TUESDAY
27
OCTOBER
Things to do in Washington, DC
We reviewed 6,000+ Washington-area events and found 353 things to do in Washington, DC between October 27 and November 2. Last updated October 27, 2026.
All things to do in Washington, DC — October 27 – November 2
Rotating teen activities like video games, origami, crafts, and special presenters at Tenley‑Friendship Neighborhood Library, ages 13–19.
Three rounds of changing-category trivia in the Alma Thomas Teen Space, with team or solo play and a prize for the winner, ages 13–19.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest (Parklands‑Turner Neighborhood Library) — participants receive pumpkins to paint and craft into favorite book characters, displayed for community voting, ages 5+.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple screens a gang induction and a world‑changing discovery at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, ages 18 and up. Back‑to‑back zombie comedies Juan of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead play at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, ages 18 and up. Obsession screens a wish‑granting romance turned dark at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, ages 18 and up. Backrooms shows a therapist chasing a patient into a surreal dimension at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, ages 18 and up.
Pokémon Club runs tabletop games and Pokémon‑themed activities, teaching strategic thinking, math and reading through the Trading Card Game at Southeast Neighborhood Library, ages 5–19.
Make sock puppets with assorted materials at Benning Dorothy I. Height Neighborhood Library, ages 5 and up.
Noir film screening with light buffet, drinks, popcorn, Cracker Jacks, and Milk Duds at Arts Club of Washington; casual dress, discounted parking, $35 members $40 non‑members.
Haunted walking tour through Georgetown’s streets, Victorian row houses and gardens ends with a light show at the Exorcist Steps and a stop at the Old Stone House.
Brazilian writer and performer Vanessa Severo presents a physically intense, emotionally raw portrait of Frida Kahlo’s life at Klein Theatre.
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? (Arena Stage) — Docudrama using original HUAC transcripts, featuring words of Arthur Miller, Jerome Robbins, Paul Robeson, and others.
Mahjong Night at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library features American, Hong Kong, and Japanese-style games with beginner lessons and play for levels, for ages 13–19 and 55+.
Historically Speaking: What a Dream Can Do (African American History and Culture Museum, Oprah Winfrey Theater) — Editors discuss objects of African American creativity, resistance, joy; signed books.
Tech Help Tuesdays (Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library) — One‑hour drop‑in session where staff assist with computer, laptop, phone, or tablet questions. Ages 18+.
Free guided tour at Asian Art Museum examines Whistler’s Peacock Room, a 150‑year‑old London dining room turned iconic artwork, featuring Asian‑inspired design and Chinese porcelain.
RUSH: Fifty Something (Capital One Arena, 601 F Street NW, Washington).
Guided tour of Hirshhorn’s collections and exhibitions in the museum lobby, offering close looking, critical discussion of 20th‑ and 21st‑century works, free, no registration required.
Black Girl Booked gathers at Lamond‑Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library for monthly discussions of fiction and nonfiction centered on Black female experiences, ages 18+.
Coffee with Cameron Oglesby (National Geographic Museum of Exploration, Explorers Eatery) — Meet the National Geographic Explorer and journalist discussing re‑centering voices of historically disinvested communities.
Mamma Mia! performed at The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington.
Open‑minded discussion of hot titles at Capitol View Neighborhood Library, ages 18 and up.
Techy Tuesdays (Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library) — Two‑hour clinic teaching Chromebook, cellphone, tablet, laptop, Kindle functionality on 12 workstations, BYOD, limited to 12 participants, 18+.
Free hour-long guided tour of Japanese art at the Asian Art Museum, showcasing paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork and the Master of I‑nen Seal piece.
Screening of 1994 cult classic The Crow at Songbyrd Music House, with DJ 2‑Tone Jones mixing live hip‑hop scores, food and drink specials, and 37 Dragons pop‑up shop.
Stunning virtual reality takes visitors to 1776, showing Patriots coordinating to thwart a British invasion at the American History Museum.
