November in the neighborhood: Czech Christmas market, Peirce Mill anniversary party, a jazzy Thanksgiving

Embassy events, a street festival, and jazz music galore. There’s fun to be had in and near the neighborhood this month. And these are just a few of the events on our community calendar.

Saturday, November 5th

Open Streets: Start the day by walking, biking or scooting Wisconsin Avenue from Tenley Circle to Western Avenue. Wisconsin will be closed to cars for DDOT’s first Ward 3 “Open Streets” event. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., enjoy live music, fitness classes, dance performances, kids’ activities and more. Here’s a map of the festivities.

Deck the halls: The Embassy of the Czech Republic’s annual Christmas market returns as an in-person event. From 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., enjoy live music and shop the market. Admission is free, but timed entry passes are required. You can register and find more information about the market here.

Children from American Sokol Washington DC and Slavic American Sokol will perform Czech Christmas carols.

Do some good: On your way to either event, consider stopping at Deal Middle School to drop off food and toiletries for those in need. From 10 a.m. to noon, Deal students will be collecting donations for the food pantry at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Explore the sky: The National Park Service and National Capital Astronomers will be hosting their last stargazing event of 2022. From 7 to 8 p.m., they’ll set up telescopes in the field south of Military Road and west of Glover Road.

Wednesday, November 9th

Happy anniversary, Peirce Mill: First, join Friends of Peirce Mill. Then, party. While the mill itself has been around for nearly 200 years, the anniversary being celebrated is the 25 years since the group was founded to support ongoing efforts to restore and preserve the mill. The festivities begin at 5 p.m. Learn more and become a member here.

Tuesday, November 22nd

A jazzy Thanksgiving: UDC’s annual Christmas concert is billed as a gift to the community. It truly is. But the UDC jazz ensembles, under the direction of Allyn Jackson, are giving Thanksgiving its due. The free concert begins at 12:30 p.m. at the recital hall in the Performing Arts building (46W – here’s a map).