AMERICAN MADE
Tom Cruise abandons his good guy image to portray Barry Seal, a former pilot who in the ’80s became a drug smuggler for a Colombian cartel, and subsequently an informant for the U.S. government. Cruise’s energetic performance will likely distract from Bourne Identity director Doug Liman’s fast-and-loose handling of the source material. Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Jesse Plemons, Lola Kirke, Benito Martinez and Jayma Mays are among the cast. Opens Friday, Sept. 29. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

BATTLE OF THE SEXES
In 1973, tennis world champion and feminist and lesbian icon Billie Jean King stunned the world when she bested chauvinist and ex- world champion Bobby Riggs in a tennis match. Emma Stone and Steve Carell are King and Riggs in a biopic that follows King’s struggle to come to terms with her sexuality and the pressure she felt to prove that women’s tennis stood on equal footing with the men’s game. The husband-and-wife duo of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) co-direct based on a script by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire). Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

CITIZEN KANE
Capital Classics, a new hump-day film series at Landmark’s recently refurbished West End Cinema, offers a screening of Orson Welles’ 1941 magnum opus, still widely considered as one of the greatest films ever made. Welles plays a newspaper tycoon who has everything, yet not enough to make him happy in a strange, moving and sometimes funny drama propelled by the mystery of “rosebud.” Happy Hour-priced beer and wine from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. Landmark’s West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

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FLATLINERS
A sequel to the 1990 film of the same name, Ellen Page, Diego Luna and three other medical students choose to stop their hearts for minutes at a time to see if they can experience the afterlife. Naturally, this is not a good idea. Niels Arden Oplev takes over from Joel Schumacher as director, with Kiefer Sutherland reprising his role from the original. Opens Friday, Sept. 29. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

MANOLO: THE BOY WHO MADE SHOES FOR LIZARDS
Longtime fashion journalist and director Michael Roberts got a rare look into the world of Manolo Blahnik. The subtitle refers to Blahnik’s passion for shoes that developed at an early age, making them out of candy wrappers for the reptiles he caught in his family’s garden on a remote Spanish island. Blahnik became the world’s most famous luxury shoemaker chiefly because of his extraordinary meticulousness and utter dedication to craft, maintaining full control of the business, right down to hard-carving the wooden form of every shoe himself. The fashion and entertainment glitterati are well-represented in Roberts’ film, everyone from Anna Wintour and Isaac Mizrahi, to Rihanna and Rupert Everett, Paloma Picasso and Naomi Campbell. Opens Friday, Sept. 29. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

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RAISING ZOEY
The heartwarming story of teenage trans activist Zoey Luna, who had to enlist the ACLU in her fight with school officials for her right to self-identify. Aided by support from her mother and sister, as well as her own extraordinary self-assurance and fortitude, Luna perseveres even in the face of bullying and endless teasing at school. Dante Alencastre’s documentary screens as part of the monthly RA Xtra series from Reel Affirmations, co-sponsored by Center LatinX and the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs. Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets are $12, or $25 for VIP seating as well as one complimentary cocktail, beer or wine and popcorn. Call 202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.

VICTORIA AND ABDUL
Dame Judi Dench steps back into the shoes of Queen Victoria 20 years after her Oscar-nominated turn in Mrs. Brown. The latest biopic from Stephen Frears (The Queen) focuses on the British monarch and the friendship with her Indian servant Abdul Karim (Aliz Fazal), and the slight scandal this caused in society at the time. Eddie Izzard and Michael Gambon also star in a film based on Shrabani Basu’s best-selling biography, adapted by the Billy Elliot screenwriter Lee Hall. If showy period dramedies are your thing, get your ticket now. Opens Friday, Sept. 29. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
★★★★
A multi-faceted gem of a musical, Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is realized with utmost skill and elegance in a brilliant new production at Signature Theatre. Director Eric Schaeffer and company strike an enviable balance between sparkle and understatement, reflecting the myriad aspects of longing explored in Sondheim’s uncharacteristically hopeful roundelay of coupling and uncoupling. Despite an arch comedic streak, the story of conflicted husbands and wives and their would-be partners is plainly sincere about the rush of falling in love. A Little Night Music celebrates the part that lust, romance, infatuation, and passion can play in leading to self-discovery. Featuring Holly Twyford and Bobby Smith. To Oct. 8. Signature’s Max Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $40 to $99. Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org. (Andre Hereford)

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CLOVER
Ally Theatre Company, focused on presenting works or partnering with organizations acknowledging and confronting systemic oppression in America, concludes its inaugural season with a new full-length play exploring the life of Washington socialite Clover Adams. Laura Rocklyn stars as Clover in a play that she co-wrote with Ally’s artistic director Ty Hallmark. Angela Kay Pirko directs a cast that also features Nick Depinto as Henry Adams and Tamieka Chavis as Lizzie Cameron. To Oct. 28. Caos on F, 923 F St. NW. Tickets are $25. Visit allytheatrecompany.com.

DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Craig Wallace is Willy Loman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic from American theater giant Arthur Miller, focused on the cost of chasing the American dream. Stephen Rayne directs a 15-member cast that includes Wallace’s real-life wife Kimberly Schraf as Willy’s devoted Linda. The creative team includes Tim Mackabee on set design, lighting by Pat Collins, sound and original music by John Gromada, and costumes by Wade Laboissonniere. Now to Oct. 22. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $62. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fords.org.

DON JUAN TENORIO
Nando Lopez helped GALA Hispanic Theatre haul in the Helen Hayes Awards last year with his adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s Yerma. He’s back with a world-premiere adaptation of Jose Zorrilla’s tale of “the infamous seducer of all time,” in honor of the Spanish romantic writer’s 200th birthday. Jose Carrasquillo directs an international cast including Iker Lastra and Luz Nicolas (Spain), Manolo Santalla (Cuba), Carlos Castillo (Venezuela) and Ines Dominguez del Corral (Colombia) in a high-voltage, contemporary and True Blood-style adaptation. Performed in Spanish with English surtitles. Closes Sunday, Oct. 1. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $45. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.