Classic Hong Kong style Mahjong instruction and play at Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library, teaching history, tile basics, scoring, and strategies in a welcoming community setting, ages 18+.
Docent-led tour of the Asian Art Museum’s 46,000‑piece collection explores cultural, aesthetic and conceptual commonalities and differences.
AI concepts explained, popular tools demonstrated, real‑world examples shown, safe and responsible use discussed at Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library, for ages 18 and up.
Zoom lectures by local professors explore motherhood in classic and contemporary novels, followed by group discussions, hosted by Chevy Chase Neighborhood Library, for ages 18 and up.
Civics Trivia at the National Archives (William G. McGowan Theater) — Real-time multiple-choice rounds, pizza and refreshments, phone required, prizes for top three, first‑come seating.
Free 30–60‑minute guided tour of the Hirshhorn’s collections and exhibitions invites close looking, critical thinking, and conversation in the museum lobby.
Bruce Cockburn performs with special guest Livingston Taylor at Warner Theatre, doors open 7 PM, show begins 8 PM, bag size limited to 12x6x12 inches.
Device help sessions covering laptops, cellphones, tablets, and iPads at Northwest One Neighborhood Library, Washington, for ages 18 and up.
One-on-one tech assistance from a librarian for phones, tablets, job applications, and computers at Takoma Park Neighborhood Library, for ages 18 and up.
Drunk Shakespeare: Drunk Dracula at The Sage, Washington, for ages 21 and up.
Tai Chi Chuan (Hill Center DC) — Beginner and intermediate classes teach Wu‑style movements, push‑hands, saber, sword and spear practice, guided by Sifu Larry Hawkins, all ages.
Free Tech 101 workshop at Lamond‑Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library teaches email creation, password changes, online applications, cloud management, and device storage, for ages 18 and up.
At the Postal Museum’s Moving the Mail Atrium, a volunteer challenges participants to sort mail, decide deliveries versus the Dead Letter Office, and earn a prize.
Sketchbook Club: Cecilia Beaux’s Sita and Sarita (National Gallery of Art) — Hands‑on activities exploring the artwork.
Measure for Measure, a Shakespeare dark comedy set in 1950s American South, staged at Folger Shakespeare Library under Helen Hayes Award‑winning director Psalmayene 24.
Guided tours explore modern and contemporary art in the East Building atrium at the National Gallery of Art.
Hands‑on workshop at Shepherd Park Library teaches easy resume‑writing tips, formatting, tailoring, and common mistake avoidance, helping adults update resumes, ages 18 and up.
Bernard Dellario and Jean Schwartz present works exploring Parisian and Peloponnesian light, luminosity, and reflections at Calloway Fine Art & Consulting.
Dennis Zotigh performs tribal songs from Alaska to Florida in the Potomac Atrium, followed by a Q&A about museum and Indigenous culture; presentations may cancel without notice.
Four‑session adult drawing course at Hill Center DC, guiding participants through basic techniques and completing a personal image‑based drawing, for ages 18 and up.
Docents lead Highlights tours, gallery spotlight talks, and hands‑on cart programs across the museum’s floors.
WEDNESDAY
28
OCTOBER
Anime trivia, games, snacks, and discussion unfold in the Alma Thomas Teen Space, with prizes including Japanese snacks and anime character trading cards, ages 13–19.
3D scavenger hunt at Parklands‑Turner Neighborhood Library challenges participants to crack clues, collect Skeleton Sam’s lost parts and reassemble him for a sweet treat, ages 13–19.
Marcia Chatelain discusses the untold story of Black women who organized the 1963 March on Washington at Hill Center DC, followed by a book signing.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest (Parklands‑Turner Neighborhood Library) — participants receive pumpkins to paint and craft into favorite book characters, displayed for community voting, ages 5+.
Anime screenings, manga drawing stations, and social hangouts at Anacostia Neighborhood Library for ages 13–19.
