Arts & Entertainment
Save on gas and take a D.C. staycation this summer
A roundup of local events to keep you entertained all season
It’s summertime in Washington D.C., and the city is teeming with things to do. From new museum exhibitions to city events, and fine dining, there are countless ways to spend a weekend — or longer — in the city. And with gas hovering around $5 per gallon, these ideas will also save you some money.
FOOD
The RAMMYS 2022 – July 24. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the RAMMYS, D.C.’s annual restaurant and food service awards ceremony. The event will feature a silent auction, food, drinks, and a dance floor DJ-ed by music group Cash Cash.
A Taste of the DMV: Food, Culture & live music festival – July 30. Experience “Food, Culture, Music and Fun” at the Gateway D.C. Pavilion from 4-10 p.m. on July 30. Businesses from around the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area will have booths, and there will also be contests, games, and live performances.
Jollof Festival 2022 – July 30. The Jollof Festival visits several cities each summer to host vendors cooking — and competing — for the title of best Jollof rice, a savory West African staple. The Jollof Festival will come to D.C. at the end of July, held in the new Sandlot Anacostia events space.
Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week – Aug. 15-21. Join the Restaurant Association of D.C. for a week of fine dining, featuring “3-course menus for lunch, dinner and brunch,” according to their Instagram, in addition to “RW-To-Go dinner meals and cocktail pairings.”
Around the World Cultural Food Festival – Aug. 27. This festival boasts “the best of the best” food from every country, with only one restaurant chosen to represent each country in attendance. In addition to food and drink, there will be live song and dance and ethnic artisans and crafters, all hosted at Oronoco Bay Park in Alexandria, Va.
ARTS & CULTURE
Baltimore Museum of Art; Joan Mitchell – Through Aug. 14. The Baltimore Museum of Art has partnered with San Francisco MoMA to organize a comprehensive retrospective of Joan Mitchel, an American post-war artist who has received international acclaim. Mitchell broke into the male-dominated New York art scene of the 1950s before moving to spend nearly 40 years in France, and in addition to the exhibition’s 70 featured works, it includes a collection of photographs, poems and documents that flesh out an understanding of the artist’s multifaceted life.
Renwick Gallery; This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World – Through April 23, 2023. This nearly year-long exhibition at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Art Museum highlights art’s ability to create change and shape a more “relational and empathetic world.” It features craft mediums from the Renwick’s permanent collections as well as more than 100 new acquisitions, paying special attention to the often-overlooked history and contributions of BIPOC and women artists.
National Portrait Gallery; Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue – Through Sept. 5. According to theNational Portrait Gallery’s website, “On the fiftieth anniversary of the Watergate break-in, this exhibition of photographs, paintings, sculpture, and works on paper from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection brings visitors face-to-face with the scandal’s cast of characters.” The exhibition delves into visual biography as a new way to contemplate questions raised by the crisis’s political and cultural fallout.
Capital Fringe Festival – July 14-17 and July 21-24. This summer’s Capital Fringe Festival is a performing arts showcase featuring “31 productions, 6 stages, 4 performance venues and one official festival bar,” all located in Georgetown. The event is back after a two-year break due to COVID-19, but its goal of creating an un-curated and unfiltered space for artistic exploration and performance has remained.
Fiesta Asia Street Fair – July 16. More than 1,000 performers, artisans and vendors will line Pennsylvania Avenue in front of Capitol Hill for a celebration of Asia’s rich and diverse heritage. The event is hosted by the Asia Heritage Foundation, and this summer will mark its 17th year commemorating the vast array of Asian culture and community.
Del Rey Artisans Summer Art Market – July 9-10. This two-day event held in Arlington will feature a different slate of local artists and artisans each day. Attendees can purchase “original handmade artwork” in a variety of media: ceramics, jewelry, glass, photography and more will all be on display.
DC JazzFest – Aug. 31 – Sept. 4. The 18th Annual D.C. JazzFest will feature live performances on multiple waterfront stages at The Wharf, in addition to the DCJazzPrix international band competition at Union Stage. The event is “DC’s Celebration of All Things Jazz,” and over 15 different jazz groups and performers will be featured.
MISCELLANEOUS
National Zoo; Birds in Flight – Through Sept. 5. Watch exotic birds take to the air under with acclaimed bird behaviorist Phung Luu at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. The exhibition happens rain or shine, every day besides Tuesday, at the Zoo’s Great Meadow.
Arts & Entertainment
Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71
Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’
Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.
O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.
In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.
In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”
Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.
Friday, January 30
Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).
Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, January 31
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, February 1
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, February 2
“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 (adamheller@thedccenter.org).
Tuesday, February 3
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected].
Wednesday, February 4
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.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, February 5
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. 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, breath work 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.
a&e features
D.C. LGBTQ sports bar Pitchers listed for sale
Move follows months of challenges for local businesses in wake of Trump actions
A Santa Monica, Calif.-based commercial real estate company called Zacuto Group has released a 20-page online brochure announcing the sale of the D.C. LGBTQ sports bar Pitchers and its adjoining lesbian bar A League of Her Own.
The brochure does not disclose the sale price, and Pitchers owner David Perruzza told the Washington Blade he prefers to hold off on talking about his plans to sell the business at this time.
He said the sale price will be disclosed to “those who are interested.”
“Matthew Luchs and Matt Ambrose of the Zacuto Group have been selected to exclusively market for sale Pitchers D.C., located at 2317 18th Street, NW in Washington, D.C located in the vibrant and nightlife Adams Morgan neighborhood,” the sales brochure states.
“Since opening its doors in 2018, Pitchers has quickly become the largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ bar in Washington, D.C., serving as a cornerstone of D.C.’s modern queer nightlife scene,” it says, adding, “The 10,000+ SF building designed as a large-scale inclusive LGBTQ+ sports bar and social hub, offering a welcoming environment for the entire community.”
It points out that the Pitchers building, which has two years remaining on its lease and has a five-year renewal option, is a multi-level venue that features five bar areas, “indoor and outdoor seating, and multiple patios, creating a dynamic and flexible layout that supports a wide range of events and high customer volume.”
“Pitchers D.C. is also home to A League of Her Own, the only dedicated lesbian bar in Washington, D.C., further strengthening its role as a vital and inclusive community space at a time when such venues are increasingly rare nationwide,” the brochure says.
Zacuto Group sales agent Luchs, who serves as the company’s senior vice president, did not immediately respond to a phone message left by the Blade seeking further information, including the sale price.
News of Perruzza’s decision to sell Pitchers and A League of Her Own follows his Facebook postings last fall saying Pitchers, like other bars in D.C., was adversely impacted by the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard soldiers on D.C. streets
In an Oct. 10 Facebook post, Perruzza said he was facing, “probably the worst economy I have seen in a while and everyone in D.C. is dealing with the Trump drama.” He told the Blade in a Nov. 10 interview that Pitchers continued to draw a large customer base, but patrons were not spending as much on drinks.
The Zacuto Group sales brochure says Pitchers currently provides a “rare combination of scale, multiple bars, inclusivity, and established reputation that provides a unique investment opportunity for any buyer seeking a long-term asset with a loyal and consistent customer base,” suggesting that, similar to other D.C. LGBTQ bars, business has returned to normal with less impact from the Trump related issues.
The sales brochure can be accessed here.
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