IN THE HEIGHTS
Round House and Olney team up for a tour-de-force staging of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original Tony-winning success, featuring a book by Quiara Alegria Hudes. Marcos Santana directs and choreographs the production, which features 21 actors and stars two-time Tony nominee Robin de Jesus, who played Sonny in the original Broadway production. Here, he is Usnavi, our guide through a vibrant Washington Heights neighborhood. With Linedy Genao, Rayanne Gonzales, Natascia Diaz, and Michael J. Mainwaring as Sonny. Extended to Oct. 22. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

LELA & CO.
The experimental, Helen Hayes Award-winning collective Factory449 offers a showcase for a stellar local actress as Rick Hammerly directs fellow company member Felicia Curry as a girl who gets caught up in sex trafficking, exploring her harrowing battle for survival in an increasingly unjust world. The work, written by up-and-coming British playwright Cordelia Lynn and based on a true story, also features Renaldo McClinton. Closes Sunday, Oct. 1. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE. Tickets are $22. Call 202-631-6291 or visit factory449.com.

NATIVE GARDENS
Arena Stage presents the local premiere of Karen Zacarias’ D.C.-set hot-button comedy, where well-intentioned neighbors become feuding enemies in a clash of class and culture. Blake Robison directs a co-production with Cincinnati’s Guthrie Theater and starring Jacqueline Correa, Dan Domingues, Steve Hendrickson, and Sally Wingert. To Oct. 22. Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $90. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

NEVERWHERE
Rorschach Theatre reprises Robert Kauzlaric’s immersive adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s best-selling fantasy adventure — with the added challenge of moving from the Atlas’s black-box Lab Theatre, where the company first staged the show in 2013, to the fixed-seat, proscenium stage in the venue’s Sprenger Theatre. The story follows a man whose life is turned upside down after he helps a wounded girl on the streets of London, and then gets sucked into the bustling, magical world of “London Below.” Closes Sunday, Oct. 1. Sprenger Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $45. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

STONES IN HIS POCKETS
Set in a small, hardscrabble Irish town where many of the townspeople are extras in a Hollywood film, this wicked tragicomedy by Irish playwright Marie Jones opens Keegan’s 21st season. Matthew Keenan and Josh Sticklin take on all 15 roles, playing both men and women, often switching gender and voice with barely a blink and the absolute bare minimum of costume changes. In previews. To Oct. 15. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 202-265-3768 or visit keegantheatre.com.

THE DEVIL’S MUSIC …BESSIE SMITH
Mosaic Theater Company kicks off its third season with its first musical, a show written by Angelo Parra and directed by Joe Brancato. A hit Off Broadway, The Devil’s Music stars the indomitable Miche Braden, performing 13 songs in character as bisexual blues pioneer Bessie Smith. The concert-style show recreates the boisterous diva’s final performance after she and her band were turned away from a whites-only theater in Memphis in 1937. Closes Sunday, Oct. 1. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call 202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater.org.

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
Port Tobacco Players, Maryland’s community theater, takes on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery about the elimination of the Baskerville family. Adapted for the stage by F. Andrew Leslie, the play follows famed detective Sherlock Holmes and his most trusted sidekick Dr. John Watson in their most popular case. Keith Linville directs the production. Weekends to Oct. 8. Port Tobacco Players, 508 Charles St., La Plata, Md. Tickets are $15 to $18. Call 301-932-6819 or visit ptplayers.com.

AKUA ALLRICH
A D.C. native and Howard University alum, the young jazz vocalist and composer blends traditional, modern and African jazz styles while often singing in the showy manner of many of today’s leading soul/pop divas — when not channeling her idol Nina Simone. But she’s especially well-regarded for covering Simone, and Allrich will perform her 9th annual tribute to the jazz iconoclast as well as South African powerhouse singer Miriam Makeba. She’ll perform renditions of beloved songs by both divas, supported by her sharp band. Sunday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. Lang Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $25 to $32. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

ALL THINGS GO FALL CLASSIC
If the Fall Classic were still just a one-day festival, you’d be hard-pressed to conjure up a more suitable indie-pop lineup than Foster The People as headline act, after performances from Bleachers and Betty Who, not to mention opening sets from promising up-and-comers Great Good Fine Ok, Fletcher, Foreign Air, Now, Now, and Young Futura. And that’s just one day, Sunday, Oct. 8, out of three at this year’s Fall Classic at Union Market. In its fourth year, presenting organization All Things Go has expanded the event in duration as well as diversity. The festival kicks off Friday, Oct. 6, with headliner Galantis, the sharp Swedish electronic/dance duo, and festival mainstay the Knocks from New York, plus Bearson, jackLNDN, Win and Woo, and Lightwaves. Rising Atlanta rapper Young Thug leads a hip-hop-heavy bill on Saturday, Oct. 7, also featuring Vince Staples, Saba, Kweku Collins, Jay IDK, Innanet James, April, Vista, and Norwegian alt-R&B producer Cashmere Cat. There will be food on hand from the area’s most popular restaurants: Sweetgreen, Buredo, Takorean, &pizza, Maketto, DGS, Ivy & Coney, Milk Cult, and the Good Silver. Dock 5 at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Single-day tickets are $64 for general admission or $150 for VIP, while a three-day pass costs $154, or $250 for VIP including quick entry, premium viewing areas, a dedicated cash bar, and festival swag. Call 888-512-7469 or visit allthingsgofallclassic.com.

BAROKKSOLISTENE
Founded and led by Norwegian violinist Bjarte Eike, this wide-ranging Scandinavian folk-inspired baroque group is the Ensemble-in-Residence at Norway’s Bergen National Opera. Barokksolistene offers two very different concerts at the Washington National Cathedral. The first, Sunday, Oct. 8, called “Navetoberfest!,” includes food and drink, turning the cathedral into a British country pub as the ensemble performs from its recent recording The Alehouse Sessions. The focus is on the lively, colorful music of the English tavern in the 17th century, when Puritans had outlawed public performances of music, driving culture into the alehouses. On Monday, Oct. 9, Barokksolistene presents “Rounds from an English Tavern,” featuring both instrumental music and arias from the rich oeuvre of Henry Purcell’s theater music. Both concerts start at 6 p.m. Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues NW. Tickets are $75 for Navetoberfest!, including food and drink. Call 202-537-2228 or visit cathedral.org.

BRUNO MARS W/DUA LIPA
Bruno Mars is one of those superstars you don’t begrudge having fame. His music is consistently compelling and creative, and he’s a reliably entertaining performer. Mars tours in support of last year’s relatively lackluster set 24K Magic, with an opener by a promising new British singer-songwriter of Albanian descent whose powerful, full-throttle voice and style is reminiscent of Pink. Friday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. Remaining tickets are $179. Call 202-628-3200 or visit capitalonearena.com.