PumpkinPalooza at Alethia Tanner Park offers delicious food, free pumpkins from NoMa BID, and live costumed characters, for all ages.
Weekly game night and social gathering for teens at Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Neighborhood Library, with varied activities and limited snacks, for ages 13–19.
Board and card games spread across the first‑floor meeting room at Lamond‑Riggs Library, offering teens a chance to play and socialize, for ages 13–19.
Halloween Whodunit 3 (DC Improv) — Murder‑mystery comedy where audience volunteers audition for a horror film role and guess the killer, with Die Laughing performers, ages 18 and up.
Chapters & Chai (Parklands‑Turner Neighborhood Library) — Book club meeting with chai, discussing fiction, memoir, mystery and more in a relaxed, genre‑free setting, ages 18+.
Book club meets at Parklands‑Turner Library, sipping chai while discussing fiction, memoirs, mysteries and more, for ages 18 and up.
Creative Minds Book Club at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library offers a monthly art activity and group reading of Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy, ages 18+.
Teams of three to five answer horror movie questions and compete for DCPL prizes, with solo participants grouped into teams, for ages 13–19 and 55 and up.
A DC‑themed Pokémon Scavenger Hunt at Anacostia Neighborhood Library lets participants collect Ward 8 gym badge stickers on a card and earn a special prize, for all ages.
Hands‑on gardening program at Anacostia Neighborhood Library teaches plant care, sustainability and harvests fresh herbs and vegetables, all ages.
Step Afrika! presents The Fruits of Our Labor at Arena Stage, a stepping and percussion performance with bold red, white, and blue visuals examining America’s unfinished story.
Free improv workshop for beginners at Palisades Neighborhood Library, offering hands‑on exercises and games for ages 13–19 and 55 and up.
Joanne McNally presents her new stand‑up show Pinotphile, delivering irreverent war stories about situationships, revenge, frenemies and rejection at the Howard Theatre.
Guided tour of Islamic art masterpieces, from a Syrian‑Egyptian silver‑inlaid basin to an Andalusian bronze lion and jeweled Persian king portrait, at Asian Art Museum.
Georgian National Ballet “Sukhishvili” presents traditional Georgian dance with intricate movements, colorful costumes and powerful storytelling at Lisner Auditorium.
Free coffee and informal conversation among library patrons and neighborhood residents at Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library, ages 18 and up.
Suspiria (1977) by Dario Argento screens in English dub at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, a supernatural ballet academy horror, for ages 18 and up.
Brazilian writer and performer Vanessa Severo presents a physically intense, emotionally raw portrait of Frida Kahlo’s life at Klein Theatre.
Haunted walking tour through Georgetown’s streets, Victorian row houses and gardens ends with a light show at the Exorcist Steps and a stop at the Old Stone House.
Pokémon Club (Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library) — Structured Play! Pokémon program where members learn and play the Pokémon Trading Card Game and other activities, ages 5–19.
Fall Festival on Woodrow Wilson Plaza (Ronald Reagan Building) — pumpkin decorating, hay bale maze, face painting, balloon twisting, stilt walkers, live DJ music, complimentary cider, all ages, free.
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? (Arena Stage) — Docudrama using original HUAC transcripts, featuring words of Arthur Miller, Jerome Robbins, Paul Robeson, and others.
Chess Master David Bennett leads a weekly chess class at Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, offering beginner basics and advanced strategy practice, ages 5 and up.
Free guided tour at Asian Art Museum examines Whistler’s Peacock Room, a 150‑year‑old London dining room turned iconic artwork, featuring Asian‑inspired design and Chinese porcelain.
Liz Blanc performs her high‑school and dating comedy at The Comedy Loft of DC, with a minimum of two food or drink items per person, for ages 18+.
Free crosswords, sudoku, and word searches with fresh coffee or tea at Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library, materials provided, for ages 18 and up.
Guided tour of the Hirshhorn’s Revolutions exhibition in the museum lobby, offering close looking and conversation about 20th‑century art. Free.
