Weekend Buzz: Nov. 5, 2025
So much to do around town! You can try your hand at flower pressing at Cherry Hill Farm House, have your photography critiqued at Glen Echo, learn how to boost your brain health, or attend a Repair Café at Mary Riley Styles Public Library. There are raptors and critters to learn about, a Winter Lights Walk, an Urban Circus, the return of the Smithereens to the State Theatre, and many other options to enjoy local dining, music, dance, film, fine arts, and theater (including a new play at Creative Cauldron.) On Tuesday, Nov. 11, the City will also hold its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the Community Center. Enjoy!
LOCAL DINING
Check Out Falls Church City’s New Online Dining Guide!
For the new Falls Church City Dining Guide go here.
Celebrate Veterans Day!
Veterans Day Ceremony
City of Falls Church
Veterans Day Ceremony, Community Center, Kenneth R. Burnett Bldg., City of Falls Church, 223 Little Falls Street, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Free. No registration required.
Every year, the Recreation and Parks Department honors all those who served in the armed forces with a ceremony presented by the Greater Falls Church Veterans Council. Join us in recognizing our military alongside a patriotic performance by the Falls Church Concert Band.
For more info go here.
Boost Your Brain Health!
Thinking Ahead: Boosting Brain Health & When to See a Neurologist
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave., Main Level Conference Room, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2-3:00 p.m. Ages (18+).
Join us for an informative discussion on how to keep your brain healthy and how to know when it might be time to seek a neurologist's care.
Tonya Embly of The Kensington will share practical tips for supporting memory, focus, and overall cognitive wellness, along with guidance on how to recognize early signs that a specialist's evaluation might be beneficial.
Whether you are caring for a loved one, are interested in prevention, or simply want to learn more about brain health, this program offers helpful insights and resources for every stage of the journey.
About the Presenter
Tonya Embly, Director of Memory Care at The Kensington in Falls Church, is certified by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners and has completed Positive Approach to Care (PAC) training under Teepa Snow. Her lifelong passion is supporting individuals living with dementia and guiding families through the challenges she once faced herself while caring for her own parents.
- Registration is required for this event.
- Registration will close on November 8, 2025 @ 2:00 p.m.
To register go here.
Repair to a Repair Café
Repair Café
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave. Main Level Conference Room, Sunday, Nov. 9, 12-2:00 p.m. All ages.
Repair Café is coming to MRSPL! Bring your damaged household appliances, clothing, jewelry, toys, and more for free repair service and advice from a team of volunteer repair experts.
Do you have a broken appliance cluttering up your kitchen? Did you just find a hole in a favorite piece of clothing? Are you frustrated with your computer or phone? Repair Café can help.
Once a month, a team of volunteers from Fairfax County Repair Café take their tools, skills, and knowledge to a library in Northern Virginia to diagnose, repair, and make recommendations about damaged items. They are on a mission to build community resilience and try to make your stuff last longer. (They also sharpen knives! Limit 3 blades per patron.)
There is no cost for admission to Repair Café or for any repair work. All repair work is provided on a volunteer basis. Light refreshments available.
If you have questions about what you can bring to Repair Café or if you are looking for more information, contact Repair Café at their website, social media platform, or by email.
Registration requested but not required; drop-ins are welcome!
- Registration will close on November 9 @ 12:00 p.m.
Do you have skills to repair things for your community? Repair Café would love to work with you! Contact us here.
To register go here.
Learn the Art of Flower Pressing!
Pressed Flower Workshop
Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Ave. Saturday, Nov. 8, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Cost is $10.
Perfect for after the Farmers Market on Saturday!
For more info go here.
LOCAL MUSIC
The Smithereens featuring John Cowsill
The State Theatre, 220 N. Washington St., Friday, Nov. 7. Doors open: 7:00 p.m. Showtime: 8:30 p.m.
Founded in New Jersey in 1980, The Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock ’n' roll for 44 years. Jim Babjak (guitar), Dennis Diken (drums), and Mike Mesaros (bass), grew up together in Carteret and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from Scotch Plains.
The band paid its dues in clubs all over the NYC tri-state area from Kenny’s Castaways in Greenwich Village to the Court Tavern and Stone Pony in New Jersey. They’ve since performed on stages coast-to-coast from the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles to the Meadowlands Arena in NJ to Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, and internationally from Europe to Australia.
Tour mates have included Tom Petty, Squeeze, The Pretenders, Lou Reed, and the Ramones, among others. The Smithereens’ take-no-prisoners sound, reflecting their Garden State roots, has resonated with fans worldwide over the course of 17 albums and 2500 plus live shows.
Studio albums include Especially for You, Green Thoughts, 11, A Date with The Smithereens, and 2011. Among their biggest hits are the rock radio staples “Blood and Roses,” “Only a Memory,” “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” and “A Girl Like You.”
The band’s albums for Capitol, RCA, Sony, Koch, and eOne Records have sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The Smithereens have also been called the architects of the Alternative Scene and their music has inspired and influenced generations of musicians, including the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, who cited The Smithereens as a major influence in his diaries.
Tickets: $30.
You must be 18 or over to enter unless accompanied by your parent. Valid ID required.
Save some money! There's only a $1 fee when you buy your ticket in person at the box office.
