With the recent executive orders, nonprofits, federal employees, and contractors have been scrambling.

• ​Federal aid was ordered frozen, throwing nonprofits like Meals on Wheels into a funding crisis. A federal judge ordered a short stay on the order yesterday.
• Federal workers were ordered to return to working in person, and some contractors are reporting that they will need to work onsite as well.
• The FedNews Reddit community seems to have the best insight from workers across agencies as what's happening on the ground (but members warn that the posts are being monitored).
• Federal workers were offered a "buyout" but questions remain about if there's actually funding to support it, and what it actually means.

I'm so sorry to everyone affected. This is not an easy time for so many in our community. The damage will be felt for a long time.

That's not a very good segue into things to do around town, but I hope that some of these things can help everyone relax and find some joy.

Valerie

Things to Do in DC: Next 4 Weeks

I'm continuing with highlighting more events that are put on regularly to help you not only meet new people but have a regular space for you to hang out.

Know of something cool happening? Submit an event for consideration!

This Week

Wednesday

• Play music and bingo cards with Buddy’s DC on Wednesday 1/29. Free.
• Enjoy 3-course menus as DC's Winter Restaurant Week returns Now until Sunday 2/2. Price starts at $25.

Thursday

• Don’t miss Jack Tucker at this standup comedy show at Kennedy Center as he brings his award-winnig comedy alter-ego to DC. Thursday 1/30. $20+.
• Choose your sushi-grade fish, prepare sushi rice, then make rolls in this sushi-making class and learn how to make California Roll, Salmon Roll, and Veggie Hand Roll. Thursday 1/30. $69.*
• Join President Lincoln’s Cottage in crafting card designs for future visitors through paint, pencils, or collages. Bring a friend! Thursday 1/30. Free.
• Enjoy a secret show performance by comedians from Netflix, Comedy Central, and HBO at Room 808. BYOB. Thursday 1/30. $10.

Friday

• Looking for someone to try new restaurants with during restaurant week? Join ladies from Wonderful Women Without Kids and head to the Amazonia rooftop restaurant for Peruvian food cuisine. Friday 1/31. $55 for a multi-course meal.
• ​One of NYC’s best joke writers, Pedro Gonzales, will perform live comedy this weekend with his hilarious stories about life as an immigrant, husband, and dad. Friday 1/31. $30+
• Watch Bill Murray in a classic romantic comedy about a weatherman stuck in a time loop. Book your tickets for the Groundhog Day! Friday 1/31. $8.
• ​Satisfy your inner bookworm with book classics or do book-inspired crafting and take home cozy merch like bookmarks, candles, and blankets at this book fair. Friday 1/31. $15.
• Learn how to tone your core & glutes with a resistance band with this 3-part series booty bands class. Friday 1/31. $30.

Saturday

• Potterheads will love this Hogwarts-themed festival featuring cosplay contests and a sorting hat ceremony. Don’t forget to dress in your house colors and robes! Saturday 2/1. $18 early bird price.
• If you’re someone who want to help in emergencies, there’s a FREE CPR training that features basics of hands-only CPR, AED awareness, and Narcan administration. Saturday 2/1. Free.
• ​Bring your seeds to swap, win the best nametag contest, and get new garden books to take home or swap. Saturday 2/1. $20.
• You can join the History Lovers group as they tour around the Old Post Office Tower and get to know each other over lunch afterwards. Saturday 2/1. Free.
• Find your Asian taste at the Lunar New Year Market where there’s food, artisans, makers, and lion dances to watch. Saturday 2/1. Free.
• Join this beginner self-defense karate and learn Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate in a small and friendly class. Saturday 2/1. Free.
• ​Talk, write, and play about death topics at this death doula pop-up. You get to write your own obituary, play death deck, and make nature mandalas. Saturday 2/1. Free.

