Things to Do

26 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

"Damn Yankees" musical, Alexandria Film Festival, and Noochie’s Live From the Front Porch are top things to do.

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Photograph courtesy of Kennedy Center.

Good day, DC!

Catch Arena Stage’s lively Damn Yankees musical before it closes this week. Or, support local talent at rapper Noochie’s Live From the Front Porch Kennedy Center debut.

 

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

November 3–November 9

    1. Damn Yankees musical. Don’t miss the final home run of Arena Stage’s revival of the American classic Damn Yankees. This entertaining musical based on the ’50s storybook The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant takes a modern-day swing at narrating romance, ambition, and the love of baseball (closes Sun, $93+, Southwest DC).
    2. Alexandria Film Festival. Local filmmakers will have a chance to shine at this festival, which will also draw producers, actors, composers, and directors. This year’s lineup features a showcase of filmmaker panels and screenings of short flicks such as Excuse Me, a film on workplace age discrimination; and Pretty Ugly, a narrative on the beauty industry (Thurs-Sun, $80 pass, Alexandria).
    3. Noochie’s Live From the Front Porch. DC rapper Antwon Vincent’s YouTube series Noochie’s Live From the Front Porch has gone viral. Now, the homegrown street performance featuring area artists like Backyard Band and music icons such as Snoop Dogg is coming to the Kennedy Center for an evening of live beats and community (Sun, $39+, Kennedy Center).
    4. Iliza Shlesinger at DAR Constitution Hall. Tickets are selling quickly for the chance to laugh out loud with Iliza Shlesinger. The award-winning comic will perform her humorous A Different Animal special on relationships and gender dynamics live in DC (Sat, $56+, DAR Constitution Hall).
    5. “Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection” exhibit. “Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection”celebrates America’s 250th birthday with a presentation of diverse artworks from creatives such as Romare Bearden, Simone Leigh, Georgia O’Keeffe, and more (Sat through February 15, 2026, $20, free for ages 18 and younger, Dupont Circle).
Related
November Culture Guide: 44 Things to Do in the DC Area

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

  • Sit in on a conversation about the future of fashion (Tues, $25, National Museum of Women in the Arts).
  • Attend panel discussions, keynote addresses, and master classes with industry professionals and HBCU graduates at HBCU First LOOK Film Festival (Thurs-Sat, $40 pass, $30 pass for students, Howard University).
  • Shop works by artists such as Ron Stokes and Victoria Powell at The Superfair (Fri-Sun, $20+, Gallery Place).
  • Wheaton Film Festival spotlights short films, creates a space for industry networking, and hosts educational talks (Sat, $30, Wheaton).
  • Mark Z. Danielewski’s latest horror book, Tom’s Crossing, is the topic of conversation at Politics and Prose (Sat, free, Northwest DC).
  • Sit in on TED-style mini talks with top musicians and innovators such as Renée Fleming and Tom Sweitzer at Planet Word (Sat, $15, Downtown).
  • See behind-the-scenes concert tour photos from DC’s legendary punk rocker Brian Baker (Sun, free, MLK Library).
  • Calling all brides to the Washington Convention Center for a shopping soirée (Sun, free+, Mount Vernon Square).

Theater and shows:

  • Check out Signature Theatre’s in-the-round staged production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof (Tues through January 25, 2026, $47+,  Arlington).
  • Comic and podcaster Felipe Esparza does standup at Lincoln Theatre (Sat, $35+, U Street Corridor).

Music and concerts:

  • Mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and pianist Myra Huang perform a recital at the Kennedy Center (Tues, $40+, Kennedy Center).
  • Catch a lineup of regional punk and pop groups live at Rhizome (Wed, $10, Takoma).
  • Take a Contra dance lesson at Glen Echo Park (Fri, $15, Glen Echo).
  • DC’s indie-pop band Color Palette plays live at Pie Shop (Fri, $21, H Street Corridor).

Bites and beverages:

  • Sip warm beverages amid wintry decor at the new Après Ski pop-up at Casamara Rooftop (every Thurs-Sat, free entry, Dupont Circle).
  • Sample drinks from more than 80 breweries at the DC Beer Festival (Sat, $55+, Nationals Park).
  • Plant parents can join a floral arrangement workshop to build their own custom flower bouquets at Two Twisted Posts Winery (Sun, $30, Purcellville).

Get involved:

  • Create mini art pieces for yourself or donate one to pediatric hospitals via Art 2 Hearts Foundation at Free Little Paint Party (Sat, free with rsvp, Bethesda).

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)

Things to do with kids:

  • Young learners can play with STEM installations and vehicles at the National Children’s Museum (Sat, free, Downtown).
  • Families can read Pippi Longstocking stories in celebration of the Swedish storybook character’s 80th anniversary (Sun, free, MLK Library).

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.

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Briana Thomas

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.