CAFE TACVBA
A frequent Latin Grammy winner, the Mexican Rock en Español band returns to the area with a performance at the Fillmore. Led by vocalist and guitarist Rubén Albarrán, Cafe Tacvba includes Emmanuel “Meme” del Real Díaz, José Alfredo “Joselo” Rangel Arroyo, Enrique “Quique” Rangel Arroyo, and Alejandro Flores, who is referred to as the 5th tacubo, since he’s played the violin in almost every Cafe Tacvba concert since 1994. Thursday, Oct. 5. Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Call 301-960-9999 or visit fillmoresilverspring.com.

CAMERON CARPENTER
Cristian Macelaru conducts the NSO in an all-American program with a return engagement from the provocative, bisexual organist. From the Kennedy Center’s grand, 5,000-pipe Rubenstein Family Organ, Carpenter will perform Aaron Copland’s Symphony for Organ and Orchestra. The NSO will also perform the Suite from Copland’s Appalachian Spring ballet, John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine, and Bernstein’s Divertimento, the latter in honor of Copland and Bernstein’s famous friendship. Thursday, Sept. 28, and Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

CHOPTEETH
The Washington Post has referred to the 12-piece band as “a storming powerhouse of big-band African funk …smart, tight and relentlessly driving.” Chopteeth has already won a number of Washington Area Music Association Awards, including Artist of the Year in 2008. The Afrobeat-driven group performs regularly throughout the region. Friday, Oct. 6. Doors at 7:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

DISAPPEAR FEAR
Sonia Rutstein, the Jewish lesbian musician who records and performs as SONiA, returns to D.C. with her band Disappear Fear for a concert at Georgetown’s hideaway for “serious music lovers who don’t take themselves too seriously.” As ever, her progressive-minded folk songs are a balm for those feeling angry, hurt or demoralized by our current state of politics Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers are also on the bill. Wednesday, Oct. 4. Doors at 7 p.m. Gypsy Sally’s, 3401 K St. NW. Tickets are 12 in advance, or $15 day-of. Call 202-333-7700 or visit gypsysallys.com.

HALSEY, CHARLI XCX
Listening to Halsey puts you in mind of a distorted fairy tale, a quality that’s reflected in her debut album’s title, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. But there’s a lot more to this proudly bisexual ingenue, who occasionally sounds like the next coming of Pink (“Walls Could Talk”). Halsey first came to fame a year ago as the singer for the Chainsmokers’ best single, “Don’t Let Me Down.” It’s surprising when you stop and think about how quickly she’s risen to the upper echelon of the music industry, first and foremost the fact that she’s already headlining a stadium tour. Joining her for the concert as one opening act is Charli XCX, the lead songwriter behind “I Don’t Care (I Love It)” by Icona Pop, as well as other punky-pop gems of her own. Monday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. Call 202-628-3200 or visit capitalonearena.com.

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN
The unofficial keeper of the Great American Songbook offers an intimate evening of standards by “The Crooners” — Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Bing Crosby and others. The concert is the start of a yearlong collaboration with the Feinstein, who will return for more concerts himself. Yet the focus will be on presenting other artists he views as “tomorrow’s torchbearers” of the Great American Songbook, the era of music that loosely spans the two world wars and encompasses songs from early Broadway and the Jazz Age. Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $125 to $175. Call 301-581-5100 or visit ampbystrathmore.com.

MIRAMAR
“The Golden Age of Boleros” is the focus of a concert toasting Hispanic Heritage Month by this Richmond-based six-piece band touring in support of Dedication to Sylvia Rexach. Boleros are contemplative love songs that originated in 19th-century Cuba and were popularized throughout the Spanish-speaking world by Mexican composers in the 1940s. Miramar will perform Rexach songs as well as originals by a band started by Puerto Rican singer Rei Alvarez and Chilean-American pianist and arranger Marlysse Simmons Argandoña, who also perform in the salsa band Bio Ritmo. Friday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. Lab Theatre II in Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $25.20 in advance, or $28 at the door. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

MULTIFLORA MUSIC FESTIVAL
“Search for Sanctuary” is the theme of the inaugural month-long festival by Multiflora Productions, a. D.C.-based presenting organization specializing in genre-bending multicultural music drawn from all corners of the world. The lineup over the next week includes: Niger’s Mdou Moctar at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and Flamenco Passion ft. Alma y Cuerpo at Bossa Bistro, both on Sunday, Oct. 1; Ethiopian jazz and funk from the Feedel Band at Bossa Bistro, on Thursday, Oct. 5; Group Doueh from Western Sahara at Tropicalia, on Friday, Oct. 6; and Joe Keyes and the Late Bloomer Band with WPFW’s Jazz and Justice at Bossa Bistro on Saturday, Oct. 7. Festival runs at various venues through Oct. 31. Visit multifloraproductions.com.

PRESSENDA CHAMBER PLAYERS
The Washington Conservatory opens its season with an ‘All Strings” concert from Ensemble-in-Residence along with guest violinist James Buswell. The program includes Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-Flat Major and Mozart’s sonorous String Quintet in G Minor. The evening will feature Buswell, Presenda members Aaron Berofsky, Kathy Judd, Amadi Azikiwe, Victor Asuncion and Founder/Artistic Director Tobias Werner, and guests instrumentalists Kathryn Votapek, Philippe Chao, and Jan Mueller-Szeraws. Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. Congregational Church, 1 Westmoreland Circle. Bethesda. Tickets are free, donations welcome. Call 301-320-2770 or visit washingtonconservatory.org.

