Happy (almost) Halloween, DC!
Close out October at a thrilling neighborhood Halloween party, then celebrate the beginning of November at outdoor activities such as Adams Morgan PorchFest and the DC Beer Festival.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
October 28–November 3
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- Adams Morgan Fall PorchFest. Fall PorchFest returns for another neighborhood-wide music showcase in Adams Morgan. The local lineup—a mix of rock, funk, go-go, classic, pop, and jazz tunes—boasts about 100 bands across 25 porches, business patios, parks, and for the first time, 18th Street NW will be closed to traffic for additional festival space (Sat, free, Adams Morgan).
- El Día de los Muertos at the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s annual El Día de los Muertos Festival is back this fall with family-friendly after-hours music and crafts. Museum visitors will have the opportunity to create calaveras and papel picado to decorate the community altar in honor of their ancestors, watch a folk dance performance, get their face painted, and view a projection of a mapping project by video artists MasPaz and Guache (Sat, free, but registration encouraged, National Portrait Gallery).
- 17th Street High Heel Race. Crowds of costumed spectators and neighbors will gather near Dupont Circle for the 17th Street High Heel Race. The colorful annual tradition—where drag queens, drag kings, and community members race full speed down the street in a celebration of diversity—is now in its 37th year (Tues, free, Dupont Circle).
- DC Beer Festival. Gather your buddies and besties for a day of unlimited brew tastings and eats from area food trucks. This weekend the DC Beer Festival returns to Nationals Park featuring samples from more than 70 breweries, plus bites along food truck alley, and music from the dueling piano bar (Sat, $55+, Nationals Park).
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. What do ribald tales of ancient Rome evoke for modern audiences? Why, “Comedy Tonight,” of course! Irreverently adapted from the works of Plautus, the theater staple is one of the great musical comedies. This new production is helmed by Signature artistic director Matthew Gardiner (Tues through January 12, $40+, Arlington).
- Haunted Carnival Weekend. Why go to just one party when you can attend three? Clarendon Ballroom closes out October with a multi-day dance fest. Dress in your favorite spooky—or cutesy—costume to enjoy three floors of music and entertainment across three DJ parties: The Annual Monster Ball on Thursday, a Haunted Carnival on Friday, and the Afterlife Party on Saturday (Thurs-Sat, free+, Arlington).
- Data. Another world premiere makes its debut at Arena Stage this fall. Data—a new play by Matthew Libby—goes behind the tech scenes of Silicon Valley where thrilling secrets are uncovered. Opening night is already sold out so we recommend snagging a ticket for the run soon (Thurs through December 15, $75+, Southwest DC).
- Terror in the Seams. Here’s a unique way to celebrate Halloween: DAR Museum will open its doors after hours for a spell-binding look at historic costumes in film, and eerie artworks. The curator of textiles and costumes will share history facts and secrets about vintage dress, while guests sip on drinks (Thurs, $25, Downtown).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- View the digital “Hidden Wonders of the Ocean” at Artechouse; there’s a new Love is Blind date night option, too (through November 19, $22+, Southwest DC).
- Watch a frightful movie screening of Zombie at Comet Ping Pong (Mon, free, Chevy Chase).
- There are four more days of Wunder Garten’s Halloween celebration featuring costume parties and scary movies (Mon-Thurs, free, NoMa).
- Watch a screening of the gory thriller Saw X at the library (Tues, free, MLK Library).
- Writers, fashion-makers, artists, and musicians can co-create at Eaton House’s A Not At All Creative Kickback (Wed, $10+, Downtown).
- View the colors of fall on a Tree-Walk Through History at Historic Congressional Cemetery (Wed, free, Capitol Hill).
- Participate in spooky season fun at Tapville’s costume and pastry decorating party (Thurs, $10+, Columbia).
- View the unedited original version of The Rocky Picture Horror Show at Lincoln Theatre (Thurs, $55+, U Street Corridor).
