World Pride is being held in DC this year, and the music festival lineup has been announced! Troye Sivan is headlining with J.Lo, with Raye, Tinashe, Kim Petras, RuPaul (DJ set), Disco Dom, Slayyyter, and Zedd in the undercard. Tickets on sale today.

But, there have been some changes as well. With Trump taking over the Kennedy Center board, the May 21 performance of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington DC has been cancelled. With news of Issa Rae and other performers cancelling their shows at the Kennedy Center in light of the leadership changes, the programming is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Valerie

Historic Photo of the Week

The District of Columbia Home Rule act of 1974 gave DC residents the right to the local self-determination we enjoy today, with elected mayors and council members. This button is a part of the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum's collection. Sadly, this is back in the news.

Want more historical photos? I post them daily on Facebook.

5th Annual Lower Georgia Ave Chili Cook Off

Taste chilis from 5 local restaurant chefs as they compete for small business grants. Attendance is free, but chili is first come, first serve.

Don't want to stress about tasting them all before they run out, or battling the crowds? Get a VIP ticket for only $25. Includes early access, guaranteed chili, a welcome drink, and more.

Come say hi! I'll be there with a VIP ticket and would love to chat.

​Sunday February 23, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM​

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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

Thursday

• 🎭There’s a charming and fun new play by Bob Bartlett about records and romance. Playing until Sunday 3/9. $45.
• 🍲 Sip your favorite wine while connecting with featured authors and supporting a community book drive for Books Breaking Borders. Thursday 2/20. Donation.
• 🖼️ Enjoy a rotating list of fresh local craft beers, cocktails, and wines in a 1921 biergarten setting while browsing through an exhibit of 1,000 objects from the Heurich Brewery. Open Thursday 2/20 to Saturday 2/22. Free.
• 🧠 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.*
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Bring your friends and family for an outdoor movie night. Bring blankets, chairs, and good company this Thursday 2/20. Free.
• 🍲 Join this community of chocolate lovers who enjoy talking and eating about chocolates. This month, they’re celebrating DC’s black chocolate makers with more bean-to-bar tastings! Thursday 2/20. $25.
• 🎭 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.*

Friday

• 🎭 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. $8.
• 🕺Watch the Black Arts Fest celebrate Black culture through cabaret performances and live music from DC’s top artists. Friday 2/21. Free, registration is required.
• 🕺Dance the cold winter away with hot nights of Salsa every third Friday for all months of 2025. Starts Friday 2/21. $12 early bird; $15 at the door.

Saturday

• 🏰 Tour the rich heritage of Asbury Church and learn about its 188-year legacy as the oldest church in Washington DC. Saturday 2/22. Free, DCPL members; $55 non-members.
• 🖌️ Stitch your personal story into your own fabric patch using salvaged textiles, trinkets, and upcycled materials. Saturday 2/22. Free.
• 🤝 Casey Trees needs volunteers to help weed, mulch, and water the newly planted trees around Brentwood Reservoir. Saturday 2/22. Free.
• 🤸 Compete for bike underground racing or spectate and enjoy the pop-up bar. If you want to race, signup is until Friday 2/21. Race happens Saturday 2/22. Free for spectators; $25 for racers.
• 🤸 All girlies will love this active session of tennis & yoga with sportswear and candlescent giveaways. Saturday 2/22. $40.
• 🍾 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.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Swap your old puzzles to find new ones this Saturday 2/22. Free.
• 📜 Listen to dramatic readings of conflicting history in the 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic, with guided discussions on health inequities from nurses, caregivers, and first responders. Saturday 2/22. Free.
• 🤝 Now’s the time to declutter your kitchen and swap unwanted kitchen items with others. There’s tea, scones, and a discussion on sustainable living. Saturday 2/22. $5.

Sunday

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Take your dog to a pet-friendly afternoon day out and enjoy 16 craft beers on tap with other fur parents. Sunday 2/23. 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).*
• 🤸 Stretch and relax with a yoga flow in the Great Hall of The National Building Museum. You’ll love the sound experience from ocean drums, chimes, gongs, and crystal bowls. Sunday 2/23. $30.
• 🎈 The largest record fair returns to DC for an extra special DC Record Fair at 9:30 Club. Sunday 2/23. $5 early bird; $2 after noon.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Share your inner comedian self with cards and friends from Hiking and Other Cool Stuff group. Sunday 2/23. Free.
• 🏞️ Explore DC’s urban trails with this point-to-point trek through SE Washington, with carpool arrangements from the endpoint to the starting point. Sunday 2/23. Free.
• 🖌️ Stitch, knit, and share your stories in a heartfelt conversation with other creative crafters. This is a space where it’s okay to craft, cry, and carry on. Sunday 2/23. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 This book club is perfect for burned out and busy bookworms who want little commitment. Discuss short books, stories, and essays. Sunday 2/23. Free.
• 🖌️ Prepare and bring a dish from Alexandra Stafford’s Bread Toast Crumbs to share with other bakers in a feast. Share your baking process and learn from others! Sunday 2/23. $15.

