Happy Monday, DC!
Wear a boo-tastic costume to National Gallery Nights’ Monster Mash this week. Then toast to the weekend with friends at Snallygaster’s massive beer fest.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
October 5–October 11
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- Snallygaster. Raise a glass to the return of Snallygaster. The beastly beer fest named after a folkloric monster serves sips of hundreds of brews and ciders as well as bites from food trucks. There’s two stages of live music, kid-friendly fun, and views of DC’s landmarks at this outdoor extravaganza (Sat, $75+, Downtown).
- National Gallery Nights. Ghouls and ghosts can have a Monster Mash at National Gallery Nights. Come dressed in a spooky or playful Halloween costume and rock out to a live performance by DC punk band Oh He Dead (Thurs, free, limited walk-in tickets available, National Gallery of Art).
- Maybe Happy Ending musical. This futuristic new musical is a six-time Tony Award winner. The production is a robot love story sparked by a road trip across South Korea (Tues-Sun, $87+, National Theatre).
- Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival. Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival serves unlimited sips from Virginia vineyards such as DuCard Vineyards, Gray Ghost Vineyards, and Horton Vineyards on the picturesque grounds of George Washington’s estate (Thurs-Sun, $51+, Mount Vernon).
- Noir City DC. This is the festival for fans of classic Hollywood crime and detective dramas. Writer and film historian Eddie Muller and the Film Noir Foundation return to AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center with a curated selection of films noir. This month, music fans can spot iconic singers and performers such as Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr., and Doris Day starring alongside film noir actors (Thurs through October 22, $15 single tickets, $200 pass, Silver Spring).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- It’s the final week see this year’s movie picks at Immigration Film Fest (through Sun, $55+ in-person pass, $40 virtual pass).
- It’s the last call to binge Latin American movies at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (closes Wed, $15 for general admission, $200 for festival pass).
- Watch shorts, documentaries, narrative flicks, and new films from university students at George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth during Washington West Film Festival (select dates through October 21, $22 for single passes, $100+ for festival pass, Reston).
- Award-winning actor Michael Douglas uncovers his road from childhood to Hollywood in his new book at Sixth & I (Wed, $52.50 for in-person, $12+ for virtual, Downtown).
- Pulitzer Prize–winning author Marcia Chatelain discusses her new book How Bright the Path Grows—highlighting the women who organized the March on Washington—at Politics and Prose (Wed, free, Northwest DC).
- This fall festival is 50 years old. Stroll a beer garden, see live bands, and browse hundreds of arts-and-crafts booths in downtown Fairfax (Sat, free, Fairfax)
Community and heritage:
- Take a guided tour of exhibit “How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories” (Wed, October 17, free, registration encouraged, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
- Stop by the museum for a community chess competition and trivia (Sat, free, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum).
- Decorate pumpkins, play lawn games, and board the canal boat at the historic C&O Canal (Sun, free, Georgetown).
Theater and shows:
- Keegan Theatre’s Hundred Days concert-musical is based on a true romance story (Sat through November 15, $65, Dupont Circle).
Music and concerts:
- Ethiopian American alternative R&B vocalist Kelela—who grew up in Gaithersburg—sings tracks from her latest album at the Fillmore (Thurs, $104+, Silver Spring).
- Christian rock band Skillet celebrates the 20th anniversary of their Grammy-nominated album Comatose (Thurs, $64+, Silver Spring).
- DC hardcore punk band Strange Boutique is back with a new album after a 30-year hiatus (Fri, $31, Shaw).
- Beabadoobee blends the music genres of indie-rock and bedroom pop together at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Sat, $52+, Columbia).
- Dance, move, and clap along to local live bands at Capitol Hill Porch Fest (Sat, free, Capitol Hill).
- Virginia Chamber Orchestra plays classical melodies at Capital One Hall (Sun, $16+, Tysons).
Bites and beverages:
- Eat finger-licking barbecue, listen to Rock Creek Revival, and take your kids to a martial arts dojo at MD State BBQ Bash (Thurs-Fri, free, Bel Air).
Things to do with kids:
- Kiddos get to see their favorite Disney characters perform on the ice (Thurs-Mon, $29+, Fairfax).
- Cherry Hill Park transforms into a children’s play space where there’s pumpkins, music, and demos on basket weaving at Farm Day (Sat, free, $2 activity tickets, Falls Church).
- Watch a puppet show with your youngsters during Family Day at House of Sweden (Sat, free, Downtown).
Plan ahead:
- Top directors, filmmakers, and actors will gather for narrative and documentary showings, Q&A sessions, awards ceremonies, and more at Middleburg Film Festival (October 15-18, single passes and film schedule TBA, advanced all-access passes sold out).
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.