For ticket info go here
North Mississippi Allstars
Still Shakin’ Tour
The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road Vienna, Nov. 8, 8:00 p.m. Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Dynamic blues-rock band North Mississippi Allstars unearths the soul of the Mississippi hill country with every riff and beat. Led by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson, their electrifying performances fuse tradition with modern energy and can turn any venue into a juke joint. Their latest release, Still Shakin,’ celebrates the 25th anniversary of their debut Shake Hands with Shorty. Get on your dancing shoes and hear for yourself the bold, raucous, and reinvented tribute to the musicians’ roots and evolution.
Please note tickets for the main floor are general admission standing room; reserved seating is available in the balcony.
Tickets Start at: $60 (incl. fees).
For ticket info go here.
LOCAL FILM
In the mood for a surreal, dark, comedy, sci-fi thriller?
Bugonia
Paragon Theaters Founders Row, 112 Founders Ave.
Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced she's an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
R |118 min |SciFi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Comedy
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Running time: 2 hours.
Producers: Emma Stone, Yorgos Lanthimos, Ari Aster
MPAA rating: R
Distributed by: Universal Pictures, Focus Features, CJ ENM
LOCAL DANCE
XXI FUEGO FLAMENCO FESTIVAL
CRÓNICA DE UN SUCESO
GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th Street, Nov. 6-9. Performances: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
21st Annual Flamenco Festival | 21° Festival Anual de Flamenco
Honorary Producer | Productora honoraria: Lynne Horning
November | Noviembre 6 - 22, 2025
Featuring U.S. and international artists in an expanded three-week festival! | Con la presentación de artistas internacionales y de Estados Unidos en un festival de tres semanas.
Enjoy all the shows and save 20% with our Festival Pass | Disfruta los tres espectáculos y ahorra 20% con nuestro Pase de Festival. GET FEST PASS | COMPRAR PASE DE FESTIVAL
CRÓNICA DE UN SUCESO
Created, choreographed & performed by | Creada, coreografiada y bailada por Rafael Ramírez
In collaboration with SPAIN FLAMENCO ARTS
November | Noviembre 6 - 9, 2025
DC PREMIERE | ESTRENO EN DC
Performances: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at 2 pm | Funciones: Jueves, viernes y sábado a las 8 pm; domingo a las 2 pm
For ticket info go here.
Shake It Off, Swiftie!
Tay Tay Dance Party
Capital One Hall, The Vault, Friday, Nov. 7. Doors open: 7:00 p.m. Ages (18+).
This themed dance party hosted by DJ SWIFTIE™ comes with a professional laser show crafted around everyone's favorite Taylor songs! The show is Taylor-made for the ultimate fans. Surrounded by friends and Swifties, you'll dance the night away singing along to every song.
For more info go here.
LOCAL THEATER
Peter Pan and Wendy
Opens this Friday! ~ Creative Cauldron, 127 E. Broad St. Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Runs: November 7 - 23.
When Wendy meets Peter, the little boy who refuses to grow up, the adventure for the Darling children begins. With a few magical thoughts they learn to fly and Peter leads them on an adventure of a lifetime!
Tickets: Adults: $20. Students: $18. Family 4 Packs: $65 (Use code 4PK). *Limited Offer
Sponsored By: Halm Jenkins PLLC.
For ticket info go here.
Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus
Synetic Theater, Thomas Jefferson Theatre, 125 S. Glebe Rd., Arlington. Thursday, Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 8, 1:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 9, 3:00 p.m. Through Nov. 23.
Directed by Paata Tsikurishvili.
In a barren world at humanity's end, a man dares to steal fire and bring life to the dead — only to create something he cannot control. Inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic, this bold reimagining trades candlelit laboratories for storm-ravaged wastelands, where rhythm, ritual, and elemental force breathe life into a new Creature.
A visually raw and immersive meditation on grief, hubris, and what it means to remake ourselves when the world has collapsed, Synetic's Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus is a myth forged in real time. Both intimate and epic, it asks not only what it means to create life, but what kind of life is worth creating.
PLEASE NOTE – this is a new work, and as such, is in active development until it opens. Runtime is estimated at 95 minutes, but may vary, as new works aren't locked until they open!
Tickets: $35-$65. Parental guidance advised for young children.
For ticket info go here.
Fair Play
Extended! ~ Ends this Sunday! ~ 1st Stage Tysons, 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons. Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 8, 2:00 p.m.; Nov. 8, 7:00 p.m.; and Nov. 9, 2:00 p.m.
Written by Ella Road. Directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes.
The clocks are set. The line is drawn. Ann and Sophie have a chance to be champions. As their relationships, their bodies and their very identities are pulled into public scrutiny, does being exceptional come at too high a price? A gripping exploration of the underside of women's athletics, Fair Play is the new work from Ella Road (The Phlebotomist), “the most promising young playwright in Britain.” – The Telegraph
Presented with generous support from Jacqueline Cookston and Anne Nolan.
For ticket info go here.
Grease
Show added! ~ Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria. Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday Matinees at 2:00 p.m. Added: Wednesday, Nov. 5, 8:00 p.m.
