There’s much to do in the D.C. area in the coming days, and WTOP has you covered with our weekly roundup of area events worth anticipating.
Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the D.C. area.
Get your thinking caps ready because this Thursday is National Trivia Day. To celebrate the occasion, WTOP spoke with two organizations that have both been a part of the local trivia community for over a decade now.
Pour House Trivia, which was founded around 2010, is one of the largest team-based trivia companies in the region. According to founder Denny Grizzle, the company hosts approximately 90 to 100 games per week, with about 70 to 80 of those located across the D.C. area.
Grizzle said that his company has found “that sweet spot” that both entertains and challenges the public at the same time. Also, part of his approach is to veer away from trivia apps or technology.
Instead, Grizzle said, “We stare at our cellphones so much during the day. I just think for two hours, we can all put it down and have a meal with our friends and play a game.”
Those who play more often, though, get to earn points that can result in the highest-winning teams to enter a “World Series” where the top teams can compete for money and other prizes.
A separate trivia company worth mentioning is District Trivia. When CEO Nick Groves launched the company, it began with three events per night, but now the company organizes about 45 events in the D.C. area on a weekly basis. Themes are occasional, but what’s a constant is that the hosts of District Trivia tend to stick to general knowledge trivia so that it can appeal to the widest base possible.
“We run the gamut on all different kinds of trivia start to finish,” said Groves.
While prizes vary depending on location, one of the more unique prizes at District Trivia is a free weekend stay at the Bethesdan Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland. To win this prize, one has to win first prize at the Wednesday evening trivia nights at the hotel’s bar, But First Drinks (BFD).
For more trivia, here are a few events that are coming soon, themed and worth your consideration.
Songbyrd Music House in D.C.’s NoMa neighborhood is hosting a music-themed trivia night on Monday, Jan. 8. The two-hour event starts at 7 p.m.
Nearby, Wunder Garten in NoMa is also hosting a musical trivia night, organized every Wednesday at 7 p.m.
For more musical fun, Highline RxR in Arlington, Virginia’s Crystal City neighborhood is hosting a comedy karaoke trivia funtime show on Saturday, Jan. 6. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per person for groups of six to eight people or $15 per person for individual tickets.
In D.C.’s Ivy City neighborhood, Atlas Brew Works is hosting a night perfect for those who drink and also know things — things like Game of Thrones trivia. The event is on Thursday, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m.
Later in the month, on Jan. 18, Red Bear Brewing Co. in NoMa is hosting a trivia night, but what makes this one unique is that it is the only trivia night in D.C. that is performed in American Sign Language. English interpretation is included.
Here’s what else is happening in the D.C. area.
DC
“How To Be A Korean Woman”
Actor, dancer and playwright Sun Mee Chomet is performing her one-woman show, “How To Be A Korean Woman,” which describes the story of her search for her birth family in Seoul, South Korea. The performance is at Theater J, beginning Thursday, Jan. 4, and continuing through Jan. 14. Tickets start at approximately $50 for general admission.
“Prison Reimagined: Presidential Portrait Project”
President Lincoln’s Cottage is partnering with Justice Arts Coalition to open an exhibition that features artwork by incarcerated artists critiquing the U.S. Justice System. Guests can also expect personal essays on display. The exhibition opens on Friday, Jan. 5, and extends through Feb. 19.
Hot In Herre
If you’re a lover of Destiny’s Child, Lil Wayne, Rihanna and other similar artists of the time, don’t miss this event. On Saturday, Jan. 6, the 9:30 Club is hosting a 2000s dance party from the same DJs who brought the 90s dance party, called No Scrubs. Tickets start at $20 with additional fees.
Disco Lofi Pop Up
At Miss Pixie’s, shop vintage and secondhand clothes, accessories and disco balls. The event on Sunday, Jan. 7, is from noon to 4 p.m.
Profs & Pints
Remember when pirates prowled the Chesapeake? No? Well, in this upcoming Profs & Pints presentation, Jamie L.H. Goodall, professor of history at Southern New Hampshire University, is set to teach the public about how the Chesapeake Bay is an area intimately tied to a history of plunder. The event on Tuesday, Jan. 9, costs approximately $15 depending on when you buy tickets.
Maryland
Sajjan Raj Vaidya
Nepali singer Sajjan Raj Vaidya is performing at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland, as part of his Ghumi Phiri tour. The event is on Saturday, Jan. 6.
“The Courageous Lives of Black Civil War Surgeons”
The National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland, is hosting a book talk with Jill Newmark on the lives of Black Civil War surgeons. The event, on Jan. 7 at 2 p.m., is free and open to the public with no reservations required.
Alfred Yun
Pianist Alfred Yun is expected to fuse jazz with K-pop, traditional Korean music, hip hop and more at AMP at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland. The event is on Wednesday, Jan. 10, with an additional performance scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Tickets start at $18. Also, don’t miss Yun’s workshop on Jan. 17.
Virginia
Sarah Tiana
If you’re in search of your next favorite comedian, check out Sarah Tiana at the Arlington Drafthouse. Tiana shot her special “44” at the Comedy Store, and is now heading to Arlington, Virginia, for two days of shows, on Friday, Jan. 5, and Saturday, Jan. 6. Tickets start at $20.
“Visions of Resilience”
In Alexandria, Virginia, the Del Ray Artisans gallery is exploring climate change and its impact on marginalized communities in a brand new exhibit, which runs Jan. 5 through 27. An opening reception on Friday, Jan. 5, runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with the opportunity to meet the curator and the artists. The gallery is free and open to the public.
The Kennedys
On Saturday, Jan. 6, folk-pop duo The Kennedys are returning from New York City for a one-night show at Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, Virginia. The event is part of the 2024 Passport to the World of Music Festival. Tickets start at $25.
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