Adams Morgan Fall PorchFest
Parks, porches, patios and stages on the 18th Street strip play host to about 70 musical acts during the Adams Morgan PorchFest, which shuts down 18th between Columbia and Kalorama roads to create room for a street party. There are two main stages: in the plaza at the intersection of 18th and Adams Mill Road, and another in the middle of the 2400 block of 18th, featuring go-go from the Experience Band, hip-hop from the Flex Mathews Band and pop by Ari Voxx, among other performers. But part of the fun is wandering to Kalorama Park or along neighborhood streets, pulled to the next “stage” by the sound of bluegrass or punk. Bands start on the hour from 2 to 5 p.m., and a full lineup is available on the PorchFest website. Attendees can pick up a wristband at either stage good for discounts at local businesses. (This event was originally scheduled for Oct. 14 but postponed due to weather.) 2 to 6 p.m. Free.
Parade of Trabants at the International Spy Museum
The International Spy Museum has a special section about Berlin during the Cold War — “Berlin: City of Spies” — so it’s not surprising that the museum celebrates the fall of the Berlin Wall every November. What is surprising, and very cool, is how it commemorates the historic event: with a gathering of Trabants, the clunky, notoriously smoky East German cars made of cotton fiber and resin, powered by a two-cylinder, 26-horsepower engine. (They may have been the car of the people, but they’ve also been dubbed “an environmental nightmare.”) Check out a collection of vintage vehicles outside the Spy Museum during this 17th annual celebration, which also features live German music from the Alte Kameraden Band, plus chances to try Berlin Wall-style graffiti and try to cram into tiny spaces, as East Germans did when they were smuggled by car to West Berlin. German dog breeds can also compete in a “best dog disguise” competition. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
Pumpkin Smash at City Tap
Don’t just throw out your carved pumpkins this year. City Tap’s Penn Quarter location is hosting an event that makes it easy to not only compost your jack-o’-lantern, but unleash a little bit of rage while you do it. Bring your former (but now decaying) work of art to smash, and the leftover goo will be taken to Cox Farms to feed its animals. Also included in the event: live music, pumpkin decorating (to replace the one you destroyed), pumpkin waffles and pecan French toast with pumpkin spiced whipped cream, pumpkin beers on draft, pumpkin cocktails, and spiked apple cider. If you don’t have your own pumpkin to bring, don’t worry — you can buy one on-site, and the proceeds will go to Capital Area Food Bank. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free.
Doggie Pool Dip at Washington Hilton
The Washington Hilton is closing its outdoor pool for the season, but not before it invites some very good boys and girls to dive in. The 11th annual Doggie Pool Dip allows dogs — no owners, please — to paddle around the large, heated outdoor swimming pool, all to raise money for the Humane Rescue Alliance. Look for treats for canines and hot apple cider for humans. No registration is required — just enter the pool area from the corner of Florida Avenue and 19th Street NW. Noon to 3 p.m. $5 suggested donation.
Vegan Curious Festival at MiXt Food Hall
You don’t have to embrace a completely plant-based diet to enjoy the chef demos and food tastings at MiXt Food Hall’s first Vegan Curious Festival. The food hall in Brentwood, just outside of D.C., invites vegans and the vegan curious to shop an array of local vendors offering vegan food and products, including plant-based barbecue from Smoky Mmm Eats and Afro-Caribbean dishes from Motherland Kitchen. Learn new recipes from chef Tarik Frazier of MushDC, MiXt’s plant-based sandwich shop, who will cook for the crowd after a panel discussion moderated by Naijha Wright-Brown of the Black Veg Society. A farmers market packed with veggies is popping up on the food hall’s patio, too. Noon to 6 p.m. Free.
Washington Area Bicyclist Association Cider Ride at Metrobar
A beer garden with a decommissioned Metro car at its center, located right off the Metropolitan Branch Trail, is the jumping-off point for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s scenic fall bike ride. Depending on which route you choose — 10-, 30- or 60-mile rides — you’ll ride along the Anacostia River Trail, make a pit stop at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, cruise through Greenbelt’s leafy Buddy Attick Lake Park and cycle around the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. There are pit stops along the way, serving up seasonal doughnuts and hot cider, before riders return to Metrobar for a post-ride party. Riders are required to wear helmets. A full list of details and an FAQ are available on the Cider Ride website. Routes begin at 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Adults $60-$85, youth $25-$35.
D.C. Beer Fest at Nationals Park
Over 80 breweries — local and not so local — unite with unlimited tastings at the D.C. Beer Fest. The event takes place throughout the concourse at Nationals Park (including Centerfield Plaza, Budweiser Brew House, Bud Light Loft and Budweiser Terrace), and over a dozen food trucks with offerings of poutine, empanadas and other snacks can be found throughout the stadium. Expect lawn games, dueling pianos, cover bands and DJs. Both general admission and VIP admission include unlimited samples for a three-hour time slot, but a VIP package also gets you access to the warning track and dugouts, batting cages and a festival T-shirt. Note that no pets or those under 21 are allowed. Noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. $50-$90.
Raven Chocon at National Museum of the American Indian
The first Native American artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for music, Raven Chacon is a fixture in the world of noise and experimental music. At this concert, Chacon and five musicians will present selections from his 2020 work, “For Zitkala-Sa,” which is named in honor of the Yankton Dakota musician, composer and activist, who died in D.C. in 1938. The afternoon includes another performance of Chacon’s work, and a Q&A session with him and the musicians. 2 to 5 p.m. Free.
Clothing Swap at Femme Fatale
Trade in old clothes and find something new at this swap hosted at Femme Fatale, a women-owned gift shop in Cleveland Park. Bring at least five unstained and undamaged items (including accessories and shoes) between the drop-off hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and come back during the swap to look for items to take home. All genders and sizes are welcome, and masks are encouraged. 1 to 5 p.m. Free.
Acoustics and Ales at North Four Corners Local Park
Montgomery County breweries and Montgomery County Parks are teaming up for a series of outdoor parties that roam the county, bringing local beer, food and music to neighborhood green spaces. The November edition of Acoustics and Ales is on a Saturday in Silver Spring at North Four Corners Local Park, bringing in Saints Row Craft Collective from Gaithersburg (known for its Sweater Weather apple cider brown ale) to sell pints, along with cans of cider from Gaithersburg’s Two Story Chimney Ciderworks. Order bowls from Rice Around the World and Chilean street food from El Cumpa, while Annapolis band Loose Ties provides the tunes. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free.