RAC
Now that his work in helping the remix gain appreciation beyond the confines of electronic/dance music and nightclubs, Grammy-winning remixer André Allen Anjos is increasingly setting his sights on making breezy, bouncy yet smart and sophisticated indie-pop from scratch. Over the summer the Portuguese-born American who records as RAC — an acronym standing for Remix Artist Collective — released his second full-length artist album. “You’re more beautiful, when you’re unusual,” the artist MNDR sings on one of the best tracks from the subtly astounding Ego, an album that starts off with the sound of an orchestra warming up and uses symphonic or instrumental elements to continuously tie together every buoyant, melodious indie-pop song in an inspired touch. (Less inspired: Generally relegating credit to his many guest vocalists to the fine print.) K.Flay sings “Heartbreak Summer,” and that title effectively sums up the bewitching, bittersweet feeling to the whole set. Anjos tours with a backing band and an opening set from LPX (see page 7). Thursday, Oct. 5. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

SEU JORGE WITH THE NSO POPS: TRIBUTE TO DAVID BOWIE
Jacomo Bairos conducts an NSO Pops Concert Trio supporting this Brazilian actor/musician, who has been touring the country over the past year with a concert inspired by the late, great pop star and specifically Jorge’s role in Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Jorge’s acoustic interpretations, which include “Rebel, Rebel,” “Life on Mars,” and “Starman,” were heralded by Bowie himself as being imbued with a “new level of beauty.” Friday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $25 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

PAUL’S PARISH CHOIR: MUSIC GALA 2017
The choir along with Boy and Girl Choristers will perform as part of a gala and fundraising for the music ministry of this church in the West End, touted as having one of the leading church choral programs in the U.S. The gala, which also features a post-concert jazz reception with drinks, light fare, dessert and silent auction, also doubles as a benefit for students at the Bishop Walker School in Southeast D.C. Friday, Sept. 29, starting with a champagne reception at 6:30 p.m. St. Paul’s Parish, 2430 K St. NW. Tickets are $50. Call 202-337-2020 or visit stpauls-kst.com.

THE INSERIES: MOZART’S THE MAGIC FLUTE
Mozart’s fantastical masterpiece, complete with princes, evil queens, dragons, young love, and the human search for wisdom, brought to enchanting life in D.C.’s Scottish Rite Temple. The InSeries opens its 36th season with Nick Olcott’s new English adaptation, with Rick Davis directed a cast of 16, including Joe Haughton as Tamino, Emily Casey as Pamina, Daren Jackson as Papageno, Suzanne Lane as Papagena, and Kelly Curtin as Queen of the Night. Stanley Thurston leads a chamber orchestra. Final performance is Sunday, Oct. 1, 2:30 p.m. D.C. Scottish Rite Temple, 2800 16th St. NW. Tickets are $23 to $47. Call 202-204-7763 or visit inseries.org.

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
The English new wave band, led by singer Robert Butler and his brother bass guitarist Tim Butler, and whose hits include “Pretty in Pink” and “Heartbreak Beat,” appear at the Birchmere with special guest Bash & Pop. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. The Flex Stage in the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $39.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

ASHLEY THORNDIKE-YOUSSEF: COLDNESS & LIGHTNESS
An arresting portrait of the moment when the ground cracks, causing sudden destabilization, as six dancers propel their way through a clearly tenuous landscape. Thorndike-Youssef’s latest intimate work with composer Peter V. Swendsen premieres in-the-round and features Boris Willis, Annie Kloppenberg, Claire Alrich, Candace Scarborough and Laurie Atkins. Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 1, at 5 and 7 p.m. Dance Loft on 14 Theater, 4618 14th St. NW 2nd Floor. Tickets are $16 to $26. Call 202-621-3670 or visit danceloft14.org.

DISSONANCE DANCE THEATRE
Touted as “D.C.’s only African-American-managed contemporary ballet company,” Dissonance, founded and led by gay choreographer Shawn Short, opens its 11th Season by premiering works commissioned from three emerging choreographers: Kjara Starič Wurst of Slovenia, Jaime Thompson of Dallas Black, and Kareem B. Goodwin, a native of Philadelphia who was last year’s inaugural recipient of Dissonance’s New Voices of Dance program. Titled “Rewind 2 Fast Forward,” the season opener is a mixed bill of contemporary dance ranging from ballet to jazz and also including works by Short. Saturday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Ernst Theater in the Ernst Cultural Center, 8338 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, Va. Tickets are $15 to $25. Call 202-540-8338 or visit ddtdc.org.

FURIA FLAMENCA DANCE COMPANY
Estela Velez de Paredez founded Furia Flamenca 14 years ago, with a focus on combining flamenco’s gypsy heritage with modern flamenco choreography to create an elegant balance of motion and energy. Cafe Flamenco is an intimate evening of flamenco “tablao” style, with drinks and tapas served tableside during the performance, accompanied by guitarist Torcuato Zamora. Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m, and Sunday, Oct. 1, at 4 p.m. Lab Theatre II in Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $27 in advance, or $30 at the door. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

KYOKO RUCH
A drag queen show is turned upside down by the unexpected arrival of a new competitor in When Snails Collide, a quirky, dance theater piece that’s part of the Kennedy Center’s Local Dance Commissioning Project. A show for all ages, it mixes colorful design elements, costumes and sets with the sounds of gypsy music and gibberish. Ruch, a local dancer, choreographer and teacher, highlights the insecurities of humans and the will to make the most out of life in this satirical work. The program also includes EroSpace, a live collaboration between Scanner aka British artist Rimbaud and Ruch’s company KyokoDansu, a conversation between movement and sound, space and environment. Thursday, Sept. 28, and Friday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

CAMERON ESPOSITO AND RHEA BUTCHER
A real-life married couple, these two comedians team up for a Back To Back stand-up tour, building on the dynamic they exhibited on the comedy series Take My Wife. The first gay, married couple to co-create and co-star in a TV show. They perform individually and together as part of a seated show. Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $33.50. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

DAVE CHAPPELLE
Hard to believe it’s been 12 years since Dave Chappelle abruptly ended his hit Comedy Central sketch show. In recent years, the D.C. native, one of today’s best comedians, has been increasingly touring the country with his stand-up. And in the wake of this year’s Netflix specials, the streaming service’s most-viewed comedy specials ever, Chappelle has announced long runs of shows in several cities, including 12 dates in his preferred venue in his hometown. Lest you think you can just opt to watch fan-posted clips online, tour presenter Live Nation has instituted a strict “no cell phone” policy, mandating that patrons place their phones in locked pouches until the end of the show. Remaining shows are Thursday, Sept. 28, through Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 and 10 p.m. Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Tickets are $67.50 to $490. Call 202-783-4000 or visit warnertheatredc.com.

UNIFIED SCENE THEATER: THE UNIFIED SING
D.C.’s upstart improv comedy company, with its own small venue in the Bloomingdale neighborhood, presents a show from its recently formed improvised musical troupe. Per audience suggestion, the troupe’s improvisers will devise a musical from scratch on the spot, making up the scenes, songs, melodies, lyrics. With accompaniment from Mickey Daniel, the evening’s performers are Julie Tice, James Freeman, Shawn Westfall, and Unified Sing founding member Caroline Yates. Friday, Sept. 29. Doors at 8 p.m. Unified Scene Theater, 80 T St. NW. Tickets are $15. Visit unifiedscenetheater.com.

