Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: Oct. 12

Parties, exhibits, concerts and more through Oct. 18

Published

14 years ago

October 11, 2012

A firefly metal that is part of the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival this weekend in Gaithersburg. (Photo courtesy Sugarloaf)

TODAY (Friday)

Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. This event is for people 21 and older. There is no cover charge. For details, visit towndc.com.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema (555 11th St., NW) presents “How to Survive a Plague” tonight at 7. Attendees can get free vouchers at brownpapertickets.com. When free vouchers run out or for more information, visit landmarktheatres.com.

Women in their Twenties meets tonight at 8 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., NW). The group is for lesbian, bisexual, transgender and other interested women in Washington. For details, visit thedccenter.org.

The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8^th St., S.E.) is having its happy hour tonight starting at 5 p.m. All drinks are half off until 7:30 p.m. After 9 p.m., admission is $10. The dance floor opens at 11 p.m. with DJ Tim-Nice and DJ Cameron. For details, visit thebachelorsmill.com.

Special Agent Galactica plays at Black Fox Lounge (1723 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) tonight from 6-9. Her guests tonight are performers from the Hope Operas, which is running on Mondays this month in Arlington (see below). Admission is free. For more information, visit pinkhairedone.com.

Phase 1 (528 8^th St. SE) has its weekly dance party with DJ Jay Von Teese tonight starting at 7:30. Cover is $10. For more information, visit phase1dc.com.

The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival begins today and runs through Sunday at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds (16 Chestnut Street, Gaithersburg). Today and Saturday, the fair is open from 10 a.m.-6 pm. On Sunday, the fair runs until 5 p.m. The festival includes fashion, fine art, jewelry, glass and pottery. For details, visit sugarloafcrafts.com.

The Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival continues tonight at 9:20 pm at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (8633 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring). Tickets start at $11 and a festival pass can be purchased for $125-$150. For more information, visit thespookymovie.com.

Saturday, Oct. 13

The Team D.C. 2012 Champions Awards Reception takes place at the HRC Equality Forum Hall (1127 Connecticut Ave., NW) tonight from 6-8 pm. The annual event celebrates local leaders and supporters of LGBT sports. Awards included are the MVP Award, the Trailblazer Award and the Community Support Award. For more information, visit teamdc.org.

Whitman-Walker offers HIV Testing at D.C. Center (1318 U St. NW) today from 4-7:30 pm. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.

Town (2009 8^th St., N.W) hosts Djs Shea Van Horn and Matt Bailer as they bring their party “Mixtape” tonight at 10. The cover is $8 before 11 pm and $12 after. For details, visit towndc.com.

Sunday, Oct. 14

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers this morning for D.C. Central Kitchen (425 2^nd St. NW) at 9 a.m. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.

Founder and owner of Busboys and Poets, Andy Shallal, holds a discussion about how to affect social change through entrepreneurship today from 10:25-11:15 a.m. at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation (6301 River Road, Bethesda). This event is free and open to everyone. For details, visit rruuc.org.

“Being Home,” an art exhibit by Patricia Tice, is being shown at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation (6301 River Road) today from 3-5 p.m. This event is free and open to everybody. For more information, visit rruuc.org.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) holds its weekly Martini Sundays and Homowood Karaoke tonight. Karaoke starts at 10 p.m. and there is no charge for admission. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.

Lambda Sci-fi hosts its monthly meeting for science fiction, fantasy and horror fans today at 1425 S St. NW. The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. and the social begins at 2. Attendees should bring a snack or a non-alcoholic beverage. For more information, visit lambdascifi.org.

Monday, Oct. 15

The Hope Operas continue tonight at 8 p.m. at the Comedy Spot on the third floor of the Ballston Mall (4238 Wilson Blvd. Arlington) as a series of original musicals and cliffhangers that run each Monday night this month. Founder Chris Griffin is gay as are several of the performers. Audience members get to vote for their favorite serial and money raised from the performances will go to a local charity. Performances are by local theater professionals. Tickets are $13 per show or $50 for the month. Find the group on Facebook for details.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts its Martini Monday tonight at 10 p.m. There is no cover charge and martinis are $5. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com.

Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14^th St., NW) holds its HIV+ Newly Diagnosed Support Group tonight at 7. It is a confidential support group for anyone recently diagnosed with HIV and the group welcomes all genders and sexual orientations. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.

Tuesday, Oct. 16

Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) hosts its Safer Sex Kit-packing program tonight from 7-10:30. The packing program is looking for more volunteers to help produce the kits because they say they are barely keeping up with demand. Admission is free and volunteers can just show up. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W) hosts its Flashback dance night with DJ Jason Royce starting at 10 p.m. There is no cover charge. For more details, visit cobaltdc.com.

