Winter Lanterns, Raclette, and Free Ice Skating: The Best Things to Do in the DC Area, 1/24-1/30

Happy Last Week of January

​​Hello Neighbor, 

Stay warm out there!

So, What Should You Do Jan 24 – 30?

For your convenience, this newsletter includes emojis to help you during these unprecedented times: 

• The 🛋 indicates an event is happening in-person inside.
• The 🌲 indicates an event is happening in-person outside. 
• The 💻 indicates an event is happening virtually. 
• The 💉 indicates an event requires proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test. 
• And lastly, the 🆓 indicates an event is free. 

Top Picks of the Week

1. Luminescent fields of playful pandas, butterflies and flowers, frogs and flamingos. 🏮 As part of its Lunar New Year celebration, the 100 handcrafted REACH Winter Lanterns (starts Thurs, 🆓, 🌲, Kennedy Center) return. This week celebrate Chinese culture with family-friendly photo opportunities with tigers and panda characters, and write letters to former National Zoo panda residents Bei Bei and Bao Bao. 

2. Mountains of cheese. 🧀 Each Peach Market is hosting an Alps-inspired Après Ski-cheese class (Thurs, $50, 💻). Head to their streatery for some gooey alpine-style raclette (Sat, $18+, 🌲, Mount Pleasant); the molten cheese will be poured over baked ham, roasted potatoes, cauliflower, and cornichons. 

3. Free outdoor fun. ⛸🦁🦛 Grab a 🆓 pair of skates at the Capitol Riverfront Community Skate Night (Wed, 🆓 skate rentals for first 150, 🌲). Watch an outdoor showing of “The Lion King“ (Sun, 🆓, 🌲/💉, Edgewood). Play a human version of hungry hippos on ice (Sat, 🆓, 🌲, The Wharf). 

4. We remember. 🤍 Join the Holocaust Museum for the 2022 International Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration (Wed, 🆓, 💻). 

5. Travel around the world. 🗺 Go on an Asian dessert journey of red bean and yuzu with a Lunar New Year Ice Cream Tasting Flights (ongoing, $19, various places).  

Everything Else This Week

• For those with little ones. 🧸 Families are welcome to attend the Kingman Explorers Winter Program (Wed, 🆓, Kingman and Heritage Island). Enjoy a reading of a children’s book about Lunar New Year and immigration, “Friends and Friends, Forever” (Fri, 🆓, 💻). The National Children’s Museum will be hosting an Arabic Calligraphy Program (Sat, $16, 🛋/💉, Downtown) as a compliment to their Alif Ba Exhibition. 
• Fun date-night or friends-night ideas. 💘 Head to Scranton at The Office Trivia (Tues, 🆓, 🛋/💉, Dupont Circle). Or for alternative outdoor fun, consider Music Trivia (Wed, 🆓, 🌲, NOMA). For an unconventional happy hour + James Bond-inspired cocktails, join the Spy Museum for their Spies, Comics, and Cocktails (Wed, 🆓, 💻) happy hour. Or have a laugh at the Kinda Live Comedy’s show (Fri, 🆓, 🛋/💉, U St.). 
• For those not participating in Dry January. 🍷 Join établi for a Bulgarian Wine Tasting (Sat, $60, 🛋/💉, Bloomingdale), Capitol Cider House for a Cider & Pommeau Virtual Tasting Class (Wed, $29-39, 💻), or DCanter for a Languedoc & Provence tasting (Fri, $10, 🛋/💉, Barracks Row).
• Crafting. 🧶 Start your Valentine’s preparations with a Printmaking and Beer Party (Thurs, $30-50, 🛋/💉, Lamond Riggs) and an intro to hand lettering (Thurs, $45, 💻) class. The National Gallery of Art is hosting a variety of collage workshops entitled “The Impressions of a Memory” (Thurs-Sat, 🆓, 💻). 
• Lots of virtual art talks. 🎨 Discover DC’s Black art spaces (Sun, 🆓, 💻), how art and technology powers community (Wed, 🆓, 💻), the role of portrait photography for migrants (Tues, 🆓, 💻), or how nature’s relationships are woven together (Wed, 🆓, 💻). 
• LGBTQ corner. 🌈 Watch and discuss “Portrait of a Lady On Fire” (🆓, 💻). Play Drag Bingo (Tues, 🆓, 🛋/💉, NOMA). Celebrate Black Queer Performers at “Black Label” (Fri, 🆓, 🛋/💉, NOMA). 
• Film festivals. 🎞 You still have time to enjoy the Twenty-Sixth Annual Iranian Festival of Films (ongoing, 🆓, 💻) and the DC South Asian Film Festival (ongoing, various, 💻). 
• Social justice. ⭐ Join Yamiche Alcindor for a discussion about Police Brutality and White Supremacy (Mon, 🆓, 💻), or Profs and Pints for a lecture on Reconsidering Reparations (Mon, $13, 🛋/💉, Dupont Circle). 
• Solving climate change. 🌎 The National Building Museum is hosting a lecture about who are the leaders and followers in creating productive climate action (Tues, $15, 💻). 
• Across oceans, into land reclamations, up to the stars, through cyberspace, and inward. 🚀 The National Air and Space Museum is hosting a symposium examining the ever-expanding reach of Afrofuturism (Thurs-Sat, 🆓, 💻).

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of this newsletter,

Jade Womack (@clockoutdc)

This post has been edited since its original posting.

Jade Womack

Jade Womack is an energy economist by day, and an events blogger by night. She started her blog, Clockout DC, when she was moonlighting as a bartender in 2019. She grew up in Arlington, and currently lives in Adams Morgan with her dog.