The DC Lineup for this weekend: dreidels, dance and Darth Vader

This weekend in the District, celebrate the start of winter with holiday donation drives, performances, markets, light displays and history lessons. As we near the end of 2019, there are fittingly a few finales on our list: Join the final installment of an ongoing social bike ride that benefits the Washington Area Bicyclist Association or visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum for a screening of the new Star Wars movie — the end of the series’ sequel trilogy.

The weather for this weekend, Dec. 20 to 22, will be cold, with temperatures dipping as low as 23 degrees and staying below 50 degrees, according to the forecast. Cloudy or partly cloudy conditions are likely both Saturday and Sunday after sun on Friday.

1. Holiday Drive: The 9:30 Club Annual Holiday Raffle is in its 18th year. Donations will be taken through the end of the month and given to local charities. This year’s recipients are Casa Ruby, DC Central Kitchen, Thrive DC, Martha’s Table, So Others Might Eat, Sasha Bruce Youthwork and Capital Area Food Bank. This is one of the last weekends to participate, and it’s also a festive time to give with Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa coming up next week. Acceptable items include nonperishable food as well as clean, gently used clothing and household goods. Those who donate will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win the grand prize: tickets to every show at the 9:30 Club in 2020. Additional prizes include music, shirts and gift cards. The club is located at 815 V St. NW.

2. Dance: The Dance Institute of Washington presents “The Spirit of Kwanzaa” this Friday and Saturday at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. The production includes dance, music and storytelling, featuring seven original pieces by the institute’s faculty and students. Ticket prices range from $25 to $30. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. each night. There is an optional VIP reception on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. VIP tickets cost $50.

3. Spirituality: The 40th annual National Menorah Lighting at the White House takes place this Sunday. Thousands attend the event each year, and it is broadcast to tens of millions around the world, according to the organizers. Gates open at 3 p.m. and the ceremony runs from 4 to 5:45 p.m. Festivities include a performance by the U.S. Marine Band “The President’s Own” as well as free dreidels and menorah kits, hot latkes and doughnuts, and an appearance by Dreidel Man and the Maccabees. Tickets are free and must be ordered online. The Chanukah on the Ellipse celebration is presented by the National Menorah Council and American Friends of Lubavitch.

4. Recreation: The Hains Point 100 is a social bike ride on the 3-mile loop around East Potomac Park, with the idea that riders can continue the course to reach up to 100 miles. Arlington-based biker Megan Jones started the event in 2012 to raise awareness and funds for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Women & Bicycles program. The event’s organizers say this will be the final Hains Point 100 because the event has grown too big to manage, but they hope bicycle enthusiasts will carry on the ride’s legacy independently. For those riding this Sunday, check-in begins at 8:45 a.m. at the southern tip of Hains Point. Introductory remarks start at 9:30 a.m. with plans for a group photo at 10 a.m., immediately preceding the ride. The pit area where cyclists can get any needed repairs will close at 3 p.m. Those interested in participating can choose from a number of options when they register online: A solo ride, a group ride that divides the 100 miles among friends, and a pledge to simply cheer on riders are some of the choices. It is free to participate, with suggested donation levels listed online.

5. Film: Following its world premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — the finale to the Skywalker saga — is now in wide release. But one DC venue in particular stands out: the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater, 655 Independence Ave. SW. This weekend’s screenings start at 12:50 p.m., 4:25 p.m., 7:25 p.m. and 10:25 p.m. Ticket prices range from $13.50 to $15. Screenings are scheduled daily (except Christmas Day) through Jan. 16.

6. History: Join Profs and Pints on Sunday for “Nightmares Before Christmas,” a discussion about dark holiday tales like Krampus, the evil half-goat, half-demon counterpart to St. Nicholas that appears in Central European folklore. Other topics will include the Grinch, ghosts in Dickens’ stories, the pagan origins of Christmas, the history of coal in stockings and Christmas horror films. Speaker William Egginton, a scholar of horror in literature and pop culture, is a professor of humanities and director of the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Sessions take place at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at The Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St. NW. Tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

7. Holiday Markets: The Arts Walk Holiday Party takes place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arts Walk at Monroe Street Market, 716 Monroe St. NE. The area’s galleries and art studios will host holiday parties with treats for patrons like cookies, drinks and deals on merchandise. … The LINE Hotel DC also hosts a holiday market on Saturday: La Horchata Holiday Mercado will showcase gifts made by Central American diaspora artists living in the DC area. The hosts also produce La Horchata Zine, a local seasonal publication that also features artists of Central American ancestry. The market is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the hotel, 1770 Euclid St. NW.

8. Ward 2 Holiday Event: Check out the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse this weekend when sounds of the season will accompany your walk around the Pathway of Peace and the nightly lighting. Friday’s performances kick off at 5 p.m. with Capital Movement Pre-Pro, followed by Voices in Praise at 6, Powerhouse Brass at 7 and Dance Academy of Loudoun at 8. Saturday’s slate of performers are KP Singers at 1 p.m., Hawaii State Society Ukulele Hui at 2, The Loundounetts at 3, Ox Hill Baptist Church Pageant of Peace Choir at 5, Stevie Prather at 6, Ace Alexander at 7 and Four Seasons Dancers Inc. at 8. On Sunday, Ensemble Arts and The Christmas Singers will perform at 1 and 2 p.m., respectively. The events at President’s Park, 1450 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, are free and open to the public. The tree lighting takes place daily around 4:30 p.m., and the tree display is open through Jan. 1 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

9. Holiday Concert: The Washington National Cathedral presents “Joy of Christmas” this Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., then on Sunday at 5 p.m. The Cathedral Choral Society will perform Christmas favorites and a newly commissioned carol by composer Alexander Levine. The audience will also get involved with a carol singalong. Ticket prices range from $25 to $82.50. The cathedral is located at 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. … The Kennedy Center’s schedule for this weekend includes a few seasonal concerts. The National Symphony Orchestra will perform Handel’s Messiah on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Choral Arts Society of Washington will present two concerts: “Songs of the Season” on Saturday at 1 p.m. and “A Candlelight Christmas” on Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets for these performances range from $15 to $119. The Kennedy Center is located at 2700 F St. NW.

10. Ward 6 Holiday Event: This is the final weekend to see Light Yards at The Yards, 301 Water St. SE. The monthlong celebration of light is in its fifth year and features the interactive light installation Airship Orchestra, curated by global award-winning artists ENESS. The all-ages event is free and open to the public nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. through Monday. No registration is required.