Thursday, June 12
SOCCER: Viva fútbol! The World Cup starts today, and there are all sorts of places you can watch it. Choose one from our guide, or head to Lima Lounge for a kickoff party featuring the opening ceremony and Brazil vs. Croatia on four 120-inch projection screens, outdoor seating, a special World Cup menu, and beer specials all day. Free. 2 to 8 PM.
DRINK: Mellow Mushroom hosts a Hands On DC happy hour and fundraiser, which helps support DC schools by painting murals and renovating classrooms. The event features live music, lots of delicious pizza and beer, a silent auction, and an interactive mural experience, whatever that means (my guess is maybe you get to help paint it). Tickets ($25) are available online. 6 PM.
Friday, June 13
BURLESQUE: Over the past year, burlesque in DC has blown up, with performances seemingly every week around the city with themes like Joss Whedon shows and Harry Potter. Now Sticky Rice is taking it back to basics with Burlesque: As It Was, a throwback to when the art originally got popular. Tickets ($10) are available online. 7:30 and 11 PM.
FOOD: Farragut Fridays have a new twist, with the new Picnic in the Park initiative—sneak out of work for a long lunch and enjoy ping-pong tournaments, lawn games, and lots of good food. Free. Noon to 2 PM.
PARTY: It’s Friday the 13th, and Yelp wants to turn the whole bad luck thing on its head with its Lucky Yelper party at the Torpedo Factory, featuring bites and booze from local spots, dancing, a photo booth, hairstyling, games, tarot-card reading, a make-your-own jewelry bar, digital caricatures, and a slow-motion video booth. $10 suggested donation. 8 PM.
PARTY: Brightest Young Things takes over the National Geographic Museum again with Nat Geo After Hours, featuring performances by Penguin Prison and Party Supplies, exclusive nighttime access to museum exhibits (including one about the new Cosmos series), beers from around the world, 3D movies, dancing, food trucks, an outdoor courtyard, and science talks from some of the most interesting Nat Geo explorers that exist. Tickets ($25) are available online. 8 PM.
Saturday, June 14
SPORTS: If you’re anything like me, you probably miss Field Day, one of the best days of any elementary schooler’s year. The folks behind Summer Games at Meridian Hill Park want to bring that feeling back—with an adult theme, of course. The games themselves are still a mystery; just show up with a team of four, and you’ll figure it out. Free. 2:30 PM.
SCIENCE: Pull out your pocket protectors for Nerd Nite at DC9, the city’s original talk-about-geeky-stuff-and-drink party. This week’s lectures are about the African savanna, how beer is flavored, and health information privacy. Imbibe, but not so much that you won’t remember all the cool stuff you’ve learned. Tickets ($10) are available online. 6 PM.
FILM: DC Shorts gets funny with its Laughs night, featuring 90 minutes of the best short films from the festival and live standup comedians, creating a night that’ll leave your gut hurting from guffawing. Tickets ($15) are available online. 7:30 and 9:30 PM (also Friday).
MUSIC: U Street Music Hall and Union Market present the Union BBQ at the Dock 5 space, featuring barbecue (duh), performances by Jamie XX, Orchard Lounge, a deejay set from Animal Collective, Moombahton Massive, Tittsworth, and lots more. It’s gonna get cray. Tickets ($40) are available online. Noon.
Sunday, June 15
SHOP: Rock & Shop at Union 206 Studio in Alexandria is an all-day shopping and music festival. The show tours nationally and features dozens of artists, models, hairstylists, food trucks, makeup companies, designers, and bands. Tickets ($10) are available online. 10 AM to 8 PM.
DADS: It’s Father’s Day! Show Pops you love him by taking him to brunch, a show, or something else that allows you to spend time together. Find some ideas in our guide.
THEATER: Source Festival continues with six ten-minute plays all about revenge. Some of them are lighthearted, some are pretty intense, but all of them rely on the idea of getting back at someone who has wronged you. One to keep your eye on: Collect Everything, about what happens when NSA spying turns personal. Tickets ($20) are available online. 8 PM.
Know of something cool going on around town? E-mail Jason Koebler at jasontpkoebler@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter.
