Get Some Culture: Area To-Do’s

Brrr, it’s freezing out there. But don’t let the chill get you down, let’s get cozy and make the most of it. You’ll find us snuggled up in posh winter chalets, lounging in luxe igloos, and warming our toes by roaring fires. You know the team here at TheListAreYouOnIt.com has curated the ultimate list of ways to turn up the heat on your winter plans. So grab your coziest scarf, and let’s make these frosty fabulous. 

Museum Visits

Marvin Bowser’s Black Hair at Mt Vernon Triangle Photo Walk: Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (MVT CID) has launched of Marvin Bowser’s BlackHair outdoor photo exhibit at the MVT Photo Walk located on the 400 block of K Street NW and Prather’s Alley. The installation is central to MVT CID's annual celebration of Black History Month. BlackHair uplifts and celebrates Black culture through the lens of Black hair and speaks to “Black joy, love, beauty, strength, resilience, expression, and fantasy.” More info here. 

Tudor Place Tells Stories of Enslaved Individuals: Tudor Place Historic House & Garden is excited to announce its reopening to the public this week, following a month-long hiatus for essential maintenance and cleaning. As the only historic house in the District with direct ties to George and Martha Washington, Tudor Place offers a unique glimpse into America’s founding era, housing the largest collection of Washington-related objects outside of Mount Vernon. Find out more info here. 

Folger Theatre: How to Be Power Player, Tudor Edition: How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition, which opens at the Folger Shakespeare Library on February 21, 2025, shows how historical and literary figures ranging from royal advisors to household staff used cunning, cutthroat, and creative means to acquire power and curry favor with the Tudor monarchs. And, illustrating that the stakes were quite high during the 16th century, stories often ended with beheadings. Tickets here. 

National Building Museum: Capital Brutalism Exhibit Extended: The National Building Museum announced that it will extend its Capital Brutalism exhibition through Monday June 30, 2025. This exhibition has sparked intense media and public interest as it tells the story of how D.C.’s Brutalist architecture helped reshaped the city in the mid-century. Capital Brutalism explores the history, current state, and future of seven polarizing buildings and the WMATA Metro system in Washington, D.C. The exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Angela Person, associate professor of architecture at the University of Oklahoma, and architectural photographer Ty Cole. Buy here. 

JewCE: The Jewish Comic Experience: JewCE: The Jewish Comics Experience looks at the Jewish origins of the development of iconic comic book superheroes beginning in the 1930s-60s. Which superhero had a bar mitzvah? Who crushed a glass at his comic book wedding? Learn about superheroes with Jewish creators, writers, and artists, from Spider-Man to Senorita Rio. Sections on the development of cartoons in Yiddish and in modern Hebrew augment the story. The exhibition includes contemporary graphic novels which explore Jewish themes from Israel to Iraq and back to America. Scenes from local DC-area comic fandom round out the exhibition, welcoming new and old comic enthusiasts into the story. Book here. 

Lace Your Skates

Sculpture Garden: The DC Sculpture Garden ice rink is open.  Enjoy  Pavilion Café and pop-up performances from Team USA and local figure skaters at 7:00 p.m. with a meet-and-greet to follow. To purchase a ticket, click here. 

Washington Harbor: The Washington Harbor Ice Rink is officially open for the winter season! Enjoy scenic view of the Potomac River, Kennedy Center, Key Bridge, and more while skating. For more information, click here.

Reston Town Center: RTC offers public skating daily with extended hours for the Holidays. The skate shop is stocked with over 500 pairs of skates ranging from size 8 toddler through men’s size 15, in both figure and hockey styles. Adult Admission: $11. Youth (12 and under): $9 Senior (55+): $9 Military: $9 Skate Rentals: Group (10 or more & includes skate rental) $14. $7 Skate Aids: $10 Skate Sharpening: $7 Socks: $4 Gloves: $4 Handwarmers (single): $2. Rent here. 
 

Where Else You'll Find Us

Mother Tongue Film Festival: Since 2016, the Smithsonian’s annual Mother Tongue Film Festival has celebrated cultural and linguistic diversity by showcasing films and filmmakers from around the world. Through digital storytelling, the festival explores the power of language to connect the past, present, and future. 

The Olney Theatre: Olney Theatre Center’s production of Sara Bareilles’ beloved musical Waitress in the Roberts Mainstage will reunite star MALINDA in the lead role of Jenna, and director/choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge, when it begins performances on February 13, 2025. Tickets are available here. 

Duke’s Bamboo Bar: Duke's Grocery's sister restaurant, Duke's Counter in Woodley Park, is going all in for the return of pandas to Washington, D.C. with the introduction of "The Bamboo Bar," a panda-themed pop-up. You can enjoy drinks served in an assortment of panda drinkware furnished with edible garnishes and sustainable bamboo straws, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, as well as hot beverages, and kid- friendly offerings. Featured drinks include the “Panda-Colada”, a piña colada riff made with silver rum, coconut, and pineapple, topped with chocolate shavings, served in a tall panda-branded glass with green bamboo straws, the “Bao-zy Hot Chocolate”, a hot chocolate with amaretto, cayenne, and cinnamon, served in a color-changing panda mug, and more. More info here.