The DC Lineup for this weekend: holiday parties, presents and a boat parade

Festive events taking place throughout the District over the next few days include benefit parties, holiday tree sales, seasonal marketplaces, art productions and a boat parade. Service opportunities like a park cleanup as well as book and clothing drives are also options this weekend, Dec. 6 to 8.

The weather will be cloudy on Friday and Sunday but mostly sunny on Saturday, according to the forecast. Temperatures should range from 27 to 53 degrees, an indication that winter is just around the corner.

1. Community Service: Gifts for the Homeless’ Annual Used Clothing Drive gathers donations from area law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, other legal vendors and the general public. Acceptable contributions include clothing, sheets, towels, blankets, sleeping bags, shoes, unopened travel toiletries, and winter gear like hats, gloves and scarves. Items should be should be clean (though dry cleaning is not necessary) and in good condition. Volunteers will collect donations on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and again on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon at 2300 N St. NW, north of Washington Circle. On Saturday, they will begin sorting through the items and organizing them for delivery. Refreshments and lunch are provided for those who help out on Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s schedule includes music and educational opportunities that raise awareness of homelessness in the District. Register for a volunteer slot: openings include 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday and slots on Saturday at various times from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Those interested in delivering gifts can also participate on Sunday morning, with two different slots between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m.

2. Literature: The White House Historical Association presents its second annual Holiday Book Fair on Friday. For nearly three decades, the association has published books about the White House on subjects like its architecture, gardens, fine and decorative arts, and presidents and first ladies. The authors of some of these books will be at this weekend’s book fair. Artist John Hutton (How to Draw the Presidents) will teach visitors how to draw, and raffle away one of his original drawings. The program will also include a musical performance on a reproduction of the 100,000th Steinway piano, which was gifted to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. The fair runs from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the White House History Shop, 1610 H St. NW. … West End Library Friends is hosting a used book sale this weekend and encouraging visitors to donate purchases in honor of a loved one. The organization is especially seeking to fill a list of books needed by the charity DC Books to Prison. The sale is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West End Neighborhood Library, 2301 L St. NW.

3. Holiday Markets: Miss Pixie’s Furnishings & Whatnot presents its seventh annual holiday market on Friday. The vintage shop will host more than 15 local vendors while featuring live gypsy jazz music by DC-based band The Bitter Dose Combo and serving vegetarian paella from neighboring Barcelona Wine Bar. All of Miss Pixie’s merchandise will be 20% off throughout the day. Proceeds from a raffle will benefit Casa Ruby, a bilingual LGBTQ organization in the District. The marketplace is from 5 to 8 p.m. at the resale store, 1626 14th St. NW. … The Heurich House Museum hosts its seventh annual Christkindlmarkt, a German-style market featuring more than two dozen local vendors and historic tours of the home. The museum is hosting a VIP preview event for the first time on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. Tickets for the preview night cost $20 ($4 for children) in advance or $23 ($5 for children) at the door. The market is open on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets cost $10 ($4 for kids) in advance and $13 ($5 for kids) at the door. Ages 2 and younger are free. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The museum is located at 1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW.

4. Holiday Benefit Parties: Krampusnacht DC is a holiday party and charity walk that provides over 400 Christmas gifts to foster children in the District through the National Center for Children and Families. It is named after Krampus, a foil to St. Nicholas in European folklore who hands out gifts to “naughty” children, according to Smithsonian magazine. The event starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday with children’s activities (including a kids’ costume contest) and live entertainment at Gallery O on H, 1354 H St. NE. Then at 7:15 p.m. the Krampuslauf Walk begins. A 21-and-over after-party runs from 8:30 to 11 p.m. back at the gallery, with more live entertainment and an adult costume contest. Tickets to the night’s events cost $15; children enter for free. … The Girls’ Night Out by Shawn Yancy Holiday Bazaar & Toy Drive features over 45 boutiques in conjunction with a fundraiser to support women and children in the District. Tickets for general admission cost $25; VIP admission comes with a special bag and cocktail ticket and costs $35. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday in Heritage Hall at the University of the District Columbia Student Center, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW. Fox 5 DC news anchor Shawn Yancy started the nonprofit Girls’ Night Out in 2010 to help those in need.

5. Holiday Tree Sales: Public schools around the city are raising money by selling trees. If there’s not one near you — or if you live near Dupont Circle or Mount Pleasant — here are two options: Dupont Circle’s Ross Elementary School hosts its 12th annual holiday tree sale this Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the school, 1730 R St. NW. Delivery is available for locations in the area bounded by Rock Creek Parkway to the west, Calvert Street and Columbia Road to the north, North Capitol Street to the east and K Street to the south. Delivery costs $15 to $25. Proceeds benefit the Ross Elementary School PTA. … The Bancroft Elementary Winter Festival and Tree Sale on Saturday will showcase trees, wreaths, roping, craft making, face painting, a photo booth, holiday entertainment plus homemade food and treats for purchase. The tree sale is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the festival is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The events take place at the school, 1755 Newton St. NW, and are co-hosted by the school and its parent-teacher organization. Any remaining trees will be available on Sunday.