Wednesday, Oct. 17

The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 at the Dignity Center (721 8^th St., SE). A partner is not needed. For more information, visit lambdabridge.com.

“Dirt,” by Bryony Lavery, opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Studio Theatre (1501 14^th, St. NW). The play chronicles people’s relationships and how they can make a mess of them. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit studiotheatre.org.

Thursday, Oct. 18

Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14^th St., NW) holds its gay men over 50 support group this evening at 6:30 pm. The group is for gay men entering a new phase of life. Registration is required to attend. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W) hosts its weekly Best Package Contest tonight at 9 p.m. There is a $3 cover and there are $2 vodka drinks. Participants in the contest can win $200 in cash prizes. The event is hosted by Lena Lett and music by DJ Chord, DJ Madscience, and DJ Sean Morris. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.

Whitman-Walker Health provides HIV Testing this evening at Miriam’s Kitchen (2120 West Virginia Ave., NE) beginning at 4 p.m. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.

Photos

PHOTOS: World Pride March

LGBTQ rights demonstration held in Amsterdam

Published

11 hours ago

August 9, 2026

Michael Key

A scene from the 2026 World Pride March in Amsterdam. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2026 World Pride March was held on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Amsterdam. Tens of thousands of participants marched from Martin Luther Kingpark to the grounds of the Pride Village at Museumplein.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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Photos

PHOTOS: Daddy Issues at Kiki

Evry Pleasure, Tiara Missou-Sidora, Indiana Bones perform

Published

1 day ago

August 8, 2026

Landon Shackelford

Evry Pleasure performs at the 'Daddy Issues' drag show at Kiki on Wednesday. (Washington Blade photo by Landon Shackelford)

The weekly drag show “Daddy Issues” was held at Kiki on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Performers included Evry Pleasure, Indiana Bones and Tiara Missou-Sidora.

(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)

Books

Something’s off about Dad. When is it time to step in?

‘When Memory Fades’ can help when families face dementia

Published

1 day ago

August 8, 2026

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Book cover image courtesy of St. Martin's Essentials)

‘When Memory Fades’
By Nathaniel Chin, MD
c.2026, St. Martin’s Essentials
$30/422 pages

Mom called you in a panic the other day.

She’d lost her keys and by the time you arrived to help, she’d found them. In the refrigerator.

These kinds of things keep happening, not often but often enough, and you don’t know quite what to worry about. But in the new book “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, you’ll learn about the journey ahead, for both of you.

You can’t remember why you walked into a room. You got lost last week, going to the bank. Popular wisdom says that things like that are normal as we age, but Chin says that’s not true – although the answer may not be a worst-case scenario, either. Yes, memory problems could just be signs of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep – or is it time to see a doctor?

Chin says maybe, yes.

He was working his way through medical residency when his father, a geriatrician in Madison, Wisc., was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Chin, now a geriatrician, was blindsided, but that diagnosis also changed his life.

Here, he writes about the brain, and how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed, explaining that dementia has many faces and, depending on a doctor’s evaluation, memory problems might be slowed or improved. He shares his father’s illness with readers, but he also writes about his mother, a steadfast, steady caretaker.

Her story reminds reader-guardians to care for themselves, too.

Know how to talk the talk, so that you can have “a more productive” conversation with your doctor. Understand that there’s nothing “normal” about dementia or Alzheimer’s. Know the statistics – African Americans are affected with dementia twice as much as whites – and know how to lower your risks. Learn here what questions to ask, how to break the news to everyone, and any legal matters that will be important soon. And know how to tend to you.

Says Chin, “The best action you can take is to educate yourself… The more you understand, the better equipped you are to make sound judgments.”

Something’s off about Dad, just a lot of little things that don’t add up. When is it time to step in? “When Memory Fades” can help you decide.

Wise, wide-spread, comprehensive, and compassionately helpful, this is a book you can read and then take it to the doctor with your loved one. It’s a book that makes sense when nothing else does, and its biggest feature is that it smoothly transitions from easy-to-grasp science and charts, to gentle coaching for caregivers. Author Nathaniel Chin, MD writes with storytelling, humility, grace, and experience from both sides of the Alzheimer’s/dementia issue, and his words are reassuring but also urgent. Learn, but don’t wait, he says. Know how to safeguard yourself. See your doctor, and don’t fear testing. Watch for signs of depression. And never, ever stop asking for help.

Read those last seven words, and find “When Memory Fades” now. It’s a book to have on your shelf, whether you’re 45 or 95 because, as you’ll see, dementia happens and knowledge is key.