Willie Macc performs his breakout comedy at The Comedy Loft of DC, featuring his specials GOOD DAD, BAD FATHER, with 800 Lb. Gorilla, 18+.
Limited‑seat concert at Asian Art Museum’s Meyer Auditorium presents Marlboro Music’s chamber program—Haydn, Dean, Saariaho, and Mozart works performed by clarinetist Jonathan Leibovitz and ensemble, $6 reservation fee.
Mamma Mia! performed at The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington.
National Geographic Trivia Night (National Geographic Museum of Exploration, Explorers Eatery) — Friendly competition with National Geographic‑themed questions and great company.
Trivia night hosted by Sam and Sam in the Black Cat’s Red Room.
Stunning virtual reality takes visitors to 1776, showing Patriots coordinating to thwart a British invasion at the American History Museum.
Docent-led tour of the Asian Art Museum’s 46,000‑piece collection explores cultural, aesthetic and conceptual commonalities and differences.
Drop-in tech help at Deanwood Neighborhood Library offers assistance with computers, tablets, printing, email, digital resources, and online forms, for ages 13–19 and 55 and up.
Chess Master David Bennett leads strategy tips, techniques, and play sessions at the Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library Chess Club, for ages 5 and up.
Volunteer‑led 45‑minute highlights tour begins at the historic lobby information desk.
Intermediate knitting class at Hill Center DC, led by Paula Lytle, offers hands‑on practice and community, pattern selection, lace, colorwork and a complimentary glass of wine.
BruceBan$hee delivers punk‑trap energy with Breezy Supreme, Nature Boi, Trapdollazmanny, L.E.A.N., NollyOffDaMolly and DJ Bri Mafia, hosted by Brandon De’sean and TaylortheHostess at Songbyrd Music House.
Drunk Shakespeare: Drunk Dracula at The Sage, Washington, for ages 21 and up.
Sketchbook Club: Cecilia Beaux’s Sita and Sarita (National Gallery of Art) — Hands‑on activities exploring the artwork.
Measure for Measure, a Shakespeare dark comedy set in 1950s American South, staged at Folger Shakespeare Library under Helen Hayes Award‑winning director Psalmayene 24.
A ranger guides a tour inside the Korean War Veterans Memorial, explaining the significance of its elements.
Guided tours explore modern and contemporary art in the East Building atrium at the National Gallery of Art.
Bernard Dellario and Jean Schwartz present works exploring Parisian and Peloponnesian light, luminosity, and reflections at Calloway Fine Art & Consulting.
Dennis Zotigh performs tribal songs from Alaska to Florida in the Potomac Atrium, followed by a Q&A about museum and Indigenous culture; presentations may cancel without notice.
Knit and Crochet Group (Georgetown Neighborhood Library) — Stitch projects, learn new techniques, and share ideas with fellow makers; all skill levels welcome, ages 18 and up.
Docents lead Highlights tours, gallery spotlight talks, and hands‑on cart programs across the museum’s floors.
Virtual ESL Conversation Circles at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library let non‑native speakers practice speaking, listening, vocabulary via Zoom, led by facilitators, for ages 18 and up.
Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers — NHL hockey game at Capital One Arena.
Stitching Circle (Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Neighborhood Library) — Bring your own knitting, crocheting, embroidery or other needlework project, work with fellow crafters, and enjoy provided snacks, ages 18+.
One-on-one homework help and literacy tutoring with Northstar volunteers in the Large Meeting Room, Mt. Pleasant Library, for ages 5–19.
PowerPoint I Basics & Northstar (MLK Jr. Memorial Library) — Two‑hour class teaching slide creation, themes, media insertion, transitions, and timing, limited to 16 participants, ages 18+.
Intro to Oil Painting: Alla Prima and Impressionism at Washington Printmakers Gallery offers a four‑week class teaching color mixing, composition, and impressionist techniques with all supplies provided.
249 more events through Monday, November 2.
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