November Culture Guide: 44 Things to Do in the DC Area

This November, jazz veterans perform a tribute to John Coltrane at Strathmore, Doja Cat’s world tour arrives at Capital One Arena, and soul legend Stevie Wonder has a concert. In addition to the eclectic music scene, you can get a head start on holiday shopping at one of the festive markets. Plus, Enchant returns to Nationals Park with a ton of sparkling lights to see. 

 

 

10 Best Things to Do in DC

By Pat Padua

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Books

Nick Paumgarten

November 12

With The Intangibles, a new memoir named for his beer-league hockey team, the wide-ranging New Yorker staff writer explores subjects like family and his love of the game.

Museums

“On Stage: Portraying the Performing Arts”

November 6–July 18

Featuring some 20 objects, this small but intriguing exhibit includes portraits of stars such as Katharine Hepburn—her four Academy Awards are also on display—and musicians like Thelonious Monk, who’s depicted in a painting used for the cover of Time. Other portraits include Lena Horne (above), Maria Callas, Paul Robeson, and LL Cool J.

Theater

Hell’s Kitchen

November 24–December 6

Alicia Keys’s autobiographical jukebox musical uses classic tracks—don’t worry, you will definitely hear “Empire State of Mind”—and new songs to trace a 17-year-old’s journey toward finding her voice.

Museums

“Modern Military Aviation”

Opening November 11

Conflicts ranging from the Cold War to the war on terrorism spurred innovations in aviation technology. This new permanent exhibition traces that development through aircraft such as the North American F-86 Sabre, Bell UH-1H “Huey,” and General Atomics MQ-1L Predator.

Music

Your Brain on Music

November 16–17

This two-day program deploys brain scans and film clips alongside a performance by PostClassical Ensemble (above) of Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony to explore how the brain interacts with music and images.

Books

Brandie Smith

November 19

The head of the National Zoo has spent years working closely with the institution’s best-known attraction, as documented in her new book, In the Company of Pandas. She hooked us with the subtitle: My Life With the World’s Favorite Bear.

Music

Stevie Wonder

November 23

This month’s hottest ticket is the R&B giant’s 50th-anniversary tribute to his landmark double album, Songs in the Key of Life, which he’ll play in its glorious entirety.

Theater

Wilderness Generation

November 18–January 3

A new comedy from James Ijames (Fat Ham) depicts the heartbreak and hilarity of four cousins who reunite to pack up their grandmother’s house in Tidewater, Virginia.

Music

The Tubs

November 9

This exciting London band—featuring the distinctive singing of frontman Owen Williams—plays joyful jangle rock with a Celtic flavor. Their new album, Hard Life, offers their most accomplished collection of songs so far.

Want More Things to Do?

by Briana Thomas

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Arts and culture:

• Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival hosts documentary screenings, journalism workshops, and more to unpack the theme “on the record” (November 5-8, $50+ pass, $25 single session pass, Penn Quarter).
• Films from finalists in the HBCU First LOOK student filmmaker challenge will be shown at Howard University this month (November 5-7, $36+, Howard University).
• National Gallery of Art’s “Remember Me” exhibition features about 70 photographs from the museum’s collection that are of or by Black Americans (opens November 7, free, National Gallery of Art).
• Mingle and network with industry professionals at the Wheaton Film Festival (November 7, $33, Wheaton).
• Local filmmakers get the spotlight at Alexandria Film Festival (November 13-15, $80 festival pass, Alexandria).
• Handmade crafts by Roberto Benavidez, Angela Ellsworth, and other artists are on display at the Renwick Gallery (opens November 13, free, Smithsonian American Art Museum).

Community and heritage:

• Celebrate Diwali after dark at the Smithsonian. The event features classical music performances, a DJ dance party, curator talks, and lots more (November 6, free, registration encouraged, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art).
• Embark on a candlelit guided tour of historic Mount Vernon (select dates November 27-December 22, $41 for adults, $33 for ages 6 to 11, free for ages 5 and younger, Mount Vernon). 