Get your life together

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Next Week

• 🍲 Taste and vote for the restaurant deserving of a Coquito Champion title. Monday 2/24. $25.
• 📜 Join in on a taboo (and fun) discussion about death and play everyone’s favorite death over drafts activity. Tuesday 2/25. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Stitch fiber crafts while chatting and drinking your favorite happy hour drinks at Paragon Thai. Tuesday 2/25. Free; $10 suggested donation.
• 🕺 Catch electronic indie band Balún’s genre-morphing, experimental sound inspired by reggaeton’s dembow pulse and dream pop. Thursday 2/27.
• 📜 Learn how regenerative farming can improve soil health, fight climate change, and help increase food access in a talk with local botanist experts. Thursday 2/27. Free, must pre-register.
• 🌐 Enjoy Ibero-American cultural activities and explore authentic culinary delights and beverages by 19 embassies. Friday 2/28. $120 early bird; $150 regular.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Sign up for the Smithsonian Scavenger Hunt for a whole adventure of solving trivias, taking photos, collecting items, earning points, and exploring the National Mall! You might even get early access to the newly reopened Air and Space Museum! Saturday 3/1. $20.
• 🎈 You don’t want to miss this fun Mardi Gras parade at The Wharf with floats, beads, fireworks, and live music until sundown. Saturday 3/1. Free.
• 🍲 Mexican food lovers should go explore the best taco and pupusa spots in DC, earn points, and vote your winner for the Battle of the Taco. Saturday 3/1. 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.*
• 🖌️ Does your inner child scream more creativity? Join this adult crafternoon for a fun crafting session with adult crafters. Saturday 3/1. Free.
• 🎈 Celebrate Mardi Gras with special bites at food stations and exclusive cocktails from Korean-inspired and New Orleans classics. Saturday 3/1. $150.
• 🌲 Experience art in a fun way with a bike ride around public arts scattered in Rockville. Sunday 3/2. Free.
• 🛍️ Getting married soon or attending one? Steal vintage wedding finds like dresses, antique jewelry, accessories, loungewear, and guest attire from over 10 vendors. Sunday 3/2. $15+.

Further Out

• 🍲 Surprise your tastes and senses with a blindfolded 3-course meal across three menus: meat, seafood, and veggies. Tuesday 3/4 and 4/8. $72.*
• 🍾 Be among the first to taste the Senate Bock, a century-old beer recipe from a 1948 report reimagined by brewing experts. Wednesday 3/5. Free.
• 📖 Listen to how DC’s 1976 Bicentennial shaped community engagement and self‑determination during a guided presentation by Heurich Humanities Scholar M.J. Rymsza Pawlowska. Thursday 3/6. Free RSVP.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Enjoy fun trivia about Women’s History Month, food, and drinks at Laredo’s while supporting Cleveland Park Main Street. Saturday 3/8. $15.
• 🍾 Sample 8 premium Irish whiskeys at 8 downtown bars during a fun, daylong whiskey walk within DC. Saturday 3/8. $29 early bird; $65 regular ticket.
• 📖 Love tarots or just curious? Join tarot enthusiasts from The Firefly House gather around a table of decks to discuss symbolism and practice readings. Saturday 3/8. Free.
• 🖌️ Learn brush pen calligraphy and enjoy 10% off light bites from local Catonsville bakeries. Saturday 3/8. $75.
• 🎭 Watch “We Are Guardians”, a free documentary that follows an Indigenous forest guardian and activist as they defend their territories against deforestation. Sunday 3/9. Free.
• 🖼️ The National Gallery Nights returns with better artmaking, performances & pop-up talks this time. Be on watch for their ticket lottery system the week before each themed evening. Runs Friday 3/14, 4/11 & 5/9. Free.
• 🎈 Celebrate India’s most colorful holiday in Dupont Circle Park with traditional dancing, live DJ sets, and powder throwing. Sunday 3/16. Free.
• 🖌️ Learn the basics of flower arranging and flower care then craft your own spring bouquet using seasonal favorites like tulips, ranunculus, and anemone. Tuesday 3/25.
• 🕺The Library of Congress is hosting a free Regency Ball around Martha Washington and Queen Charlotte, where attendees are encouraged to dress up. Tickets are available Tuesday 2/25 and will go quickly, event happens Thursday 3/27. Free.
• 🛍️ Snag some gently used merchandise finds at the tossed-and-found rummage sale at bargain prices. This is where I get most of my new clothes for the year. Saturday 3/29 to Sunday 3/30. Free admission.
• 🎈 Come to Spring Fair for eco-friendly crafts, gifts, eco-treats, and more goodies to enjoy the spring season. Sunday 3/30. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Join this fan-made survivor game at Rock Creek Park if you have what it takes to survive and win $250, sign up through Monday 3/31. $25 if you’re chosen to play.
• 🎈 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
• 🧠 Learning a new language? Find your language partner at this exchange happy hour. Expect many multi-linguists from DC Language and Cultural Exchange club. Friday 4/4. Free.
• 🖼️ 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+.
• 🎈 Healthy Homes Fair returns with 100+ exhibitors and an appliance “petting zoo” featuring the latest home technologies needed to decarbonize our homes. Win prizes and e-bike incentives. Saturday 5/10. Free.

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.