The DC Lineup for this weekend: education, the environment and an antiques extravaganza

Arts and education are prevalent throughout the DC Lineup for the second weekend of the new year, Jan. 8‐10.

The weather is expected to be cloudy on Friday through the evening with some clouds remaining on Saturday morning. Clear skies are predicted on Saturday night and on most of Sunday, which should be sunny during the day with some clouds after sunset. Temperatures are forecast to range from 27 to 47 degrees.

1. History: Washington DC History & Culture is hosting Moments in Black History on the Potomac River — Livestream History Tour, a digital gathering that highlights important moments in African American history that are tied to the Chesapeake Bay region. The area is where enslaved Black people were first brought from Africa to the colonies. Its rivers provided routes for the Underground Railroad. After the Civil War, emancipated African Americans helped develop the local economy and culture. The free program is led by Capt. Bill Washington, president of the Chesapeake Area Professional Captains Association. This event is a virtual version of the boat tour Washington typically narrates during a cruise on the Potomac River. The virtual tour is on Saturday from 3–4:15 p.m. A preview video gives an idea of what to expect.

2. Community: The Southwest Business Improvement District and the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly are seeking applications for their microgrant competition Pocket Change. The program was established in 2018 and seeks proposals from community members for projects that make “Southwest D.C. a better place to be.” Applications are due by the end of the day on Jan. 29. The top five applicants will present their ideas to the community at “Pitches n’ Pizza,” a digital gathering. The audience will vote for their favorite proposals, and the top pitch will win a $1,000 grant, plus funds donated at the “virtual door.” Past winners include Safe Sharing Peace Cities, DC Mentoring and Achievement Program, and SW Earth, Arts, and Music Day 2018.

3. Education: The education organizations LEAD Consulting, spearheaded by early education professional Lindsay Ferrer, and Playwell DC are hosting a workshop on “Navigating the DC Lottery for PreK.” The 90-minute Zoom event will cover topics such as school data and different types of schools (such as DC Public Schools, Montessori programs and public charter schools). The seminar takes place this Saturday from 1–2:30 p.m. and again at the same time on Jan. 30. Tickets cost $35 per family.

4. Comedy: DC Improv is hosting Comedy Kumite Online V, a stand-up competition that pits Washington area comics against one another a few times each year. Two competitors are “matched,” with each performing a short set and the audience deciding the winner of each round. This Friday’s event features Denise Taylor, Rob Maher, Matt Bergman, Haywood Turnipseed Jr., Kasha Patel and Tim Miller. Tickets cost $5, and registrants will receive a Zoom link 30 minutes before the show begins at 8 p.m. The digital “doors” will open at 7:45 p.m., and the show is expected to end at 9:30 p.m. The event is limited to those 18 years and older. 

5. Arts: The Washington Winter Show is the country’s second oldest charitable antiques show. The extravaganza is happening virtually this year, and is going on now through Jan. 10. The more than 35 exhibitors include local merchant David Bell Antiques, others from around the United States, one from the United Kingdom and one from France. Items that are for sale are viewable in an online shop. Numerous ticket selections provide options for participants to join at different levels. There are many free events this weekend highlighting Washington-area landmarks like Tudor Place and George Washington’s historic Mount Vernon home and experts’ insights into artistic pursuits like landscape architecture and cartography. Those interested in attending need to register only once for access to all of the free programs. Ticket prices for special events range from $50 to $300.

6. Community: The DC Center is hosting a meetup Zoom call for its group Women in Their Twenties and Thirties (WiTT), which provides social connections for queer women. The gathering takes place on Friday from 8‐9 p.m., and regularly meets on the second and fourth Fridays of every month. Although the group’s events are being held online because of the pandemic, the WiTT members head to dinner nearby afterward when meeting in person. The group typically also hosts happy hours, picnics, dance parties and group trips to museums. 

7. Music: Catch a free concert by DC-based violinist Brittany Sterling Young and classical guitarist Peter Dolan as they debut their new classical music duo Brittany Young & The Old Guitarist. This weekend’s performance features compositions by Handel, Haydn, Debussy and Paul Dolan. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook Live from Catholic University on Sunday from 2‐3:30 p.m. Donations collected during the event will benefit The Village Music School Foundation, a Connecticut-based nonprofit that works to deliver music education to everyone regardless of their economic status.

8. Arts: Rhizome DC is launching a free Puppet Lab that enables attendees to practice puppetry skills and present works in progress. The gatherings will typically be held online on the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m.‐noon, starting this Saturday and continuing through July 3. A suggested donation of $8 is appreciated with each registration.

9. Environment: The Rock Creek Conservancy is hosting a habitat restoration service event this Saturday to tend to bamboo at Melvin Hazen West, one of its five mini-oases. Attendees will spend time “covering previously cut bamboo with landscaping fabric, installing coir logs for support, and more,” according to the event description. The socially distanced gathering takes place from 10 a.m.‐noon at 3031 Sedgwick St. NW. It is free to attend, and registration is requested.

10. Arts: The Washington Studio School’s winter term starts on Sunday. Numerous courses on topics like oil painting, sculpture, printmaking and graphite are being offered online via Zoom. Registration costs $120 for three-week courses, $180 for five weeks and $370 for eight weeks. A few special one-off classes cost $120 each, and gift certificates are available in amounts from $50 to $355.