cinema and the Burke Theater at the US Navy Memorial. Tickets are $12, or $30 for a package of three. Through Thursday, September 17. Find schedules and more information here.
Friday, September 11: The final installment of the Jazz in the Garden series features pianist Robert Redd and the US Navy Commodores. 5 to 8:30; National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.
Head to Sandy Point State Park for Maryland’s three-day Seafood Festival, where a $10 general admission ticket grants you access to live music, arts-and-crafts tents, crab-eating contests, beer and wine tastings, and cooking demonstrations from today through Sunday. One highlight: Saturday’s crab-soup cook-off ($8), where samples from more than 30 area restaurants await your judgment. The festival runs from 11 to 9 each day. Visit mdseafoodfestival.com for more information.
Saturday, September 12: Enjoy your opera with a side of fresh air. It’s opening night of The Barber of Seville in New York, and the Washington National Opera is offering a free simulcast of the performance at Nationals Stadium. Grounds open at 5:30 with pregame festivities; the show begins at 7. Tickets aren’t required.
If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll want to head to George Washington University’s campus today for DCVegFest, a celebration of all things vegetarian in and around Washington. Noon to 6 at University Yard at the 2000 block of H Street, Northwest. For more information, check out the Web site here.
Artists from across the country descend on Old Town for the Alexandria Arts Festival. The massive show, which includes the work of more than 200 artists, is set up along King Street, Old Town’s main thoroughfare. Art on display includes sculpture, painting, photography, glass, and jewelry. For more ideas of what to do in Old Town, check out our guide to the neighborhood.
Chef demos, tasting samples, and a wine tent make Penn Quarter’s Arts on Foot Festival a popular choice for Washington foodies this Saturday. Events are spread throughout the day (and the neighborhood), but you’ll find us at Minibar’s 4:20 demonstration, Sei’s sampling table in the restaurant court, and at Sweetgreen’s Sweetflow yogurt truck. For a complete listing of the day’s events, click here.
Perez Hilton is sponsoring a concert tonight at the 9:30 Club, and the controversial gossip blogger will even be there in person. We may not support his sensationalistic rumor mongering, but we can support the singer he picked for the tour: Norwegian rocker Ida Maria. She’s sassy and fearless, and she sings brazen, melodic songs. New Zealand singer Ladyhawke also performs. 8 PM; $20. Get tickets here.
The Kennedy Center celebrates the beginning of the 2009-10 season with its 25th annual Open House Arts Festival. Events include the Montreal music/theater/circus-arts troupe L’Arsenal à Musique performing two works, The Ark and—with the National Symphony Orchestra—Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns; a performance by ballet students from the Dance Theatre of Harlem Residency; and the return of Edwin Fontánez’s participatory Washington Chalk Festival. Check out kennedy-center.org for more. Free, but get to the performances early—they fill up fast.
Sunday, September 13: Adams Morgan Day celebrates the cultural diversity of its community. The festival is centered around 18th Street, Northwest: Live-music stages bookend the festival at Florida Avenue and Columbia Road, and side streets feature food vendors, an art show, dance workshops, and a kids’ fair. Festivities start at noon. For more to do in Adams Morgan, see our guide to the neighborhood.
Keep tabs on your fantasy team by heading to Public Bar for its “NFL Season Kickoff” Sunday starting at 1. With 40 flat-screen TVs on three levels, you can easily watch all of your favorite players’ great moves simultaneously. And with $3 Miller Lites all day, you can easily forget their bad ones.
The Takoma Park Folk Festival is a day of music, dance, food, and handmade crafts held at Takoma Park Middle School. Seven stages will be set up to host music performances, dance workshops, and children’s activities. Craft booths will be set up throughout indoor and outdoor spaces, and food from several local restaurants will be available. Just remember to leave Fido home—pets aren’t allowed on festival grounds. For more information visit tpff.org.
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Sarah is the Editor-in-Chief of Washingtonian Bride & Groom, and writes about weddings, fashion, and shopping. Her work has also appeared in Refinery29, Bethesda Magazine, and Washington City Paper, among others. She is a Georgetown University graduate, lives in Columbia Heights, and you can find her on Instagram at @washbridegroom and @sarahzlot.
