Things to Do

Mezcal Tasting, Virtual Adams Morgan Day and Chadwick Boseman Movies: Things to Do in Washington, September 10-13

Arts, entertainment, and fun in DC, Maryland, and Virginia right now.

Illustration by Hannah Good.

Hi folks,

We’ve got mezcal tastings, Chadwick Boseman movies, and a tour of French impressionism.


You heard her. Sample some mezcal in a virtual tasting this weekend.

Here’s what you should check out this weekend:

Crash course: As the election looms near, attend a Profs and Pints virtual lecture to learn about the electoral college. GW history professor Denver Brunsman will talk about why the electoral college exists and explore the question of whether or not it’s still necessary, some 230 years after its creation. Thursday 9/10 at 7 PM; $12, buy tickets here.

Remembering 9/11: There will be a “Commemorative Ceremony for 9/11” outside of the Pentagon Federal (PenFed) Credit Union building in Tysons. Veterans and first responders who were active duty during the 2001 attack will speak in a brief and socially distant ceremony. They will hold a moment of silence to mark the moment the Pentagon was hit that day. Friday 9/11 at 8:30 AM; learn more here.

Celebrating Chadwick Boseman: The Drive-In at Union Market is kicking off a month-long series of films in remembrance of Chadwick Boseman. See the late actor play James Brown in Get On Up (9/11), Jackie Robinson in 42 (9/18) and Black Panther in Avengers: Infinity War (9/25). Tickets are $20 per car, buy them here.

Better than tequila: Pick up a kit and Zoom into a mezcal tasting event with the Columbia Room and Del Maguey this weekend. The first tasting (Saturday) will focus on the basics of mezcal while the second (Sunday) will go through mezcal varietals. $60 (includes mezcal kit); Register for the Saturday 9/12 event here and the Sunday 9/13 event here.

A street festival, sort of: Go to Adams Morgan Day virtually this year, with an all day online festival including live music, neighborhood artists and vendors, and interactive activities for kids. Sunday 9/13 at 11 AM, learn more here.

A virtual tour: The weather will be gross this weekend, so avoid that glum sky and instead look at the pretty landscapes of French impressionist painting. Take a Zoom tour through the National Gallery of Art’s collection with a guide from Street Art Museum Tours. Sunday 9/13 at 11 AM; $15, buy tickets here.

Culinary justice: Hear about gender inequity in the restaurant industry with “Fresh Talk: Righting the Balance—Culinary Justice” from the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Afterwards, join their happy hour to continue the conversation. Sunday 9/13 at 4:30 PM; $10 or Pay What You Can, register here.

A new rooftop bar: There’s a big outdoor restaurant and bar coming to Union Market’s rooftop from teams behind Royal and Tiger Fork next weekend. Learn more about Hi-Lawn from my coworker Anna Spiegel here.

What’s in the air: 


The scene in San Francisco yesterday. See more footage like this here.

There were shocking photos out of the West Coast yesterday, showing cities in smoke underneath bright orange skies. Terrifying wildfires have continued spreading in Oregon, Washington, and California, causing this apocalyptic atmosphere. See some photos from the NYT here. It’s straight out of a sci-fi movie and I can’t get those images out of my head. One person tweeted photos from the Enchanted Forest theme park in Oregon that were haunting (seriously, Humpty Dumpty looks like a demonic baby.) These disturbing images coupled with some of the videos of intense flooding today in DC have me a little more than worried about upcoming natural disasters. I very much hope that people stay safe out there, and I hope in the future those scary skies will remain in movies, not reality.

Thanks for reading! Tell me what you’re up to at home by dropping me a line at rcartagena@washingtonian.com.

Rosa is a senior editor at Bitch Magazine. She’s written for Washingtonian and Smithsonian magazine.