Washington, D.C

Things to do in the DC area: Ways to celebrate Black History Month … and more! – WTOP News

Published

2 years ago

February 1, 2024

Things to do in the DC area: Ways to celebrate Black History Month … and more! – WTOP News

There’s so much to do in the D.C. area in the coming days, and WTOP has you covered with our weekly roundup of area events worth anticipating.

Throughout February, WTOP is celebrating Black History Month. Join us on air and online as we bring you the stories, people and places that make up our diverse community.

There’s so much to do in the D.C. area in the coming days, and WTOP has you covered with our weekly roundup of area events worth anticipating.

Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the D.C. area.

First, the Washington National Cathedral is hosting the inaugural “Onward and Upward” event on Feb. 3. Michele Fowlin, the associate director for contemporary music at the Washington National Cathedral, said the event, which will include spoken word, dance and music, will feature three local youth ensembles. They include Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel, the Katherine Smith Contemporary Dance Ensemble and the SE Tennis and Learning Center’s “Blacks in Wax.”

“What we have on stage with these three dynamic youth ensembles, in three varying performing arts mediums, is what the masses really represent, which is excellence, and a progression that represents the African American legacy and history,” Fowlin told WTOP.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History is hosting a discussion on the Black presence in Sci-Fi, animé and comics on Feb. 1. The event is free and open to the public.

On Feb. 3, the DMV Does social networking meetup group is organizing a pop-up market and vendor fair focused on Black-owned brands and makers.

Running from Feb. 6 through April 21, Tudor Place in Georgetown is hosting a guided tour that will explore the people of African descent who lived and worked at the mansion for generations. Tours have a capacity of 10 guests.

Across two days, the D.C. Black History Film Festival will screen a lineup of films, first at the Lincoln Theater on Feb. 9 and then at the Alamo Cinema Drafthouse in D.C. on Feb. 10.

Other film screenings in the region include “Invisible Beauty,” a documentary set for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Feb. 1. The film is about the life and career of model-turned-activist Bethann Hardison. The library is also hosting a D.C. Tech Meetup on Feb. 7 as well as a screening of the film, “Free the People,” on Feb. 25, which details D.C.’s 2020 Black Lives Matter movement.

For those seeking virtual opportunities, Lawrence M. Jackson, associate professor of dance at George Mason University, explores how Black dance keeps African cultural traditions alive on Feb. 22 with a Zoom presentation.

THEARC in Southeast D.C. is also marking the 206th anniversary of Frederick Douglass’s birth on Feb. 10 with a program that includes a special panel presentation about the upcoming Broadway musical about Frederick Douglass titled, “American Prophet.”

If you want to stretch your trivia muscles, there will be a Black History Month-themed trivia night at the House of Comedy & Jazz in Lanham, Maryland, on Feb. 18. Expect cash prizes, giveaways and drink specials.

“A Spectacular Black Girl Art Show Tour” is hosting an evening of creativity on Feb. 18. Only artworks by Black women artists will be showcased. Enjoy cocktails and bites, plus a DJ and lots of mingling. The event is in College Park, Maryland.

Elsewhere, in Alexandria, Virginia, the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices ensemble is performing at the Alexandria Lyceum in an exploration of the Gullah-Geechee culture and life in St. Simons Island, Georgia. The event is on Feb. 18.

The Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library in Alexandria, Virginia, is also hosting an interactive theater performance, perfect for children in Kindergarten through fifth grade. On Feb. 27, guests will be able to meet groundbreakers from Black history, such as George Washington Carver, Madame C.J. Walker and Thurgood Marshall.

Restaurant, bar, bookstore and community gathering place Busboys and Poets is hosting several events throughout February, including a presentation by Clay Cane, which is coming to the 14th & V location on Feb. 4. The presentation will cover his book, “The Grift,” which chronicles the history of Black Republicans. There will also be a community forum on mental health in the Black community on Feb. 2 at the 14th & V location.

The National Gallery of Art’s East Building Auditorium is hosting the D.C. premiere of Scottish-based playwright and performer Adura Onashile’s first feature film, “Girl.” This 87-minute film tells the story of an 11-year-old girl and her mother who try to find refuge in Glasgow after leaving their homeland of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The screening is on Feb. 3.

