12 Of Our Favorite Events in D.C. This Week

By: Mimi Montgomery

Photo by Dave Bloom

MONDAY, FEB. 12

ROCK ON: Like heavy metal? Like beer? Come to Atlas Brew Works tonight. The spot will be serving its beer as three metal bands from Germany, Richmond, and Herndon play their rock. It’s an all ages show, so bring the entire crew. (Atlas Brew Works, 8 p.m., $10)

MAKE YOUR MAG: Participate in making your own live-action magazine. At Pop Up Magazine, people will take the stage to tell reported stories, show documentary films and photography, play radio clips, play music, and more. It has all the interesting, informing aspects of reading a magazine, only it’s delivered in real-time. Author Nathaniel Rich will be participating in tonight’s event. (Warner Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $39)

ARTIST TALK: BØRNS is performing at The Anthem tomorrow night – catch him beforehand in conversation at Kramerbooks. Come hear the artist talk about his his first record and the process of releasing his second album, Blue Madonna. (Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m., FREE)

MORE: Curling & Cocktails (The Wharf, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., FREE), Double Agent Date (International Spy Museum, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., $42), Pennsylvania Avenue: America’s Main Street (National Mall, 10 a.m., FREE), Emotional Labor Union: Female Friendship (The Lemon Collective, 7 – 8:30 p.m., $25)

Photo by Three Points Kitchen

TUESDAY, FEB. 13

LES BON TEMPS: Celebrate Fat Tuesday at The Wharf’s Mardi Gras celebration. The spot will host a parade along the waterfront complete with floats, bead tossing, and a New Orleans brass band. After, there will be a dance party and fireworks finale. Stick around when it’s all done – many of the restaurants and bars in the development will serve Mardi Gras-themed treats. (The Wharf, 6 – 8 p.m., FREE)

WORD PLAY: Grab your chicks for a Galentine’s Day celebration. You’ll learn the ins-and-outs of calligraphy, make your own cards, and then get a chance to take a flat-lay photo of your finished product alongside flowers from Rockingbird Flower Co. Of course, there’ll be champagne and snacks, too. (Fathom Gallery, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.)

EXPLORE BRAND NEW: For the first time in 30 years, the Hirshhorn will rebroadcast “Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.,” a large-scale projection custom-made to be broadcasted on the museum’s curved outside facade. The work comments on the issues of the 1980s through its media display, and there will be an exhibit “Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s” on display that coincides with the projection, too. (Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 6:30 – 9 p.m., FREE)

MORE: Mardi Gras Extravaganza (Dock 5 at Union Market, 6 – 10 p.m., $65), 18th Century Chocolate Tasting (Anderson House, 6 – 8 p.m., $10 – $15), Playwright Interview: Mary Kathryn Nagle (Library of Congress, 7 – 8:30 p.m., FREE, RSVP required), Dave Eggers: The Monk of Mokha (Sixth & I, 7 – 9 p.m., $38), Sip and Paint (Ivy City Smokehouse, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m., $30), Mardi Gras with Cris Jacobs Band (Union Stage, 7:30 p.m., $15 – $25)

Photo by John Cochran

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14

BOOZY TUNES: Kick it back to the mixed tape days at Pizzeria Paradiso. The spot will host Mix Tapes & Mix Taps, a beer-and-music event that pairs tunes with brews. A group of 13 breweries each paired one of their beers with a song that best exemplifies it, and you’ll listen to each song as you sip your drink. Afterwards, you can download the playlist on Spotify, so you can continue jamming at home. (Pizza Paradiso – Dupont Circle, 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m., FREE)

FOODIE LOVE: They say opposites attract: This theory will be tested at the Anti-Valentine Live Food Show. A meat-specializing chef and a vegan chef will battle it out on-stage, cooking a three-course meal for the guests. There will be plenty of banter and competitiveness, but it will all be in good fun. A ticket gets you a signature cocktail, too. (Ben’s Upstairs, 6 – 9 p.m., $45)

A DIFFERENT V-TINES DINNER: There are plenty of prix-fixe Valentine’s Day dinners to be found, but Iron Gate’s is a little different. Not only do they have a delicious tasting menu available, the spot’s bar will be turned into an Edgar Allan Poe-themed “Tunnel of Love” bar. If you’re feeling a little dark, you can get Poe-inspired drinks like the “Telltale Heart” or dishes like “Quoth the Chicken Nevermore.” No matter which side of the menu you choose from – the love-y side, or the dark Poe side – it’ll be a unique evening. (Iron Gate, 5:30 – 10 p.m., prices vary)

MORE: Disney on Ice: Frozen (Capital One Arena, 7:30 p.m., price vary), Sleigh Bells with Sunflower Bean (9:30 Club, 7 – 11 p.m., $30), Lips, Locks, and Body Language (International Spy Museum, 6 – 9 p.m., $25 – $35), Embassy Row Valentines Chocolate Tour (Meet at Dupont Circle Metro Station, 7 – 9 p.m., $30), Heart & Sole Valentine Run (Potomac River Running Store, 6:30 – 8 p.m., FREE, RSVP required), French Embassy Valentine’s Dance Soiree (Embassy of France, 7 – 10:30 p.m., $35)

Photo by Brandon Kopp

THURSDAY, FEB. 15

AFTER-HOURS: Dumbarton at Dusk invites visitors to tour the museum after-hours will enjoying drinks, food, and live music. This month, come by to celebrate the opening of the spots new exhibit “One Hundred Dollars Reward,” which looks at Georgetown’s history of slavery. You can also share your story by hand-making a journal to record your thoughts and experiences during the exhibit; there will be a live painting by a local artist and an oral historian on-site, too. (Dumbarton House, 5:30 – 8 p.m., $8 – $10)

VET OPEN MIC NIGHT: Dog Tag Bakery will host its first open mic night for veterans, current service members, and military families tonight. Sign up to perform, or simply come to listen to members of our nation’s military showing their talents. All proceeds from ticket sales will support Dog Tag and the Armed Services Arts Partnership. (Dog Tag Bakery, 7 – 9:30 p.m., $10)

LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN: Eat your lunch while you learn at a brown bag lecture hosted by the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. The lecture will look at an African American settlement created by the Freedmen’s Bureau in Southeast DC after the Civil War. About 40,000 African American refugees moved to DC during the Civil War, and this talk looks at the vibrant community they established here in the city. (Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 12 noon – 1 p.m., FREE, RSVP required)

MORE: Teacher Training: How Plants Work for Middle and High School Teacher (U.S. Botanic Garden, 4:30 – 7 p.m., FREE, RSVP required), Evening at the Residence of the Ambassador from Denmark (Embassy of Denmark, 7 – 9 p.m., $55), Matoma with Elephante, Youngr (U Street Music Hall, 10 p.m., $31)