Sunday

• Love Japanese art exhibits? Friends from the 40s and 50s Exploring DMV group will go see the early 20th century Japanese printmaking at the National Museum of Asian Art. Sunday 2/2. Free.
• Raise plants from the ground up by learning how to care for a seed from selection to potting. Sunday 2/2. $5.
• Come to Lunar New Year parade with the travel community from Maryland travel meetup group and enjoy a rain or shine parade of culture. Sunday 2/2. Free.
• ​Another puzzle swap for the jigsaw and puzzle book lovers! Bring your preloved crosswords, sudoku, logic puzzles, and brain teasers for a swap. Sunday 2/2. Free.
• Come to Dupont Circle Fountain on Groundhog Day and meet Potomac Phil at 8:30 AM sharp and find out if we’re in for six more weeks of winter or spring will arrive early. Sunday 2/2. Free.
• ​Run for Potomac Phil 5k around Dupont Circle before the National Groundhog casts his final judgment on weather predictions. Happens 7 AM before Potomac Phil appears at 8:30 AM. Sunday 2/2. Free.
• ​Join the streets of DC Chinatown this week for the Year 4,723 Lunar New Year Parade and see firecracker shows, asian bites, and photo ops. Sunday 2/2. Free.
• Eat lots of tots and build your own bowl of 15+ tot toppers this National Tater Tot Day at Calico DC. Sunday 2/2. Free.
• Enjoy a day hike with resident Groundhogs at Wolf Trap National Park. This is a medium-difficulty hike. Sunday 2/2. Free.

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Next Week

• ​Fiji Blue will be live at DC9 Nightclub for indie and R&B. Tuesday 2/4. $20+.
• Learn shading and color theory by painting landscapes through perspective with this art class series. Tuesday 2/4. Free.
• Watch modern dance performances from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where they present contemporary favorites, and the signature Ailey classic Revelations played to over 25 million people in the world. Tuesday 2/4 to Sunday 2/9. $50+.
• February's Phillips After 5 is focused on love: appreciate art while joining a singles happy hour and listening to Cinema Hearts. Thursday 2/6. $20.
• See this art exhibit featuring a century of black art and take home personalized poems created just for you + chocolate treats. Thursday 2/6. Free.
• A DC nonprofit is holding a night skating fundraiser to help research and design students around DC. You can help by purchasing a ticket for entrance and skate rentals. Thursday 2/6. $18.
• ​Play ping pong or have fun with bingo while meeting other singles. Friday 2/7. $25.
• There’s a yoga class with Dira Hansen and a panel discussion you can join on Friday 2/7. Free.
• Enjoy this romantic lineup of love stories and movies at The Miracle DC. Perfect for a cozy movie date night. Every Friday until 2/28. Free.
• Floral fans can get a live floral arrangement demo plus time to play with a variety of flowers. Bring flowers and a vase, then join the flower potluck to swap and share. Saturday 2/8. $45.
• Nevermind Valentines. Have a Galentines wine tasting with salty snacks and cheeses at The Eastern for the ultimate girl dinner. Last tasting was sold out, so don’t miss this one! Saturday 2/8. $55.
• Bring your family, partner, or friend for a couples candle making workshop this Valentine’s and enjoy a BOGO 50% off. Saturday 2/8. $24+.
• ​Watch this FREE screening of "The Outrun," based on Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir adaptation on addiction and recovery. Sunday 2/9. Free.
• Don’t miss this art show of over 500 pieces from DMV women and non-binary artists, plus panel discussions, popups, and a final pitch competition for the SHE:DC Microgrant. Starts March, but artists and makers can apply through Sunday 2/9.
• Have an old puzzle to swap? Trade used puzzles for preloved ones at the Library on Sunday 2/9. Free.
• ​Spend Love Day with yourself and caring for your well-being with this 90-minute self-love wellness workshop. Sunday 2/9. $40.

