Things to Do

Beer and Candy Pairings, Classical Music, and a New Museum: Things to Do in Washington, October 22-25

Plus: A vibe check as we inch closer to Election Day.

Illustration by Hannah Good.

Happy Thursday!

We’ve got classical music, theater, and candy-and-beer pairings.

Hear some classical music.

Here’s what you should check out this weekend:

Beer pairing: Try Halloween-themed beer-and-candy pairings from DC Brau and Yoco Confections. Head brewer Rob Rodriguez will walk through a virtual beer tasting (pick up or order delivery on Thursday only) with fun combos like “Orange Crush Full Transparency + Bourbon Lollipop,” “Barrel-Aged Ghouls Night Out + Chocolate Espresso Bites,” and “On The Wings of Armageddon + White Chocolate Popcorn.” Thursday 10/22 at 7 PM; $36, order here.

Writing weekend: Join writing workshops for poetry and playwriting in the DC Public Library’s “Writing Race: Confronting Racism and Celebrating Writers of Color,” a weekend-long event. Hear from Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch, DC poet Regie Cabico, and writers Matthew Horace, Tricia Elam Walker, and more. Thursday 10/22 through Saturday 10/24; Learn more about the full slate of events here.

A new museum: Planet Word, which opened today in downtown DC’s Franklin School, is dedicated to words, language, and speech. The expansive new museum includes interactive exhibits like a karaoke lounge to learn about songwriting or a room where you can explore 30 languages, including the Piscataway spoken by indigenous communities in Maryland and DC. Learn more about the museum in Washingtonian’s preview.

A live show: Catch a classical-meets-tap live concert online from the Library of Congress. Tap dancer Caleb Teicher moves to pianist Conrad Tao playing Bach in “Counterpoint.” Friday 10/23 at 8 PM; Free, watch it on Facebook Live here.

Play on the Wharf: Arena Stage is putting on an outdoor performance of Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak On It! The work is an abridged version of Cheryl L. West’s play about the civil and voting rights activist, including excerpts of her rousing speeches. Hamer will be played by award-winning actor E. Faye Butler. Catch the show at the Transit Pier Floating Stage starting this weekend. Friday 10/23 through Friday 10/30; Free, learn more here.

A theater festival: The Breath Project is a nationwide theater initiative for Black and indigenous artists and artists of color focused on spotlighting anti-Black racial injustice. This weekend is its virtual festival, premiering 24 theater works that are each eight minutes and 46 seconds long, echoing the length of time that a Minneapolis cop had his knee on George Floyd’s neck. Stay after the performances for Q&A sessions with the artists and festival curators. Saturday 10/24 at 5 PM and 8 PM and Sunday 10/25 at 8 PM; Free, reserve tickets here.

Strings and things: Celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday with the National Philharmonic at Strathmore. The free virtual concert features guest violinists Nurit Bar-Josef and Jonathan Carney playing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 and other compositions. Sunday 10/25 at 2 PM; learn more here.

If you’re more of a Mozart fan: Wolf Trap is also hosting a virtual concert as part of its Chamber Music Society’s “Front Row” series. Hear Concerto No.14 from pianists Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung, along with other chamber musicians. There will be a Q&A with Bax and Chung afterwards. Sunday 10/25 at 3 PM; Free, stream it here.

Some cancellations: The National Gallery announced that it would not be opening its sculpture garden for ice skating this year. Plus, the iconic 17th Street High Heel Race won’t be happening live, either.

A vibe check: 

Schitt’s Creek is self-care.

There’s a debate tonight…………sigh. We have another drinking game, of course, but my coworkers Mimi Montgomery and Jessica Sidman also took the time to come up with a self-care guide to getting through tonight’s chaos featuring ice cream, chamomile tea, and the panda cam. Many folks have already been prepping to do both—inhaling a pint of ice cream and sipping cocktails while watching whatever might happen on screen.

As we get into the home stretch of this presidential election, I’m sure the debate isn’t the only moment you need a calming deep breath. What ways have you been taking care of yourself recently? There are no wrong answers. Are there things you do daily or weekly to stay grounded? I’ve been binging on apple cider doughnuts and pumpkin pie this week to satisfy my fall flavor cravings and that has brought me soooo much joy. I’ve also been trying to get small things to make my bedroom space feel a bit more comfortable, like a cute metal tray table and a new white ceramic planter for one of my monstera plants (yes, I’m a millennial; no I’m not apologizing for it). What activity do you turn to when you’re feeling particularly meh?

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.