Things to Do This Weekend by Jade Womack

Remembering January 6

Here are some last-minute, low-commitment ideas for this weekend. For this week’s “What’s on our radar?” we are highlighting Volunteering Opportunities.

Please note though the ongoing public health crisis has caused many in-person events to be canceled or pivot to a virtual format.

Your Last Minute Weekend Plans

1. Remembering January 6. There is a candlelight vigil (Thurs, 🆓, 🌲, National Mall). Watch the film Insurrection (starts Thurs, 🆓, 🛋/💉, 14th St.) by Andres Serrano at CulturalDC’s Source Theatre; it combines historical footage, news segments, and online forums chronicling the events culminating on January 6, 2021.

2. A weekend full of performances. 💃 Attend the literary Struggle Magazine’s pre-launch event, which features a 10-minute play production (Thurs, $15, 🛋/💉, Truxton Circle). Watch a dance performance inspired by Sanford Biggers’s sand-floor installation (Sat, 🆓, 💻). Catch the Broadway musical comedy The Prom, which premiered earlier this week (ongoing, $49+, 🛋/💉, Kennedy Center).

3. A weekend full of art. 🖼 Listen to an artist talk by Helen C. Frederick explaining her work SANJEEVANI From Here to There (Sun, 🆓, 💻), which finds inspiration from a magical herb. Or stop by Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art and see Time Sensitive (until Sat, 🆓, 🛋/💻, Reston), an exhibition of works by Myanmar artist collective 3AM. Visit the Winter of Our Discontent exhibit (start Sat, 🆓, 🛋, Shaw) at its opening weekend at the Foundry Gallery. There’s also a closing reception for The Vanishing Half exhibit (Sun, 🆓, 🛋, Adams Morgan) at DC Arts Center.

4. Drinking 👐 things to do. Learn about brewing beer while visiting Atlas Brew Works (Sat, $20, 🛋, Ivy City). Shop at a local vendor pop-up (Sat, 🆓 entry, 🌲, Lamond Riggs) at 3 Stars Brewing Co. Paint watercolors (Fri, $20, 🛋, Union Market) while sipping on wine at Shop Made in DC. Bring your dog to the The Labrador Retrievers Rescue of Northern Virginia’s takeover of BarkHaus for a yappy hour (Sun, $10 daily pass entry, 🛋/🌲, Alexandria).

What Is On Our Radar: Volunteering Opportunities

Below are a list of volunteering opportunities that may interest you:

ASAP! 🩸 The Red Cross is experiencing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. And local INVOA Blood Services has an emergency need for blood, with their current inventory critically low due to cancellations from this week’s winter snowstorm. (anytime, 🆓, 🛋, various locations).
Jan 8 🚙 Help rejuvenate and clean-up Shepherd Parkway, which includes 197 acres of eastern hardwood forest, the remains of two Civil War forts, and two bald eagle nests, with Ward 8 Woods Conservancy (Sat, 🆓, 🌲, Congress Heights).
Jan 9 🗑 Join District Cleanups on their "cleaniversary" and pick up trash at the Capitol (Sun, 🆓, 🌲, Capitol Hill).
Jan 17 🌱 On Martin Luther King Jr. day, weed, mulch, and water young trees with Casey Trees at the Adas Israel Cemetery. No prior experience is required (Mon, 🆓, 🌲, Congress Heights).
Jan 22 ❤️ Wreaths Across America will be removing wreaths from the Arlington National Cemetery at their “Wreaths Out” event. Unlike the wreath-laying ceremonies, there is no public registration required (Sat, 🆓, 🌲, Arlington National Cemetery).
Jan 29 🌿 Remove invasive plants at Kingman Island, which is home to over 100 different species of birds, mammals, and other wildlife (Sat, 🆓, 🌲, Kingman and Heritage Island).
Various dates. 🧷 The DC Diaper Bank welcomes volunteers to help organize diapers, the Baby Pantry, and inventory. They invite individuals, but also families–they have a play space for children (various times, 🆓, 🛋, Silver Spring).

Thanks for reading!

Your Neighbor,

Jade (@clockoudc)