Further Out

• Need to practice Spanish? Go to this Spanish social hour with the Spanish Conversation Practice Meetup group and play activities that encourage you to speak Spanish. Tuesday 2/11. Free.
• If you need help with your Valentine's card, you can join the Valentine card making session with the Arboretum on Wednesday 2/12. Free.
• ​If you’re eyeing a soulmate right now, you can get guided practices on how to raise your vibration, connect with intuition, and attract extraordinary love. Thursday 2/13. Free.
• There’s a free concert series coming to DC by the National Symphony Orchestra. Enjoy new music, see masterworks, and world-class guests. Runs Thursday 2/13 to Wednesday 2/19. Free.
• There’s a charming and fun new play by Bob Bartlett about records and romance. Opening night on Thursday 2/13. $35.
• Dance to your favorite cover hits from Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, Alanis Morissette, and Maroon 5. This is a Valentine’s cover show benefit to support music education programs for DC’s queer and femme youth. Thursday 2/13. $20.
• ​Dress in your best Goddess outfit in pink, roses, pearls, and gold leaf crowns for this Galentine’s Day Goddess Party. Bring your besties! Thursday 2/13. $10.
• If you want an irreverent celebration of love, check out A Date With John Waters on Valentine's Day in his home town of Baltimore. Friday 2/14. $56+.
• If you need a good dancing session with your partner, join this beginner-friendly Salsa dance class and spend a fun dancing night for Valentine’s Day. Friday 2/14. $42.
• You’ll love this comedy night at DC Comedy Clubhouse for Valentine’s Day. Friday 2/14. $20.
• ​Learn expert tips in decorating cakes, cookies, and sip drinks while you’re at it. Perfect for a Galentine’s date night! Friday 2/14. $90+.
• There’s a Goat + Bingo special for players looking for fun while celebrating love this Valentines Day. Friday 2/14. $40.
• Listen to live Indie tunes while painting your own pottery pieces with friends or a special someone this Valentine's Day. Friday 2/14. $6.
• ​Eat sweet strawberries and make hearts day cards for your loved ones on Friday 2/14. Free.
• ​Volunteer for the marsh area around Jones Point Park by picking up trash, litter, and maintaining the trail. Saturday 2/15. Free.
• This exclusive speakeasy evening features Edgar Allan Poe’s most beloved stories and four classic cocktails to make it worthwhile. Thursday 2/20 to Saturday 2/22. $55.*
• Learn to make Argentinian empanadas at La Cosecha. Learn to make empanadas filled with ground beef, vegetables, and eggs in this hands-on class. Thursday 2/20 & 2/27. $69.*
• ​Casey Trees needs volunteers to help weed, mulch, and water the newly planted trees around Brentwood Reservoir. Saturday 2/22. Free.
• This sip & swap is a much awaited one. Ready your preloved items for new swaps, then sip drinks or play pinball afterwards. Crafts and floral arrangements also available. Saturday 2/22. Free.
• Chefs from local restaurants will have a chili cook-off at Lower Georgia Ave and you can taste & judge their best dishes for the People's Choice Award. Last year had ~10 different restaurants to taste (and I was a judge!). Sunday 2/23. Free (with VIP option).*
• This book club is perfect for burned out and busy bookworms who wants little commitment. Discuss short books, stories, and essays. Sunday 2/23. Free.
• Bingo Loco is a bingo rave party where comedian MCs, lip-sync battles, dance-offs, confetti, CO2 cannons, and of course, bingo happens in one night. Saturday 3/1. $33. *
• ​Celebrate Mardi Gras with special bites at food stations and exclusive cocktails from Korean-inspired and New Orleans classics. Saturday 3/1. $150.
• ​Awesome Con 2025 is coming to Washington DC and they're bringing special celebrity guests, comic con panels, screenings, and exclusive exhibits for fans of anime, comics, movies, and games! Friday 4/4. $20
• Ready for the best vintage finds around DMV? Find vintage fits, accessories, vinyls, glassware, books, and more old stuffs! Tickets required. Saturday 4/12. $5+.

Know of something cool happening? Submit an event for consideration!

* 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.