It’s 1959, and Rydell High School’s senior class is in rare form. The too-cool-for-school Burger Palace Boys are stealing hubcaps and acting tough and their gum-snapping, chain-smoking “Pink Ladies” are looking hot in bobby sox and pedal pushers.
The 1950s high school dream is about to explode in this rollicking musical that's both an homage to the idealism of the fifties and a satire of high schoolers’ age-old desire to be rebellious and provocative. At the heart of the story is the romance between hot-rodding gangster Danny Zuko and the sweet new girl in town, Sandy Dumbrowski. They had a secret romance in summer, but now back in the context of school, peer-pressure and cliques make their love a bit more complicated. Can Danny maintain his cool dude status and still make demure Sandy his girl?
The whole gang sings and dances around Danny and Sandy’s romance, through such hit songs as “Greased Lightnin’,” “We Go Together,” and “Mooning,” recalling the music of Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley that became the soundtrack of a generation.
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey. Producer: Kadira Coley. Director: Frank D. Shutts II. Music Director: Mark Deal. Choreographer: Suzy Alden.
Estimated running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes including intermission.
Tickets: $36 Reserved Seating
For ticket info go here.
Blithe Spirit
By Noël Coward
Final show on Saturday! ~ Dominion Stage, Gunston Theatre Two, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. Through Nov. 8.
A classic British comedy with a supernatural twist. Successful writer Charles Condomine invites eccentric medium Madame Arcati to conduct a séance for research. Unexpectedly, she summons the ghost of Charles’s mischievous first wife, Elvira — who then tries to sabotage his current marriage to Ruth. Chaos descends upon the Condomine household as Charles finds himself haunted by both wives, dead and alive, in a hilariously unique love triangle. Witty barbs, a touch of slapstick humor, and fun supernatural happenings ensue!
By Noël Coward. Executive Producer: Brianna Goode. Producer: Andrew Goldman. Director: Alden Michels. Stage Manager: Maureen Dawson.
For ticket info go here.
An Enemy of the People
By Henrik Ibsen
Theater J, 1529 Sixteenth Street, NW. Through Nov. 23.
By Henrik Ibsen. In a new adaptation by Amy Herzog. Directed by János Szász.
Drama Desk Award winner for Outstanding Adaptation and recent Broadway sensation, Amy Herzog’s work unearths the relevance of Ibsen’s tale for our time, weighing the cost of standing up to power when pressured into silence. Ibsen’s tale highlights the reverberating power of citizens who go against the status quo to do what’s right by their community. The story raises powerful questions around the importance of keeping society healthy over economic gain, integrity within influence, and the personal cost of speaking up.
The story follows a small-town doctor who considers himself a proud, upstanding member of his close-knit community. When he discovers a catastrophe that risks the lives of everyone in town, he raises the alarm. But he is shaken to his core when those in power, including his own brother, try not only to silence him, but to destroy him.
Run Time: 2 hours and 45 min., incl. one intermission.
Content Disclosure: This production of An Enemy of the People includes strobe lighting, theatrical haze, sudden loud noises, and the use of herbal cigarettes OR water-based e-cigarettes, simulated violence.
For ticket info go here.
Lizzie the Musical
The Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Audience Talkback: Sunday, Nov. 9. Through Nov. 30.
Ripping the Lid Off the Legend of Lizzie Borden!
Get ready to rock… and bleed! On October 31, Keegan unleashed LIZZIE, the ferocious punk-rock musical that rips the lid off the legend of Lizzie Borden.
Fueled by rage, retribution, and a blistering all-female rock score, LIZZIE reimagines the infamous 1892 axe murder in a show that’s equal parts gothic horror, riot grrrl rebellion, and rock concert. LIZZIE is a visceral, unapologetic thrill ride. Blood will spill. Guitars will wail. Justice will scream.
Writers: Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner, and Alan Stevens Hewitt. Director & Choreographer: Jennifer J. Hopkins. Music Director: Marika Countouris.
Audience Talkback: Meet the Artists: Nov. 9 | Following the matinee performance. Free and open to all patrons!
“The most authentically kick-ass rock musical score since HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH” ~ Orlando Weekly
For more info go here.
Hello, Dolly!
Opens tomorrow! ~ Olney Theater, Roberts Main Stage, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Runs: Nov. 6 through Jan. 4, 2026.
"Some people paint, some sew ... I meddle!"
Dolly Gallagher Levi is a woman on the make. And what’s she making? Whatever you need. A husband? A wife? Dance lessons? Pierced ears? There’s never been a more indefatigable figure in American musical theatre, and perhaps that’s why the role has served as a vehicle for some of our greatest stars, from Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey, to Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler.
Now, the DMV’s reigning musical superstar, Nova Y. Payton (World Goes 'Round), takes on the title role of a musical that churns out laughs, songs, and over-the-top antics as fast as humanly possible… and then goes a little faster. Audiences of all ages are guaranteed a great time at this classic musical about love, second chances, and the magic of an adventure to the big city!
Tickets: $42 - $133 (service fees inclusive).
Age Guidance: If this were a film, it would be rated PG.
For ticket info go here.
Fremont Ave.
Arena Stage, Kreeger Theatre, 1101 6th St. SW. Through Nov. 23.
All the Cards are on the Table.
A soulful new dramatic-comedy about love, legacy, and, of course, a cutthroat game of Spades.
