Don't Miss This Week
Howard University's homecoming lands squarely in this issue, and the
headliner is HU Homecoming: The Reunion featuring Method Man on
Saturday, October 17 — a rare big-name hip-hop booking tied to one of
DC's longest-running campus traditions.
Same day, same spirit: the 5th Annual Howard Homecoming Blaque Mecca
Block Party turns the neighborhood into a street festival, now in its
fifth year and worth building a Saturday around if you're anywhere
near Howard's campus.
Thursday, October 15
On screen: The Middleburg Film Festival opens out in Loudoun's horse
country, while closer in, Alexandria Oddball Cinema keeps its streak
of rare, eclectic film finds going at the library.
Talks worth your evening: Stories from Our Federal Employees brings
firsthand accounts of international diplomacy and humanitarian work
from former USAID staff, and over at DC Public Library, Author Talk:
Shirley M. Marshall digs into local history and the women's suffrage
movement in DC.
More: Live at SOAK: Push Play showcases local DC music, and A Grave
Misunderstanding Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre pairs dinner with an
interactive whodunit out in Loudoun.
Friday, October 16
For the curious: an Embassy Row Spy Tour with an ex-CIA Officer is the
kind of oddly specific DC outing that's hard to find anywhere else —
part walking tour, part tradecraft lesson.
Games and family: Fairfax County Library hosts Discover the Joy of
Mahjong , a hands-on introduction to the tile game, alongside an
American Innovations Scavenger Hunt for kids, while Loudoun teens get
an After Hours Teen Center: Clue Movie Party .
Book hunters: Fairfax has two sales running — the Friends of Fairfax
City Library Fall Children's Book Sale and the Friends of Oakton
Library Book Sale — both good bets for cheap reading before Halloween
break.
Saturday, October 17
Taste something new: Exploring the World of Tea with UppiTea is a
sensory workshop led by a professional tea sommelier, while French
Pastry 101 with Chef Wendi James at Hill Center goes hands-on with
croissants and technique.
Outside and playful: Ping Pong on the Plaza is an easy,
multigenerational way to spend a Saturday afternoon outdoors, and
Pokemon Palooza gives younger fans a high-energy library takeover.
More: DC's Friends Book Sale is a solid treasure-hunt stop for book lovers.
Sunday, October 18
Music all around: Hill Center's American Roots Concert Series brings
Horace Trahan & The Ossun Express to town, Loudoun's Live Music: KAZ
mixes East Coast jazz, rock, and folk, and Music BINGO turns a brewery
into a game night.
Homecoming continues: Rotimi & Loren LoRosa host the HU Homecoming
Karaoke + Comedy Brunch , and the International Runway Show & Pop Up
Shop adds a fashion angle to the weekend.
More: a Pokemon Scavenger Hunt gives families another reason to visit
the library this weekend.
Monday, October 19
Book clubs, reimagined: Books on Tap: "Intermezzo" moves the
discussion to a local pub, while the Escape Room Book Club: Rewind
turns the format into an interactive puzzle room.
Halloween warm-up: teens can enter the Capitol View Library Creative
Art Contest: Spooky House(s) , and the always-odd Evil Laugh Contest
is back for round one.
More: kids can Touch a Fire Truck , and Loudoun offers a practical
seasonal class, Overview of Home Canning .
Tuesday, October 20
Useful and civic: Loudoun's Become An Extension Master Gardener info
session is worth a look if you've ever wanted official backing for
your yard opinions, and Arlington hosts a practical Billing & Energy
Efficiency with Washington Gas workshop.
Make something: watch Artist-in-Residence: Brett Wilson work in real
time, or bring your own project to Makerspace: Open Sew Night .
More: the Burke Branch Friends, Inc. Book Sale has over 10,000 items
to dig through, and the Evil Laugh Contest returns for a second round.
Wednesday, October 21
Spooky season, properly: Halloween Storytime at Westover Library
covers the youngest crowd, Haunted Inns & Hotels in Virginia digs into
the state's reputedly haunted lodging, and the Strange Lands Book Club
discusses "The Ghost Bride."
More: Board Game Evening at Aurora Hills , Alexandria's Creatives's
Club: Celebrating Latinx Creatives , and Loudoun's Library Board of
Trustees Meeting round out the day.
Thursday, October 22
Food with a side of history: Smithsonian Associates' Stirred by the
Ages: A Dialogue Between Cocktails and History traces how history
shapes what's in your glass, and Impacting Taste: Regenerative Brands
Taste Test is a blind tasting built around sustainable food systems.
Civic and professional: Black Gov Tech's October Tech Mixer brings
together DC's tech community, and Arlington's Federal Workers Support
Group offers a space for those navigating recent federal workforce
changes.
More: Cuentos para niños / Stories for Children at Shirlington keeps
the bilingual storytime going.
Friday, October 23
Give a Shuck: A Taste of The Wharf turns the waterfront into a seafood
festival for the day, with Wharf restaurants, live music, and raffles.
Smithsonian Associates also hosts Jim Henson: A Creative Life in Six
Objects , a close look at the legacy of one of the region's own
creative icons.
More: teens have Brick and Chill: Teen LEGO® Hangout , and Loudoun
runs a genuinely useful Demystifying NEOGOV workshop on applying for
county jobs.
Saturday, October 24
Halloween in full swing: Pretty Boi Drag Presents: Murder in the
Stacks brings interactive drag theater to a local bookstore, the
Columbia Pike Film Club screens "Ready or Not," and Halloween Stories
& Mystery at Shirlington gives families their own spooky kickoff.
Also worth a stop: Lloyd Wolf: 50 Years Behind the Camera , a
retrospective from a longtime local photographer.
More: Alexandria's Community Repair Event and Arlington's Fall Friends
Book Sale round out the day.
Sunday, October 25
Close out the week at the Fall Friends Book Sale's Half Price Day for
deep discounts, or catch the Artist Talk for "Against All Odds" for an
inside look at a local gallery exhibition.
All Week
Teens can join the ongoing D&D Club for Teens for tabletop
role-playing. Aspiring filmmakers should check the Five-Minute Horror
Filmmaking Workshop . Fairfax has two more book sales going: Friends
of Oakton Library Book Sale and Friends of Pohick Library Book Sale .
The Great Decisions: The Future of Human Rights and International Law
discussion series continues for the civically minded. Loudoun's Heroes
vs. Villains Interactive Display is up for seasonal browsing. Kids can
craft at Kids Club: Creepy Clay Creatures in Arlington. Mystery fans
can join Fairfax's Muffins and Mysteries Book Club . Out in Loudoun,
the Murder Mystery Dinner is running throughout the week. Alexandria's
Creatives's Club: Celebrating Latinx Creatives offers another
culturally themed kids' art workshop.
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