Washington, D.C

List: What to do in the DC area this week and weekend, Jan. 13-19

Published

11 months ago

January 14, 2025

List: What to do in the DC area this week and weekend, Jan. 13-19

We share the best things to do every weekend in The Weekend Scene newsletter – it’s completely free to subscribe!

Call it D.C.’s biggest hits: Pandas, the Commanders, MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade are all on tap this week – and that’s before we even get to Inauguration Day!

Of course, if you want to see a panda this week, you must be a National Zoo member. But anyone can grab their free pass to visit the National Zoo once the pandas make their public debut on Jan. 24. The only thing you’ll need to see the pandas is your zoo pass… plus, patience and warm clothes. Expect a line to get into the panda habitat!

But everyone can watch the Commanders face the Lions at 8 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, sixth-seeded Washington upset the No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Can they clinch against the division leader? Every sports bar will be screening this highly anticipated showdown.

Here’s what else to do this week in the Washington, D.C. area.

What to do in Washington, D.C.

Hands-on Landscape Painting with Paloma Vianey: Weds., 6-8 p.m., Phillips@THEARC, 1801 Mississippi Ave, SE, free but registration required

NMWA Nights: Weds., 5:30 to 8 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, $25

DC Improv Date Night: Weds., 7:30 p.m., DC Improv, $99 for food and drink package or $15 for general admission

Rock the Rink at The Wharf: Thurs., 6-10 p.m., The Wharf Ice Rink, anyone in Capitals gear gets $5 off admission

National Symphony Orchestra on the Millennium Stage: Fri., 6 p.m., The Kennedy Center, free but arrive early to get tickets

MLK Shabbat: Visions of Freedom and Justice: Fri., 7 p.m., Sixth & I, free

Concert: Mo Lowda & The Humble and Illiterate Light: Fri., 8 p.m., 9:30 Club, $25

20th Annual MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade: Sat., 11 a.m., Entertainment & Sports Arena, free

MLK Day of Service: Pope Branch Park cleanup with Anacostia Riverkeeper: Sat., 2900 M Place Southeast, free

Nerd Nite irreverent lecture series: Sat., doors 6 p.m., DC9, $10 (in advance) or $15 (day of)

Black A** Comedy: Sat., 7 p.m., Busboys and Poets 14th Street, $25

Charli x Sabrina x Chappell Dance Party: Sat., Black Cat, $10

Defying Gravity: A Wicked Party: Sat., Union Stage, $15+

Ye Olde Feast of Saint Vincent of Zaragossa!: Sun., 2 p.m., St. Vincent Wine at 3212 Georgia Ave NW, $72

Let Freedom Ring Celebration featuring Christopher Jackson and esperanza spalding, hosted by Taye Diggs: Sun., 7:30 p.m. The Kennedy Center, free (note: ticket giveaway begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Hall of Nations, limited to two tickets per person)

Union Stage Presents: Rare Essence , EU feat. Sugar Bear, DCVybe: Sun., 8:30 p.m., Howard Theatre, $55

Last chance – “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”: Through Sun., the National Gallery of Art, free

What to do in Maryland

Theater: “What the Constitution Means to Me”: Jan. 15 to Feb. 16, Round House Theatre, $50+

SA-ROC (+ DJ OSO Fresh After Party): Fri., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, $35

Yoga at Brookside Gardens: Sat., 9:30 a.m., Wheaton, $14

Say It Loud: A Celebration of the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Sat., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown

Be’la Dona Brunch: Sun., 2 p.m., Bethesda Theater, $41.45 (including fees)

“Paper Dreams” at Imagination Stage: Through Feb. 16, Bethesda, $19.50

What to do in Virginia

Sean Gavin and Josh Dukes in Concert: Thurs., 7-9 p.m., Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, $25 ($10 under 18)

Comedy – Justin Martindale: Fri. and Sat., Arlington Cinema Drafthouse, $20

Silly Suds: Humorous Soapmaking Workshop: Sat., 9 a.m. to noon, Del Ray Artisans Gallery in Alexandria, $45-$55, plus $10 supply fee (must register by Weds.)

NOVA Wine Expo: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dulles Expo Center, $40+

Presidential Transitions Lecture & Historic Document Viewing: Sat., noon to 3 p.m., George Washington Presidential Library, $10

La Vang Lunar New Year Festival: Sat. and Sun., Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, $10 ($5 with student ID or for kids 2 to 11)

Comedy Night in Leesburg Presented By The DC Improv: Sat., Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, $20-$32

Ice & Lights-The Winter Village at Cameron Run: Through Feb. 23, Cameron Run Regional Park in Alexandria, $8.55+

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

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Washington, D.C

DC leaders considering transit options for new RFK Stadium

Published

2 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

DC leaders considering transit options for new RFK Stadium

The Commanders are set to build a new stadium in D.C., and the debate over how fans will get to and from games is happening right now. On Wednesday, city leaders will join Metro and the Washington Commanders to talk stadium transit.

Posted December 17, 2025 2:05am EST

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Washington, D.C

D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

TNND — A new report from the House Oversight Committee alleges former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to manipulate crime data. The committee released the report on Sunday, less than a week after Smith announced she was stepping down.

You’re lulling people into this false sense of security. They might go places they wouldn’t ordinarily go. They might do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association.

Included in the report were transcribed interviews with the commanders of all seven D.C. patrol districts and the former commander currently on suspended leave. One was asked, “Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?” Their response, “Yes, I mean extremethere’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration.”

Every single person who lives, works, or visits the District of Columbia deserves a safe city, yet it’s now clear the American people were deliberately kept in the dark about the true crime rates in our nation’s capital,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement.

“They are going to have to regain the public trust. Again, this is a huge integrity issue,” Brantner Smith said.

Among the reports findings, Smith’s alleged pressured campaign against staff led to inaccurate crime data. Smith punished or removed officers for reporting accurate crime numbers. Smith fostered a toxic culture and President Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in D.C. is working.

While Smith has not yet publicly responded to the report, she’s previously denied allegations of manipulating crime data, saying the investigation did not play a factor into her decision to step down at the end of the year.

My decision was not factored into anything with respect to, other than the fact that it’s time. I’ve had 28 years in law enforcement. I’ve had some time to think with my family,” Smith said earlier this month.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also released a statement Monday, writing in part that “the interim report betrays its bias from the outset, admitting that it was rushed to release.”

According to crime stats from the Metropolitan Police Department, since the federal law enforcement surge started in August, total violent crime is down 26%. Homicides are down 12% and carjackings 37%.

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Washington, D.C

National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

Published

2 days ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

The first candle lit on the National Menorah near the White House in Washington, D.C., marked the first night of Hanukkah — and solemnly honored victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.

The National Menorah Lighting was held Sunday night, hours after gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, and over three dozen others were being treated at hospitals.

Authorities in Australia said it was a terrorist attack targeting Jewish people.

Organizers behind the National Menorah Lighting said the news from Australia, along with the bitter cold, forced them to consider whether or not to hold the annual event.

After consulting with local law enforcement, National Menorah Lighting organizers decided to hold the event and honor the victims.

Several D.C.-area police departments issued statements confirming there are no known threats to local communities, but are monitoring just in case.

Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich condemned the attack and said community safety is a priority.

“Acts of antisemitism, especially those meant to intimidate families and communities during moments of gathering and celebration, must be called out clearly and condemned without hesitation,” Elrich said. “I have heard directly from members of Montgomery County’s Jewish community who are shaken and concerned, and I want them to know that their safety is a priority.”

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