The DC Lineup for this weekend: Scrooge, scripture and a drive-thru singalong

Music, mutual aid and memories of Christmas past are some of the highlights in this edition of The DC Lineup.

The weather over the next few days, Dec. 18-20, will likely be a continuation of the cold, dreary week: it should be generally cloudy, with rain showers likely early Sunday. Temperatures are predicted to range from 25 to 45 degrees, according to the forecast.

1. Music: The Anacostia Business Improvement District (BID) is presenting a Drive-Thru Holiday Sing-A-Long so residents can enjoy a spin on the festive tradition of carolling even while staying at home. Asia from Majic 102.3 and 92.7 and DJ Flava for 93.9 WKYS will be featured. The production, a procession of vehicles playing music from mounted speakers, is scheduled for Sunday from 6-8 p.m. on streets large and small in the Bellevue area. Two renditions have already taken place. “After doing the drive-thru sing-a-long my holiday spirit kicked up 150%,” said Kristina Noell, executive director of the Anacostia BID. “You saw the kids kind of popping up out of the windows. People were coming on to their porches. It was great.” The program is organized with assistance from the Historic Anacostia Block Association and the Anacostia Coordinating Council. 

2. Community: Friday is the last day to donate to the East of the River Mutual Aid Holiday Drive. The organization is collecting food items for holiday meals like frozen turkeys and chicken, white and sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, onions, broth, gravy, seasonings, fresh fruit, green beans, greens, pasta sauce and cooking oil. Those interested in contributing must email EORmutualaid@protonmail.ch to set up a drop-off. Cash donations are also accepted on Venmo at @PeaceHDC. 

3. Music: The American Pops Orchestra (APO) is presenting “Drag Out the Holly,” a concert filmed outdoors at DC’s Meridian International Center that includes performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Alexis Michelle, Jujubee and Peppermint, plus New York City’s Lagoona Bloo. Singer-songwriter Bright Light Bright Light and LGBTQ activist Brian Sims, a member of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, will perform holiday music with the orchestra. The hourlong concert starts at 9 p.m. on Saturday. General admission is free and donations are encouraged to support the APO and the work of organizations fighting for equality across the United States. Some of these groups include the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, PFLAG, SMYAL, the Henderson Equality Center, Rose Haven, Side by Side, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, the Queensborough Performing Arts Center, the American Conservatory Theater, Out in the Open, OutFront Minnesota and Metro Weekly.

4. Spirituality: The Washington National Cathedral’s “Gospel Christmas: O Holy Night” concert takes place this Friday from 6-7:30 p.m., featuring Christmas music and readings from the Bible. The event may be accessed for free on Facebook and YouTube (and available to re-watch afterward on YouTube); a free Christmas Season Pass is also an option to receive access instructions to all of the cathedral’s Christmas services via email. … Another way to celebrate the season with the National Cathedral is by attending Winter Wisdom: A Reflective Writing Workshop with DC-based director, playwright and producer Mary Hall Surface. Participants will review winter scenes in art and two winter poems by Mary Oliver, then produce their own reflective writing. The program is from 4-5:30 p.m. on Sunday; registration closes a few hours earlier at noon. Tickets are free and donations are encouraged.

5. Nature: A holiday plant swap at 3 Stars Brewing Co. provides a chance to exchange plants you’re ready to get rid of, along with clippings, seeds and plant accessories. The gathering takes place on Saturday from 2-6 p.m. at 6400 Chillum Place NW. Space is limited and reservations are required. Information about the brewery’s COVID-19 prevention guidelines are posted online.

6. Community: School of Rock is a performance-based music education center for children and adults that has over 260 locations worldwide. The Cleveland Park location, which opened this fall, is hosting its first Rock-Can-Roll Canned Food Drive on Saturday from noon-5 p.m. at the education center, 3529 Connecticut Ave. NW. Live music will be featured at the outdoor event. Social distancing and masks are required.

7. Dance: Dance in DC, an event series that features local artists at area businesses, continues with a performance by dancer Akosua Amoakua at the fashion, art and beauty store Nubian Hueman, which features merchandise that reflects the African diaspora. The shop is located inside the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE. Friday’s show starts at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on Facebook. Dance in DC is the second of two Mars Arts DC: Virtual series this year presented through a partnership between Mars Inc. and Washington Performing Arts. Other supporters include the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Events DC, the HMF Beaudoin Family Foundation and a microgrant from the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

8. History: Carter G. Woodson is known as “the father of African American history.” His home in Shaw is a national historic site managed by the National Park Service, which is honoring the 145th anniversary of Woodson’s birth with a free virtual celebration on Saturday from 4-5 p.m. Highlights from the program include a dramatic portrayal of Woodson by actor Darius Wallace and remarks by retired National Park Service director Robert Stanton. The event will be viewable on Facebook and YouTube. It is produced in partnership with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, which Woodson established.

9. Music: The Library of Congress is featuring its prized five Stradivari stringed instruments during the Stradivari Anniversary Concert, a tradition that’s more than 80 years old. This year’s online version is on Friday from 8-9 p.m. and part of the library’s 96th concert season — which is entirely virtual and free for the public.

10. Literature: Learn from John Pfordresher, a Georgetown University professor and expert on Charles Dickens, during the DC-based organization Profs & Pints’ talk “How Dickens ‘Invented’ Christmas.” The program will cover literary history starting in December 1843 with the publication of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It was a deluxe edition, the event description notes, “bound in cloth, with gilt edges, four color engravings and four more black-and-white wood cuts”; 6,000 copies were sold before Christmas Eve. Present-day Christmas culture will then be examined in terms of how Dickens’ story shows up in theater, film, television and seasonal festivities. The two-hour talk starts at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $12 and also provide access to a recorded version of the discussion.