As the weather starts cooling down, there’s still plenty of things to do in the DC area. Whether you’re in the mood for a night of arts and culture or simply want to explore downtown, there is no shortage of events happening in DC this October.
Washington DC Plays and Performances
The Shakespeare Theater, just ten minutes from Georgetown will feature the Velocity DC Dance Festival from October 18 to October 21 at the Sidney Harman Hall. This four-day event will feature amazing talent from around the world and include flamenco, ballet, tap dancing and more.
The Wolf Trap Foundation for Performing Arts, about a fifteen minute drive from many great Arlington condominiums will feature a performance by Susan Werner at 8 p.m. on October 18. The classically trained folk singer/songwriter is known for her critically acclaimed release Last of the Good Straight Girls.
The Kennedy Center, just around the corner from wonderful Foggy Bottom penthouses, will be showing War Horse at the Opera House from October 23 to November 11. The 3 hour play has won five Tony awards and was recently adapted into a movie directed by Steven Spielberg.
At the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Stage, The Washington Ballet will perform Dracula from October 24 through November 4. This exciting take on the horror classic is just in time for the Halloween season.
Logan Circle’s famous Studio Theatre will be performing Dirt starting October 17. Written by Bryony Lavery, Dirt examines modern life, relationships and the basis of human connection.
Only a few minutes walk from Penn Quarter condominiums, The Woolly Mammoth Theatre will present the world premiere of Mia Chung’s You for Me for You on November 5. Chung’s first play tells the story of two North Korean sisters trying to escape the confines of a brutal regime. The Woolly Mammoth Theatre is known for its edgy, gripping material and has won over thirty awards.
Washington, DC Galleries and Exhibitions
The Smithsonian Institute’s Anacostia Community Museum, about fifteen minutes from Mount Vernon Triangle condos, presents the new exhibit Reclaiming the Edge: Urban Waterways and Civic Engagement. It examines the use of natural resources on growing populations and the ways in which watersheds develop cities and communities around the world.
The Smithsonian’s Portrait Gallery features the new exhibition Poetic Likeness: Modern American Poets, which opens on October 12. Through audiovisuals and quotations, Poetic Likeness takes a look at the evolution of poetry from Walt Whitman in the nineteenth century to recognizable names in the modernist movement like Allen Ginsberg and Ezra Pound.
The National Gallery of Art will open the exhibition Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective on October 14. Over 100 of Lichtenstein’s paintings will be on display, showing examples of early pop art, sculptures and various series.
Get Out and Experience DC
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center, only five minutes away from City Overlook, will be featuring the Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Expo on October 20. America’s Next Top Model’s winner Jaslene Gonzalez will be attending, and J. Alexander will be the event’s host. Makeovers, shopping and various fashion shows will be the highlights of the expo.
Be sure to head over to the National Harbor for Restaurant Week, from October 8 through October 21. Sample a variety of international foods at three-course dinners for only $35.12.
Walk to Stop Diabetes takes place October 20 at the East Pier Platform of the National Harbor. Over 2000 people are expected to take part in the 3.1 mile walk along the Harbor. Musical performances and stories will take place before the Walk begins.
Free Things to Do in the DC Area
The National Theater will be showing free movies starring Judy Garland Monday nights at 6:30 from October 15 through November 26. You must have a ticket in order to attend (tickets are distributed half an hour before the movie begins.) Such classic movies include: The Wizard of Oz, For Me and My Gal, The Harvey Girls, Summer Stock, In the Good Old Summertime and Meet Me in St. Louis. 
Free performances of note at the Kennedy Center’s Millenium Stage include dance selections from the Suzanne Farrell Ballet on October 25. The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra will perform Schubert’s Octet in F major on October 27. These amazing concerts will begin at 6 p.m.
Other Local Events
Feel like doing something outdoors? Why not check out the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which runs from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland. You can get some fresh air along the walking and bike paths. Better yet, you can even take a ride on a mule-drawn canal boat until the end of October.
Lafayette Square, just around the corner from 22 West, is the perfect place to unwind. Wander through the various museums and historical landmarks in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Renwick Gallery will feature the exhibition American Craft Masters on October 17 at noon. This free gallery event will discuss the objects in the museum’s permanent craft collection.
