IN THIS ISSUE:

🍐 Pawpaw season is here
🍽️ Free coffee, hot dog bars, and Georgia Brown’s is gone
🎉 From jazz gardens to puzzle fests to wine tasting
🐾 Let your pup splash at DC & PG dog swim days

Things I'm Talking About

📺 Karen Huger from Real Housewives of Potomac has been released from prison.

🍐 It's pawpaw season, and it's one of the few fruits you are allowed to forage in the C&O Canal National Park.

🎉 Anacostia Community Museum's 58th anniversary celebration is coming up on Sept 18. With the museum at risk of being defunded, now is the time to celebrate it.

📈 DC flag sales have soared since the federal intervention.

🏎️ IndyCar is considering DC for a street race, potentially with America's 250th celebrations next year.

🚔 Park Police have more leeway now for police chases. All I can think about is Bijan Ghaisar, who was killed by Park Police in 2017.

🪧 I am not the best source for news about the DC occupation. If you're looking for up to date ways to get involved, Organize DC is probably the best source of events.

Valerie

Give your opinion, and check back next week for the results.

Last week, I asked: Have you played mahjongg before? You responded:

• I've never played but I'm curious to start (40.7%)
• Yes, I've played it on the computer (31.5%)
• I've never played and I'm not interested tbh (16.7%)
• Yes, I've played the physical game (11.1%)

🐶 Bingo, Beats & Best-Dressed Dogs

Get ready to unleash the fun Sunday, September 7 in Petworth! Enjoy an afternoon packed with live music, lawn games, local shopping, and the show-stealing Petworth Dog Show.

From Bingo with local businesses (win a $250 gift card!) to balloon artists, DJs, and food specials, there’s something for the whole fam. 🎉.

See all the pups strutting their stuff in categories like Best Trick or Best Dressed. 🎉

Whether you're in for the fun, the eats, or the dogs in costumes, this is one block party you don’t want to miss.

​👉 Join on Sunday (it's free!)​

🍽️ DC staple Georgia Brown's, which opened in 1993, closed this weekend, according to social media.

☕ Peregrine is celebrating its 17 year anniversary with free coffee today (Wednesday).

🪖 The federal agent and military presence is having an impact on local businesses downtown, including the new Maa's Chicken, which is facing closure.

🥯Call Your Mother is coming to Adams Morgan.

🌭 Hot dogs are the latest bar food trend, which is very recession-core to me.

🍸 Downtown spot Barcode, which opened in 2012, closed this weekend.

🍕In Georgetown, Andy's Pizza opened their latest location, Yale greek ice cream opened, and Smoothie King closed.

The many-restaurants-in-one Wonder is opening its second location in West End on Thursday, with a collab with José Andrés. Free samples starting at 4:30 pm on Thursday.

🦪 Oyster restoration efforts are ramping up in Baltimore harbor.

🌈 The owner of Virginia's only lesbian bar, Babes of Carytown in Richmond, has passed away.

Tried & True features your favorite go-to restaurants that have been around for a while and serve you consistently good food.

This Week's Feature: The Pembroke

"My favorite restaurant is The Pembroke at Dupont Circle. Great food and amazing staff. The Pembroke is one of those rare spots where everything just clicks. Chef Christian’s food is always incredible, but what makes it special is the way he and the staff treat you—like family. From being greeted by name at the door, to perfectly made drinks, to a surprise dessert on a birthday, every detail feels thoughtful. It’s not just a great meal, it’s a warm, memorable experience every time." Pete

Location: 1500 New Hampshire Ave NW
​Website​

😋 What is your favorite tried and true restaurant?

Where do you find yourself going back time and time again? Reply and let me know to be featured and share the love for a local DC restaurant.

Looking for something specific? Check out these options:

• ​Museum parties & happy hours​
• ​DC-area BARK Ranger programs​

✨ Premium subscribers: Access the full list of 300+ events here.

• 🕺 Enjoy an evening of jazz in Hillwood’s gardens with a tribute to Quincy Jones featuring Marshall Keys and Imani-Grace Cooper. Wednesday 9/3. $30.

