After nearly seven glorious shutdown-free years, government employees and contractors around the Beltway are once again navigating furloughs, delayed paychecks, and job insecurity. If zoning out in front of Veep reruns is growing stale, civil servants can pass the time with animals, arts and crafts, discounted workout classes, free live shows, and more. Joy is the greatest act of resistance, so here’s our guide to fun activities to get you through the shutdown—mostly focused on low-cost and free opportunities, to ease the burden on your pocketbook.
Try some animal therapy
Petting a dog can fix most problems. Volunteer to hang out with a shelter pup as part of Brandywine Valley SPCA’s “Shelter Skip Day” program, which is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays—your outing can last from one hour to all day. Homeward Trails Animal Rescue runs a similar “Tails Out” initiative.
You can also cozy up with a kitty at one of the DC area’s many cat cafes. Visits to Mount Purrnon in Alexandria start at $23 for an hour. Practice yoga, do a puzzle, or watercolor paint with cats at Meow Maison in Georgetown.
Already have a furry friend at home? Keep in mind that the Friendship Hospital for Animals is waiving emergency exam fees for the pets of furloughed workers.
Craft to cope
Feeling anxious? Try using your hands for something other than tearing out your own hair. Fibre Space in Old Town is offering free learn-to-knit/crochet classes to furloughed government employees—a tradition the yarn store established during shutdowns past. They also invite feds to join their regular, free-to-attend “Stitch in Space” crafting circles; these run on Thursdays from 5 to 9 PM and Fridays from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Merry Pin, a combo craft store/cafe in Takoma, is offering free craft supplies to federal workers while supplies last. They’re also serving up $2 drip coffees, $6 mimosas, and “felting and embroidery kits, if you need to get a little stabby.”
Now is as good a time as any to take advantage of the MLK Library’s more creative services. Reserve the library’s Cricut machine for two hours of cardstock or vinyl personalization, or schedule some time on a sewing machine and put the pedal to the metal. You’ll need to bring your own materials, an active library card, and a valid government-issued photo ID.
Get moving
For $45, furloughed workers looking to feel a more gratifying burn can take unlimited classes at Hot Yoga Capitol Hill. Class passes at Yoga Heights are buy-one, get-one free until the shutdown ends.
Or shake out your jitters at one of Glen Echo Park’s weekly social dances; adult tickets range from $12 to $22, depending on which event you attend and when you purchase. You can also cut a rug at one of Cafe Citron’s salsa classes, Penn Social’s Firehouse Fridays, or one of this weekend’s Taylor Swift “The Life of a Showgirl” listening parties.
Enjoy low-cost entertainment
Beat the shutdown blues by getting out into the community. The Washington Spirit is giving away 200 tickets to government workers ahead of this weekend’s soccer games—claim your voucher online. The free seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but the team is also offering up a select number of $10 tickets to feds and their friends.
Several local museums, including the International Spy Museum and the National Building Museum, are offering free or discounted admission to federal employees.
Need a laugh? Federal employees can snag $5 tickets to any of Washington Improv Theater’s fall shows. Or stop by a Capital Laughs set—they’re not running any specials, but tickets go for as little as $5.
You can also revel in some free weekly concerts around the city, including at Dupont Circle Park, Big Bear Cafe in Bloomingdale, Georgetown University, and the Artemis in Columbia Heights.
Rage responsibly
Earlier this year, Kraken owner Anna Valero told Washingtonian that stressed-out feds were flocking to her Penn Quarter studio for ax-throwing and rage rooms—maybe there’s something to that. With the $45 “BYO Frustrations” package at Lose It Rage Room in Woodbridge, you can spend 10 minutes destroying a box filled with your own (pre-approved) personal belongings.
Regress to childhood
If you need to get some ya-yas out but you aren’t in the right headspace to be wielding any heavy hardware, the new Level 99 “adult playground” at Tysons Corner Center offers immersive video games, challenge rooms, scavenger hunts, and more—plus a restaurant with sips from Victory Brewing, because the cool thing about being a grownup is that you can at least drink beer.
You can also floor it at Union Market’s F1 Arcade, choose from an array of games at the Wharf’s Boardwalk Bar & Arcade, or ball out at VÜK Pinball in Friendship Heights (here, the owner recommends his three favorite machines).
Go offline
Doomscrolling won’t help anyone: Ditch your cellular companion and go for a drink at H Street’s new phone-free bar Hush Harbor. On Tuesday nights, head to Silver Diner’s weekly “Unplug” event—the restaurant prohibits devices from your table, but they provide board games.
Eat your heart out
Keep an eye on our running list of local shutdown food and drink specials. Flash your government ID for $5 margaritas, discounted sushi, and more. Some restaurants are even offering deals for non-federal workers—because none of us are going to get through this on an empty stomach.
