The DC Lineup for this weekend: heritage, human nature and lending a hand

The unity of cultural heritage and community is the theme of this edition of The DC Lineup.

The weather will be a mix of sun and clouds throughout the weekend, Oct. 2 to 4, according to the forecast. Temperatures should range from 46 to 69 degrees.

1. Art: Dupont Underground is hosting a virtual and on-site opening of the exhibition rise up, a collection of images by DC photographers that capture the 2020 Black Lives Matter social justice movement. Photographs curated by Dupont Underground and Shedrick Pelt depict events such as the protests in the District and the Commitment March on Washington. The opening weekend is on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 19 Dupont Circle NW for the in-person portion. No more than 50 people will be allowed into the space at any time, with masks and social distancing required for everyone. The on-site exhibit will continue through Nov. 1; the online gallery will be available through Jan. 12.

2. Community: A Ladies’ Community Closet Cleanout will be hosted by Ward 6 Mutual Aid and the Capitol Hill Community Service Association on the front lawn of Christ Church in the City, 900 4th St. SW, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. In keeping with the aid group’s mission to exchange resources, donations of clothes and household items will be given to those who need them.

3. Spirituality: America’s Islamic Heritage Museum is commemorating Islamic Heritage Month with a Day of Dignity. Giveaways include school bags, hygiene kits, hot meals, groceries and face masks. Social service organizations will be on site, along with live performances by the CleanCutt Band, the Charles Rahmat Trio and Bliss Ananda. The event takes place on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the museum, 2315 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE.

4. Film: Starting this weekend, 52 films from around the world will be available online as part of the 34th annual Washington, DC International Film Festival, better known as Filmfest DC. The event is divided into two series: Series 1 is from Friday to Tuesday and Series 2 is from Wednesday to Sunday. Films will be shown only in their respective series, and viewing is limited to those living in the District, Maryland and Virginia. Tickets are $9 per film; a pass of 10 tickets is $70.

5. Family Fun: The Latin American marketplace La Cosecha is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting Día de Familia, a festival with both virtual and in-person programming. The in-person portion on Saturday includes an alpaca petting zoo from noon to 2 p.m.; a workshop for kids about painting on chocolate from 2 to 3:30 p.m. (tickets cost $40); and a screening of the film Coco at 6:30 to 9 p.m. Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 is asked not to attend, and face masks are required throughout the event. For those more comfortable joining from home, a free virtual Spanish story time will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday. The market is located at 1280 4th St. NE.

6. Spirituality: The Washington National Cathedral is presenting an online version of its annual Blessing of the Animals, which honors patron saint of animals Francis of Assisi. The ceremony features Scriptures reading, prayer, music and the animals’ blessing. It will be available for viewing at cathedral.org from 1 to 1:30 p.m. Sunday. … Later Sunday, at 4 p.m., DC-based playwright, director and teaching artist Mary Hall Surface will teach the free writing workshop Exploring Metaphor. The content will touch on both visual and verbal metaphor in a 90-minute interactive Zoom class presented by the Cathedral. Surface is the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon and a nine-time Helen Hayes Award nominee, among other accolades. Registration is required to obtain the Zoom link; donations are welcome.

7. Politics: Learn about five of the 23 candidates running for an at-large seat on the DC Council at an outdoor, socially distanced forum. Organizers say they selected the participants — independent candidates Markus Batchelor, Marcus Goodwin, Christina Henderson, Ed Lazere and Will Merrifield — based on who had received 400 or more donations from DC residents as of Sept. 3, according to data collected and analyzed by DCGeekery. Register online for the program, which will take place on Saturday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 14th and U streets NW. Attendees are asked to wear face masks and bring hand sanitizer. SPACEs in Action — a grassroots organization that empowers the community by creating safe spaces that facilitate leadership building, training and learning — organized the event in conjunction with the DC Early Learning Collaborative, Don’t Mute My Health, Shutdown DC, Green Scheme and Under 3 DC. The event will be livestreamed at facebook.com/spacesinaction.

8. History: A Walking Tour of Frederick Douglass’ Old Anacostia takes place Saturday from 9 to 10:45 a.m. John Muller, author of Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C.: The Lion of Anacostia, will lead the trek. Key points include the history of Anacostia, its architecture, folklore and residents, including famous orator, abolitionist and DC official Frederick Douglass. Tickets cost $20.

9. Music: The Trinidad & Tobago Association of DC is performing a live virtual pan concert on Sunday at 6 p.m. Local musicians Josanne Francis, Lennard Jack Jr. and Sherwin Thwaites will play steel drums, known as pans — instruments that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. The association produces projects with the Caribbean community. 

10. Education: Rui Diogo, an associate professor of anatomy at Howard University’s College of Medicine and a resource faculty member at George Washington University’s Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology, is the featured speaker for Profs & Pints’ “Humans — Naturally Good, or Bad?” talk. The discussion examines what empirical research says about the question of whether people are naturally good or evil. Tickets cost $12. The event takes place Friday from 7 to 9 p.m., and will also be recorded and available online afterward on Crowdcast.