Happy (almost) Halloween, DC!
Have a boo-tastic time at a number of local Halloween dance parties, trick-or-treat events, and haunted bashes this weekend. Also, the 17th Street High Heel Race is back to show off DC’s LGBTQ+ pride.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
October 27–November 2
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- 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 38th year. The race, or catwalk, starts at 9 PM (Tues, free, Dupont Circle).
- Hill-O-Ween. This Capitol Hill family fright night at Eastern Market dates back more than two decades. This year’s event will include an array of cool costumes, plus pumpkin carving, Zumba, a DJ dance party, and even a virtual costume contest for those who want to celebrate from home (Fri, free, virtual, Capitol Hill).
- Nightmare in Navy Yard. Navy Yard’s spooky bash is back and at a new location: the DC Water headquarters. This major dance jam boasts three dance floors with fog and laser shows, more than 50 animatronics, three DJs, cocktails, a s’mores bar, food trucks, and a Paranormal Activity virtual reality experience (Fri, $50+, Navy Yard).
- Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival. Sit in on symposia with muckrakers like director Joy Ash and Times of London deputy investigations editor James Beal at Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival (Thurs-Sat, $104+ pass, Penn Quarter).
- Vampire Saloon. DC’s new rodeo hotspot is adding some ghoulish fun to their hangout for country music lovers. On Halloween, Desert 5 Spot DC will transform into a Vampire Saloon, where cowboys and gals can come dressed in their best costume to win a prize and two-step to live music (Fri, $20, Union Markete).
- “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” play. Immerse yourself in the sights and emotions of this new adaptation of Frankenstein by Paata Tsikurishvili and Nathan Weinberger. If this is your first show at Synetic Theater, you’re in for a treat: the actors pantomime their productions (Sat through November 23, $35+, Arlington).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Malcolm Gladwell will discuss his new book Revenge of the Tipping Point at Sixth & I (Mon, $40+ for in-person, $12+ for virtual, Downtown).
- Find your match at Bridge District’s outdoor dating event where neighbors take the stage to help their friends get a date (Tues, free, Anacostia).
- Get moving and learn a new trendy line dance at the library (Wed, free, Anacostia).
- Watch a screening of Something for the People—a film about go-go music’s influence on local activism (Wed, free, Northwest DC).
Halloween and Día De Los Muertos:
- Design sugar skill luminaries at Whino (Mon, $30, Arlington).
- Don your best spooky or glamorous costume and a mask to sip on-theme cocktails and dance into the night at Morris Masquerade (Thurs, $24.50, Downtown).
- Retro music, ’80s costumes, and a Ghostbusters theme are highlights of Black Cat’s Halloween party (Fri, $25, Shaw).
- Clarendon Ballroom throws a haunted multi-day dance fest (Fri-Sun, free+, Arlington).
- Decorate sugar skulls, get your face painted, and more Día De Los Muertos celebrations (Sat, free, Wharf).
- The Hip-Hop Halloween Bar Crawl features drink specials, old school hip-hop tunes, giveaways, and a costume contest across nine bars and lounges (Sat, $10+, U Street Corridor).
Theater and shows:
- Theater J presents Amy Herzog’s adaptation of the 19th-century drama An Enemy of the People (Wed through November 23, $69+, Dupont Circle).
- Cinematic horror flick Nosferatu will be resurrected on the Lincoln Theatre stage accompanied by a score of the film by Peacherine Orchestra (Wed, $45+, U Street Corridor).
- Get spooked at this punk-rock musical about Lizzie Borden, which opens on Halloween (Fri through November 30, $65, Dupont Circle).
Music and concerts:
- Philharmonia Orchestra’s Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali makes his Washington debut with this British-based ensemble at Strathmore (Mon, $126+, Bethesda).
- It’s a pop music disco battle between Lady Gaga and Doja Cat. Head to The Pocket this weekend to hear upbeat songs from both artists (Fri, $15+, Northwest DC).
- Composer and vocalist Jon Batiste performs at the Anthem with Andra Day and Diana Silvers (Fri, $73+, Wharf).
- Listen to classical musicians play beats from your favorite cartoons and video games at Dupont Underground (Sat, $9 for ages 12 and younger, $25 for adults, Dupont Circle).
Bites and beverages:
- Carve a pumpkin while eating tacos at Shaw’s Tavern (Tues, $20, Shaw).
Plan ahead:
- Former First Lady Michelle Obama is in conversation with Wesley Morris at Sixth & I; in-person seats are full, but there’s still a chance to grab a virtual ticket and a copy of her book (November 12, $58, virtual, Downtown).
- Popular jazz vocalist Samara Joy brings her stunning melodies to Warner Theatre (November 12, $86+, Downtown).
Things to do with kids:
- Kiddos can go on a spooky boat ride with pirates, and tour a haunted aquarium (Wed, free, Anacostia).
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.
