Things to Do in the DC Area 8/22-8/28: Alexandria Restaurant Week, Fun Pop-Ups, and National Dog Day

Plus, the last chance to see "American Prophet."

Written by Sophia Young and Maggie Hicks | Published on August 22, 2022

It's the last weekend to catch a performance of American Prophet the musical. Photograph by Margot Schulman

Fun and games. Go on a Museum Scavenger Hunt (Mon, free, Penn Quarter), play some fun and free Rooftop bingo (Wed, free, Union Market), or do some crafting at the Play Date at NMNH: Beguiling Birds (Tues, free, the National Mall).

Jam out. Join a salsa class at the Latin Beach Party (Wed, free, National Landing). You can also head to a local concert to support Potters’ House Pay it Forward Program (Sat, suggested $10 donation, Lanier Heights).

Alexandria Restaurant Week. DC Summer Restaurant week may have ended, but Alexandria Restaurant Week is here (Mon-Sun, Alexandria). Check our Alexandria Restaurant Week guide to make the most out of the week filled with fun, food, and drinks.

Story time. Discuss a fun read at Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club (Tues, free, NOMA), hear from historians at Howard Zinn’s 100th Anniversary celebration (Wed, free, virtual), learn about audiobooks at this Audiobooks symposium (Thurs, free but need an entry pass, Capitol Hill), or learn about the secrets of the city’s train station at this Hidden Union Station Tour (Sat, $25, East End). You can also bring the kids to Storytime at the National Postal Museum (Mon, free, Downtown) or Drag Queen Story Hour (Sun, $5, Park View).

Discussions. Learn something new at one of these many talks: the Work, Workers and Race discussion (Sun, free, Arlington), the Indigenous Civilizations of the Southwest: Transitions and Innovations virtual panel (Thurs, $25+, virtual), or the Live Salon: The F Word – Feminism with Kaitlin Calogera (Tues, $0+, Adams Morgan).

Break a sweat. Bring your pet along to the Dog Jog (Sun, free, Georgetown) or participate in a Bike ride for Women’s Equality Day (Sat, free, NOMA). You can also get your zen on at the Outdoor voices yoga (Sun, free, Georgetown) or Washington Yoga Center (Sat, $30, Tenleytown).

See a show. Catch the debut of The Last Record and a talk with the director (Fri & Sat, $13, Silver Spring). See a production of The Tempest at the Grassroots Shakespeare DC Performance (Sat, free, Capitol Riverfront), watch young dancers at this Performance from the Dance Institute of Washington (Wed, $20, Forest Hills), listen to live outdoor music at the United States Marine Band performance (Wed, free, Capitol Riverfront), or head to a screening of 4 Mile Run: Reviving an Urban Stream (Thurs, free, Alexandria).

Last chance. Don’t miss your last chance to see American Prophet (Closes Sun, various prices, Southwest Waterfront). It’s also the last week to see the All Together exhibit (Closes Sun, free, Penn Quarter) or to experience The Playhouse (Closes Sun, $10, Penn Quarter).
Take the mic. If you prefer to be on stage, you can attend an open mic night at the Open Gem 5-Year Anniversary (Wed, $10+, Eckington), perform your work at the Pajama Jammie Jam Poetry Slam (Fri, free, Takoma), or take part in a game show at Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me live (Thurs & Fri, $42, Vienna).

Learn a new skill. Improve your acting skills at this workshop with the Washington Improv Theater (Sat, free, Penn Quarter) or learn a jig at the District Irish Dance open house and class (Sat, free, Tenleytown). You can also enjoy food and drinks at the Sausage-making workshop (Thurs, $69, Capitol Hill) or this Tea Blending Bliss class (Sun, $50, Park View).

For the plant lovers. Pot a plant at the Coneflower potting workshop (Thurs, $28, Downtown), save some seeds at the Intro to seed saving lesson (Thurs, free but registration required, virtual), or bring home a piece of art from the Pressed flower frame workshop (Sat, $55, Georgetown).

Attend a pop-up. Dance the night away at the Havana Night pop-up (Thurs, various prices, Bethesda). You can also buy a new summer read at the pop-up Library at Girard Street Park (Mon, free, Mt. Pleasant) or enjoy a slice of pie at the Sommer Street Pizza pop-up (Sun, free, Petworth).

Have a drink. Enjoy a brew at the Black-owned beer festival Megafest (Sat, $40+, Takoma) or Happy hour bingo (Wed, free, Tyson’s Corner). You can also enjoy a drink while sculpting at this Clay + Cocktails class (Sun, $75, Georgetown).

Bring the pup. Celebrate National Dog Day at Bark Social (Fri, free, Bethesda) with a doggy treat bar or take your furry friend for happy hour at Canines and Cocktails (Wed, $5, Park View).

Back-to-school. Pick up a back to school activity kit (All week, free, Penn Quarter) to get ready for classes or head to Back Pack Button Time (Fri, free, Georgetown) to have a stylish new bag for the school year.

Catch a flick. There’s a lot of free outdoor movies around town this week: The Photograph (Thurs, free, Penn Quarter), The Batman (Tues, free, Penn Quarter), Black Panther (Tues, free, Georgetown), or Summer of Soul (Thurs, free, The Wharf), and The Godfather parts one and two (Sat, free, Culpepper), Just Mercy (Thurs, free, the National Mall), As If They Were Angels (Thurs, free, the National Mall), Crazy Rich Asians (Wed, free, Arlington), The Fast and Furious Saga (Thurs, free, the Mosaic District), or a screening of Women: Resilience and the Right to Live (Wed, $0+, Cardozo).

Kid-friendly. Bring the entire family to see Sing 2 (Thurs, free, The National Mall), Encanto (Thurs, free, Congress Heights), Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (Sat, free, Culpepper), Shrek (Wed, free, Rockville), and The Jungle Book (Sun, free, National Harbor).
Movie musicals. Sing along to your one of your favorites movie. This week you can see West Side Story (Fri, free, Arlington), Hairspray (Thurs, free, National Harbor), or In The Heights (Thurs, free, the Navy Yard).