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: RISE UP!
D.C.’s main improv comedy company reprises Rise Up!, a run of politically inspired improv shows that proved to be a hit during Trump’s Inauguration. Intended to be cathartic, eye-opening and raw, each show features a mix of WIT ensembles with telling names including Laffrican Americans, Bottom Shelf, Trustfall, Sweater Kittens, Shock and Awesome, Ugh, Love Onion: Crazy Like a Fox, and Ivanka! The Musical. To Sunday, Oct. 1. District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC), 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. Call 202-462-7833 or visit witdc.org.

WOMEN IN COMEDY FUNDRAISER: JUST KEEP LAUGHING
To help support its development, the D.C. chapter of the Chicago-based national organization Women in Comedy presents a night of stand-up over food and drinks upstairs at Adams Morgan’s Cuban restaurant and cafe Habana Village. Nicki Fuchs and Becca Lundberg co-host a show featuring local comics Natalie McGill, Kasha Patel, Brttany Carney, Chelsea Shorte, Robin Hazel, Michele Sometimes, Jessica Jack and T Moon Fields. Friday, Sept. 30, at 8:30 p.m. Habana Village, 1834 Columbia Rd. NW. Tickets are $10, with all proceeds going to Women in Comedy. Call 202-462-6310 or search “Just Keep Laughing” on eventbrite.com.

DISCUSSION: WOMEN AND THE SUPREME COURT
Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, moderates a discussion at the National Archives exploring the legacy of the four women who have served and the 726 women who have argued before the Supreme Court. The panel of female judges, lawyers and legal experts includes: Judge Patricia Millett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Deanne Maynard of Morrison & Foerster’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice, Sarah Harrington of Goldstein & Russell, and author Marlene Trestman (Fair Labor Lawyer: The Remarkable Life of New Deal Attorney and Supreme Court Advocate Bessie Margolin). Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. (Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery in the or the William G. McGowan Theater in the) National Archives Museum, Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets NW. Call 202-357-5000 or visit archivesfoundation.org.

BODY LANGUAGE: QUEER ACTIVISTS FROM POST-YUGOSLAVIA
A Bosnian refugee, Alma Selimovic was granted political asylum in the U.S. in 2009 on account of the violence and threats she faced as a prominent LGBTQ activist in her homeland. Earlier this year, the visual artist did a two-month residency at Berlin’s Institute fur Alles Mogliche, where she interviewed and created digital drawings of other people from Eastern Europe who are queer, trans and/or gender neutral. Now that she’s back, she’s curated an exhibition of paintings, photographs, and video installations by seven queer artists and activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia: Kristofer Andric, Azra Causevic, Ranka Delic, Nedziba Idrizovic, Damir Prljaca, Anita Prsa, and Alex Spyke. Through Oct. 7. Otis Street Art Project, 3706 Otis St. Mt. Rainier, Md. Call 202-550-4634 or visit otisstreetarts.wixsite.com.

MORGAN MONCEAUX: BLACK LEATHERMAN’S JOURNAL
“Pages from a Leatherman’s Journal” is the full title of a retrospective of the late artist’s work, presented by the Baltimore Eagle in another exhibition in its upstairs gallery space. Born in Louisiana in 1945 and a Vietnam War veteran, Monceaux was a self-taught painter who created works mostly in the form of series to better tell one story across paintings. His 1992 series of presidential portraits, “George to George,” was featured in the New Yorker as well as in a display at Washington National Airport. And his portraits of Ray Charles, Dinah Washington and B.B. King are included in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. Through Oct. 8. The Baltimore Eagle Art Gallery, 2022 N. Charles St. Call 410-200-9858 or visit thebaltimoreeagle.com.

NURIEH MOZAFFARI: LA LUNE BLANCHE
Capturing the essence of the reflection of the moon, whether rising or falling, is the focus of this series by Iranian-born painter who emigrated to Canada in 1998. Many of the paintings further evoke scenes of Washington, New York and Paris. Now to Oct. 7. Susan Calloway Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Call 202-965-4601 or visit callowayart.com.

STEPHANE KOERWYN EXHIBITION AT SOFITEL WASHINGTON DC
In its restaurant and lounge, Washington’s Sofitel presents a collection of 17 abstract paintings on aluminum canvasses and metal-based dresses by French artist inspired by artists Pierre Soulages and Gerhard Richter as well as designers Jeanne Lanvin and Jean-Paul Gaulthier. “Painting on aluminum is a genuinely sensitive experience that is new each time, as it plays with various materials …and responds to unusual painting tools that create new movements and shapes,” Koerwyn says in an artist’s statement. Additionally, executive chef Gyo Santa has created a three-course menu inspired by the collection priced at $45 for lunch or $55 for dinner. Closes Saturday, Sept. 30. iCi Urban Bistro in Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square, 806 15th St. NW. Call 202-730-8701 or visit sofitel-washington-dc.com.

SUPERFIERCE: ART OF RESISTANCE
According to statistics from the National Endowment for the Arts, while approximately 51 percent of visual artists are women, less than 5 percent are represented in major museums around the world. Maggie O’Neill started the organization SuperFierce as a support system to help connect, inspire, mentor and exhibit fellow female artists. Its 2017 exhibition features over 30 female artists, selected by a panel of local visual art experts, and including, among others, Behnaz Babazadeh, Kimberly Cunningham, Lana Gomez, Linda Hesh, Akemi Maegawa, Anne Marchand, Cara Peterson, Caitlyn Price, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Antonia Tricarico. Closing with a Haute Halloween Party on Oct. 27, the exhibition officially opens with a Salon Party featuring music by DJ Neekola, open bar and valet, and with 25 percent of all proceeds, including from sales of artwork, benefiting EBeauty, which provides wigs and support to women with cancer. The Salon Party is Thursday, Oct. 5, from 7:30 p.m. to midnight, with a VIP Collectors Artist Reception starting at 6:30 p.m. Exhibition on display until Nov. 4. Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW. Tickets are $100 including open bar and valet, or $150 to $1,000 for VIP options including swag bags and artwork. Call 202-554-0103 or visit superfierce.org.

