Photograph courtesy of Winter Lantern Festival.Happy November, DC! Get out and vote. Then, decompress with a holiday tree lighting and fireworks show at National Harbor, or a new Black comedy show at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. Plus, we’ve got you covered with drinks and food at our Whiskey, Wine & Fine Spirits Festival. Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend November 4–November 10 Whiskey, Wine & Fine Spirits Festival. Treat yourself to savory bites and refreshing drinks at Washingtonian’s Whiskey, Wine & Fine Spirits Festival. Festival-goers can sip endless pours of premium whiskey, bourbon, and wine from Alchy Cocktails, Diplomatico, Wheel Horse, Uncle Nearest, and several other local and national vendors at Union Market’s Dock 5 (Thurs, $80+, Union Market). Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival. Investigative reporting and visual storytelling come together at this film festival for journalists and filmmakers. The opening film is Men of War—a detailed account of a failed 2020 coup in Venezuela told from the perspective of former US Green Beret Jordan Goudreau. Industry experts will also lead symposiums on topics such as the presidential election results, AI, and documentary filmmaking (Thurs-Sun, $85+ pass). Holiday Tree Lighting and Veterans Day concert at National Harbor. National Harbor celebrates the holidays this weekend with a multi-day fest. On Friday, the community is invited to a Veterans Day program featuring an F-16 Flyover in honor of local servicemen and women. The next day, there’s a holiday tree lighting and fireworks show, and on Sunday the the US Air Force Band District Brass will play a mid-afternoon concert (Fri-Sat, free, National Harbor). Winter Lantern Festival. Take a nighttime stroll through more than 1,000 Chinese lanterns, and catch a live performance by the Zigong Acrobatic Troupe at this season’s Winter Lantern Festival (through January 12, $27 for adults, $17 for children, free for toddlers ages 3 and under, Tysons). Dance Like There’s Black People Watching play. Dance Like There’s Black People Watching is a new comedy production created exclusively for Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The first few nights of this revue of Black excellence are already sold out, so you may want to snag tickets soon to see The Second City improv troupe (Wed through December 22, pay-what-you-can $15+ tickets, Penn Quarter). Alexandria Film Festival. Local filmmakers will have a chance to shine at the Alexandria Film Festival, which will also draw producers, actors, composers, and directors. This year’s lineup includes nearly 60 film screenings at community spaces such as The Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum and Beatley Library and centers on the themes of love, belonging, hope, empowerment, and resilience (Thurs-Sat, $80 pass, Alexandria). Martin Lawrence standup. Comic icon Martin Lawrence has been entertaining crowds with roasts and jokes since the ’80s. After an eight-year standup hiatus, the superstar is back on tour with a message to his fans: “Y’all Know What It Is!” You can laugh off election stress at his MGM National Harbor show (Thurs-Sat, $105+, National Harbor). RelatedOctober Culture Guide: 58 Things to Do in the DC Area Want More Things to Do? Arts and culture: You could meet your new boo at a pottery party for singles (Mon, $40, Cleveland Park). View works from major artists Sam Gilliam, Paul Klee, Georgia O’Keeffe, Sylvia Snowden, and others in “Breaking It Down: Conversations From the Vault” at The Phillips Collection (through January 19, $20, Dupont). Tap into your creative side at Shop Made in DC’s  basket-making workshop (Wed, $50, Georgetown). Test your knowledge of the popular TV show Friends at Friendsgiving Trivia (Thurs, free, Arlington). See 82 sculptures created between 1792 and 2023 at the exhibit “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture” (Fri through September 14, 2025, free, Smithsonian American Art Museum). Attend panel discussions, keynote addresses, and master classes with industry professionals and HBCU graduates at HBCU First LOOK Film Festival (Fri-Sun, $30 pass, Howard University). Wheaton Film Festival, back for its 10th year, spotlights short films, creates a space for industry networking, and hosts educational talks (Sat, $14+ pass, Wheaton). Bookworms can browse a number of used novels and children’s books at a library Used Book Sale (Sat, free, Northeast DC). Shop retro apparel and antique finds from more than 50 local vendors at the That’s So Vintage pop-up (Sat-Sun, $5+, Union Market). Eastern Market is celebrating its 151st anniversary this weekend with live music and fall shopping (Sat-Sun, free, Eastern Market). Sketch architectural and still life subjects with fellow drawers at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub (Sun, free, Alexandria). Author Caroline Choe discusses mouthwatering Korean American recipes from her book Banchan at Bold Fork Books (Sun, $5+, Mount Pleasant). Community and heritage: Learn about the World Heritage of Tattooing at this week’s Profs & Pints DC lecture (Mon, $16, Penn Quarter). Join Rhizome for a Dia de Muertos Candlelight Ceremony and Reception with installation artist Laura Irene (Mon, free, Takoma Park). Listen to the timeless opera melodies of Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, and more at The French Embassy to help raise funds for L’Opéra Comique de Washington (Thurs, $60, Georgetown). Celebrate Veterans Day weekend at a concert with the United States Navy Band (Sat, free, Southwest DC). Christmas arrives early this year at the Embassy of Czechia. Find ornaments, fine art photography, gingerbread, and other holiday goods at the Czech Christmas Market (Sat, free, Northwest DC). Theater and shows: It’s the last chance to see the revival of Romeo and Juliet at the recently renovated Folger Shakespeare Library (closes Sun, $20+, Capitol Hill). Hits from Ed Sheeran meet the sounds of Coldplay at Miracle Theatre’s Candlelight concert (Wed, $52+, Eastern Market). Watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse accompanied by a live score of the soundtrack (Fri-Sat, $65+, National Theatre). Music and concerts: Indie-soul band Melt plays live at the 9:30 Club (Thurs, $25+, Shaw). Nikka Costa returns to the music scene with a groovy disco concert (Fri, $25+, Wharf). Who’s your favorite pop star? Decide at Union Stage’s Taylor Swift vs Olivia Rodrigo Dance Party (Sat, $17+, Wharf). Go on a sonic journey with music icon André 3000 (Sat, $79+, Kennedy Center). There’s still time to snag a ticket to Orion Sun’s sold-out 9:30 Club show (Sat, $57+ on third-party resellers, Shaw). Dance the night away to jams from the ’00s at the 9:30 Club (Sat, $22, Shaw). Go-go groups Rare Essence and Junkyard Band celebrate Howard Theatre’s 114th birthday (Sun, $55, Shaw). Dorado Schmitt and his sons, Samson and Amati, play a lively jazz manouche concert at Strathmore (Sun, $28+, Bethesda). Get involved: Volunteer to remove invasive species and fallen limbs from the Crystal City connector trail (Sat, free, Arlington). Plan ahead: The ticket lottery for next week’s “To the District, With Love” National Gallery Nights is open (November 14, free, but tickets required via lottery closing Thurs, National Gallery of Art). Things to do with kids: All ages can see exciting circus-themed magicians, contortionists, jugglers, and a sword swallower at the Side Yards carnival (Fri, free, Navy Yard). If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.The post 38 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend first appeared on Washingtonian.