It’s the last weekend to experience Time by Luxmuralis, the light and sound installation at the National Cathedral. (Courtesy of the Washington National Cathedral)
Every Thursday, we share weekend events happening around the city. Are you planning an event you’d like us to consider for this roundup? Send it to our team using this form. Find more events in our Civics Roundup, which focuses on ways to get more involved locally.
Was your New Year’s resolution to get out more? It should be — and you’re in luck, because there’s no shortage of ways to get out across the District this weekend.
The cold weather isn’t backing down, but neither are we: Stay warm when you join “D.C. history lovers” for a screening of locally filmed episodes of Queer Eye, process this year’s wildest workplace stories at an improv show, and catch the last day of an immersive art installation at the National Cathedral.
Please note: Winter weather may affect whether or not these events take place. Be sure to check at the event links before venturing out!
THURSDAY, JAN. 22
Dupont Circle Winter Sip & Shop 📍 Welcome Tent at 1601 Connecticut Ave. NW ⏰ 5 - 7 p.m. 💸 Free entry, product prices vary Start your weekend with a free glass of wine (or non-alcoholic cider) as you patronize some of the neighborhood’s small businesses. The participating businesses are all indoors, which means you can purchase your early Valentine’s Day presents without risking the winter weather.
90's Hip Hop/R&B Trivia Night 📍 Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library (3935 Benning Rd. NE) ⏰ 5 - 7 p.m. 💸 FREE Are your arms tired from carrying that boom box over your head? Test your knowledge and give into the nostalgia in Ward 7.
2026 Vision Board 📍 Flor Coffee + Books (1220 31st St. NW) ⏰ 6 - 8 p.m. 💸 $23.44 Manifest what your year has in store with a guided vision board class. All materials, including paper and magazine, will be provided — just make sure to bring a small color photo of yourself. Light snacks and a glass of wine will fuel your inspiration.
Opera On Tap DC Metro Presents: Singers’ Choice 📍 The Wonderland Ballroom (101 Kenyon St. NW) ⏰ 7 - 9 p.m. 💸 FREE A night out at the opera just got a little cheaper. Start your weekend early with our local chapter of Opera on Tap, a group that brings arias to the bar. In this show, six local singers will perform their choice of song, while your friends down a round of beers and a couple orders of eggplant fries!
Friday is the opening day of the National Museum of African Art’s exhibit showcasing LGBTQ+ artists from Africa and the diaspora. (Another Believer/Wikimedia Commons)
FRIDAY, JAN. 23
Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art 📍 Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (950 Independence Ave. SW) ⏰ 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 💸 FREE The new exhibit about LGBTQ+ artists from the African diaspora opens on Friday. It is the largest exhibit of its kind, featuring close to 60 pieces and centers the voices of artists on themes of identity and acceptance. The exhibit will be open through late August.
Watch Party: Queer Eye in D.C. 📍 DC History Center (801 K St. NW, 2nd floor) ⏰ 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 💸 FREE The feel-good reboot offering transformational makeovers saved its best destination for last: The final season — filmed locally — premiered this week. On Friday, D.C. history-lovers are gathering to watch one of the episodes together. The actual screening will begin at 6 p.m., but arrive early and stay late for community time and conversation.
This weekend, learn how to make old-fashioned toys at Peirce Mill. (Ep Jhu/Flickr)
SATURDAY, JAN. 24
Get the USA 250th Party Started! 📍 National Postal Museum (2 Massachusetts Ave. NE) ⏰ 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. 💸 FREE The United States turns 250 this year, and the National Postal Museum is kicking off the celebrations with a family-friendly event that features tours for kids, storytime, activities for little inventors, and even a “mailbox to the future.” No registration necessary.
A.R.T.: Artists Recovering Together 📍 Rhizome (6950 Maple St. NW) ⏰ 12 p.m. 💸$20 People recovering from addiction are invited to this acrylic paint workshop by Kanchan Balsé. The class will explore how expressive painting can build connection and act as a coping mechanism to aid recovery. All art materials will be provided. Participants seeking a scholarship can email the organizers.
January Winter Workshop 📍 Peirce Mill (2401 Tilden St. NW) ⏰ 12 - 4 p.m. 💸 FREE The historic landmark in Rock Creek Park hosts a monthly winter crafting event. This weekend, local artist Denaise Seals will teach makers of all ages about old-fashioned toys, including cornhusk dolls, 16th-century-style cup-and-ball toys, and 19th-century-style thaumatropes.
Film Screening: SUGARCANE 📍 St. Mark's Episcopal Church – Capitol Hill (301 A St. SE) ⏰ 7 p.m. 💸 FREE In this award-winning 2024 documentary, Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie investigate allegations of abuse at Saint Joseph's Indian Residential School in British Columbia, and the continued impact on Indigenous survivors, their families, and other Native peoples.
Time by Luxmuralis 📍 Washington National Cathedral (3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW) ⏰ 6 - 9 p.m. 💸 $27 The breathtaking light and sound installation inside the Cathedral’s nave closes after tonight. If you’ve visited the space before, you’ll notice that the chairs have all been cleared so that participants can walk freely through the exhibit. Tickets are issued in 15-minute increments.
Improv Comedy: Work Sucks 📍 Penn Social (801 E St. NW) ⏰ 9 - 11 p.m. 💸 $13.26 It’s been a rough year at work for many of us. At this show, DC Improv’s Haywood Turnipseed and Kate McKelvie will riff off the audience’s worst workplace experiences — live. White collar, blue collar, and no-collar stories welcome!
DC Square Dance Party 📍 St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church (1525 Newton St. NW) ⏰ 8 - 11 p.m. 💸$10 (cash or Venmo, no credit cards) Get out your dancing shoes — metaphorically, because this community event does not require special clothes, a partner, or even square dancing experience! The William Brauneis Stringband will provide live music, and Kim Forry will tell you when to swing your partner, do-si-do.
Did you take your kid to the PWHL game last weekend? She might be interested in the Caps Youth Hockey event on Sunday. (All-Pro Reels/Flickr)
SUNDAY, JAN. 25
Pop-Up: Sundays at Bev’s 📍 Shanklin Hall (2825 18th St. NW) ⏰ 6 - 10 p.m. 💸 Free entry, food prices vary Catch local chef Bevon Wilcox hosting a curated “culinary journey at the Adams Morgan social club.” Wilcox’s menu takes a spin on popular classics, including his “hoppin hummus” and chicken and waffle.
Try Hockey for Free Day 📍 The Wharf Ice Rink (970 Wharf St. SW) ⏰ 12 - 1 p.m. 💸 FREE For the first time, Caps Youth Hockey is hosting an outdoor “Try Hockey for Free Day” for kids ages 5-14. All budding hockey stars must bring a helmet (a bike helmet works) and winter gloves — but no prior ice experience is necessary. Please note that the event is only open to D.C. residents or current DCPS students.
Booze-Free Bingo 📍 metrobar (640 Rhode Island Ave. NE) ⏰ 1 - 3 p.m. 💸 $11 Sober, sober-curious, sober-ish, or finishing out Dry January? Join an afternoon game of bingo hosted by Booze Free in DC, the guide run by local Laura Silverman to help residents find NA ways to enjoy our city.
You may be tempted to stay home and curl up under a blanket this weekend. But that would be a mistake when D.C. is alive — from a comedy show and clothing swap to hip-hop meditation.
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