Happy Veterans Day, DC!
This week, ring in the holidays at the opening of ICE! at National Harbor. Dance along to an energetic pop score at Six the musical. Or try one of the other things to do below:
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
November 11–November 17
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- ICE! A Charlie Brown Christmas is the theme of this year’s ICE! attraction at National Harbor. Families can take a frosty stroll through a more than 17,000-square-foot holiday showplace glimmering with giant sculptures, two-story ice slides, and 14 photo-worthy Charlie Brown-inspired installations (Fri through December 28, $27+, National Harbor).
- “Six” the musical. Girl power, electrifying pop music, and bedazzled costumes transform the history of Henry VIII and his six wives into a concert-style musical showing at National Theatre this week (Tues through December 1, $79+, Downtown).
- Umbrella Art Fair. This massive gathering at Union Market connects local and global art makers and vendors this weekend. Art admirers and creators can browse art and music records, watch film screenings, and participate in dance workshops and community conversations (November 15-17, prices vary, Union Market).
- Sounds of Us music festival. Fortas Chamber Music Concerts artistic director Jennifer Koh curated the Sounds of Us music festival. The Kennedy Center jamboree spotlights music and visual art inspired by the imaginative future of America. More than 40 works will premiere, including those by Carlos Simon, Vijay Iyer, and inti figgis-vizueta (Sat, free+, Kennedy Center).
- National Gallery Nights. “To the District, With Love” is an artsy after-hours ode to DC residents and culture. This month’s National Gallery Nights is packed with local homages—from a punk band performance by Ekko Astral and live rhythms from DJ Little Bacon Bear to curator talks and DC trivia (Thurs, free, but limited tickets available at the door, National Gallery of Art).
- “Pictures of Belonging” exhibit. Smithsonian American Art Museum-goers can explore outstanding paintings created by Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo, all Americans of Japanese descent working around World War II (opens Fri, free, Smithsonian American Art Museum).
- “Summer, 1976” play. DC favorites Holly Twyford and Kate Eastwood Norris narrate a retro story about two women, friendship, and feminism at Studio Theatre (Wed through December 22, $55+, Logan Circle).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Observe clay sculptures by Murjoni Merriweather as part of the Mobile Art Gallery’s “SEED” exhibit (through December 22, free, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum).
- Hand paint wooden ornaments with friends at Relume (Tues, $20, Capitol Hill).
- Build good vibes and Legos with neighbors (Tues, free, Anacostia).
- Novelist Richard Price writes about an East Harlem catastrophe in his book Lazarus Man. You can meet the author and learn about the book this week at Politics and Prose (Wed, free, Northwest DC).
- Watch a movie screening of Once Upon A River at the library in celebration of Native American Heritage Month (Wed, free, West End).
- Attend the opening reception of “Vibrant Matter: Works from Wood” to view prints that utilize impressions from wood (Thurs, free, McLean).
- Snack on free treats and shop for holiday gifts around Dupont Circle (Thurs, free, Dupont Circle).
- Shop pottery, ceramics, and more handmade gems at Pottery on the Hill (Fri-Sun, free+, Capit0l Hill).
- “The Print Generation” presents early 20th-century works from non-traditional Japanese printmakers (opens Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art).
Community and heritage:
- Celebrate Veterans Day at National Museum of the American Indian. There’s storytime for kids, a mental health discussion, and a wreath laying ceremony at the event (Mon, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).
- Dr. Kate Masur discusses the history of Reconstruction in DC at the Smithsonian (Tues, free, but passes required, virtual, Smithsonian African American History and Culture Museum).
- Learn how art and AI technology intersect at a Peabody Dean’s Symposium (Fri, free, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center).
- All ages can celebrate the holidays with s’mores, a gingerbread workshop, and a pop-up market at The Parks (Sat, free, Takoma Park).
Theater and shows:
- It’s the last chance to see A Bright Room Called Day at The DC Arts Center (closes Sat, $30 general admission, pay-what-you-will tickets available, Anacostia).
- Groove to soulful oldies but goodies at Signature Theatre’s I’ll Take You There: Stax Records Co. (Tues through November 24, $46, Arlington).
- Washington National Opera takes on Verdi’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Wed through November 23, $45+, Kennedy Center).
- Baltimore comedian Jess Hilarious does standup at the Warner Theatre (Fri $40+, Downtown).
- Comedian Julie Kim is live at DC Improv (Fri-Sun, $22, Downtown).
- Ford’s Theatre’s seasonal classic A Christmas Carol returns this month (Sun through December 31, $49+, Ford’s Theatre).
Music and concerts:
- Party after hours with R&B artists Bryson Tiller, Normani, Leon Thomas, Destin Conrad, and Ambré at Howard Theatre (Tues, free, but waitlist tickets available, Shaw).
- Listen to Abdullah Ibrahim Trio’s jazzy South African beats at Wolf Trap (Wed, $58+, Vienna).
- Alma Laprida plays trembling sounds from a tromba marina at Tonal Park (Fri, $15+, Takoma Park).
- The Berliner Philharmoniker orchestra is live in concert at Kennedy Center (Fri, $60+, Kennedy Center).
Get involved:
- Taste hot and cold eats, and visit wine and hot chocolate stations at Chef Michael Mina’s third annual Four Seasons DC Wine & Dine. The event helps raise funds for MedStar Health’s cancer research (Thurs, $195+, Georgetown).
- Volunteer to pick up trash and litter with neighbors at National Landing Community Cleanup (Sat, free, Arlington).
Plan ahead:
- PBS Senior Correspondent Judy Woodruff delivers a lecture at Planet Word about media and democracy (November 18, $15, Downtown).
- Tickets are on sale for next week’s NMWA Nights museum party featuring photography crafts, a scavenger hunt, and DJ tunes (November 20, $25, Downtown).
Things to do with kids:
- Families can adventure through a magical Harry Potter-themed forest (through January 5, $52+ for adults, $37+ for ages 3-12, Leesburg).
- Ice & Lights returns to The Winter Village at Cameron Run where kids can ice skate, and take photos with dazzling displays (Sat through January 5, $8 entry, $13+ for entry and skating, Alexandria).
If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
