THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20
FOOD & DRINK There’s nothing better than eating tasty food for a good cause. Jackson 20, a restaurant specializing in southern-food-with-a-contemporary-twist, hosts its third annual Soil to Soul block party to benefit the Old Town Farmers Market’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program. Enjoy fresh food and drinks from local restaurants, wineries, and farms, along outdoor games to play. $35, 6 PM
COMEDY Irish actor and comedian Dylan Moran has made a name for himself in the states for his ironic, curmudgeonly sense of humor. You may know him from Shaun of the Dead as cranky flatmate David, or bookshop owner—and someone who should definitely not work in customer service—Bernard Black, in the British sitcom Black Books. You’re guaranteed a ton of laughs when his comedy tour makes its way to the Lincoln Theatre tonight. $35, 8 PM
YOGA Luxuriate in what could very well be one of the last unseasonably warm evenings of the year at Up Top Acres’ vinyasa yoga class, held among the produce grown in their M Street SE rooftop farm. Afterwards, treat yourself to fall-inspired cocktails and a skyline view of the city for full relaxation. $15, 5:30 PM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21
SHOPPING Outdoorsy types: The long-awaited opening of REI’s flagship store in historic Uline Arena is here. It’s been just under two years since the Seattle company announced it would take over the vast space (where the Beatles played in ’64), and a summer of lead-up promotion is culminating in a three-day block party with music, giveaways, food, drinks, and snow-gear shopping just in time for winter. Free, various times
MUSIC There are still tickets available to see Americana, folk, and rock heroes Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, the Milk Carton Kids, as well as Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant perform in GW’s Lisner Auditorium for LAMPEDUSA. Proceeds from this star-studded benefit concert go to the Jesuit Refugee Service and their worldwide efforts assisting refugees. $55 to $85, 8 PM
FILM The Conservation Film Festival is worth the trek to Shepherdstown, West Virginia if the idea of a weekend full of diverse films and videos all about conservation sounds like heaven. Topics range from climate change to growing marijuana to saving a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Afghanistan from demolition, and some of the filmmakers will be onsite for Q&A sessions. The festival kicks off this weekend and also takes place next weekend. $7 to $55, various times
MUSIC Performers from the Korean National Gugak Center come to the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage for an evening of Korean folk music and dance, allowing attendees to learn more about the country’s culture and heritage as part of the first annual Korean Culture Week. Free, 6 PM
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22
MUSEUMS Spend the day sipping on craft beer, listening to live music and appreciating the Hirshhorn’s latest, mesmerizing exhibit, “Ragnar Kjartansson”, at the Hirshhorn Fall Fest. Nine of the DC bands who have members participating in “Woman in E”—a live performance piece in which a woman repeatedly plays an E minor chord—will be performing on the museum’s plaza. There’s also a special screening of Kjartansson’s “A Lot of Sorrow,” which documents a 6-hour live performance by the band The National. Plus, be sure to cool off in the Bier Baron Tavern Biergarten. Free, 11 AM
CONVERSATION Taraji P. Henson, who stars as tough hip-hop matriarch Cookie Lyon on Fox’s smash drama Empire, chats with with NPR television critic Eric Deggans in the Natural History Museum’s Baird Auditorium. Henson, a DC native and Howard University alum, will discuss growing up in the city and what it was like breaking into the acting business. Attendees will receive a copy of Henson’s new book, Around the Way Girl, along with their ticket. $50, 1 PM
DANCE Help Joe’s Movement Emporium dance its way to a new hardwood floor. At the Mt. Rainier performance space’s Dance for the Floor “floor raiser,” you’ll learn some moves in salsa, swing dancing, and hand dance, with light refreshments to keep you energized throughout the night. $25, 7 PM
MUSEUMS In an ordinary year, a Smithsonian exhibition of Islamic calligraphy wouldn’t seem especially remarkable. But with a kick-’em-out politics curdling our campaign season, the Sackler Gallery’s The Art of the Qur’an, a landmark show of ancient Qur’ans from across the Muslim world, seems like a profile in broad-mindedness. Not that that’s a particularly good reason to go: with 60 gorgeous, centuries-old books, the exhibit—the first of its kind in the US—is worth seeing on its own merits. Through February 20.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23
FOOD & DRINK All-you-can-drink beer and all-you-can-eat local oysters make for a Sunday fun-day at Union Market. Shucktoberfest brings together Blue Point Brewing Company brews (and boozy beer-tails) with Rappahannock Oyster Co. shellfish, and other treats like free fries and clam chowder. Activities include a football viewing lounge for the Redskins vs. Lions game, live bluegrass, and lawn games. The $75 tickets are all-inclusive for the event, noon to 4 pm.
HALLOWEEN If you can’t get enough of the season’s spooky spirit, celebrate Halloween a little early at the National Harbor with Harbor Halloween. Come trick or treat at area shops and restaurants, watch the holiday classic Hocus Pocus, fawn over the adorable pups participating in Black Dog’s Howl-oween party and Paw-rade, and decorate a pumpkin, among other festive activities. Free, 12 PM
FOOD & DRINK Whether you’re an avid baker or simply a fan of eating delicious baked goods, DC Pie Fest at Bourbon in Adams Morgan has something for everyone. Now in its fifth year, anyone and everyone is encouraged to bring a pie—“any filling in a 9-inch pie crust qualifies, and there are no limits on entries”—that fits in one of the festival’s categories: apple, fruit (other than apple), nuts, chocolate, savory, and “piepourri” (miscellaneous). Even if you’re not up to the challenge of baking, attendees can taste each of the pies and vote for their favorite in the categories. Clearly, there are no losers in this competition. $15 to $25, 1 PM
