Happy Monday, DC!
October ushers in Halloween fun such as Boo at the Zoo and Congressional Cemetery’s Soul Strolls. You can also take a day trip a short drive from the DC area for shopping and movies at Middleburg Film Festival and Luckett’s Fall Market this weekend.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
October 12–October 18
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- Boo at the Zoo. Adventure through a Halloween-themed National Zoo in your boo-tastic costume this month. All ages can snack on goodies from more than 25 treat stations, see mammals and reptiles after hours, attend a magic show, and visit the zoo’s new pumpkin patch (Fri-Sun, $35, National Zoo).
- Soul Strolls. Take lantern-lit Soul Strolls through historic Congressional Cemetery. Tickets are going fast to experience this year’s special edition “Soul Strolls: Becoming America” in commemoration of America 250. Prior to the walk through history, there’s live music and eats and drinks at a food truck (Fri-Sat, October 23-24, 30-31, November 1, $40 for adults , $20 for ages 12 and under, $80 for VIP, Capitol Hill).
- Middleburg Film Festival. Although the advance festival passes to this high-profile event are already sold out, you can get individual tickets to a number of movies playing across Middleburg venues. Top directors, film creators, and actors will gather for narrative and documentary showings, Q&A sessions, awards ceremonies, and more (Thurs-Sun, prices vary for single passes, advanced all-access passes sold out, Middleburg).
- Luckett’s Fall Market. Score autumnal vintage finds at Luckett’s Fall Market. The trendy shopping soiree features 200 vendors, and you can browse furniture, florals, bags, and other designs. Plus, there are beer gardens and food trucks to keep you refreshed while you shop (Fri-Sun, $23, Berryville).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Learn how to use a sewing machine and hand sew fabric repairs at Living Room (Wed, $20, Mount Pleasant).
- See a spooky movie with friends at The Little Gay Pub (every Wed through October, free, Logan Circle).
- Greenbelt’s Utopia Film Festival screens documentary shorts, animations, independent features, and locally produced films (Sat-Sun, $20 pass, Greenbelt).
- Geek out and deep dive into various topics at a bar with fellow nerds (Sat, $25, Shaw).
Community and heritage:
- Get a henna design, watch cultural performances, and dance to Indian beats for Diwali (Fri, free, Arlington).
- Take a guided tour of exhibit “How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories” (Sat, free, registration encouraged, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
- Watch folk dance performances along Pennsylvania Avenue between bites of Turkish cuisine at the outdoor Turkish Festival (Sun, free, Downtown).
- Celebrate Ethiopian heritage through music, dance, and food at Ethiopian Fall Festival (Sun, free, Alexandria).
Theater and shows:
- It’s the last call to see Round House Theatre’s revival of playwright August Wilson’s Jazz Renaissance–era tale of vocalist Ma Rainey (closes Sun, $25, Bethesda).
- Are You Now or Have You Ever Been is an electrifying docudrama that recounts hearings from the House Committee on Un-American Activities (Sat through December 6, $77+, Southwest DC).
Music and concerts:
- British producer and rapper Tricky rhymes songs from Different When It’s Silent, his first album in six years, at Lincoln Theatre (Tues, $45, U Street Corridor).
- Rod Wave performs his chart-topping melancholy lyrics in DC (Fri, $199+, Capital One Arena).
- Neo-soul artist Steve Lacy has a sold-out concert at the Anthem; there’s still time to find tickets from third-party sellers (Sun, $295+, Wharf).
Bites and beverages:
- Raise a glass with fellow wine enthusiasts at DC Wine Fest at Dock5 (Fri-Sat, $61, Union Market).
- Eat fresh-shucked oysters while listening to live tunes from Roots & Tides, Kenny Holmes, and other artists at Captain Avery Museum (Sat, $20 for adults, free for ages 8 and younger, Annapolis).
Things to do with kids:
- There are kid-friendly carnival attractions, pony rides, and a petting zoo at the Stafford County Fair (Thurs-Sun, free, Fredericksburg).
- Take youngsters to the “haunted lab” for science experiments and a Family Costume Party (Sat, $15, free for ages 2 and younger, Fair Oaks).
- Listen in on a pirate-themed storytime at Spooky Town Books (Sat, free, Alexandria).
- Watch a sheepdog demo or Groovy Nate perform family-friendly skits at Oxon Hill Farm Fall Festival (Sat, free, Oxon Hill).
Plan ahead:
- Tickets are going fast to laugh out loud with mega comic and TV producer Jerry Seinfeld at the Wharf’s waterfront venue (October 23, $93+, Wharf).
- Make creepy crafts at the popular Air & Scare Halloween event at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center; outdoor events are known to sell out so snag tickets early (October 24, free, registration required for outdoor events, Chantilly).
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.