TRANSFORMER: NEVERMIND, AZIZAM
Transformer kicks off its 16th season by delving visually and sensually into the uniqueness and range of the Iranian-American experience. Rich with symbols, smells (saffron, Chanel No. 5, black tea), textures and tastes, this exhibition, curated and conceptualized by artists Ani Bradberry, Alexandra ‘Rex’ Delafkaran and Sheida Soleimani, features works of soft and ceramic sculpture, neon installations, textiles and photography. Artist Talk is Saturday, Sept. 30, at 2 p.m. On display through Oct. 14. Transformer, 1404 P St. NW. Call 202-483-1102 or visit transformerdc.org.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN AT 100
The Grammy Museum has organized a traveling exhibition commemorating the great, late bisexual American composer and conductor, premiering it at the Kennedy Center as one kickoff to a year-long centennial celebration. Touted as the most comprehensive retrospective of Bernstein’s life and career, the exhibition contains over 150 artifacts, including photographs, personal items, papers, scores, correspondence, costumes, furniture, and films. Displayed items include one of Bernstein’s batons, his first piano, his New York Philharmonic podium and a program from his 1943 debut with the orchestra, and the desk from which he composed West Side Story along with handwritten score sheets for that iconic musical’s “America,” “Tonight” and “Maria.” There are also interactive displays, allowing visitors access into his creative mind and legacy — from a listening bar to explore some of his most noted works, to a vocal booth offering a chance to sing the lead in West Side Story, to a feature allowing one to virtually step into Bernstein’s conducting shoes and lead a symphony. Now to Nov. 5. Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.orgd.

ALL SET RESTAURANT: STEAK IT OUT
Executive Chef Edward Reavis celebrates the return of fall with a promotion showcasing dishes inspired by his early days working at a local steakhouse. The special menu includes: a 5 oz. Sirloin with red wine demi glace, thick cut onion rings and Lyonnaise potatoes (priced at $15), an 8 oz. Hanger Steak with truffle fries ($19), a Surf & Turf offering of 4 oz. Filet with lobster claw, drawn butter and mashed potatoes ($22), and a Prime Rib with horseradish cream, au jus and loaded baked potato, (market value). Also available are classic steakhouse starters, from Clam Chowder with bacon and Old Bay crackers, to Caesar Salad with romaine, baby kale, chicken cracklings and parmesan, as well as sides including Fried Calamari with hot cherry peppers and cocktail sauce, Creamed Spinach with parmesan, cream cheese and Tabasco, and String Beans with garlic. All of this is in addition to the Silver Spring restaurant’s regular menu and signature raw bar. To Sept. 30. All Set Restaurant & Bar, 8630 Fenton St., Plaza 5. Silver Spring. Call 301-495-8800 or visit allsetrestaurant.com.

JOE’S SEAFOOD: PIE IT FORWARD
Throughout September, downtown’s swanky high-end eatery will donate $1 from every slice of its Mostly Raspberry Pie to Fight for Children, a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education. Blackberries and blueberries are the supporting fruits in a pie that is served, naturally, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To Sept. 30. Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, 750 15th St. NW. Call 202-489-0140 or visit joes.net.

LEGAL SEAFOODS: OYSTER FESTIVAL
All locations of this Massachusetts-based seafood chain, including the three in the D.C. area, participate in the 9th annual celebrating all things bivalves. Choose three fried oysters — prepared Buffalo or BBQ style, or as an “Oyster BLT” — for $10, or three baked oysters — prepared as a Lobster Spinach Oyster bake, Oyster Scampi with shrimp, Crab & Cheese Oyster, or Roasted Oyster with smoked chorizo — for $12. A variety of oysters will also be available raw, served on the half shell, with selections changing daily. Wash it all down with the festival’s Skiff Cocktail, an $11 concoction of vodka, aromatized wine, lemon, botanicals and celery bitters. Now through Oct. 11. All three area locations: 704 7th St. NW, 2301 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, and 2001 International Drive in Tysons Galleria, McLean. Visit legalseafoods.com.

MAKE IT FUNKY WILD BEER FEST
Silver Spring’s lesbian-owned brewery Denizens hosts the 3rd annual festival celebrating the unique style of wild and sour brews — from briny goses to barnyardy brett beers. Over 100 funky beers from approximately 35 craft breweries, most of them local, will be available for tasting at this indoor/outdoor event, with the band Soul Stew performing in the beer garden and DJ Kenny M. in the brewery. A special menu will also be available, along with oysters from Republic and goodies from Krave Jerky. Among the participating breweries: D.C.’s 3 Stars, Atlas, Bluejacket, Hellbender and Right Proper, Maryland’s Brewer’s Art, Flying Dog, Franklin’s and Manor Hill, and Virginia’s Caboose, Lost Rhino, Mad Fox and Port City. Saturday, Sept. 30, from 12 to 5 p.m. Denizens Brewing Co., 1115 East-West Highway, Silver Spring. Tickets are $62.50 and include a souvenir tasting glass and unlimited sample pours. Call 301-557-9818 or click here.

NATIONAL GALLERY’S GARDEN CAFE: WEEKEND BRUNCH
For a boozy brunch a little more high culture than the average, the National Gallery of Art offers a special brunch buffet all month for $30. The selections are impressive: from Buttermilk Pancakes to Baked Frittata with bacon lardon, caramelized onions and gruyere, Summer BBQ Short Ribs with kimchi glaze to Roasted Free-Range Airline Chicken with shaved fennel and salsa verde, Baby Kale Salad to Seasonal Freshly Cut Fruit. Not to mention Carrot Cake, Lemon Bar and assorted Freshly Baked Cookies for dessert, and a full coffee menu. Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. National Gallery of Art’s West Garden Court, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. Call 202-842-6716 or visit nga.gov.

NEW KITCHENS ON THE BLOCK 3.0
If you’re a foodie struggling to keep your palate on the pulse of D.C.’s still-burgeoning restaurant scene, you can’t do much better than Mess Hall. Throughout the year, the food incubator in Northeast’s Edgewood neighborhood features the hottest new and forthcoming restaurants in a festival environment. In addition to the winter Ramen World, there’s this popular event, now in its third year. Previews on offer at NKOTB 3.0: Spoken English from Erik Bruner-Yang and Brothers and Sisters bar from Todd Thrasher, both ventures in the soon-to-open Line Hotel in Adams Morgan, Lucky Buns from Alex McGoy, Maydan from Gerald Addison & Chris Morgan, Bindaas from Vikram Sunderam, Pluma by Bluebird Bakery from Camilla Argano and Tom Wellings, Manna from Todd Gray, Chloe from Haidar Karoum, Coconut Club from Adam Greenberg, the Eleanor from Adam Stein, Dorjee Momo from Lobsang Dorjee Tsering, and Cured DC from Chris Johnson and James Brosch. All that plus cocktails featuring spirits from Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, New Columbia Distillers Green Hat Gin and One Eight Distilling. Ticketed in two-hour sessions, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8. Mess Hall, 703 Edgewood St. NE. Tickets are $65, or $105 for VIP priority access with swag bag. Visit facebook.com/messhalldc.