Written by Reggie D. White and directed by Lili-Anne Brown, Fremont Ave. is a raw, electric world premiere that moves across decades with the force of memory and the rhythm of Spades. From young love and big dreams to buried resentment and unmet expectations, three generations of Black men face off at the card table and come face-to-face with each other. At the center of it all is the family’s formidable matriarch: beloved, feared, and never forgotten. What begins as a game becomes a reckoning with masculinity, identity, and the weight of silence passed down. Fremont Ave. lays every card on the table and dares you to do the same.
By: Reggie D. White. Directed by: Lili-Anne Brown. A Co-Production with South Coast Repertory.
- Running Time: Approx. 2 hours, 25 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
- Advisories: Contains mature language and sexually suggestive content.
Fremont Ave. is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.
For ticket info go here.
The Wild Duck
Extended! ~ Shakespeare Theatre Company, Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street NW. Through Nov. 16.
“SUPERB… Ibsen in STC’s hands is an emotional, literary, and achingly human tour de force.” ~ MD Theatre Guide
“A REVELATION… The Wild Duck still packs a universal power, and this production in particular hits all of its high notes.” ~ BroadwayWorld
“RARE AND REMARKABLE… Simon Godwin directs with precision and restraint.” ~ DC Theater Arts
“SUPERB… Ibsen in STC’s hands is an emotional, literary, and achingly human tour de force.” ~ MD Theatre Guide
“SHATTERING… Directed with a fine precision by Simon Godwin… The beating heart of the production is the remarkable performance of Ms. Laanstra-Corn.” ~ The Wall Street Journal
“BEAUTIFUL… A superbly comic Nick Westrate.” ~ The New Yorker
“FIRST-RATE… A welcome, possibly once-in-a-lifetime revival.” ~ New York Stage Review
By Henrik Ibsen. Adapted by David Eldridge. Directed by Simon Godwin. Produced in Association with Theatre for a New Audience.
The eccentric son of a wealthy businessman wreaks havoc when he embarks on a crusade to unveil the false foundations of his friend’s life. Ignorant of the adults’ machinations, a young girl tries to shield a fragile creature from the hurts of the world. Artistic Director Simon Godwin (Macbeth) directs Henrik Ibsen‘s unflinching tale about truth’s tragic toll in a timeless story “that explains why Ibsen is the greatest dramatist after Shakespeare” (The Guardian).
Runtime: Approximately two hours and 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
For ticket info go here.
Strategic Love Play
Final Weekend! ~ Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Through Nov. 9.
By Miriam Battye. Directed by Matthew Gardiner.
From Succession writer Miriam Battye comes a razor sharp, not-quite-romantic comedy about the absurdity of modern dating in the seemingly endless quest to find “the one.” After matching online, a man and a woman meet for a date. Although they start off on the (very) wrong foot, they slowly begin to let down their guard in the hope that this time they’ve found something real. Bold, bitingly funny and achingly poignant, Strategic Love Play explores love, loneliness, and lying to (and about) ourselves in the age of swiping.
“As gripping as a friend’s rapid-fire texts from a disastrous first date.” ~ The Evening Standard
Running time is approximately 1 hour, 10 minutes with no intermission. This show contains adult language and themes. Recommended for ages 13+. Signature does not admit anyone under 6.
For ticket info go here.
Damn Yankees
Final Weekend! ~ Arena Stage, Fichandler Stage, 1101 Sixth Street SW. Through Nov. 9.
One of America’s most beloved musicals is coming back, dusted off and spit-shined for a new generation. All the elements that made it famous are there: a diehard love of baseball, one man’s fateful (and hilarious) pact with the Devil, and Broadway's sexiest femme fatale... but gently re-tooled for its first major revival in the 21st Century. Featuring iconic songs like “Whatever Lola Wants” and “Who’s Got the Pain?,” this production immerses audiences in a whirlwind of temptation, ambition, love, and sacrifice in this bold new adaptation by Lortel Award winner Will Power and Pulitzer and Tony Award-winner Doug Wright, with additional lyrics by Tony Award-winner Lynn Ahrens, and directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Sergio Trujillo.
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours, 10 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission. Advisories: Includes haze, fog, strobe lights, bright lights, and loud noises.
LOCAL VISUAL ARTS
'Neighborhood Day' Open House at The Kreeger Museum
Open House at The Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Rd. NW. Saturday, Nov. 8, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. No reservations required.
Walk to your neighborhood museum for a fun, family-friendly celebration of art, music, and architecture! This event is free and open to all with live jazz music and art-making activities. Entrance to the Museum will be free of charge and our permanent collection and special exhibition, Anonymous Was a Woman: Jae Ko | linn meyers | Joyce J. Scott | Renée Stout, will be on view.
Bring a picnic and blanket to enjoy our outdoor Sculpture Garden. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. Please leave pets, recliners, and inflatable chairs at home.
*Limited parking is available next door at The Field School, 2301 Foxhall Road NW. Ride share is encouraged.
Activities include:
Kreeger Kricket: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Sculpture Garden: Little ones discover the Sculpture Garden through a sculpture scavenger hunt.
Phillip Johnson and Gene Davis Art Activities: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Sculpture Garden. Explore architecture and art through hands-on art-making activities.