The public can also learn about D.C. artists Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam and make art inspired by them on Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the East Building.

This Smithsonian has a variety of events coming up in February to celebrate Black History Month.

At the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), the Sweet Home Café will join food and hospitality with special menu takeovers by select chefs from across the country. One of the chefs is Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” Season 15 finalist Chris Scott, who will serve his special menu on Feb. 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Every Monday, the NMAAHC is also hosting guided, 40-minute meditation sessions.

Here’s what else is happening in the D.C. area.

DC

The North Star Project
This multigenerational and multidisciplinary choreographic dance project is “a celebration of the pursuit of freedom and the celebration of resilience.” The dance performance is Feb. 3.

Vroom Vroom … A D.C. Dyke Night Tea Party
The DC9 Nightclub is hosting a rooftop dyke night tea dance party on Feb. 4. The event is free.

“The Palacios Sisters”
After being hit by cybercrime, the GALA Hispanic Theatre is proving the show must go on with their production, “Las Hermanas Palacios,” or “The Palacios Sisters.” Set in 1985, the play blends the story of Anton Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” with modern history.

Maryland

Cupid’s Undie Run
On Feb. 3, this fun run in Timonium, Maryland, invites participants to strip to their underwear for charity. Proceeds benefit Neurofibromatosis research.

“Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Soprano”
Starting Feb. 7, Olney Theatre Center in Olney, Maryland, is running a gender-swapped adaptation of his 1989 Broadway hit, “Lend Me A Tenor.” The musical, which has been described as a “dizzying amount of fun” by The Houston Chronicle, runs through March 10.

SPRUNG! Comedy Festival
Be prepared to laugh. This five-day comedy festival in Silver Spring, Maryland, begins Feb. 7 with the “MOTHER of All Comedy Shows.” A portion of the proceeds go toward a stand up comedy incubator that focuses on amplifying diverse voices.

Virginia

The Washington Roast
Some of the DMV’s best comedians will face off at Jammin Java on Feb. 1. The Washington Roast is a blend of stand up, sketch and improv with audience applause to determine each winner.

Alexandria Boutique Warehouse Sale
Get ready to shop until you drop. For its 20th year, this warehouse sale in Alexandria, Virginia, will take place over two days, on Feb. 3 and 4. Over 50 local independent boutiques are participating along King Streets and select side streets with up to 80% off retail prices.

Rosanne Cash
For two days, on Feb. 6 and 7, singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash is celebrating the 30th anniversary remastered and expanded edition of her album, “The Wheel,” at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia.

Have an event you’d like featured in WTOP’s Things to do in the DC area weekly guide? Fill out this contact form to have your event considered.

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Washington, D.C

Lime updates subscription service for frequent riders in DC – WTOP News

Published

11 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Lime updates subscription service for frequent riders in DC – WTOP News

Lime, the company behind those bright green scooters and bikes you may often see zooming around D.C. or lying on the sidewalk, is updating its monthly subscription service, aimed at making rides more affordable for its frequent users.

In a news release Tuesday, Lime said its monthly subscription that starts at $5.99/month for D.C. riders will also introduce flat-rate pricing of $2.50 for rides up to 20 minutes and $1.25 for rides under five minutes.

Every ride will be subject to a flat rate, instead of a per-minute cost. Subscribed members also get unlimited free unlocking and discounted flat-rate pricing for trips under five minutes.

Devin Rote, the global integrated marketing lead at Lime, told WTOP the goal with the update is “to make the choice to utilize micro-mobility and more sustainable travel options easier for users across the D.C. region.”

Rote said as we enter the spring season, Lime sees an increase in trips as the city also sees a rise in tourism.

“Especially through cherry blossom season, Nationals baseball season, and everything that a great, warm weather season brings here in the D.C. region. For us, really, this is the start of busy season,” he said.

There are over 7,000 of the dockless e-bikes and scooters around D.C. They go up to 18 mph — down from 20 mph in November — and users must be at least 18 to ride.

WTOP’s John Wordock contributed to this report.

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Washington, D.C

A Virginia boater is suing a DC utility for the Potomac River sewage spill

Published

23 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

A Virginia boater is suing a DC utility for the Potomac River sewage spill

A Virginia boater is suing a Washington water utility for negligence in the collapse of a pipe that leaked millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River.

