The National Building Museum will host "Family Afternoon: Newspaper Forts" on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Photo courtesy of the National Building Museum)
Arts and CultureUpcoming Events

The DC Lineup for this weekend: In step with the winter solstice

By Jennifer Anne Mitchell
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This weekend, Dec. 21-23, kicks off with the winter solstice at approximately 5:23 p.m. on Friday. This is the official start of winter, as well as the shortest day and longest night of the year. Traditionally, the solstice is a time to feast, celebrate with loved ones, and find warmth around fires.

Over the next few days, DC delivers opportunities to do many of these things and more. The Downtown Holiday Market concludes Sunday, and there are a few more opportunities to shop at local marketplaces around the city. Sing carols at The Wharf, or construct newspaper forts at the Building Museum. For basketball fans, cheer on home team Howard U. at the Holiday Hoops Fest; comedy fans can check out a showcase of local talents after a wine tasting.

The weather is expected to be unseasonably warm on Friday, with a few shows, then cooler temperatures and clearer skies throughout the weekend.

  1. Family Fun: Head to Marvin Gaye Park, 601 Division Ave. NE, for the annual event Season in Seven on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. Alongside a ceremonial tree lighting to honor the solstice, indulge your sweet tooth with sugar cookie decorating plus free hot chocolate and cider. H.D. Woodson High School students will also perform. This free, family-friendly gathering is hosted by the urban park alliance Washington Parks & People.

  2. A November 1988 photo by Emil Hofmann shows Alexia Tsairis by Rinchnach, Germany. Tsairis was among the 270 people who died when Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb over Scotland. (Photo courtesy of the Alexia Foundation)

    Museums: The Alexia Foundation hosts a talk called “Inside Media: Photography That Drives Change” at the Newseum on Saturday, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thirty years ago, Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland, in an act of terror that killed 270 people, including Alexia Tsairis and 34 of her Syracuse University classmates who were returning from a semester abroad in London. Alexia’s parents started a foundation in her honor. Her mother, Aphrodite Tsairis, will speak on Saturday along with DC photojournalist Mary F. Calvert, a two-time Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award Winner and a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Calvert was the 2014 recipient of the Alexia Women’s Initiative Grant for photography that drives change. On Saturday, Calvert will discuss her project The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military. Free access to this conversation is included with admission to the Newseum. The museum is currently discounting tickets percent if they’re purchased in advance. At the those rates, general admission for adults is $21.21; for youth, $12.71; and for seniors, $16.96. Visitors can come back the next day for free.

  3. Bread for the City will host a holiday market this weekend. (Photo courtesy of Bread for the City)

    Ward 1 Holiday Market: Bread for the City concludes its More Than Bread Alone: Cooperative Holiday Market this weekend. The two-weekend event was the organization’s first holiday market — an event featuring food and other items from socially conscious vendors from the metro area. There will be a mix of crafts available for free or at various price points; food and services provided by nonprofit partners; and 20 to 30 vendors selling merchandise. The market is open at the Northwest Center, 1525 7th St. NW, on Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday from noon to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

  4. Ward 7 Holiday Market: After being rained out last week, Penn Branch Citizens Civic Association’s rescheduled Holiday Bazaar is this Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at The Shops at Penn Branch, 3200 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Hosted by Mayor Muriel Bowser and Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity Brenda Donald, the bazaar aims to promote local businesses with a vendors marketplace; it will also feature performances by local bands, photos with Santa, treats from local food trucks and more.

  5. Sports: Events DC presents the collegiate men’s DC Holiday Hoops Fest on Saturday in Congress Heights at the city’s new Entertainment and Sports Arena, 1100 Oak Drive SE. The University of Richmond will take on High Point University at 2:30 p.m., then DC’s own Howard University will play Hampton University at 5 p.m. Alongside the doubleheader, there will be games for kids at halftime, live music and more. Tickets start at $15 each, with group discounts available for parties of more than 10.

  6. Music: Head to The Wharf at 690 Water St. SW this Saturday to enjoy Christmas caroling from 5 to 7 p.m. The event features the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, who will be singing along the waterfront as well as on the Pearl Street Stage and Floating Stage. The festivities include s’mores at The Wharf’s fire pit, a lighted Christmas tree, and photo opportunities with Santa and his elves.

  7. Visitors to the National Building Museum on Saturday will get a chance to construct triangles as they transform old newspapers into a durable building material. (Photo courtesy of National Building Museum)

    Family Fun: People of all ages can channel their inner child at the National Building Museum’s fort-building extravaganza Family Afternoon: Newspaper Forts this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Museum staff will explain building tips: For example, did you know that the triangle is the strongest shape? Participants can construct triangles out of old newspapers, transforming them into a durable building material. This free event does not require registration, so visitors can simply drop by the museum at 401 F St. NW to join the fun.

  8. Family Fun: The Graham Georgetown invites the community for the free Cookies with Santa event on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the rooftop of the hotel, 1075 Thomas Jefferson St. NW. Enjoy cookie and ornament decorating, hot chocolate for kids and holiday cocktails for adults. Santa Claus will be available for photos in this picturesque setting, with landmark views that include the Washington Monument and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

  9. Local entrepreneur Malik Jaarrett will present an ARTLAB Talk on Friday afternoon at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. (Photo courtesy of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gallery)

    Museums: Learn from local entrepreneur Malik Jarrett at the Hirshhorn Museum’s ARTLAB Talk on Friday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jarrett is the CEO and founder of Elevate All the Time (EAT), a DC-based clothing company that gives back to the community through EAT Cares, a program that enages youth with job training and mentoring — with support from the DC government. ARTLAB talks at the Hirshhorn are free and geared toward teens, but open to everyone. This event will include a for-teens-only lesson on using a heat press, which imprints designs on clothing. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is located at Independence Avenue and 7th Street SW.

  10. Comedy: Uncorked Comedy take place this Sunday at City Winery, 1350 Okie St. NE, with some of the city’s best comics: Laura Prangley, Martin Amini, Kasha Patel, Pearl Rose, Brittany Carney and Herbie Gill. Prangley is a comedy veteran who founded Uncorked Comedy in 2009. She was a contributing writer to “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live and appeared in Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer and SELF Magazine’s Girl vs. Sweat series, among other credits. Other featured comedians have been a part of MTV, TruTV, Epix, TBS and Upright Citizens Brigade, to name a few. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Doors open at 6 and the show starts at 8 p.m. — so there’s plenty of time for wine-tasting beforehand.
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