Djembe Drum Circle: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Sculpture Terrace. Pick a drum and join us for an interactive drum circle. Led by Teaching Artist Manny Arciniega.
Winged Things: 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Sculpture Woods. Join us in creating a large collaborative installation inspired by things with wings. Led by our Teaching Artists.
Read Aloud: 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Sculpture Garden. Listen to a selection of picture books read aloud.
The Washington Ballet: 12 - 1:00 p.m. Sculpture Garden. Explore our outdoor sculpture collection through movement led by The Washington Ballet Community Engagement Team.
AU Student Jazz Combo: 1 -2:00 p.m. Library Terrace. Find a seat on the lawn for a live jazz performance!
Generous support provided by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities and DrinkMore Water.
For more info go here.
Subtle Energy: Opening Reception with Catherine Day and Betsy Packard
Fred Schnider Gallery of Art, 888 N. Quincy St #102, Arlington. Saturday, Nov. 8, 5-7:00 p.m.
Get ready to dive into the world of 'Subtle Energy' with Catherine Day & Betsy Packard at the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art!
Welcome to the Opening Event for the art exhibit 'Subtle Energy'! Join us at the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art for a night filled with creativity and inspiration. Immerse yourself in the captivating works of two talented women artists. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow art enthusiasts and support the local art community. Mark your calendars and get ready for an unforgettable evening celebrating art!
Refreshments will be served.
For more info go here.
BEFORE THE AMERICAS
Mason Exhibitions, Gillespie Gallery, Art and Design Building, Fairfax, Va. Through Nov. 15. Gallery Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Before the Americas is an art historical survey featuring 45 works by Afro-Latino, Caribbean, and African American artists, many of whom have lived and worked in Greater Washington. These artists confront racial and colonial constructs and have often been invisible within common art historical narratives. Their works span painting, printmaking, sculpture, book art, performance, and video art. The exhibit traces the significance of these artists through four themes: Genetic Memory, Migration, Invisibility, and Interconnectivity.
The exhibition’s curator, Cheryl Edwards, is a highly respected D.C. artist and scholar. A significant painting by Sam Gilliam, which was recently donated to the University Art Collection, will be in the exhibition.
Funding from private donors has been received and additional supporters are being cultivated. Please consider making a donation to this important exhibition. This exhibition will be instrumental in Mason Exhibitions’ long-range efforts to establish a Campus Museum in Fairfax. It was originally scheduled to take place at the Art Museum of the Americas, a branch of the Organization of American States, but was cancelled for budgetary reasons.
Curated by: Cheryl Edwards.
Paid Visitor Parking: At Shenandoah Parking Deck.
For more info go here.
Hiromi Isobe: Can I See?
Museum of Contemporary Art, Arlington, 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Through Nov. 30.
MoCA Arlington is pleased to present Can I See?, a solo exhibition by MFA Candidate Hiromi Isobe, on view in the Jenkins Community Gallery.
In Can I See?, artist Hiromi Isobe works across media including painting, mixed media, fiber and sculpture to give form to the invisible systems that shape our world. Charting Isobe’s interest in scientific study, spirituality and existential queries, Can I See? is both a question and a practice: an ongoing search for understanding that offers answers through the act of creation.
Isobe’s work embraces uncertainty as a space for discovery. Rather than seeking clear answers, Isobe approaches art-making as an inquiry, guided by her innate sense of wonder and sensitivity. Using the recurring motif of the circle, layered and highly tactile materials, and fancifully imagined characters, Isobe poetically visualizes emotional states and the threads that connect individuals to the cosmos.
A key sculptural element of the exhibition, My World, features hand-crafted characters and forms that inhabit a fictional realm. There, Isobe’s characters enact an allegorical narrative about interconnectedness and individuality. By weaving together whimsical figures with organic structures, My World combines playfulness and complexity, exploring ideas about belonging, memory, and the ways we construct meaning.
In its quest to express the ineffable, Can I See? is both a question and an invitation: to pause, reflect, and imagine what lies beyond the visible.
For more info go here.
“Bernard (Bernie) Boston Retrospective: A Photojournalist, Social Justice Advocate, and Family Man”
Opens tomorrow! ~ McLean Project for the Arts, 1234 Ingleside Ave., Mclean. Nov. 6 - Feb. 24, 2026, 7:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Opening Reception: Nov. 6, 4-6:00 p.m. Through Feb. 24, 2026.
McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) will open its next Atrium Gallery exhibition, Bernard (Bernie) Boston Retrospective: A Photojournalist, Social Justice Advocate, and Family Man, on Thursday, November 6, 2025, with an Opening Exhibition Reception from 4-6:00 pm.
An award-winning photo journalist, Bernie Boston made history by becoming the first African American member of the White House press corps, covering every president from Truman through Clinton. Boston was a long-time McLean resident, and former Chairman of the McLean Community Center Governing Board (1977-1979). The Atrium Gallery exhibit will feature framed photographs from his fascinating, decades-long career.
Phoebe Mills Farris, Ph.D. (Powhatan-Pamunkey) — a retired Purdue University professor emerita, photographer, and freelance art critic — curated the exhibition.