The class action lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, comes weeks after a January sewage pipe collapse, shooting wastewater out of the ground and into the river in an area just north of Washington, D.C. The spill is seen as a serious environmental blight and became the focus of political bickering between President Donald Trump and Democratic-led Maryland, where the leak occurred.

Dr. Nicholas Lailas, M.D., the plaintiff, is a Virginia resident and recreational boat user on the Potomac who is seeking compensation for people “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River … have been impaired by Defendant’s conduct.”

The lawsuit alleges that it was DC Water’s responsibility as the owner and operator of the ruptured pipe, known as the Potomac Interceptor, to maintain it in a “reasonably safe condition and to prevent foreseeable harm to persons and property.”

The lawsuit said that preliminary data indicate that there are thousands of people who own property or vessels in the affected parts of the Potomac.

Andrew Levetown, an attorney for the plaintiff, said in an interview Monday that it will take time to get the full breadth of the class, with business owners, property owners and recreational users all having interest in the potential damages caused by the Jan. 19 collapse and leak.

“You’re going to have businesses who lose business because instead of sitting next to the Potomac, their clients are sitting next to the open sewer,” he said.

The suit did not specify a damage amount. DC Water spokesperson John Lisle said in a statement that the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor was “a serious and unexpected event, and our teams remain focused on the response, environmental protection, and restoration efforts. Because this matter is currently subject to ongoing litigation, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared an emergency Feb. 18 and requested that President Donald Trump provide federal resources to help the city fight the leak that dumped 250 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River in its early stages. The president approved the emergency assistance days later to help the city address the emergency.

DC Water gave its most detailed assessment yet of why the Potomac River sewage spill occurred and what it will take to fix it. News4’s Mark Segraves reports.

DC Water said it knew the pipe, first installed in the 1960s, was deteriorating, and rehabilitation work on a section about a quarter-mile (400 meters) from the break began in September and was recently completed. The pipe that ruptured was scheduled for repair this summer.

DC Water’s updates say the emergency repairs are beyond the halfway point and there are no flows into the river.

At a public briefing last week, officials with the utility said they were assessing the cause of the rupture, including whether the way the pipeline was initially constructed contributed to the emergency. David Gadis, the CEO of DC Water, said at that briefing that while it was too early to say definitively, “we are seeing indication that this incident may have been highly unusual.”

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Washington, D.C

Route for Freedom 250 Grand Prix in DC debuted at the National Mall

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Route for Freedom 250 Grand Prix in DC debuted at the National Mall

WASHINGTON — Get ready to start your engines, DC.

Officials unveiled the 1.66-mile circuit route Monday, where race cars will be zooming around the National Mall in August for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in celebration of America’s birthday.

The seven‑turn layout features views of the Washington Monument, US Capitol, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and part of Pennsylvania Avenue, IndyCar announced.

“This was a team effort,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “It’s Penske, it’s FOX, it’s the mayor, it’s Interior, it’s everybody else joining together not to make a profit, not to get your name out there but to say, let’s celebrate America.”

“Let’s celebrate America’s birthday.”

The first-ever street race around the National Mall will take place from Aug. 22-23, with the course itself set to be built up during the summer.

Drivers will also blast past the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum, with a pit lane on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Officials debuted a red, white, and blue “Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar” design Monday to honor the upcoming 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

“We want people to plan their trips to D.C. now,” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “Come for the Freedom 250, and then stay to enjoy our monuments and museums, our beautiful parks, world-class restaurants and hotels, and all the culture and entertainment that make us the best city in the world.”

President Trump took executive action back in January, tasking Duffy and Secretary of the Interior Sean Duffy to coordinate with Bowser on planning the feted event.

“The story of America is one of vision, courage, perseverance – and speed,” Monica Crowley, Trump’s representative for America’s 250th, said in a statement.

“Presidents Washington and Jefferson marked notable celebrations with spirited horse races; the Freedom 250 race will bring that historic tradition into the 21st century and renew a tremendous sense of patriotic pride.”

Trump’s team is eyeing other major sports events to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, including a UFC fight at the White House. The US is also co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup over the summer.

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