Good day, DC!
Go vote on Tuesday in the midterm elections. Then catch a movie at a film festival or celebrate Diwali after hours with art chats and dancing at the National Museum of Asian Art. Also, the fall edition of Adams Morgan Porchfest is back this weekend.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
November 2–8
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- Diwali Festival at the National Museum of Asian Art. Celebrate Diwali after dark with the Smithsonian. The event features classical music performances, a DJ dance party, curator talks, and lots more (Fri, free, registration encouraged, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art).
- Adams Morgan PorchFest. Rock out to live tunes at Adams Morgan PorchFest. The neighborhood-wide jamboree showcases more than 100 bands. New this year: a holiday market so you can get a jump-start on finding gifts (Sat, free, Adams Morgan).
- Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival. Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival hosts documentary screenings, journalism workshops, and more to unpack the theme “on the record” (Thurs-Sun, $50+ pass, $25 single session pass, Penn Quarter).
- “On Stage” exhibit at the Portrait Gallery. If you’re an admirer of retro music, movies, and theater, you’ll enjoy this new exhibit centered on American stardom. About 20 portraits, sculptures, paintings, and other objects feature or depict award-winning creatives such as Katharine Hepburn, Thelonious Monk, Lena Horne, and LL Cool J (opens Fri, free, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery).
- Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam concert. Ten years after DC natives 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. You can see the indie rockers live at 9:30 Club (Thurs, $56, Shaw).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Browse two new exhibitions that touch on themes of resilience and freedom at Corcoran School of the Arts & Design (through February 19, 2027, free, George Washington University).
- Films from finalists in the HBCU First LOOK student filmmaker challenge will be shown at Howard University this week (Thurs-Sat, $36+, Howard University).
- Tibet Film Festival spotlights works from Tibetan producers and creatives (Fri-Sun, $20+, Northwest DC).
- 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 Sat, free, National Gallery of Art).
- Mingle and network with industry professionals at the Wheaton Film Festival (Sat, $33, Wheaton).
Community and heritage:
- Learn safety tips and skills for riding an e-bike at Jones Point Park (Sun, $10, Alexandria).
- Discover all things bison at the museum with your family (Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History).
Music and concerts:
- Strathmore’s new Artists in Residence have a debut concert featuring local jazz composer Mark G. Meadows (Tues, $35, Bethesda).
- Sing along with fellow rock fans to Fleetwood Mac at Birchmere (Tues, $47, Alexandria).
- Edmar Castañeda strings jazz melodies on the harp after hours at the Library of Congress (Thurs, free, registration required, Library of Congress).
- House music DJ CID spins electronic melodies at Dock 5 (Fri, $52+, Union Market).
- Pop quartet Imperial Teen play live at Comet Ping Pong (Fri, $15+, Northwest DC).
Bites and beverages:
- Teddy and the Bully Bar serves up deals on oysters, funnel cakes, and more goodies at their election night watch party (Tues, free entry, Dupont Circle).
- Play a round of election-themed bingo over food and drinks at Pitchers (Tues, free entry, Adams Morgan).
- Have an extravagant night at the Austrian Embassy’s Viennese Ball; there’s dinner, a live orchestra, and waltzing (Fri, $146, Northwest DC).
- Sample drinks from more than 80 breweries at the DC Beer Festival (Sat, $66, Nationals Park).
- Listen to folk songs and watch cooking demos to ring in Hmong New Year (Sun, free, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
Things to do with kids:
- Go an a scavenger hunt through the National Geographic Museum of Exploration and watch films on African wildlife at Family Fun Day (Mon, $5, Downtown)
- Munch on tasty apple cider doughnuts and kettle corn in between rides down family-friendly slides at Cox Farms Fall Festival (closes Sun, $15+, free for ages younger than 2, Centreville).
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.
