MONDAY, JUNE 19
FOOD & DRINK Jaleo Crystal City is celebrating its 15th annual Paella Festival, from Monday through July 2. Monday’s kick-off party features an assortment of paellas, tapas, sangria, and wine, plus a beer garden on the patio. $35, 5 PM.
DISCUSSION Three political writers from The Atlantic will lead a discussion on “The Rise of Populism and Nationalism” at Sixth & I on Monday night. Editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg and White House correspondent Rosie Gray will be joined by writer Graeme Wood, whose The Atlantic piece “His Kampf” focused on the alt-right movement’s Richard Spencer. Together, they’ll discuss the future of the nationalism movement in the era of Trump and what it means for our country going forward. $15, 7 PM.
TUESDAY, JUNE 20
MUSEUMS The latest in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s series “Double Take: One Artwork Two Viewpoints” will take place on Tuesday night. The SAAM’s senior curator of contemporary interpretation, Joanna Marsh, and SAAM Media Conservator, Dan Finn, will discuss the art history and technology behind Nam June Paik’s 1995 video installation Electronic Superhighway. Free, 6 PM.
THEATER The 20th anniversary tour of Rent runs from Tuesday through June 25 at the National Theatre. The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock musical follows the lives of seven struggling artists who are trying to follow their dreams without selling out. $48 to $108, 7:30 PM with weekend matinees.
FILM The Film and Beer Series at Bistro Bohem continues on Tuesday night with a screening of A Night at Karlstejn (Noc na Karlstejne), a 1974 Czech musical film based on a 1884 play. In the film, Czech king Charles IV has built Karlstejn castle as a quiet sanctuary where no politics are to be discussed and no women are allowed. When his young wife and a country girl both want to sneak in, they run across a foreign dignitary who wants to discuss politics, and things get complicated for all involved. Free (with RSVP), 7 PM.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21
CARDIO AVA NoMa is hosting a pop-up cardio dance class and open bar cocktail reception to benefit the Joy of Motion Dance Center. The dance class will be led by 305 Fitness, a high-intensity dance party workout named for the Miami area code and will be hosted in the AVA NoMa courtyard. $20, 6 PM.
BOOKS Journalist Chris Whipple’s new book, The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, explores the tremendous power that White House Chiefs of Staff have through interviews with all 17 living chiefs. Whipple will be at Kramerbooks on Wednesday to read and discuss his book. Free, 6:30 PM.
