Events/Things To Do

Crystal City’s summertime happy hour is back, opening a month early and announcing a new partnership with The Stand  bringing food and beverage from local restaurants and an exciting live music lineup. Starting on May 4, each Friday from 5-9 pm, attendees can listen to live music from a variety of bands while enjoying local bites and drink.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: A maestro, a yogi, and an orchestra walk into a tunnel. There’s no punchline, just an amazing and unique one-night experience awaiting fans of live music and yoga on Sunday, Oct. 21^st, as the American Pops Orchestra and yogi Michael Peterson will host their first Music and Mindfulness practice and concert at Dupont Underground.

Here’s what to expect:

Will there really be a live orchestra at a yoga class?

Yes — the American Pops Orchestra is versatile and nimble in size and musical stylings. To fit the space and vibe of this event, APO Founder and Musical Director Luke Frazier will conduct and play piano along with the Pops’ Chamber Ensemble: four cellos and one percussionist. APO’s principal percussionist Jeremy Yaddaw co-wrote the original score of an interwoven soundscape of classic Broadway melodies arranged in an eastern meditative style. Playing this music live in Dupont Underground lends an acoustic sound similar to a cathedral or the Paris catacombs.

What’s it like to do yoga in Dupont Underground?

Instructor Michael Peterson will guide participants on a journey through mindfulness and flexibility as the orchestra plays. This practice is open to all, no matter their level of ability. At last year’s event, there were people doing yoga for the first time and some simply sitting to enjoy the music and meditation without being physically engaged. Seating will be available for those seeking a calming experience.

Dupont Underground is a 15,000 square foot space that can accommodate up to 250 people for this event. Previous shows have sold out, and tickets are available here. Water, tea, juice and other snacks will be available for purchase, and participants should bring their own mats and towels. It is advisable to dress in layers to keep warm during the relaxation part of the session. The session will last 75 minutes.

How did this collaboration happen?

Frazier began practicing yoga a few years ago and was instantly enamored with the focus, strength and meditation yoga brings.

“As I spent more time doing yoga, I also spent more time thinking about how live music would enhance the experience,” says Frazier. “So I decided to combine these two loves into something different and exciting that allows us to explore the parallels between yoga and live music in real time.”

Before finding his calling as a yoga teacher, Michael Peterson studied dance and theater, and even played the drums.

“Sometimes in yoga we get so focused on technique, we don’t really let it be a fun and creative process,” says Peterson. “The atmosphere of a yoga class is so central to the practice, and live music has a way of creating a more artistic and creative atmosphere that rejuvenates the soul. It’s this communal experience where we all come together to create and experience something that only happens right in that moment.”

The practice on October 21 is the first in a series. The other practices will take place at Dupont Underground on April 13 and May 8, 2019 at 6pm.

Crystal City’s summertime happy hour is back, opening a month early and announcing a new partnership with The Stand  bringing food and beverage from local restaurants and an exciting live music lineup. Starting on May 4, each Friday from 5-9 pm, attendees can listen to live music from a variety of bands while enjoying local bites and drink.

Saturday, October 27, 2018, 2-4 p.m. Grab your four-legged friend and high-tail it to Hillwood for an afternoon of Halloween fun on the Lunar Lawn. $13 adult (with 1-2 dogs), $8 Hillwood member (with 1-2 dogs), $5 child (ages 6-18), free for children under 6. www.HillwoodMuseum.org

Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is inviting friends and neighbors to stop by with their canine companions for Howl-O-Ween Trick or Treating with Puppy Kisses  on Tuesday, October 30 in the hotel’s courtyard between 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Prizes, such as overnight stays, dinners and more, will be awarded to costumed dogs (with their people!).  Categories include most creative, most adorable and funniest.

            All dogs will be pawsatively treated to peanut butter doggie biscuits created by the Fairmont’s pastry team, and canine coolers will be strategically placed throughout the courtyard. Humans will enjoy Flying Dog Dogtober Fest Beers for only $5, and an available cash bar.

A “Puppy Kissing Booth” will allow guests to give and receive some love from the visiting puppies, all currently being raised by volunteer puppy raisers for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, with the goal of one day becoming a guide dog for a person with vision loss. Although Fairmont’s Howl-O-Ween Trick or Treating is free and open to the public, donations for puppy kisses will go to Guiding Eyes for the Blind’s Puppy Raising Program.

            Those attending are asked to enter through the M Street walkway straight into the courtyard.

Honor Song for Returning Native American Women Warriors

Thursday, Nov. 8; 1:30 p.m.

National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium, Washington, D.C.

In advance of Veterans Day, composer, singer and drummer Ralph Zotigh (Kiowa) will sing an honor song he composed for Native American women veterans. He will be joined by his son, Dennis Zotigh (Kiowa/San Juan Pueblo/Santee Dakota Indian). This song was sung publicly for the first time in Tuba City, Arizona, at the second anniversary memorial for Army Spc. Lori Piestewa (Hopi), the first American servicewoman killed in the Iraq War, who is believed to be the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military.

Morning at the Museum

Saturday, Nov. 10, 10–11:30 a.m.

Kogod Courtyard

Experience a sensory-friendly program for families of children with disabilities. The program includes early entrance into the museum, facilitated activities and a Take-a-Break Space. Registration Required. To learn more about the program or to register, contact Ashley Grady at NPGaccess@si.edu.

Hopi Tribal Festival

Saturday, Nov. 17, and Sunday, Nov. 18; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium, Washington, D.C.

The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation located in northeastern Arizona. Their nation encompasses more than 1.5-million acres, and is made up of 12 villages on three mesas. Over the centuries, Hopi endures as a nation, retaining its culture, language and religion despite influences from the outside world.

During this all-day, two-day festival, the Hopi people share artist demonstrations, performances of music and dance, and a presentation of the history of the Hopi Code Talkers. The Hopi Youth Color Guard will present and retire the colors at the beginning and end of each day.