‘We’re very excited about the exhibit. It’s something new for us, as we usually only work with living artists, and Bernie was more of a journalistic photographer than a strictly artistic one. We are delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate and build community with Historic Pleasant Grove Church,” said Nancy Sausser, MPA Artistic Director.
The exhibit is a collaboration between MPA and the Friends of Historic Pleasant Grove Church in McLean and will be held concurrently in MPA’s Atrium Gallery and at the Historic Pleasant Grove Church. An opening reception for the Pleasant Grove Church exhibition will be held Saturday, November 8, 2025, from 3-5:00 p.m., and will include light refreshments. Visit www.historicpleasantgrove.org to RSVP.
The MPA Atrium Gallery is available for viewing during McLean Community Center operating hours. The Historic Pleasant Grove exhibition is available for viewing November 8 from 1-5:00 p.m.; November 9 and 23, from 2-4:00 p.m.; December 7 and 21, from 2-4:00 p.m.; January 11 and 25, from 2-4:00 p.m.; and February 8 and 22, from 2-4:00 p.m.
Bernard (Bernie) Boston Retrospective: A Photojournalist, Social Justice Advocate, and Family Man runs November 6, 2025 – February 24, 2026. The McLean Project for the Arts Emerson Gallery Visit www.mpaart.org for exhibition information. To learn more about Bernie Boston, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Boston.
For more info go here.
The Language of Color: New Work by Marthe McGrath
Reston Art Gallery, Lake Anne Plaza, Reston, Va. Open: Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 12-5:00 p.m. Through Nov. 30.
For more info go here.
Imagining Together:
Share Your Memories and Dreams
Mosaic Arts, The PARC Gallery at Tysons, 8508 Leesburg Pike, Tysons.
MosaicARTs Gallery is proud to partner with Celebrate Fairfax to present Imagining Together: Share Your Memories and Dreams — a community art show that brings together artists of all ages from across the DMV. This special exhibition features work by young artists (ages 7–17) as well as emerging and established adult artists (18+). Through painting, drawing, mixed media, and more, participants share personal memories and dreams, creating a heartfelt and inspiring collection of stories told through art.
Imagining Together celebrates creativity, connection, and imagination across generations. It’s a space where different voices come together to explore what unites us — and what makes each of us unique. Join us as we celebrate the power of art to bring people together.
For more info go here.
Falls Church Arts: 'Paper' Exhibit Open through Nov. 16
The artworks of 31 artists from the Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland area are now on display at Falls Church Arts as the City's premier local arts gallery presents its upcoming "Paper" exhibit, running through Nov. 16.
This diverse show features 50 works that incorporate a paper element, with submissions created on or including paper.
Juror Jennifer Wilkin Penick described the exhibition's broad theme of "Paper" as allowing for a wide range of submissions, resulting in "an eclectic and wonderfully interesting representation of different artistic mediums."
As both an artist and art historian, she appreciates many aspects of artistic production, including "the pleasure apparent in creating a work, as well as the process, innovation, beauty, and a work's ability to communicate with the viewer." She was delighted to select works by artists working in photography, drawing, painting, collage, mixed media, and more.
Jennifer Wilkin Penick is a mixed-media artist, art historian, and teacher who lived in Italy for over two decades, where she studied studio art and earned an MA in Italian Art History. Her work often features patterns and repetition, exploring art as a way to process the unpredictability and chaos of the outside world.
Penick's art has been exhibited in Italy, Oregon, Washington, D.C., California, and various locations throughout Virginia. She has been featured in publications such as Contemporary Collage Magazine and Uppercase magazine. She has also taught at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Arlington for over a decade, at the Corcoran, and at Shop: Made in DC, and she has been an artist-in-residence with Georgetown University Hospital's Lombardi Arts and Humanities Program since 2018.
The Falls Church Arts gallery is at 700-B West Broad St. (Route 7), Falls Church. Admission is free, and the gallery is open with new winter hours: Tuesdays-Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Artworks can be viewed online at https://www.fallschurcharts.org. All pieces can be purchased at the gallery or on the website.
Participants include:
Cathy Abbott
Iraima Alonso
Barbara Bitondo
Teresa Brunson
Claire Coram
Gretchen D’Amore
Marina DiCarlo
Clara Doley
Bill Firestone
Anjori Halder
James Hengst
Mary Kane
Sylvie Kostrzewski
Jean Lauzon
Hyonsook Lee
Naomi Lipsky
Xianling Liu
Gini Moore
Donna Moss
Nancy Newman
Kelley Parent
Jisoo Park
Karin Rindal
Elise Ritter-Clough
Susan Sander
Deborah Schindler
Joan Slottow
Lara Tiller
Suzanne Updike
Kristin Vogt
Kala Wright
Wild Spaces by Lisa Green
Opens Oct. 13! ~ Rare Bird Coffee Roasters, 230 W. Broad St. Through Jan. 11. Free and open to the public.
Local landscape artist Lisa Green will present her new solo exhibition, Wild Spaces, at Rare Bird Coffee Roasters in Falls Church from October 13 through Jan. 11.
Wild Spaces invites visitors to step away from the daily rush and reconnect with the rhythms of the natural world. Through her paintings, Green explores meadows, mountains, and coastlines where shifting light, rich textures, and open space create a sense of presence and wonder.