• 🎈 Prince George's County Fair is back, showcasing the best of local produce, crafts, and fun! From livestock competitions to carnival rides, there's something for everyone. Thursday 9/4 - Sunday 9/7. $6.
• 📖 Join this powerful screening of MLK Docs: The Last Battlefront, a documentary on DC's fight for self-government, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Anna Reid Jhirad. Thursday, 9/4. Free!
• 🕺 Get ready to groove to seventies classics at Dancin’ in September at Phillips After 5. Enjoy music by Foots x Cole featuring Alex Vaughn, a Museum of Illusions pop-up, incense making workshop, and tasty treats by Bread Furst. Saturday 9/4. $20; free for members—join today!
• 🎭 Get ready for a night of cinematic magic at A Night of Moving Images: Short Films By Local Filmmakers at Rhizome DC. Thursday 9/4. $12+
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Ready to be part of something bigger? Join the Refuse, Resist, Rebuild: A Non-Cooperation Mass Meeting for an evening of community power and solidarity. Thursday, 9/4. Free entry.
• 🖌️ Ready to get your hands on some blooms? Join the Bouquet Crafting & Flower Design Workshop and create two gorgeous bouquets to brighten up your space, using professional flower-arranging techniques and freshly harvested flowers. Saturday 9/4. $20.

• 🎭 Catch the action-packed Kung Fu Hustle at the Freer Gallery of Art, where martial arts meet outrageous special effects in a fun parody. Friday 9/5. Free.
• 🕺 See Latin Musical Performances in the Park with live bands, local bites, and a community right in Capitol Hill. Friday 9/5. Free.
• 🎭 It's the annual September movie series with the kickoff featuring Hayao Miyazaki's "My Neighbor Totoro" at Movie Nights in the park! Bring your blanket, snacks, and inner child every Friday in September starting 9/5. Free entry.
• 🎭 Ready for a night of grammar fun? Check out the Award-Winning Grammar Docu-Comedy: Rebel with a Clause at Planet Word. Friday 9/5. $10.

• 🐾 Ready to make a splash? Bring your pup to Doggie Day Swim DC for a chance to swim in DC pools. Dogs must be have a DC dog license. Sunday 9/6. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Ready to connect, learn, and take action for a better DC? Join over 300 neighbors at the DC Community Organizing Festival on Saturday 9/6. Free entry.
• 🤓 Get ready for a day of brain-teasing fun at DC PuzzleFest - challenge yourself with all sorts of puzzles and games at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library! Saturday 9/6. Free.
• 🍲 Sip your way through 30 Spanish wines at Planet Wine's Españapalooza, with tasty snacks to match - it's like a mini-vacation to Spain without leaving Alexandria! Saturday 9/6. $49.87.
• 🌲 Make a splash with your furry friend at the annual PG County Doggy Dive-In this Saturday at Allentown Splash, Tennis, and Fitness Park. Bring up to two dogs for just $5 per pup - it's a paw-some way to enjoy the sunshine!
• 🕺 Celebrate 70 years of operatic excellence at the Open House at Washington National Opera Studio featuring behind-the-scenes magic, live performances, and a sneak peek at the upcoming WNO season. Register now to secure your spot! Saturday 9/6. Free entry.
• 📖 Join the 25th Library of Congress National Book Festival for a day packed with conversations from over 90 authors, including big names like John Green and R.L. Stein. Saturday 9/6. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Tea Beneath the Trees offers a serene 21+ adult wellness gathering in nature, featuring calming herbal teas, live sound healing, and gentle forest bathing to help you unwind and connect with others. Sunday 9/6. Free to register.

• 🎈 Enjoy a day of self-care and community at the Fully Bloomed Festival and join them for workshops, immersive experiences, and a marketplace to help you bloom into your best self! Sunday 9/7. $189+.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Get ready for a fun-filled day at Petworth in the Park for Dog Days of Summer and enjoy live music, lawn games, a neighborhood-wide Bingo game, and the famous Petworth Dog Show. Sunday, 9/7. Free entry.
• 🕺 Enjoy the music from US Air Force Band’s Singing Sergeants at The Georgetown Concert Series. Saturday 9/7. Free.
• 📖 Join this Off the Beaten Path tour at 16th Street and Adams Morgan Neighborhood and discover a side of DC filled with castles, embassies, and rich history. Sunday 9/7 and 9/21. $48.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Ready to swap some green goodness? Join the DC Plant Swap for a fun afternoon of trading plants, pots, and cuttings. Sunday 9/7. Free.
• 🏞️ Join a leisurely walk through Rock Creek Park, followed by a chill ice cream hangout. Sunday 9/7. Free.

🤫 Psst! I couldn't fit everything in this issue. See 90 events happening this weekend and next week.

⚡ More events. More access. Zero FOMO.

Our premium subscribers get the full event list (300+!), weekly updates, and VIP access to exclusive Not Bored in DC events.

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* Items marked with an asterisks contain affiliate links (for which I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you) or sponsored. Events are featured based on if I find them interesting and think others will too, regardless if they are affiliate or sponsored.