A shopping roundup: Here’s another shop-small-and-local plug for the Van Ness Main Street Holiday Pop-Up on Saturday, December 2nd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thirty DC-area creatives are stocking their stalls with one-of-a-kind gifts.
In need of Christmas greenery? Deal Middle School’s annual holiday trees, wreaths and garlands sale is December 2nd and 3rd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
The Politics and Prose members sale is December 1-3. And all month, you can “Be an Angel” and purchase books for Garnet-Patterson S.T.A.Y. (formerly Roosevelt S.T.A.Y.), an alternative high school that offers vocational programs as well as preparing students for college. These books are 20% off.
Tis the season of giving! Be an Angel and buy books for Garnet-Patterson S.T.A.Y. (@RooseveltSTAY,) an Opportunity Academy which serves the needs of students as they develop from adolescence to adulthood. Ask a bookseller for more info on how to Be an Angel this holiday season ❄️ pic.twitter.com/kR2eWkZCrz
— Politics and Prose (@PoliticsProse) November 28, 2023
And while you’re shopping for others, consider donating groceries and cleaning supplies, or making a financial contribution, to NW Community Food. The all-volunteer food pantry has been operating out of UDC-donated space at 4225 Connecticut for the past 2.5 years, and the need continues to grow.
Journey to the center of the Earth: The next neighborhood lecture from the Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory on Broad Branch Road will ask and answer the question, “Is the Earth’s core young at heart?” You can register for in-person or virtual options here.
Musical gifts: The UDC music program’s holiday concert is its gift to the community every year. On Monday, September 4th at 7:30 p.m., enjoy selections by its vocal and jazz ensembles. Christmas also gets a jazzy touch at Jazz@Wesley’s annual holiday show. This year’s performance, on December 16th, is also a fundraiser for the jazz series, so it can keep ticket prices low while raising the pay for performers.
If indie music is more your thing: Comet Ping Pong has four shows scheduled, including album release parties on December 1st for a solo cellist and a percussionist, and a show by two DC-based power pop bands on the 30th.
A season of opulence and simplicity at Hillwood: See the Hillwood Museum decked out in Christmas finery, and take in the starker beauty of its gardens in winter. Hillwood’s director of horticulture is leading tours to show off the plants and trees that take center stage when the sunlight shifts and temperatures drop.
Making Spirits Bright is here! 🎄 Gorgeous trees inspired by the exhibition “Glass: Art. Beauty. Design.” are the centerpiece of the dazzling holiday décor. Make Hillwood your holiday oasis this season. https://t.co/Udbr73LbHO pic.twitter.com/4R6wWM6eKG
— Hillwood Museum DC (@HillwoodMuseum) November 21, 2023
Play with light and shadows: Peirce Mill is open two Saturdays in December – the 2nd and 16th – from noon to 4 p.m. And during those hours on the 16th, Friends of Peirce Mill is hosting a candle-making and silhouette portraits workshop.
Get closer to nature, while helping it: Rock Creek Conservancy and partners don’t rest during the winter months, as this is a great time to make a big dent in the invasive plants that threaten to crowd out natives. Events this month include an invasive removal on the Hillwood grounds on December 2nd, and work on the conservancy’s “mini-oasis” demonstration area at Reservation 630 Weston December 17th, and an invasive removal event at Reservation 630 East on December 30th. And you’ll find more of these events on Rock Creek Conservancy’s volunteer calendar.
Forest Hills Connection is an editorially independent program of Van Ness Main Street.
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