Thursday: The Washington Post’s Going out Gurus host their monthly happy hour at Nellie’s Sports Bar, with food and drink specials that run from 6 to 8. Giveaways include tickets to Dave Matthews Band, Avenue Q, and the Asia After Dark party at the Freer Gallery of Art.
The nonprofit Ballet Teatro Internacional puts on a performance at L2 Lounge in Georgetown, with Marianne Luther’s photographs of a ballet rehearsal in Thailand as the backdrop. The event, which runs from 8 PM to 2 AM, is sponsored by Art Soiree. RSVP is required; e-mail artsoireedc@gmail.com. $10.
The Capitol Riverfront’s Ultimate Underdog Movie Festival continues at Canal Park (200 M St., SE; 202-465-7093) with one of the most important movies of our time, Legally Blonde. The film starts at 8:45, but attendees are encouraged to arrive as early as 7:30 for games and giveaways. Get there before 7 and you can pick up picnic items from the area’s farmers market (New Jersey Ave. and M St., SE). Sweetgreen and Dangerously Delicious Pies will be offering treats. Free.
Speaking of movies, the Reduced Shakespeare Company is spoofing 175 of them for Completely Hollywood (Abridged) at the Kennedy Center. Among the films being lampooned: Charlie’s Angels, Pride & Prejudice, Star Wars, Driving Miss Daisy, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Tickets ($39 to $49) can be purchased here.
Friday: Imagine the gunshots and cash registers from “Paper Planes” mixed with rah-rahs from “Bad Romance” and a side of “Material Girl,” and you’ve got an approximation of the Lady Gaga vs. Madonna vs. M.I.A. dance party tonight at the 9:30 Club. DJ Lil’ E spins. Tickets ($10) can be purchased here.
Sur la Table in Pentagon City holds a global-grilling class based on techniques from Steven Raichlen’s latest book, Planet Barbeque! Learn to apply Raichlen’s methods to Moroccan, Belgian, and Spanish cuisine. Admission is $49 per person; call 800-243-0852 to sign up. 11:30 AM.
The James King Ensemble performs tonight at the National Gallery of Art’s Jazz in the Garden series, which runs from 5 to 8:30. Picnic baskets with sausage, cheese, spreads, and fruit, will be sold on-site. For more information or to order your basket ahead of time, click here.
Saturday: Brabo celebrates Old Town’s birthday with a rooftop cocktail party in the Lorien Hotel & Spa’s lush Presidential Suite. A selection of cheeses, charcuterie, and desserts will be available, as well as wine, beer, and specialty cocktails. Tickets are $45; call 703-894-3440 to reserve your spot. 8 to 10.
Animals are usually the main attraction at the National Zoo, but today it’s plants. For Family Garden Day at the Zoo, the facility’s horticulture team will talk participants through the ground’s thousands of plants, which come from across the world. The event runs from 10 to 4 and is free.
Reston is pulling out all the stops for its 46th birthday at Reston Town Center. There’ll be a circus show and a performance by the modern swing group King Teddy at the Reston Pavilion. The festival runs today and Sunday. For a full schedule of events, click here.
Sunday: Get ready for a cocktail showdown of epic proportions: Mixologists Clinton Terry of PX, Patrick Owens of Jaleo in Penn Quarter, Sal Aldna of CityZen, Carlton McCoy of Sou’Wester, and others battle it out at the Jefferson hotel’s inaugural Quill Cocktail Competition. Taste the competitors’ signature creations and nosh on tapas while listening to music provided by DJ Xavier Herit of Daniel in Manhattan. $50 a person; call 202-448-3231 or e-mail mbevilacqua@jeffersondc.com to RSVP. 2 to 6.
The World Cup wraps up today, and Beacon Hotel Sky Bar is celebrating its conclusion with Disco Soccer!, which, as its name suggests, is a free disco-themed party. There’ll be free drinks and disco music following the match—so even if your team loses, you don’t have to sulk. Better luck in four years!
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