Weekend Round Up October 1, 2026
By • October 1, 2026 0 312
Dine on Saudi Arabian delicacies tonight, sample dozens of wines on Friday, watch dachshunds dash on Saturday and hear a Great American Songbook recital on Sunday. Right in our own backyard: a new jewelry line at the Phoenix, a Latin jazz star at Blues Alley, a string quartet at St. John’s Church and a book discussion at Barnes & Noble.
Arabian Night
Tonight, Thursday, Oct. 1, Embassy Experiences presents Evening at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 601 New Hampshire Ave. NW, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Along with a full Saudi dinner prepared by the embassy chef, the event features a Saudi fashion show, a slide show about the country’s scenery and culture, displays of Saudi art and a diplomatic greeting. Tickets are $68.45 on Eventbrite.
In Vino Veritas
On Friday, Oct. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m., Calvert Woodley Fine Wines & Spirits holds a Wine World Tour in the third-floor ballroom of the University of the District of Columbia’s Student Center, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW. This preview tasting of Calvert Woodley’s 2026 fall catalog will feature more than 125 wines from across the globe. Tickets are $44.43 on Eventbrite.
Gold Retrievers?
The Phoenix, 1514 Wisconsin Ave. NW, will showcase Little Pet Portraits, a new jewelry line by designer Judi Powers, on Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 6 p.m. Powers will donate $200, matched by the Phoenix, to Lucky Dog Animal Rescue for every piece she sells. Also, attendees will receive redeemable rewards from community partners Tilley’s Pet Supply and Milo & Mav coffee shop.
Yoga at the Yards
On Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hikyoga presents the Greater DC Yoga Festival at the Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Local instructors will lead 25-minute classes outdoors. There will also be first-come, first-serve workshops, a vendor market and “special activations and treats from national and local businesses.” Participating restaurants will offer food specials for attendees. Bring your own mat. Tickets on Eventbrite are $40.29, $68.11 for two and $84.81 VIP (includes limited-edition swag bag).
Wiener Dogs Unleashed
District Pier at The Wharf, 101 District Square SW, hosts the Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash for Charity on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 1 to 6 p.m. (first race at 2 p.m.). Six low-slung steeds at a time compete in the 70-yard sprint. The winner of the championship faceoff receives a trophy and $100. All entry fees are donated to D.C.-based Rural Dog Rescue. The event is free for spectators.
Art into Dance
At 2 p.m. on Oct. 3, as a highlight of the National Gallery of Art’s free First Saturday programming, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company will give the world premiere of a dance piece in the NGA’s West Building Rotunda, 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. “Curriculum V: Space/Circle/Wave and so on…” was conceived and directed by Bill T. Jones in dialogue with Clifford Ross’s video installation “Digital Waves.” Choreographed by Jones with Shayla-Vie Jenkins and Company, the piece will be danced in costumes designed by Liz Prince to music by Emily Wells, featuring a vocal performance by Dev Woodson.
Winging It at the Go-Go Museum
DC Bird Alliance wraps up Birding DC 2026 with a Go-Go Museum Celebration at the Go-Go Museum & Cafe, 1920 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. Meant to “celebrate the people, places, and wildlife that make DC unlike anywhere else,” the event includes live go-go music, museum access, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets are $28.52 on Eventbrite.
Garden of Musical Delights
Ahead of the Oct. 31 debut of the Hirshhorn Museum’s reimagined sculpture garden, the 21st Century Consort presents a program titled “An Unsecret Garden” at the museum, Independence Avenue and 7th Street SW, on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. To be performed: Schoenberg’s “The Book of Hanging Gardens” for mezzo-soprano and piano, a string trio by Helen Grime, a string quartet by Caroline Shaw and works for solo flute by Peteris Vasks, for solo piano by Mikhail Johnson and for clarinet, violin, cello and piano by Paul Novak. Saturday’s pre-concert talk and Sunday’s post-concert talk are both at 4 p.m. Tickets are free (reservations encouraged).
Latin Jazz at the Alley
The Arturo O’Farrill Quintet, led by the famed Mexican American pianist, performs at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4. Tickets for the Saturday sets at 7 and 9:30 p.m. are $50; tickets for the Sunday sets at 5:30 and 8 p.m. are $35. Fees of $7 and a $15 food-and-beverage minimum are additional.
Meshing Strings
On Sunday, Oct. 4, at 3 p.m., the Escher String Quartet — violinists Adam Barnett-Hart and Bryan Lee, violist Pierre Lapointe and cellist Brook Speltz — will play works by Haydn, Brahms and Erich Korngold at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3240 O St. NW. Tickets are $55.20 ($12.51 for students) on Eventbrite.
Those Who Learn from History
Moderated by Andy Leddy, the Georgetown History Book Club meets on the third floor of the Georgetown Barnes & Noble, 3040 M St. NW, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month. To be discussed on Oct. 4: “The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook” by Hampton Sides. There is no fee to attend and all are welcome. Book Club members get 10 percent off Book Club purchases and B&N Premium members get 20 percent off.
America the Lyrical
Also on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 5 p.m., Vocal Arts DC presents tenor Ben Bliss and pianist Christopher Allen performing A Celebration of American Song featuring works by, among others, Ives, Weill, Arlen and Sondheim at Live! At 10th & G, 945 G St. NW. Tickets are $50 and $60.
