13 Of Our Favorite Events in D.C. This Weekend

By: Mimi Montgomery

Photo by Mr.TinDC

FRIDAY, JAN. 19

WINTER BREWS: It’s supposed to be warmer this weekend, but it’s still the time for winter festivities. Get cozy at Drink the District’s Suds ‘n’ Snowflakes event today and tomorrow. With over 50 kinds of beer, cider, and wine, you may not even need the fire pits to keep you warm. There will be live music, too, and dancing is encouraged. (The Park View, Friday 6 – 9 p.m., Saturday 2 – 9 p.m., $25 – $50)

NASTY WOMEN: The first Nasty Women International Exhibition hosted in DC is tonight. The works, all made and curated by women, embody the creator’s interpretation of intersectional feminism (and they’re for sale, too). From poverty to refugee rights to health, women have the power to affect all kinds of issues, and these pieces represent that. (DC Arts Center, 7 – 9 p.m., FREE)

JEFFERSON’S GARDEN Ford’s Theatre is giving away 600 free tickets to the first performance of its new play, “Jefferson’s Garden.” The period piece follows a Quaker pacifist and a slave as it examines the contradictions between our Founding Fathers’ ideals and the limited freedoms of the time. Tickets will only be available until 10 a.m. today, so hurry (the whole show runs through Feb. 8, though). (Ford’s Theatre, 7:30 – 10 p.m., FREE)

THE BRUERY: Celebrate the grand opening of The Bruery at Union Market today. The new location is the first East Coast outpost of the California brewery, and they’ll be giving away t-shirts and beer to the first 100 shoppers. The man behind it all, Patrick Rue, will be on-site to meet customers, as well. (The Bruery Store at Union Market, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., FREE)

MORE: Sips by the Southwest (DCanter, 8 – 9 p.m., $39), Tanglefoot Pop-Up Dinner (Mess Hall, 7 – 10 p.m., $95), Latvian Architecture Exhibition (CUArch – School of Architecture + Planning, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., FREE), Iranian Film Festival: Disappearance (Freer|Sackler Galleries, 7 – 9 p.m., FREE), This Is All Just Temporary (Anacostia Arts Center, 7:30 – 9 p.m., $10 suggested fee), Evening at the Embassy of Bulgaria (Embassy of Bulgaria, 7 – 9:30 p.m., $54), Improv Pop-Up (Colony Club, 8 – 9 p.m., FREE), A Night of Soul and Jazz with the Nicole Sparks Trio (Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium, 7 – 9 p.m., FREE)

Photo by slightlyworn

SATURDAY, JAN. 20

WOMEN’S MARCH 2.0: Another Women’s March on Washington will take place today, just in time for the one-year anniversary of last year’s huge turnout. There will be several speakers at a pre-march rally, and participants are asked to meet at the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Whatever your political opinion, it’s sure to be a powerful, inspiring gathering. (Reflecting Pool on National Mall, 11 a.m., FREE)

OPERATIC: The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program pairs seasoned opera veterans with newcomers to train them in a series of workshops and classes. This year’s class will premiere three 20-minute operas which they created themselves, and will be accompanied by a chamber orchestra. A discussion with the artists will follow the performances. (Terrace Theater at The Kennedy Center, $29, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.)

PINKIES UP: Did you know? Each Saturday and Sunday, The Watergate Hotel serves afternoon tea. The elegant affair includes tea sandwiches, desserts, endless tea, and a complimentary glass of champagne. There’s a live piano performance, too, so kick back, sip, and enjoy. (The Watergate Hotel, 1:30 – 4 p.m., $25 – $50)

I <3 PASTA: Life truth: Carbs are always a good idea. Learn to make your own pasta today at Osteria Morini. Led by executive chef Ben Pflaumer, you’ll learn to form pasta dough, create various kinds of noodles, and make your own sauce. It’s not all work, though: The class is followed by a three-course lunch. (Osteria Morini D.C., 12 noon – 3 p.m., $85)

ICE YARDS: Called “D.C.’s adult winter festival,” Ice Yards is back today at Yards Park. Indulge in icy cocktails and local beers while listening to live music and a DJ. There’ll also be ice Plinko, ice shuffleboard, an axe throwing station, a jousting pit, and a huge shotski. What more could you ask for? (The Yards, 1 – 5 p.m., $10)

MORE: The Infamous Stringdusters (9:30 Club, $25, Doors 7 p.m.), After-Hours Private Scavenger Hunt at Madame Tussaud’s (Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., $34), Washington D.C. Travel & Adventure Show (Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 10 am. – 5 p.m., $11 – $18), Movies at SAAM: Through the Repellent Fence (Smithsonian American Art Museum, 3 – 5:30 p.m., FREE)

Photo by Clif Burns

SUNDAY, JAN. 21

ART YOU CAN EAT: Food illustrator and cookbook author Marcella Kriebel will be hosting a watercolor class tonight at Toki Underground. Participants will get to try the tasting menu while adding watercolors to their own black-and-white illustration by Kriebel that embodies the restaurant. There’ll be art supplies, drinks, and plenty of savory dumplings to go around. (Toki Underground, 2 – 4:30 p.m., $75)

EMPOW(HER)ED: A year after the Women’s March, head to Sixth & I for Empow(HER)ed: An Evening of Arts & Activism. The event will feature talks and performances by the likes of Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, spoken word poet Sarah Lawson, and Fatima Goss Graves, National Women’s Law Center president (which recently launched the Time’s Up Defense Fund). After the performances, there will be a Justice Fair, where guests can connect with local activist groups in the DC community. (Sixth & I, 7 p.m., $8)

STORY DISTRICT: Fans of The Moth will love Story District. Eight folks will get on-stage and tell a story to a live audience, whether it be funny, heartbreaking, disturbing, on downright weird. The stories that will be told tonight were deemed the best of the past year by a panel of judges, plus Saturday night’s Story District event is sold out, so you know it’s going to be a good show. (The Lincoln Theatre, 6 p.m., $25 – $35)

FIRE IT UP: Make your own textured ceramic planter tonight at The Lemon Collective. Everyone will get a hand-thrown, cylindrical vase to which they can add whatever textural designs they choose. They’ll be an instructor providing on-site guidance, and she’ll later glaze and fire the pieces for you. In 7 to 10 days, you’ll have a new planter all your own. (The Lemon Collective, 5 – 7:30 p.m., $65)

MORE: Howie Day (The Hamilton, 7:30 p.m., $18.75 – $25.25), Free Zumba (The Kennedy Center, 6 – 7 p.m., FREE), The Humans (The Kennedy Center, 2 – 4 p.m., $49 – $139), Professors & Pints: “Meet the Real Indiana Jones” (The Bier Baron Tavern, 6 – 9 p.m., $10), Washington Canoe Club Oyster Roast (Washington Canoe Club, 1 – 4 p.m., $25), Paula Shoyer: The Healthy Jewish Kitchen (Politics and Prose Bookstore, 1 – 2 p.m., FREE), Launched at Glen’s: Class of 2018 (Glen’s Garden Market – Dupont, 12 noon – 3 p.m., FREE)