- Learn to waltz in your best regal attire at Dumbarton House’s Jane Austen Ball (Fri, $55+, Georgetown).
- The Phillips Collection’s new exhibit “Breaking It Down: Conversations From the Vault” examines the artwork of major past and present artists like Sam Gilliam, Paul Klee, Sylvia Snowden, and more (Sat through January 19, $20, Dupont).
- Shop goods and art from almost 40 makers at the Holiday Maker’s Market & Street Festival (Sat, free, Friendship Heights).
- Actor Matty Matheson from the TV show Bear discusses his new book at Sixth & I (Sun, $50 for in-person ticket and book, $12 for virtual ticket, $43 for virtual ticket and book, Downtown).
Community and heritage:
- Join Black Girls Vote and the Washington Wizards for a dinner and discussion about the upcoming elections (Wed, free, Capital One Arena).
- Guests can take a guided tractor trail ride through Mount Vernon’s landscape and learn the process of forest regeneration (Fri through November 5, $28, Mount Vernon).
- Films and panel discussions explore Black religions at the Smithsonian NMAAHC’s Forward Conference (Fri-Sun, free, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture).
- “The Negro Motorist Green Book“—an exhibit that explores the history of Black travel in America—opens at the library (opens Sat, free, MLK Library).
Theater and shows:
- It’s the last call to see Matthew Broderick in his standout one-man performance, Babbitt, at Harman Hall (closes Sun, $39+, Downtown).
- See Washington Improv Theater’s political satire POTUS Among Us before the show closes at Studio Theatre (closes Sat, $20, Logan Circle).
- Laughs and a murder mystery steal the show at DC Improv’s Halloween Whodunit 2 (Wed, $25, Downtown).
- DC performers and actors share their personal-care experiences in a new production The Art of Care (Thurs through November 24, $50, H Street Corridor).
- Celebrate Diwali with comedian Zarna Garg (Fri, $45+, Kennedy Center).
- TV star and comedian David Cross does standup at the Warner Theatre (Fri, $81+, Downtown).
Music and concerts:
- Guitar veteran T Bone Burnett plays two shows live at Wolf Trap (Mon-Tues, $48+, Vienna).
- Gremlins and goblins are invited to party at Decades on Halloween night (Thurs, $15+, Downtown).
- Classical music fans can listen to the melodies of Tchaikovsky and Raskatov played live by the National Symphony Orchestra (Thurs-Sat, $17+, Kennedy Center).
- Jamaican American vocalist Masego performs live at the Kennedy Center (Sun, $59+, Kennedy Center).
- The Go! Team blend the sounds of disco and old-school hip-hop at Black Cat (Sun, $27+, Shaw).
- The Doo Wop Project reimagines your favorite doo-wop classics at Wolf Trap (Sun, $55, Vienna).
Exercise and wellness:
- Relax and unwind with a meditative sound bath inside the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall (Mon, $25, Kennedy Center).
Bites and beverages:
- Wizards and muggles can self-pour Butterbeer and enchanted cocktails in between games of Harry Potter-themed trivia and bingo to score prizes at Tap 99 (Thurs, free, Navy Yard).
- Get your face painted, sip drinks, and dance to Mexican tunes at Penn Social’s Day of the Dead & Tequila Fest (Fri, $15+, Penn Quarter).
- Cheers to autumn at District Winery’s rooftop Harvest Party (Sun, $99+, Navy Yard).
Things to do with kids:
- Kids can trick-or-treat at Audi Field, and watch an outdoor screening of Halloweentown (Wed, free, Navy Yard).
- There’s a hay bale maze, ballon-twisting, mini pumpkins, music, face painting, and more family-friendly fun at the Fall Festival on Woodrow Wilson Plaza (Wed, free, Downtown).
- Children can enjoy puppetry and storytelling in the new production The Light House (Sat, $18, H Street Corridor).
- In Sailing on String, babies and toddlers will discover an art world created by string (Sat through November 5, $15, Kennedy Center).
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