Wanderlist: 40+ Awesome Things to Do in DC in February

Let’s ring in the Year of the Tiger! 

Welcome the Lunar New Year with a month filled with exciting events from winter games competitions, other-worldy music, presidential happenings, Black History Month celebrations and historic places to visit, festivals and much more. 

​So get ready to uncage your inner tiger and roar into the month ahead!
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🚨 Travel Responsibly: As the region recovers from COVID-19, safety guidelines have evolved at attractions, restaurants, shops and hotels. The District requires masks or proof of vaccination at all indoor public spaces. Advance tickets or reservations remain recommended or necessary at many spots. Your best bet: Check online or call ahead.

​Lunar New Year. The REACH glows again with the return of Winter Lanterns, a free display of approximately 100 stunning lanterns made up of 10,000 colored LED lights, all crafted by Chinese artisans. 🆓​Thru Feb. 6

Sam and Dede or My Dinner with André. An extraordinary play about the extraordinary friendship through the decades between an Irish expatriate in France and a young man whose remarkable size made him the object of derision. 💲🎟 Thru Feb 6

MLK Library Black Film Festival. The 33rd annual Black Film Festival at the MLK Library presents a selection of great Black Films and short documentaries before each film, to celebrate and showcase Black art and life in America. Screens every Tuesday in February. 🆓​ Feb 1 - 28

Can I kick it? Check out Byrdland's monthly series Can I Kick It where classic martial arts and action movies are mixed with a live-music soundtrack by local legend DJ 2-Tone Jones. This month's movie: Deadpool. 🆓 Feb 1

Wampanoag Celebration. Brought to you by the National Museum of the American Indian, watch members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), both of Massachusetts, as they share their culture and history in a virtual celebration of food, art, traditional stories, and film. 🆓💻 Feb 1​​

Tribute to Duke Ellington.  The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Quintet pays tribute to jazz great Duke Ellington and saxophonist Ben Webster’ with a spirited rendition of  Ellington's 1940 composition “Cotton Tail.” 🆓💻Feb 2

O Father. Written and performed by Psalmayene 24, a prominent local voice in hip hop theater and Mosaic’s Andrew W. Mellon playwright-in-residence, Dear Mapel is a this joyful, coming-of-age story will take audiences from Park Slope, Brooklyn to Washington, DC. Psalm’s adolescence and life milestones are often accentuated by the absence of his father, Mapel. In a series of letters, both imagined and real, you will come to understand the power of the written word and how it can connect us to our family, our past and our future. 💲🎟 Feb 2 -13

Tuna, it's what's for dinner.  Watch chefs break down a whole +125lb tuna into sushi blocks for dinner and learn sushi/sashimi-making tips and tactics and how to make your own hand rolls, an utterly unique food experience. 💲🎟Feb 3 + 4

Virtual Lunar New Year Celebration. The annual celebration at the American Art Museum is presented in conjunction with the Chinese Embassy. This year features video of acrobatic, yo-yo and musical demonstrations, a lion dance and activities for kids. The museum’s website features downloadable coloring pages and step-by-step crafts for kids, including masks, drums and paper lanterns. 🆓🎟💻Feb 5

Black Panthers. No, this doesn't have anything to do with the Marvel movie. Part of the programming at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, this Joyful Friday event kicks off Black History Month Kick with a kids' lesson on how the Black Panther Party contributed to the health and wellness of their communities. Kids can then paint a panther inspired by objects in the NMAAHC collection. 🆓💻 Feb 4

Nollywood portraits. The African Arts Museum hosts an exhibit of Ike Ude's portraits featuring celebrities in Nigeria’s 3-billion-dollar film industry. Udé’s portraits appear for the first time with garments and other items used in their creation to make a glamorous, bold statement about African identity at a time when the vestiges of colonialism and widespread racism continue to threaten Black lives on a daily basis. 🆓​ Feb 5

Hillyear artist talk. Anna U Davis talks about her solo exhibit Reality Check investigates the concept of "diffusion of responsibility in regards to pressing global issues," like gender inequality, racial discrimination, and climate change. Exhibit continues until Feb 27. 🆓 Feb 5 

DIY Empanadas. Learn to make delicious  empanadas from scratch with a native chef and Shop Made in DC. 💲🎟Feb 6

Otherwordly concert. Blast off into space with the National Philharmonic and NASA Goddard for a cosmic performance of Holst’s The Planets. Visit the fiery red planet, joyful Jupiter, and the serene sights and sounds of Venus in this unique collaboration of science and art. 💲🎟 Feb 6

We'll drink to that. Dive into chilling ghost stories and the most provocative true crime cases as the And That's Why We Drink podcast makes its podcast tour stop in DC. 💲🎟 Feb 9

