Arts & Entertainment
Halloween fun!
Our guide to the best parties, screenings and theme nights in town this weekend
Halloween mayhem last year at Cobalt. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
TODAY:
Secrets (1824 Half Street) is having a Halloween Black Light Party tonight hosted by La Troya Nichole with music by DJ Steve Henderson. Doors open at 9 p.m.
Strathmore presents “Friday night Eclectic: Rock, Paper, Zombies” tonight at the Mansion (10701 Rockville Pike) in Bethesda at 8:30 p.m. with music by Mittenfields, Devin Ocampo and Bellflur. There will be a showing of art including gig posters by Rich Bernett, Itty Bitty Press, John Foster and Fire Studio. Tickets are $10 in advance at strathmore.org and $12 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Beat City at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room (1725 Columbia Rd., N.W.) is Halloween themed this time around with the “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” featuring a costume contest at midnight with winners received a $50 bar tab. Beat City is a queer lounge night featuring real rock ‘n’ roll from Alice in Chains to ZZ Top.
AFI Silver (8633 Colesville Rd.) in Silver Spring presents two silent horror classics tonight accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra. First up is “The Phantom of the Opera” starring Lon Chaney as the Phantom and Mary Philbin at Christine at 7 p.m. Then at 9:30 p.m.,“Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror” starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok. Tickets for either screening are $20, $18 for AFI Members.
D.C.’s Rocky Horror Shadowcast, the Sonic Transducers, will be giving three special performances of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” starting tonight and going through Sunday. Tonight and Saturday the performances begins at midnight and Sunday they start at 7 p.m. sharp. All performances will be at the E Street Cinema (555 11th St., N.W.) and tickets are $11 for general admission, $9 for students and military and $8 for seniors. For more information, visit dcrockyhorror.com.
Saturday, Oct. 29
RAW’s Halloween Party is tonight at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) with DJs Shea Van Horn and Bil plus guest DJ Keenan Orr from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. There’s a costume contest with $1,000 in prizes available. There will also be an open vodka bar from 10 to 11 p.m. There is a $10 cover. Attendees must be 21 or older.
“Thriller: Women’s Hallow Party” is tonight at Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) with a costume contest and DJ LS spinning. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the contest begins at midnight. There’s a $10 cover and all attendees must be 21 or older.
Remington’s (639 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.) is having a Halloween party and costume contest tonight. Prizes include $250 case and a $100 bar tab. The contest begins at midnight and all participants should be signed up by 11:45 p.m.
Lace Lounge (2214 Rhode Island Ave., N.E.) presents “If Only for a Night: A Mature Costume Party” tonight from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. featuring a sexy, mature mini show. Cover is $10 with costume, $12 without one.
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) presents GhostTown tonight featuring a costume contest at midnight with a grand prize of $1,000. The drag show begins at 10:30 p.m. Cover is $15 and all attendees must be 21 or older.
S.H.E. Productions presents Homoween 2011, the annual Saints and Sinners Masqueradde at Grand Central and Sapphos (1001 North Charles St.) in Baltimore. Doors open at 9 p.m. There is a $5 cover before 11 p.m. which doubles afterward. All attendees must be 21 or older.
Artomatic’s SurrealD.C. Halloween Masquerade is back for a third year at the Washington Harbour (3050 K St., N.W.) tonight from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. There will be a costume contest, including scariest, craziest, funniest, sexiest, most original and most creative, performances and art installations. Tickets are $25 and attendees must be 21 or older. For more information, visit artomatic.org.
Sunday, Oct. 30
Fairfax Pride is having a Halloween party tonight at Alto Plaza (5800 Old Centreville Rd.) in Centreville, featuring a Latin Zumba group, Brandonna Dupri, the Virginia chapter of the D.C. Gurly Show and more. Doors open at 7 p.m. and performances will happen every 30 minutes from 9 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the group page on Facebook.
Monday, Oct. 31
Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) is having its Halloween costume contest tonight from 8 p.m. to midnight. The first place winner will received $250 cash, second place winner will get a $100 Nellie’s tab and third place will win a $50 Cubano’s dinner.
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
Friday, June 12
Bet Mishpachah will host “Pride Shabbat Happy Hour” at 6 p.m. at Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center. This is an in-person happy hour with an open wine and beer bar, great company, and joyful conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will meet at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, visit Facebook.
Saturday, June 13
Out N Bad will host “SWEET WHINE: DC Pride Queer Caribbean Slow Whine Function” at 9 p.m. at Decades DC. This is a late-night escape into slow and steamy Dancehall & Kompa only. No splits. No headtops. No pressure. Tickets are $22.14 and are available on Eventbrite.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a screening of “10s Across the Borders,” a bold pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating Southeast Asia’s underground ballroom scene. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Sunday, June 14
Beth A Wolfe Yoga will host “Pride Baby Goat Yoga” at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Arlington, Va. The goats will be decked out in their finest Pride apparel, and human participants are welcome to do the same. Proceeds from this event will go to the Trevor Project. Tickets cost $44.52 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 15
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, June 16
“Self-Defense Class with Avi Rome” will be at 12:30 p.m. Rome is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a full-time Martial Arts instructor with 25 years of teaching experience. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do and is the director of the studio’s Adaptive Tae Kwon Do program for students with special needs. He has also run numerous self-defense workshops for various groups and situations. For more details, visit the center’s website.
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting.Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, June 17
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, June 18
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
D.C. Council approves expanded grant funding for Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Baltimore Pride is here
Calendar: June 12-18
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