Theater:

• Mosaic Theater’s one-woman show My English Persian Kitchen invites audiences to listen in on a story of migration while the actor cooks traditional Persian noodle soup live on stage (November 12-December 6, $62+, H Street Corridor).
• Get into the holiday spirit at Hanukkah Spectacular, a comedy about a group of Jewish artists working to create a profitable hit play about Hanukkah (November 14-December 13, $20+, Penn Quarter).
• Ford’s Theatre’s seasonal classic A Christmas Carol returns to tell the grumpy and merry tale of Ebenezer Scrooge as performed by talented actor Craig Wallace (November 19-December 31, $51+, Ford’s Theatre).

Shows and performances:

• Comic Matteo Lane brings his unfiltered, personal storytelling to the Warner Theatre for an evening of standup (November 14, $53+, Warner Theatre).
• Hip-hop icon Da Brat will MC this year’s high-energy holiday show The Hip-Hop Nutcracker (November 17-22, $75+, National Theatre).
• Actor and podcast host Ilana Glazer’s latest standup hour peeks into the comedian’s inner thoughts on politics, motherhood, and adulting (November 20, $40+, Lincoln Theatre). 
• Tickets are going fast to laugh out loud at Michelle Wolf’s standup (November 21, $49+, Lincoln Theatre).
• Tap into the holiday spirit at The Washington Ballet’s beloved tradition, The Nutcracker (November 28 -December 27, $63+, Warner Theatre).

Music:

• Ten years after Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam Batmanglij’s joint record I Had a Dream That You Were Mine, the artists are teaming up again for a US tour (November 5, $56, Shaw).
• Rock out to live tunes at Adams Morgan PorchFest (November 7, free, Adams Morgan).
• Multi-hyphenate music star Doja Cat arrives in DC on her pop-rap world tour (November 21, $73+, Capital One Arena).
• They Might Be Giants makes a tour stop at 9:30 Club with their eight-piece rock band; tickets are selling quickly (November 22, $51, Shaw).
• One of DC’s favorite cover bands White Ford Bronco plays ’90s hits at 9:30 Club (November 28, $35, Shaw).

Holiday:

• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” is the theme of this year’s ICE! attraction at National Harbor (November 14-January 3, 2027, $41+, National Harbor).
• Shop local goods and treats at the DC Holiday Market (November 12-December 23, free, Dupont Circle).
• ZooLights brings dazzling decor to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo (select nights November 20-January 3, 2027, $10, National Zoo).
• Search for the perfect gift at the festive Downtown DC Holiday Market (November 13-December 23, free, Downtown).
• Holidays at Hillwood Museum are back with a new decorative installation. “A Woven Wonderland” presents ornamented Christmas tree displays, textiles, and floral arrangements (November 24-January 3, $20 suggested donation for adults, Northwest DC).
• Run for a good cause at SOME’s Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger 5K (November 26, $45 for virtual, $65 for in-person, Downtown).
• Enchant’s massive winter maze returns to Nationals Park. Attend with your family, friends, or solo for ice skating, visits with Santa, and dazzling photoshoots (November 20-December 27, $10+, Nationals Park).

Bites and beverages:

• Sample drinks from more than 80 breweries at the DC Beer Festival (November 7, $66, Nationals Park).
• Wine and Dine at the Four Seasons for a good cause. The chef stations, passed hors d’oeuvres, and pours of wine help raise funds for Medstar Georgetown Cancer Institute (November 12-13, $250+, Georgetown).
• Attend a mixology class, score drink specials at a neighborhood bar, and enjoy bites during DC Cocktail Week (November 30-December 6, prices TBA, various participating locations).

Things to do with kids:

• DC-area author Sana Hoda Sood shares Diwali stories with youngsters at the National Children’s Museum (November 1, $19, Downtown).
• Go an a scavenger through the National Geographic Museum of Exploration and watch films on African wildlife at Family Fun Day (November 2, $5, Downtown).
• Sip hot cocoa and then glide across the ice at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden Ice Rink (opens November 23, $15 for ages 13 and older, $12 ages under 12, $7 skate rental, National Gallery of Art).