“Noticing wild spaces, whether they’re vast landscapes or a patch of meadow by the roadside, is essential to my everyday life,” says Green. “When we pay attention to the beauty around us, we build a sense of connection and responsibility. I hope these paintings encourage people to see and value the natural world so that it can be protected and enjoyed by others for years to come.”
The collection includes a range of colorful oil paintings and black and white ink wash paintings, from intimate 8x10 pieces to larger works up to 36x36 inches. All pieces are available for purchase through Green’s website, with QR codes onsite linking directly to the online shop.
Lisa Green is a Herndon–based artist whose work reflects her deep connection to the landscape. Her paintings are collected nationwide and recognized for their luminous color and sense of place.
The exhibition is free and open to the public during Rare Bird’s regular business hours.
For more info go to: www.lisagreenfineart.com.
Rik Freeman: Wade in the Waters
The Phillips Collection, Phillips@THEARC Exhibition, 1801 Mississippi Ave., SE. Free and in-person. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 12-5:00 p.m., and second and third Wednesdays open until 8:30 p.m. Through Feb. 19.
Pioneering D.C. artist Rik Freeman has been creating paintings and murals that focus on the African diaspora for over three decades. Wade in the Waters features artworks that engage themes of history, community, resilience, joy, and faith. The power and rhythm of water flows through the paintings — from the beaches of Bahia to the Anacostia River — sharing stories of both survival and triumph. Through a kaleidoscope of narratives, the exhibition draws from several of Freeman’s series, exploring waterways and their connection to the diaspora over generations.
About Rik Freeman
A native of Athens, Georgia, Rik Freeman began his professional career as an artist in Washington, D.C. in 1989, painting numerous murals throughout the metropolitan area. Some of his most notable commissions are “Ode to Barry Farms” (2016), Barry Farms Recreation Center; “KNOWLEDGE” (2011), Dorothy I. Height Library, “Learn From Your Past” (2011), H.D. Woodson High School, “Shaw Rhythms” (2003), Washington Convention Center; “ARL@200” (2002), Arlington County Courthouse; and “A Libertade de Maria Felipe” (2012), library in Itaparica, Brazil.
Freeman has widely exhibited his works on canvas, including at the Honfleur Gallery, Hill Center, and the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. From 2008-11, Freeman’s critically acclaimed series “The Chittlin’ Circuit Review,” based on the early history of Blues music, toured seven venues in seven states. Currently he's working on his series “Black Beaches During Segregation,” which began in 2022 with the support of the Honfleur Artist-in Residence fellowship and award. He is also continuing his series “BAHIA!,” about the African contribution to Brazil’s history and culture and based in part on his two residencies at Instituto Sacatar in Itaparica (2011 and 2015).
For more info go here.
Material Witness
Rubell Museum DC, 65 i Street SW. Through Fall, 2026.
Material Witness presents 30 of today’s most compelling and innovative artists employing non-traditional materials and processes. Squid ink, Coca-Cola, ostrich eggs, anointing oil, lipstick, discarded metal, and animal hides are several of the preformed, natural, and unnatural mediums incorporated into three-dimensional works that expand upon the storied legacy of assemblage — a critical approach to artmaking that was first formalized in the 1961 exhibition The Art of Assemblage at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
With echoes of land art, Arte Povera, abject art, and readymades these artists employ industrial waste, organic detritus, and mass-produced commodities to explore formal, environmental, political, and social concerns. Found objects in various entropic states provide the backbone for many of these works, illuminating cycles of consumption, decay, and renewal.
Material Witness spans 23 galleries across the museum’s three floors and presents individual artist rooms as well as group presentations connecting artists who share similar materials and motives. For many of these artists, Material Witness represents their first exhibition in our nation’s capital or at the Rubell Museum.
For more info go here.
Basil Kincaid: Spirit in the Gift
Rubell Museum DC, 65 I Street SW. Through Fall, 2026.
Basil Kincaid: Spirit in the Gift marks the first solo museum exhibition in Washington D.C. for Kincaid (b. 1986, St. Louis, Missouri). Four large-scale quilted artworks created during the artist’s residency at the Rubell Museum in Miami in 2023 will be presented in the D.C. museum’s largest gallery. Kincaid’s work pays homage to the long history of quilt-making while exploring the relationships between identity, ancestry, and place. Some themes are deeply personal and autobiographical, others are more universal, but all evoke the joy inherent in the artist’s love for and nurturing of community. The entailed and labor-intensive process of creating these monumental works is balanced by an improvisational, spontaneous, and fluid quality that runs throughout them. The result is as indebted to freehand drawing and jazz music as it is to patchwork quilt making and embroidery.
For more info go here.
A Land and 河/River
Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, 12001 Market St., #103, Reston. Through Dec. 20.
Kimberly M. Becoat & Hong Hong
A Land and 河/River explores the powerful and intricate relationship between place, our histories, and imaginings of self. Artist Kimberly M. Becoat uses acrylic paint, sumi ink, and watercolor as well as tar paper, candy wrappers, and other detritus to investigate the idea of urban displacement. Her series, Seneca Village – Everywhere explores the idea of Seneca Village; a 19th Century free-black community of landowners in New York City that was removed for the construction of Central Park. Learn more about Seneca Village here.