TAQUERIA DEL BARRIO: DRAG BRUNCH
Petworth’s new Mexican eatery from the DC Empanadas crew presents another round of its last-Saturday-of-the-month drag brunch. Desiree Dik hosts a show featuring queens Shaunda Leer and Whitney GucciGoo, who perform while guests enjoy French toast, chilaquiles and Taqueria’s signature tacos, among other dishes, all washed down with mimosas, Bloody Marys and Absolut vodka cocktails. Two seatings Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. 821 Upshur St. NW. Tickets are $25 and include one brunch entree or three tacos and one brunch cocktail. Call 202-723-0200 or visit taqueriadelbarrio.com.

TASTE OF BETHESDA
The 28th Annual Food and Music Festival brings nearly 50 restaurants and five stages of entertainment to Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle. Produced by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, this year sees returning restaurants such as Georgetown Cupcake, Jaleo Bethesda, Louisiana Kitchen & Bayou Bar, Mussel Bar, Olazzo, Ruth’s Chris, Quartermaine Coffee Roasters and Rock Bottom, joined by new restaurants Community, George’s Chophouse, Medium Rare and TapaBar. Live performances will come from Albino Rhino, Band of Us, Chopteeth, Hayley Fahey Band, Lea Morris, Lloyd Dobler Effect and Patrick Alban Band, plus Carpathia Folk Dance Ensemble, Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance, Nomad Dancers, Soul in Motion and the Wild Zappers and National Deaf Dance Theater. Saturday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Woodmont Triangle, Bethesda. Free admission, or $5 for four “taste” tickets. Call 301-215-6660 or visit bethesda.org for more information.

TASTE OF DC
More than 65 restaurants and food trucks take part in what is billed as “the largest culinary festival in the Mid Atlantic” presented by Events DC. Participating vendors this year include: Arepa Zone, Ben & Jerry’s, Capital Chicken & Waffles, Captain Cookie & the Milkman, District Doughnut, Maggiano’s, Maki Shop, Rocklands Barbeque, Smoke-N-The-City, Teak Wood, Texas de Brazil, the Oyster Truck, and Upper Crust Pizzeria. In addition to Restaurant Row, Taste of DC offers chefs leading demonstrations at the ABW Culinary Stage, a Wine Walk and a Beer Garden, a local artisan and craft market, plus live entertainment on multiple stages — with performances from Dupont Brass Band, Perfekt Blend, Batala, Swagfunk, Beyond Limits Dance Ensemble. Saturday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Festival Grounds at RFK Stadium, 2400 E. Capitol St. NE. Tickets are $9.99 to $49.99 plus fees. Call 202-249-3000 or visit thetasteofdc.org for more information.

LOST CREEK FARM, BUXTON HALL BBQ: APPALACHIAN DINNER POPUP
For two nights the first weekend in October, a team of four Appalachian chefs will set up shop at D.C.’s Mess Hall. There, the chefs — Mike Costello and Amy Dawson of Lost Creek Farm in West Virginia, and Ashley Capps and Travis Schultz of Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville, N.C. — will collaborate for a menu featuring seasonal favorites from each kitchen and honoring food traditions from their respective mountain locales. Among the small plates on offer: Venison Sausage Hand Pies, Wood-Roasted Sweet Corn Chowder, Shaved Country Ham, Buttermilk-Poached Salt Trout, and Creamed Bloody Butcher Grits from Lost Creek; Salt & Vinegar Pork Skins, Pimento Cheese Straws, Pulled Pork and Chicken Liver Ravioli, Fried Peanuts and Naomi’s Cornbread Crumbs from Buxton Hall. Dessert options include Old-Fashioned Vinegar Pie or Salty Paw Paw Ice Cream from Lost Creek, Black Walnut Butter Cake or Chocolate Shortbread from Buxton Hall. Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. Mess Hall, 703 Edgewood St. NE. Tickets are $65 for special tasting menu and welcome cocktail made with Hawk Knob Hard Cider from West Virginia. Visit facebook.com/messhalldc.

VIRGINIA SPIRITS FESTIVAL
Virginia’s best distilleries come together at Shaw hotspot The Passenger for an all-inclusive tasting event, co-hosted by organizer Craft Hospitality and the Virginia Distillers Association. Participating distilleries include A Smith Bowman, Belle Isle Craft Spirits, Boar Creek Whiskey, Catoctin Creek, Chesapeake Bay Distillery, Five Mile Mountain Distillery, MurLarkey, Virginia Distillery Company, Vitae Spirits and Keep It Simple Syrup. Presented in two sessions, with VIP tickets offering early access before the spirited masses. Saturday, Sept. 30, at noon and 3 p.m. The Passenger, 1539 7th St. NW. Tickets are $40 to Session 1 and $50 for Session 2, or $75 for VIP to either. Call 202-853-3588 or visit virginiaspirits.org/vsf.

INTERNATIONAL MR. LEATHER BEAR WEEKEND
The Baltimore Eagle is gearing up for its debut as host of the Mr. Leather Bear Contest. Structured similarly to D.C.’s Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, IMLB, taking place over Columbus Day Weekend, features a contestant Meet & Greet on Friday, a formal cocktails event and dinner Saturday, and a brunch buffet Sunday. The weekend officially launches with an Underwear Pre-Party on Thursday, Oct. 5, while Saturday, Oct. 7, ushers in the main club event, the new ManBearPig Party, touted as “a night of shenanigans and dancing” as soundtracked by DJ Steve Henderson. Unlike MAL, however, the signature contest here is spread out over two days, starting Saturday afternoon with “Bar Wear and On Stage Questions, Pecs & Personality,” and finishing Sunday, Oct. 8, with the Formal Wear and Speech portions. A Closing Party Celebration follows announcement of the winner at 2 p.m. Baltimore Eagle, 2022 N. Charles St. A Full Run weekend pass, including every event except brunch, runs $99, while the VIP package offers brunch and booze for $149; individual tickets to ManBearPig are $20. Call 410-200-9858 or visit thebaltimoreeagle.com. The IMLB host hotel is Hotel Indigo, 24 W. Franklin St. Mention “Mr. Leather Bear” to get a discounted room rate of $149. Call 410-625-6200 or visit baltimoreindigohotel.com.

