Thursday: Head to the Phillips Collection tonight and every Thursday through April 22 for Green Hours, a happy hour held in the museum’s cafe in celebration of upcoming Earth Day. Organic wines and local beers such as Starr Hill and Dogfish Head will be served, with $1 of each purchase going to benefit the Earth Day Network. Free admission.
Bright colors and geometric shapes are on display at Hemphill Fine Arts when the gallery opens its newest exhibition featuring paintings by Steven Cushner and drawings by William Willis. The reception starts at 6:30.
Tartan Day—a celebration of Scottish heritage—was April 6, but festivities continue through Saturday at British gastropub Againn. A haggis dish, served with mashed potatoes, is available to order, and drink specials such as $5 Rob Roys can be ordered a the bar during happy hour (4 to 7).
What’s the Deal DC and the United Skeeball Association have joined forces for a free happy hour at Old Dominion Brewhouse near the Convention Center. Absolute vodka drinks are free for an hour starting at 6, and then go up to $3 for the rest of the night. To attend, you must RSVP here.
Rugby in Georgetown hosts a happy hour event from 6 to 9 with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to benefit Nest, an organization working to empower women artisans. During the event, attendees will be able to take advantage of a 30 percent discount on all items in the store. There is a $25 suggestion donation at the door. RSVP to info@buildanest.com.
As if getting in on a regular day wasn’t difficult enough already, the Washington Post’s Going Out Gurus are taking over Birch & Barley’s upstairs bar space, ChurchKey, for a private happy hour with food and drink specials. Only guests who mention the happy hour will be allowed access to the second level, where free food (tater tots, mac-and-cheese sticks, and flatbreads) will be available. An assortment of $4 pint-beer specials will be served at the bar. The event starts at 5, but as the Gurus themselves point out, “Be smart and arrive early.”
Religion and art collide in Round House Theatre’s production of My Name Is Asher Lev. The play, which our reviewer calls “powerful,” centers on a talented Hasidic Jewish artist torn between his traditions and his creative process. The play runs through Sunday; tonight’s show is at 8. Click here to purchase tickets.
Tickets to see punk-rock veteran Ted Leo and his band the Pharmacists at the 9:30 Club are still available. Leo is currently on tour to promote his newest album, The Brutalist Bricks. Bands Obits and Screaming Females open the show. Purchase your tickets ($15) here. Doors open at 7.
Friday: Hapi Hapi Hour at the Textile Museum is a Japanese-themed happy hour featuring live music, gallery tours, drinks, and prizes. DJ Robin Bell and band the Four Horsemen will provide the entertainment, and guests can take advantage of a sushi and sake bar. Also, Harajuku Bingo will be played. The happy hour starts at 6; there is a $10 charge to attend the event, and advance registration is recommended. RSVP here.
If you like your improv set to song, you’re in luck: The Washington Improv Theater group is putting on iMusical, an improvised musical built entirely on audience suggestions, at the Source Theater. Tonight’s show is at 8, and there is a matinée performance scheduled for Saturday at 2. To purchase tickets ($15), click here.
Check out the Rock & Roll Hotel’s Buzzed Spelling Bee, which is exactly what it sounds like. The first 20 people to start a tab in the upstairs bar after 7 are automatically entered in a spelling competition in which each round is preceded by a beer-and-shot combo ($6). First prize winner gets a $60 bar tab and runner-up takes a $30 discount. Good luck, and may the most functional drunk win!
One of cinema’s most fascinating figures, Orson Welles, is currently being honored at the AFI Silver Theatre with a retrospective of some of his best and most interesting work. Tonight’s show is a special double feature of Journey into Fear and The Stranger. Both films have Nazism as a theme, with Journey centering around Nazi agents in pursuit of a married couple; Stranger is about a war-crimes commissioner tracking down former Nazi agents to bring them to justice. Tickets are only $5; the screening starts at 6:30.
On the other side of town, the Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse has its weekly Wine Night at the Movies. This week, a screening of Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey ,Jr., will be prefaced with a wine-centric gathering, where members of the Washington Wine Academy will talk about varietals and $2 glasses of wine will be served. Doors open at 6:15.
PandaHead, the local fashion blog/Webzine, launches its newest issue with a party at Comet Ping Pong. Bands John Powers and Exactly will perform, and DJs Cobruhhh and Von Blotto will play sets. Free admission.
Saturday: Spend your Saturday afternoon sampling more than 14 brands of gin and vodka at DC Coast. Scott Clime, the restaurant’s wine-and-beverage director, will teach attendees how to infuse fruits into those two spirits. Lunch is provided. The tasting, which starts at 1, costs $75 per person. For more information and reservations, call 202-408-0201.
Brave the fanny-pack-clad crowds in downtown DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival’s Sakura Matsuri street festival on Pennsylvania between Ninth and 14th streets, Northwest. The annual event features Japanese food vendors, arts and cultural exhibits, two beer gardens, live performances, and more. 11 to 6.
If you’re seeking refuge from all the cherry-blossom-parade goers, you might find it at K Street Lounge’s Day Party. What the heck’s a Day Party? Drinks, DJs, and bottle service, like at any club—except this fiesta starts at 3 PM. Go here for more info.
For anyone who
misses Josh Colon’s wailing sessions now that the Real World wrapped up, we’ve got two words for you: Wicked Liquid. They’ll be playing at the Rock & Roll Hotel at 9:30 on Saturday night. Doors open at 8:30, but get there early to catch a good look at Josh’s pompadour. Sharing the stage will be Fuzzy G, Pants Velour, and the Canon Logic. $10.
The folks behind Nouveau Riche host their first dance party at the recently opened U Street Music Hall. The event is a release party for their latest EP. “Wear something awesome” reads the invite. 9 PM.
Sunday: Zaytinya chef Mike Isabella, a former Top Chef contestant, is hosting a free cooking demonstration at the FreshFarm market in Dupont Circle. He’ll share tips on how to prepare lamb in your home kitchen and offer a taste of a few specials available at Zaytinya during its Greek Easter celebration (runs through Sunday, April 18). The demonstration starts at 11. For more information, click here or call 202-362-8889.
Find something for everyone at the Corcoran’s Family Day, which features dance demonstrations, circus acts, walking tours, and crafts. 10 to 2.
DC Pocketgays brings you something to do on Sunday (after church, perhaps?). They’re having their monthly Sunday School party at Local 16, featuring music by DJs TMY and Cold Case. There will also be drinks, prizes, and “pocket-size surprises.” Pace yourself—this event starts at 3 and you probably have work on Monday. Go here for information.
