Holiday Happenings: What’s On This Week?

I’m in D.C. through Christmas this year, when normally I’d be with family elsewhere. I need some recommendations for holiday events since, although I’m flying solo, I want to stay in the spirit!                                                                      – Christmasing Local

Well, Christmasing Local, there’s a forecast for flurries, but so many warm and inviting events to attend if you’re staying DC-side for the holidays.  Here’s a taste of some of our favorites (apparently we’ve got visions of sing-alongs stuck in our heads!):

• Holiday songs are a surefire way to celebrate the season.  The Choral Arts Society is hosting a Belgian MidWinter Concert at the Kennedy Center tonight, followed by an afterparty at the new Rivers Restaurant.  Tickets are $85

• A host of holidayers invite you to join in on a Christmas event at the W Washington D.C.’s P.O.V rooftop this Wednesday, December 22nd (8:00PM to 2:00AM). The hotel rooftop offers an incredible view of the city – along with cocktails and cheer. Bottle service available.  E-mail for the guest list. 

• More singing in spirit.  Thursday, December 23, beginning at 8:00 PM, Barry Hemphill leads the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, a 200-voice choir, professional soloists and the audience in a performance of The Messiah at the Kennedy Center. Free; tickets required.  (One per person, line starts at 6 PM in front of the Concert Hall.) 

• ****Not really related to Christmas, but an opportunity to take that solo experience and be a tourist is your own town: Blue Banana Bar opens on Georgia Avenue tonight!    No list, just a lot of local flavor.  Grab a Jack & Ginger and tell ’em we sent you!