THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
BASKETBALL The Washington Wizards are kicking off their season at Capital One Arena on Thursday night, taking on the Miami Heat. Though new center Dwight Howard finally returned to practice this week after being sidelined all summer with a piriformis injury, it’s unclear whether he’ll be joining John Wall and Bradley Beal on the court. The Wizards also made an exciting hire this week: On Tuesday, they appointed WNBA champion and two-time All-Star Kristi Toliver as an assistant coach; she helped take the Mystics to the WNBA finals over the summer, and she’s the first active WNBA player to get an NBA coaching job. (She is scheduled to play for the Mystics again when their season picks back up in May.) The Wizards’ regular season runs through April 9. Thursday’s game: 8 PM, $18 – $295.
CIDER Rosslyn’s first-ever Cider Fest will take place at Central Place Plaza, offering tastes of varieties from eight cideries. Food trucks will be on hand; full-sized bottles of cider will be available to purchase once you’ve figured out your favorite kind. There will also be a pie eating contest at 6 PM, so come prepared to down a bunch of mini apple pies in one minute. $10 for 8 samples, 5 PM.
MUSEUMS Devote your lunch break to exploring the six outdoor sculptures that are part of the Renwick Gallery’s No Spectators: Beyond the Renwick exhibit. This walking tour lasts approximately one hour and covers ground in the Golden Triangle neighborhood. Meet at the Renwick’s entrance at Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street NW. Free, 12 PM.
LECTURE UCLA professor Dr. Todd Presner will speak at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum about the technological history of Holocaust testimony as well as ethical issues around the collection of such testimony. He will discuss how these recorded testimonies have changed the ways scholars probe and analyze the past. Free (registration required), 7 PM.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
ZOO Take your kids to Boo at the Zoo this weekend to get them in the Halloween spirit. Learn about some spooky animals with after-hours access to animal houses and exhibits, and visit over 40 different treat stations. Best for children ages 4-12. Through October 21 (Saturday night is sold out). 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM, $30 (all guests 2+ must purchase a ticket).
CHARITY Local nonprofit Fair Chance works with other nonprofits to aid children living in poverty. The organization hosts its 16th annual Butterfly Bash on Friday night at the National Cathedral. The event will pay tribute to former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez and his Dream.US scholarship fund, with NBC4 morning anchor Eun Yang emceeing. Enjoy a night of dancing and cocktails while raising money for DC’s underserved youth. (Full disclosure: Washingtonian is a media sponsor of this event.) $125 – $275, 7 PM.
ART Pyramid Atlantic’s new exhibit, Hard and Soft, explores texture in this group collection by four different artists. See the juxtaposition of delicate work next to stronger pieces and soft materials beside those that have been distressed. Opening reception: 10/19, 6-9 PM. Exhibit: Through November 23.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
HIKE In the 1990s, three young filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while filming a documentary about the elusive Blair Witch—or so the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project would have us believe. The horror classic was actually filmed at Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County. Walk in the haunted woods yourself this weekend: Meet up with other brave souls at the Black Rock Mill in Germantown to hike the locations where the film was made. Try not to get lost! $15, 11 AM.
KIDS Enjoy hands-on spooky activities for all ages at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. This annual “Air & Scare” Halloween event will include indoor trick-or-treating, virtual car riding on Mars, and science experiments such as the Paper Scare-Plane Design Challenge and Air & Scary Lego Creations. Free (parking is $15 per car), 12 PM to 5:30 PM.
THEATRE Do some Halloween costume shopping—or add some unique pieces to your wardrobe—at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Costume Sale at its costume shop near Eastern Market. Browse through ball gowns and suits as well as props and furniture all made by STC’s artisans; pieces come from productions like Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night, and Kiss Me, Kate. Free to attend, 9 AM – 2 PM.
KIDS The 11th Kids Euro Festival brings European children’s entertainers to DC for two weeks of free performances, including concerts, workshops, movies, dance, and magic. Check out a Swedish artist leading a craft workshop at the Embassy of Sweden (10/20), a singer-songwriter from the Czech Republic at the Hill Center (10/23), a German music/theatre performance at the Strathmore Mansion (10/28-10/29), and a Lithuanian children’s book author reading her work at the Woodridge Library (11/3). See the full schedule here. Through November 4.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21
MUSIC Cuban songwriter Maykel Blanco brings his large backing band to Union Stage on Sunday night. He champions the Cuban genre timba, a blend of salsa, rumba, and funk/R&B; in this celebration of Cuban music, dance to hits from local Cuban dance group DC Casineros and three different DJs. $30-$50, 9:30 PM.
MUSIC The Cathedral Choral Society celebrates the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day with a special concert at the Washington National Cathedral by joining their voices with those of other choirs: The Clarion Choir, The Kansas City Chorale, and The Chamber Choir of St. Tikhon’s Monastery. The groups will perform a world premiere of Commemoration for Fallen Brothers, a piece written by Russian composer Alexander Kastalsky in 1917 to commemorate Allied lives lost in World War I. $25-$81.50, 6 PM.