Hong Hong’s work 河/River is her first thematic, research-based project that considers her personal relationship with water. The paper-based installation imagines and presents water as a long-form poem, documenting the river as meteorological occurrences, the artists’ birth, her family’s immigration process, and texts she and her mother both love. Hong Hong (whose last name means flood) makes no distinction between our symbolic understanding of water, its nurturing properties, or its ability to destroy or divide.
For more info go here.
Fairfax Art League's New Fall Show
Basically, Save America...
Pod Save America on Tour
Podcast
Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW, Thursday, Nov. 6, 8:00 p.m. Doors open: 7:00 p.m.
No matter what your interest — music, true crime, alien abductions — there's a podcast (or a hundred) out there for you. But the Pod Save America podcast was launched with a greater purpose than merely indulging a niche obsession.
Proudly branding itself "a no-bullshit conversation about politics," its mission is to speak truth to power at a time when political discourse has become mired in disinformation and distortions. Its four hosts are no mere armchair news junkies: Jon Favreau (not to be confused with the actor/director of the same name), Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and Dan Pfeiffer all worked for the Barack Obama administration in various spokesperson, advisory, and speechwriter capacities.
The quartet originally convened in 2016 for Keepin' it 1600, a weekly political podcast hosted by the pop-culture website The Ringer. But the election of Donald Trump that November inspired the team to make podcasting their full-time pursuit. Favreau, Vietor, and Lovett formed their own podcast network — Crooked Media — with a more intense focus on progressive politics and activism, and relaunched their show with Pfeiffer as a twice-weekly podcast named Pod Save America in January 2017.
Combining shrewd political analysis and impassioned calls to action with the informal, off-the-cuff (and unapologetically profane) vibe of a pub hang with your best pals, Pod Save America has proven to be a consoling, cathartic outlet for people who (in the hosts' words) are "not yet ready to give up or go insane."
In its first month, Pod Save America hosted Barack Obama's final interview as president, and the show has since welcomed the likes of Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris, attracting an audience of more than 1.5 million listeners per episode in the process.
The show's casual feel naturally lends itself to a stage setting — the Pod Save America crew first toured the nation in 2017 and, in the run-up to the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, the podcast made its television debut with four HBO specials filmed before live audiences. Their road campaign continues into 2019, with the intent of directly engaging more Americans to become actively involved in the political process.
For ticket info go here.
Get Yo-Self Criticized!
COFFEE AND CRITIQUE
Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Photo Works, Glen Echo. Sunday, Nov. 9, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Free admission.
Coffee and Critique is a free monthly event for photographers to share and discuss current work with fellow artists. Whether you are seeking input on one image or have a larger project, please join! Walk-ins are welcome. Prints of your work are required if you wish to share during the session. No photos will be viewed on a digital device. Coffee and snacks will be provided.
Suggested donation: $10.
For info call: 301-634-2274.
For more info go here.
Meet These Critters!
An owl, a turtle, and maybe a snake...
Winter Walk of Lights: Critter Corner
Meadowlark Gardens, Visitor Center, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct., Vienna, Nov. 7, 5:30 - 10:00 p.m.
Stop by the Critter Corner near the Visitor Center fireplace to meet some fascinating live animals from Potomac Overlook Regional Park’s Nature Center! NOVA Parks' Roving Naturalist will bring some surprise guests like an owl, a turtle, and maybe a snake. Visit before or after exploring the Winter Walk of Lights to see and learn about some interesting critters!
Learn more about Meadowlark's Winter Walk of Lights, taking place November 7 through January 4.
For more info go here.
Be Enraptured by Raptors!
Raptors of the Potomac
Meadowlark Gardens, Nature Center, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct., Vienna. Nov. 8, 10 - 11:00 a.m.
Soar on down to this program about local avian predators! Learn about native birds of prey and the amazing adaptations they use to hunt, meet the raptors we care for at the park, and watch a naturalist feed a live bird of prey!
- Program Fee: $7 per participant ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Participants: Any attendee over 8 (to include adults) is considered a participant.
- Online registration is required.
- Meet at: the Nature Center.
For more info go here.
Take in an Urban Circus!
360 ALLSTARS
GMU Center for the Performing Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Saturday, Nov. 8, 4:00 p.m. All ages.
In its debut at the Center for the Arts, supercharged urban circus 360 ALLSTARS combines spectacular dancing, beatboxing, acrobatics, BMX biking, and more in a fusion of extraordinary artistry, emerging from street culture. Boasting a stellar international cast of world champion and world record-holding athletes and artists, the group has performed for sold-out crowds worldwide including runs on Broadway, at the Sydney Opera House and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Seen by over one million people since its creation over a decade ago, 360 ALLSTARS entertains audiences of all ages!
Tickets: $55, $48, $35; half-price for youth through Grade 12. Prices include fees. Free tickets for Mason students.
This performance will be audio-described.
Run Time: approximately 65 minutes, no intermission.
Program is subject to change.
Before the performance: A pre-performance discussion with Gene Peterson, founder of 360 ALLSTARS, begins one hour prior to the performance. Following the Performance: A meet-and-greet with the artists will take place in the lobby after the performance.
For more info go here.
Compiled by Christopher Jones
Member discussion