Black Lives Matter Describe-A-Thon. Celebrate activism in DC by helping The People’s Archive add posters collected from the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence in Lafayette Square to DC Public Library's digital collection, Dig DC. 💻 Feb 9

A wedding to die for. Die Laughing is hosting a wedding and you're all invited. You'll have to help solve the crime when the nuptials turn into a murder in this interactive whodunit. 💲🎟​ Feb 9

Stitch up.  Learn how to tszujl up rips and tears in your clothing with a unique appliqué patch during Smithsonian American Art Museum's virtual handi-hour. No sewing machine is required. A full supply list will be provided upon registration. 🆓💻 Feb 10

Laugh it up. Try your hand at "Wrong Answers Only," the game show that's (almost) impossible to lose with the Midnight Gardeners who serve up ff-the-wall satire, combining sketch comedy, improv and stand-up to tackle pop culture in a way you won't forget. 💲🎟 Feb 10

Future of dating. What will dating be like in 15 years? How will dating apps change our relationships? Smithsonian Arts & Industries' FUTURES Cypher tackles these and other dating questions and uncover the recipe for finding love in the future with relationship experts, storytellers and performers. In-person + live-streamed.💲🎟💻​Feb 10

50 Shades of Rosé. Enjoy an unlimited sampling of more than 50 wines, beers and cider  while feasting on decadent and mouth-watering aphrodisiacs, then take a turn on the dance floor and shop the artisan market for the perfect gift for your boo or bestie. 💲🎟Feb 11 + 12

Presidential sweethearts. Just in time for Valentine's day, peek into the private lives of America’s presidential couples on an outdoor, multi-sensory walking tour.  💲🎟​ Feb 11 - 14

Improv for all. Join the Petworth Neighborhood Library, in partnership with the Washington Improv Theater, for an introductory, high-fun, low-stress workshop designed to share the ideas and spirit of Improv comedy! 🆓​ Feb 19

Let the winter games begin. Shake off the winter blahs and take part in some friendly competition in the second annual Wharf Winter Games. Compete in a series of games from pin the tail on the Husky to ice corn hole and curling, and the one-of-a-kind Wharfarod sled races.   🆓 Feb 12

Old Anacostia. Put on some comfy shoes for a walking tour  through Old Anacostia (home to Frederick Douglass' house) to examine the neighborhood through the eyes of residents past and present with local reporter and historian John Muller. 💲🎟 Feb 13

Jam session. Head to the Art of Noize art gallery in Petworth for a night of music, fellowship & good vibes! Plus, there's great art to enjoy. 💲Feb 13 + 27

Women in the Arts happy hour.  Raise a glass in this virtual event in honor of Artemisia Gentileschi, an Italian Baroque painter. Gentileschi is considered among the most accomplished seventeenth-century artists who started producing work at 15. You'll make a specialty cocktail in her honor, share artworks and stories, and discuss all things Artemisia. 🆓 Feb 16

National Geographic Museum Reopens. Finally! After being closed for nearly two years, the National Geographic Museum is reopening. Free registration will be offered through the end of the month, with pre-registration for tickets available on the museum’s website. Two new exhibitions will welcome you back: Once Upon a Climb: Stories of Everest and The Greatest Wildlife Photographs. 🆓🎟Feb 16

Mother Tongue Festival. The seventh annual Smithsonian’s Mother Tongue Film Festival celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity with acclaimed feature films, short films, and other forms of digital storytelling, including roundtable discussions with filmmakers, scholars, and Smithsonian staff. 🆓💻Feb 17 - March 4

Presidential house tour. AIA/DC hosts an exclusive tour of President Lincoln’s Cottage where Lincoln made nation-changing decisions about the Union, freedom, and the presidency—most notably when he developed the Emancipation Proclamation. Led by a senior preservationist, the tour will include the stories of Lincoln’s experience on the grounds of the 250-acre Armed Forces Retirement Home campus in Northwest Washington, DC, along with special insights about the architecture and preservation of the site. 💲🎟 Feb 18

Lunch break. Learn the basics of how to make Bánh Xèo, or Vietnamese Rice Crepes, crispy, lace crepes are filled with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts and served with fresh herbs and sauces with  Chef Mark Haskell.  💲🎟​Feb 18

Bessie, Billie & Nina. Bessie, Billie, and Nina were fearless trailblazers who used their singular gifts to give voice to the marginalized and hold a mirror up to America. Pioneering Women in Jazz features vocal performance by three rising stars that honor these legendary women. 💲🎟 Feb 19

Gaga for Lady Gaga. All you little monsters will enjoy an homage to Lady Gaga with themed performers, specialty drinks, and throwbacks to some of Lady Gaga's must memorable red carpet looks. All of your favorite Lady Gaga music will be provided by DJ Tezrah. 🆓 Feb 19