ADAMS MORGAN PORCHFEST
A month after Adams Morgan Day comes a smaller festival showcasing the eclectic rhythms that make the multicultural neighborhood move. Launched in 2013 by the Adams Morgan Partnership BID, PorchFest features dozens of local musicians and musical acts. It’s a mix of ages and expertise, performing a mix of styles from brass to R&B, folk to rock, and Latin to reggae, in pop-up venues on porches and patios of historic homes and local businesses throughout the neighborhood’s leafy residential streets. Saturday, Oct. 7, from 2 to 6 p.m. Starting point is at 1801 Adams Mill Rd. NW. Free. Call 202-997-0783 or visit facebook.com/adamsmorganporchfest.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK: UNCENSORED UNDERGROUND COCKTAIL PARTY
Lovers of literature and the First Amendment have a chance to raise a glass to their favorite books as they commemorate Banned Books Week. Now in its fourth year, the annual cocktail party, hosted by the DC Public Library Foundation, is designed to celebrate those books that have been banned or challenged by censors, from the politically motivated to the prudish, for a host of reasons. For the party, which brings in about 400 guests each year, the DC Public Library Foundation brings in some of D.C.’s top bartenders and mixologists to create cocktails based on their favorite book. Given this year’s theme of “Texts Against Tyranny,” expect concoctions that allude to some of the most well-known dystopian novels, such as Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, The Giver, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Saturday, Sept. 30 from 7 to 11 p.m. Dupont Underground, 19 Dupont Circle NW. Tickets are $50. For tickets or more information, visit dcplfoundation.org. (John Riley)

DC DESIGN HOUSE
A benefit for Children’s National Health System, the 10th annual event highlights the talents of the D.C. area’s top decorators, with 23 beautifully designed spaces, four boutiques, plus special events throughout the month — with a daily onsite cafe by Relish Catering. This year’s house was built in 2009 and sits on two acres, a four-story, nearly 28,000 square-foot Potomac manse with nine bedrooms, nine full bathrooms, lower-level ballroom, a cinema, two-story library flanked by two offices, multiple kitchens, a pool, pool house with apartment and covered terrace — and all of it can be yours at the listing price of merely $10.28 million dollars. Opens Saturday, Sept. 30, at noon. Runs to Oct. 29. 9004 Congressional Court, Potomac. Tickets are $35 to $60. Visit dcdesignhouse.com for more information.

MARYLAND RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
In the year 1527, Henry VII’s “love for Anne Boleyn pushes him to ask for an annulment of marriage from Queen, Katherine of Aragon.” And Carolyn Spedden, artistic director of the annual festival, now in its 41st year, tells Metro Weekly that “of all the storylines we do with Henry VIII, Boleyn tends to be the most popular.” Yet there’s a little something for everyone at RennFest, which Spedden calls “a very inclusive, welcoming event. Everybody should feel comfortable coming through the gates.” That’s true whether your primary motive is to take in the performances — over 200 professionals engaged in everything from jousting to comedic sword-fighting to reenactments to parodies of Shakespeare — or to shop for early holiday gifts from “the amazing artisans here with their handmade wares.” Or simply to eat a turkey leg, steak on a stake or cheesecake on a stick. Weekends to Oct. 22. 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, Md. Tickets are $17 to $25 for a single-day adult ticket. Call 800-296-7304 or visit rennfest.com.

OPUS 1 FESTIVAL
Columbia’s newly renovated Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods gets transformed in this first of a three-year project celebrating technology and art. Presented by the Howard Hughes Corporation, the developers of downtown Columbia, and curated by New York’s art production company Wild Dogs International, this free, multi-sensory festival features immersive art installations, mesmerizing music performances and treetop projection mapping, as well as artisanal culinary offerings and a bonfire hearth to provide a surreal sensory journey. Among the highlights: the Lighting Cloud, an immersive, inflatable air pavilion designed by architect Jesse Seegers; the U.S. premiere of Hibridos Live, exploring Brazilian ritual dance and soundscapes through live video mixing and performance; the Color Field Immersion created by Doron Sadja, exploring modes of perception and the experience of sound, light and space; the Projection Cube, surrounding visitors in a 360-degree environment of video art from artist Peter Burr; the Dream Machine, Brion Gysin’s hallucination-inducing sculpture, which will be set up on the Chrysalis stage for an immersive performance featuring Darkside’s Dave Harrington with guests; and performances by New York’s indie-experimentalists Gang Gang Dance and the Green Machine, George Mason’s Pep Band. Saturday, Oct. 7, from 4 to 11 p.m. Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Free, but those who make reservations online get expedited entry. Visit opusmerriweather.com.

SMITHSONIAN’S CRAFT2WEAR SHOW
Now in its 11th year, the “show and sale of wearable art” features masters of American handicrafts, 65 in all selected by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, as well as leaders from leading design schools. Having raised $11 million in its first decade for the Smithsonian’s museums, research facilities and traveling exhibits, the focus of Craft2Wear is on purchasable, one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelry and accessories. Festival opens with a cocktail reception featuring hors d’oeuvres, a professional fashion show and stylists demonstrations on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. Festival runs Friday, Oct. 5, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $13 per day in advance or $15 at the door, or $50 for Opening Night, by advance purchase only. Call 202-272-2448 or visit smithsoniancraft2wear.org.

THE ASK RAYCEEN SHOW: TALENT COMPETITION
Rayceen Pendarvis hosts the annual #AskRayceen Talent Competition with performers competing for prizes of $300, $200 and $100. Each performance must be under five minutes. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Free. Visit AskRayceen.com for complete rules and guidelines for the competition.

THEATREWEEK
More than two dozen theater companies offer discounted tickets to current productions through Sunday, Oct. 1 for this year’s TheatreWeek, organized by TheatreWashington. Among this year’s 27 participating productions are Constellation’s The Wild Party, GALA’s Don Juan Tenorio, Keegan Theatre’s Stones in His Pockets, Mosaic Theater Company’s The Devil’s Music: The Life & Blues of Bessie Smith, Olney Theatre’s In The Heights, Theater Alliance’s Word Becomes Flesh, Washington Improv Theater’s Rise Up 2017. Discounted tickets to TheatreWeek productions are either $15 or $35, depending on the show and the venue. More details at theatreWeek.org. Discount tickets available at TodayTix.com.