Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: April 4-10
Parties, concerts, support groups and more for the week ahead
Director Tom Story, center, with actors David Nate Goldman and Allie Villareal in ‘Moth’ at Studio Theatre. (Photo by Igor Dmitry; courtesy Studio)
D.C.-area LGBT events calendar for the week ahead.
Friday, April 4
The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival begins at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds (16 Chestnut St., Gaithersburg, Md.) today from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. through Sunday. Purchase jewelry, home décor, fine arts and much more made from American craftsmen. A few craftsmen will also be doing live demonstrations in jewelry making, hand carving and furniture making. Admission is $8 online and $10 at the door. For more details, visit sugarloafcrafts.com.
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. There is no cover charge and admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For more information, visit towndc.com.
Charm City Fetish Fair begins today at Doubletree Hilton BWI (890 Elkridge Landing Rd., Linthicum Heights, Md.) at 5 p.m. and goes through Sunday. There will be a meet and greet, parties and workshops led by experts on the fetish lifestyle. For more information, visit charmcityfetishfair.com.
Bishop Allyson Abrams and Empowerment Liberation Cathedral launch an affirming fellowship service at Church of the Ascension (633 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring, Md.) tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. All are welcome. For more details, visit empowermentliberationcathedral.org.
Saturday, April 5
D.C. MeetMarket, an outdoor community market, begins on the corner of 15th and P St. N.W. today from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Over 40 local vendors will be selling goods including Baked and Wired, Twisted Aristocrat and more. The market’s goal is to help support the city’s small businesses and creative community. There will be live music by American Hearts, Light Arms and DJ Vanniety Kills. There will also be an interactive photo booth and free raffle.
Lesbian singer Lisa Moscatiello and singer Chris Noyes perform together for “We are Takoma Park,” a concert at the Takoma Park Municipal Building (7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, Md.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. The performance includes Celtic ballads, contemporary folk, country and more. For more information, email [email protected] or call 301-891-7266.
Code Redux presents “CODE All Colors,” a BDSM party, at the Crucible (16 M St., N.E.) from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Fetish dress code required. This is a membership-only event. Walk-ins will not be accepted. Online membership is available. For more information and to join, visit the-crucible.com.
Sunday, April 6
Queer for Christ, a Christian LGBT group, attends “Evensong/Evensocial,” a 20s/30s meet up group, at National Cathedral (3101 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.) today at 4 p.m. For more information, visit nationalcathedral.org.
Guitarist Charles Mokotoff performs Latin American melodies at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church (9601 Cedar Ln., Bethesda, Md.) today at 4 p.m. For more details, visit cedarlane.org.
Perry’s (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts its weekly “Sunday Drag Brunch” today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. For more details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.
Victory Fund holds is “National Champagne Brunch” today from11 a.m.-2 p.m. Special guests include Maine gubernatorial candidate Mike Michaud, Massachusetts attorney general candidate Maura Healey and Washington D.C. City Councilmember David Catania. Tickets are $250. For more details, visit victoryfund.org.
Monday, April 7
Opera on Tap D.C. Metro perform at Vendetta Bocce Bar and Tavern (1212 H St., N.E.) tonight from 7-9:30 p.m. Local opera singers Colin Michael Brush, Melissa Chavez, Aaron Halevy and more will be performing. There will be $1 sliders all night long with a 2 drink minimum. There will also be $4 Prosecco and Peroni and $5 house wine. There is a $5 suggested cover. For more information, visit operaontap.org/dcmetro.
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours this morning from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT community. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) holds a support group for gay black men to discuss topics that affect them, share perspectives and have meaningful conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.
Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) hosts poker night tonight at 8 p.m. Win prizes. Free to play. For more information, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Tuesday, April 8
GLOV hosts a happy hour reception at MOVA Lounge (2204 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 5:30-8 p.m. Tickets are $10 and supports GLOV, which aims to reduce violence against LGBT individuals and to assist victims of anti-LGBT violence. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.
JQ Baltimore, a Jewish LGBT outreach and support group, hosts Seder at Waxter Center (1000 Cathedral St., Mt. Vernon, Md.) tonight at 6:30 p.m. The Seder will be conducted by Rabbi Gila Ruskin and a kosher dairy dinner with traditional Passover foods will be served. Tickets are $12. For more details, email [email protected] or call 443.300.8996.
Wednesday, April 9
The Lambda Bridge Club hosts duplicate bridge at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) at 7:30 p.m. tonight. No reservations needed and new comers welcome. If you need a partner, call 703-407-6540.
Big Gay Book Group meets at 1155 F St., N.W. Suite 200 tonight at 7 p.m. to discuss “The Towers of Trebizond” by Roe Macaulay. This comedy tells the story of what it means to be a Christian in the modern world with a wacky group of characters including spies a Greek sorcerer and a deranged camel. For more information email [email protected].
“Moth” begins its run at the Studio Theatre (1501 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. “Moth” tells the story of an anime-obsessed boy and his emo-Wiccan friend whose friendship is changed forever when Sebastian is forced on an apocalyptic mission after a horrific event at his high school. Tickets are $30.The play runs through May 4. For more details, visit studiotheatre.org.
Thursday, April 10
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers for Food and Friends (219 Riggs Rd., N.E.) tonight from 6-8 p.m. Volunteers will chop vegetables and pack groceries. To volunteer, email [email protected]. For more details, visit burgundycrescent.org.
Rude Boi Entertainment hosts “Tempted 2 Touch,” a ladies dance party, at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.) Doors open at 10 p.m. Drink specials $5 and vodka shots $3 all night. No cover charge. Admission limited to guests 21 and over. For more details, visit rudeboientertainment.wordpress.com.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
Let love and compassion guide our response to Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis
D.C. Black Pride 2025: Events, parties, and empowerment
Cuban lawmakers to consider simplifying process for trans people to change IDs
Frank Kameny’s legacy lives on