Happy birthnight, George Washington. Join the Regent and the Vice Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and the Neighborhood Friends for a black-tie three-course dinner and ball to celebrate  the birth of our founding father, George Washington in honor of his 290th birthday. The night a cocktail reception, auction, entertainment and dancing. 💲🎟Feb 20

Fact or fantasy?  Prologue Theatre stages World Builders, an innovative character study to the stage at Atlas Performing Arts Center. World Builders concerns Max and Whitney, who are both participating in a clinical trial to treat their schizoid personality disorder. The two must figure out together what the future holds, all while dealing with allowing another person to experience their intimate reality – one that outsiders have always proclaimed as fantasy. 💲🎟Thru Feb 20

Presidential gift. Hip hip hurray it's George Washington's birthday and you get the gift of free admission to his home at Mount Vernon. Advance tickets required; limited number of tickets available. Tickets will be released to the general public on February 15. Feb 21  + 22

Golden Girls Puppet Show. The Golden Girls Show is the same Golden Girls sass, laughs, stories and cheesecake you love from the TV show, but this time done with puppets in a hilarious parody show. 💲🎟 Feb 22

Harriet Tubman online. Join A Tour of Her Own for an online conversation about the remarkable life and legacy of Harriet Tubman and the historic sites that are part of her narrative. 💲🎟💻 Feb 23

So Black I’m Bright. Honfleur Gallery's newest exhibit by artist Oluwatoyin Tella uses elements of Hip Hop to pay homage to the visual representation of Black excellence. 🆓​ Thru Feb 26

Let the good times roll. Celebrate Mardi Gras with a New Orleans-style extravaganza featuring a spirited parade down Wharf Street, a dance party with live zydeco music on District Pier, and a special fireworks finale. 🆓 Feb 26

Inside the Go Go scene. The bands, the stars, the clubs, the spots, the sweat, the late nights and the passion are the sound of the city.  Join Chip Py, Chuck Brown's former photographer, for a chat at Politics and Prose as he takes you behind the go-go scene in his new book, DC Go-Go: Ten Years Backstage where the party never stops, and neither does the beat. 💲🎟 Feb 26

Chocolate tasting. Featured in 111 Places in Women's History That You Must Not Miss, enjoy a chocolate tasting with woman-owned Arcay Chocolates and a book talk at La Cosecha, a contemporary Latin American marketplace. 💲🎟Feb 26

Trans Am. Keegan Theatre hosts the world premiere of Lisa Stephen Friday's irreverent new one-woman autobiography story about her trans journey featuring music of cult-favorite NYC glam rock band Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday. 💲🎟 Feb 26

"I Have a Dream" speech. You've heard Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous "I Have a Dream" speech from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; now you can gaze upon the original document for the first time at the National Museum of African American History & Culture where it is on display. Alongside the speech are other objects associated with King, including the Congressional Gold Medal awarded posthumously to him and Coretta Scott King in 2014, a laundry pail used by King during the march from Selma to Montgomery, and a program from his funeral at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. 🆓 🎟​ Thru Feb 27

100 years of tap. Capitol Tap and District Tap, with special guests along withTap City Youth Ensemble (NYC),  celebrate tap dance through the ages as 25 dancers of all ages come together to showcase over one hundred years of rhythms and motion. 💲🎟 Feb 27

Spanish comics. Available now at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain, “Illustrating Spain in the US” uses comics by Spanish artists in collaboration with history experts to highlights the presence and legacy of Spain in the US. 🆓 Thru March 6

Man + Machine = Art. Originally created as an audiovisual concert, Artechouse presents Transient: Impermanent Paintings an immersive audio-visual exhibition presented as a duet of motorized piano and hyperreal projections powered by human-machine collaboration. Projected on a large scale, extremely high resolution hyper-realistic digital brushstrokes unfold like on canvas. Each brushstroke corresponds to a note, creating polyphonic synthetic landscapes. 💲​🎟 Thru March 6

Mexican women in the arts. The Art Museum of the Americas hosts the "Women in All Their Diversity" exhibit which presents eighteen female Mexican artists who have impacted the art scene in the 10th and 21st centuries, and their reflections on women’s identities. 🆓 Thru March 13

Indian storytelling. The National Museum of the American Indian hosts a new exhibit that features works from internationally acclaimed artist Preston Singletary and tells the story of Raven, the creator of the world and giver of the stars, moon and sun. The exhibit promises a multisensory experience with storytelling, music, soundscapes and projected images. 🆓 Thru Jan 2023

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Curious? There's more!

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• FUTURES Exhibit Sneak Peek:  Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building Set to Re-Open With Robots, AI + Flying Cars
• Hidden Gem: Howard Theatre's Walk of Fame
• 6 Hidden Black History Places in DC Most People Don't Know About