6. Environment: Another way to appreciate trees this weekend is to join the family-friendly Forest Hills Park and Playground Cleanup on Saturday. Volunteers will remove trash and invasive plants at the site, 3200 Chesapeake St. NW, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Rakes, brooms and other tools will be provided; attendees are encouraged to wear boots plus bring gloves and weeding tools, if possible. The event is organized by Friends of Forest Hills Playground, the Rock Creek Conservancy, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Erich Cabe Team, which will give complimentary coffee and treats to volunteers. Online registration is required.

7. Holiday Performing Arts: Music, dance, storytelling and drama will take the stage at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium starting this Saturday with the 37th annual installment of The Christmas Revels. This series of eight matinee and evening performances runs until Dec. 15 and features the Silver Spring-based performance troupe Washington Revels, which consists of over 100 cast members ages 9 to 90. This year’s theme is “Celestial Fools,” a seasonal fable that integrates a European village, the winter solstice and a journey into the heavens, according to the event description. Tickets cost $12 to $65. … The Patty Reese Duo will perform with kids from the Communikids preschool at Friday’s fifth annual tree lighting sponsored by Cathedral Commons. There will be food and drink available from area retailers, as well as seasonal giveaways and free photos with Santa (for kids, dogs and cats only). Activities at Wisconsin Avenue and Newark Street NW run from 6 to 8 p.m., with a tree-lighting countdown at 8 p.m.

8. Holiday Events in Ward 2: The sixth edition of Georgetown GLOW opens this weekend. More than 30 walking tours are scheduled throughout the duration of the light exhibit, which runs through Jan. 5. This year’s featured artists include local as well as national and international creatives. DC-based visual artist Joana Stillwell is showcasing an illuminated poem — “every day” — at Georgetown Lutheran Church, 1556 Wisconsin Ave. NW, and the DC-based collaborative dance and installation project Extreme Lengths Productions in partnership with Dance Place is performing “Filament,” during which passersby view three live dancers through a peephole at 3206 N St. NW. … The Swedish Women’s Educational Association will hold its annual holiday bazaar on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the House of Sweden, 2900 K St. NW. The event will feature crafts, textiles, books, glassware and Swedish delicacies, and it will conclude with traditional caroling and the St. Lucia Procession. … The group Friends of Volta Park hosts its annual Breakfast With Santa at the Volta Park Playground, 1555 34th St. NW. The gathering is from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday and will feature doughnuts, coffee and crafts. The Georgetown park dates back to 1769 and is known as a place John F. Kennedy played touch football in the 1950s, according to its website. Friends of Volta Park works with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation on maintenance.

9. Holiday Events in Ward 6: The District’s Holiday Boat Parade takes place this Saturday at The Wharf, 1100 Maine Ave. SW. Festivities like s’more making and music start at 6 p.m., to be followed by the boats’ arrival at 7, fireworks at 8, and live music on District Pier Stage from 8:15 to 9 p.m. The event also includes ornament decorating, ice skating, seasonal drinks, a twinkling Christmas tree and a chance to meet Santa. It’s free to attend. … As part of Eastern Market Main Street’s Holly Days, the Capitol Hill Caroling Marathon features a full day of holiday singing. The serenades run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with participating groups departing each hour from 7th and C streets SE across from Eastern Market.

10. Local Art: Americans for the Arts’ National Shop Local Artists Week ends this weekend. Take part by shopping at art marketplaces in the District. Femme Fatale DC, a pop-up that offers “a platform for womyn creatives and entrepreneurs,” is setting up shop in Mount Vernon Triangle at 401 Massachusetts Ave. NW. A launch party took place Thursday night; operating hours thereafter are from Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The group’s calendar so far lists events through Feb. 27. … District Clay Center is hosting its annual Holiday Pottery Sale on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2414 Douglas St. NE. The center describes itself as “DC’s largest ceramic center” following a November 2016 expansion and boasts a 6,400-square-foot space, 26 weekly classes, 26 wheels, a 700-volume lending library and a 24/7 artists program. … The art studio The Stew, where artist and DC native Rose Jaffe and others create, is opening its doors to the public for an art market on Sunday. Along with artwork like ceramics, prints and jewelry, there will be a holiday card-making station for visitors to make their own seasonal greeting cards. The market is from 1 to 5 p.m. at The Stew, located at 925 Emerson St. NW.