The city is gearing up for pre-Halloween activities this weekend, Oct. 19 to 21, with varied events involving costumes, pumpkins, apple cider, autumn leaves and kids’ trick-or-treating. Adults can visit homes not for trick-or-treating but instead for house tours in both Capitol Hill and Dupont Circle.
The beautiful weather that the District has had this week will continue for most of the weekend, with a mix of sunny and cloudy conditions with just a 20 percent chance of rain on Saturday. Temperatures are predicted to dip down to 37 degrees on Sunday, so bundle up!
- Food & Drink: Catch the end of DC Food Recovery Week with two remaining events this weekend. First, enjoy a happy hour on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at ANXO Cidery & Pintxos Bar, 300 Florida Ave. NW. They’ll be serving a cider made especially for this week: S.A.O. (Save Our Apples!). Then learn to stop wasting food at home during a talk on Saturday from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Library, 3160 16th St. NW. The first eight people there will receive a copy of Waste Free Kitchen Handbook by Dana Gunders. (The last event of the week, Saturday’s RescueDish Restaurant Walking Tour, is sold out.) Connect on social media with #NoFoodWasteDC.
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Literature: The fifth annual East of the River Book Festival highlights small, independent writers, publishers and bookshops across genres. Attendees of all ages are welcome to wear a costume that shows off their favorite literary figure. While the special-interest panel discussions and seminars are full, general admission is still open — and free. The fest is on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School, 2427 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE.
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Physical Recreation: Take in the autumn weather with the Grand Harvest Ride on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. The family-friendly event is presented by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association along with Capital Bikeshare, the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys and Seabury Resources for Aging. Capital Bikeshare will have bikes available for those who need them. Come prepared with the required helmet for safety. Meet at Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), 1801 Mississippi Ave. SE and then ride along the Oxon Run Trail, one of the city’s newest bike trails. The day finishes back at THEARC for snacks, music and prizes. Register online at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association website.
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Ward 3 Neighborhoods: Carve a Halloween pumpkin while you pick up some produce this Saturday at the Van Ness Farmers Market. The event is free, and all carving supplies will be provided. The Children’s Language Center and CommuniKids, which have locations in DC and Falls Church, are hosting the pre-Halloween event in front of the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, 4340 Connecticut Ave. NW. Pumpkin carving is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; the farmers market is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Ward 6 Neighborhoods: Take the Renovator’s House Tour on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Thirteen homes are featured on a self-guided tour that takes about three hours to complete. Attendees will receive booklets that provide information about the homes. Since the tour includes private residences, it’s advised that young children not attend to prevent property damage. Ages 14 and older need to have tickets, which cost $25. All proceeds from the event — first held in 2001 — support the Capitol Hill Cluster School, which encompasses Peabody Early Childhood Education Center, Watkins Elementary and Stuart-Hobson Middle. Since the featured homes span a large area, bike or car are the recommended means of transportation.
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Ward 2 Neighborhoods: Another house tour is also on tap for Sunday: the Dupont Circle Citizens Association House Tour. This is the 51st year that this tour has been organized by the association to showcase nearby institutions and private homes. The event is from noon to 5 p.m. and focuses on sites just northeast of the neighborhood’s namesake park. Tickets can be purchased online until midnight Saturday for $40 for one person and $75 for a couple; they will be available on the day of the tour for $50 per person at the Dupont Circle Resource Center at 9 Dupont Circle NW. Admission includes an afternoon tea at the historic Perry Belmont House. (Read more in The DC Line’s Oct. 12 article about this and several other DC tours this fall.)
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Culture: The 11th annual Kids Euro Festival brings European entertainers to DC for two weeks of free performances for children, including concerts, workshops, storytelling, puppetry, dance, magic and film. School groups are welcome to join the more than 10,000 DC youth and families that attend every year. The festival seeks to foster understanding of various European arts and cultures while linking with the DC education sector. The event is produced by the European Union Delegation to the United States, the European-American Cultural Foundation, the DC Public Library, DC Public Schools, the DC Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative and Washington Performing Arts, along with other hosts and sponsors. Activities begin on Saturday with a full day of events for children with disabilities and run until Sunday, Nov 4. Details are available on the website, but you can also download the EU app for more details, including how to register for the free festival.
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Community: Give your Halloween costume a test-run at DC Fray’s Halloween Scavenger Hunt this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participation involves food, drinks and games at 10 locations across DC, starting at Balance Gym’s Thomas Circle location (1339 Green Court NW) and concluding at Dacha Beer Garden (1600 7th St. NW). Tickets cost $16.66, with a chance for winners to receive prizes. Since the event involves alcohol, it is only for those 21 and over.
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Family-Friendly Fest: Boo at the Zoo is this weekend at the National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. The evenings include a Boo at the Zoo trick-or-treat bag, over 40 treat stations, live entertainment, opportunities to learn about the zoo, and special after-hours access to portions of the zoo (the Great Ape House, the Kids’ Farm, and — for an extra fee — rides on the Speedwell Conservation Carousel are just some options). The event takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets purchased online are $20 for members of the Friends of the National Zoo group and $30 for non-members; prices increase by $10 per ticket at the gate. All visitors over the age of 2 require tickets. The event is meant for children ages 4 to 12 years old, but adults are welcome to purchase passes as well. Parking for all three nights is sold out, so attendees are advised to find alternative transportation, such as Metro or the Big Bus Tours shuttle.
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Causes: Get festive for a good cause on Sunday at Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals of Washington, DC’s fourth annual PumpkinFest at Wunder Garten beer garden and event space, 1101 1st St. NE. Carve pumpkins, listen to live music, enjoy seasonal beer and food from CaliBurger, and enter to win prizes from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $25 and cover the pumpkin and carving materials, with pumpkins donated by Butler’s Orchard in Maryland. Proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity DC, which provides housing for people throughout the city.
[…] Following last weekend’s kid-friendly Boo at the Zoo, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo will host an adults-only Halloween event, Night of the Living […]