Welcome to the Hotlist, a monthly preview of things to taste, see and do in the weeks ahead. Here's what's coming up in September.

Go to the Corcoran before Oct. 1

We've been saying for a few months now that you should really go to the Corcoran before it's absorbed into the National Gallery of Art and the George Washington University. But now that it's September: For real, your time is running out. The museum will close Oct. 1 for substantial renovations, and its collection will become a part of the National Gallery of Art, which means the collection founded by William Wilson Corcoran nearly 150 years ago will never be exhibited in the same way again. If you need another incentive to say farewell to this piece of D.C. history, admission is free for the rest of the month. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW. 202-639-1800. www.corcoran.org. -- Maura Judkis.



(Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)

Keep beach season alive with Pop's SeaBar

Beach season may be drawing to a close, but you'll be able to enjoy the Jersey Shore or Florida coast year-round at a new Adams Morgan restaurant. Pop's SeaBar, a project from two owners of the adjacent Cashion's Eat Place, draws inspiration from boardwalk classics for a menu of peel-n-eat shrimp, pork rolls and ice cream sandwich luges. (You pour a shot through a hole in your ice cream sandwich, directly into your mouth.) The restaurant, which will serve lunch and dinner, opens Sept. 4. 1817 Columbia Rd. NW. www.popsseabar.com. -- Maura Judkis

Witness an explosion of step

If you’ve never before seen a Step Afrika! performance, you're in for a treat. The company's "2014 Step Explosion" series, which toured the city throughout August, concludes with free performances at RH Terrell Recreation Center Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. and at Rita Bright Recreation Center Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. R.H. Terrell Recreation Center, 155 L St. NW. 202-939-5948; Rita Bright Recreation Center, 2500 14th St. NW. 202-645-7111. www.stepafrika.org. -- Macy Freeman

Catch a sporty spin on theater

Andrew Hinderaker puts a sporty spin on theater with "Colossal," a new play about football, which is broken up into four quarters with a half-time show and even features something like a pre-game warm-up with outfitted players onstage. The story itself looks at our collective love for the game through the story of a man who was paralyzed playing the sport as a kid. Sept. 3-28 at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney. 301-924-3400. www.olneytheatre.org. $43.50-$63.50. -- Stephanie Merry





OLNEY, MD - AUGUST 21: Playwright, Andrew Hinderaker , left, Director, Will Davis, middle, and Actor, Michael Patrick Thornton, of "Colossal" are seen at the Olney Theatre on Thursday, August 21, 2014 in Olney, MD. (Photo by Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

See Marvel heroes in action

Movie theaters can no longer contain the popularity of Marvel's superheroes. Watch 25 characters, including Spider-Man, Wolverine and the Avengers, match wits against the evil Loki and a cadre of his villainous allies in a live-action event that will feature an original storyline using just about every inch of the arena, including the aerial space above the floor. Performances run Sept. 4-7 at the Verizon Center and Sept. 12-14 and Sept. 19-21 at the Patriot Center. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW; Patriot Center, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax. www.ticketmaster.com. $20-$110. -- Alex Baldinger

Watch a long list of short films

There were more submissions than ever for this local film festival, now in its 11th year. Festival director Jon Gann and an army of volunteers whittled all those short films down to a 135-movie slate that’s been split up into 17 different 90-minute showings. There are also shorter, free mid-day screenings that are the perfect excuse to actually take your lunch break for a change. Sept. 11-21 at various locations, including Landmark's E Street Cinema and the Angelika Film Center. www.festival.dcshorts.com. $12 per screening. -- Stephanie Merry

Cheer on Howard in the Nation's Football Classic

Football at RFK Stadium holds special significance to anyone who remembers the glory days of the burgundy and gold. For anyone too young to remember the bouncing stands, there's the Sept. 13 Nation's Football Classic, which pits Howard University against Morehouse College in a featured match-up that includes a pre-game fan festival and special events the night before the game. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. Visit www.nationsfootballclassic.com for a complete list of events. RFK Stadium, 2400 East Capitol St. NE. $15-$50. -- Alex Baldinger



(John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

Celebrate two of D.C.'s liveliest neighborhoods

Adams Morgan Day is a mainstay of the September calendar. On Sept. 14, wander the neighborhood's main corridor from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for food, music and craft vendors. If the crowds don't exhaust you, dance with musicians (including a troupe from the Meridian Hill Park drum circle) at a dance plaza on the corner of 18th Street and Florida Avenue NW. And while the good people of Adams Morgan may say their neighborhood festival is the best, so do the residents of H Street. The Sept. 20 H Street Festival has become one of the fastest-growing events in the city, with music, shopping and food from noon to 7 p.m. Adams Morgan Day, 18th Street NW between Columbia Road and Florida Avenue. www.adamsmorgandayfest.com. H Street Festival, H Street NE between Fourth and 14th streets. www.hstreet.org. Free. -- Margaret Ely

Get Snallygastered

Washington's best beer festival? That would be Snallygaster, which brings 250 craft beers and ciders to Yards Park on Sept. 13. The annual event is run by the team behind ChurchKey, Bluejacket and Rustico, which means you'll find rare seasonal ales and German firkins instead of the usual pumpkin beers that clog supermarket shelves this time of year. The event will feature an "artisanal cider garden" and live music by !!! and local electropop group Brett. From 1 to 6 p.m. at the Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. www.snallygasterdc.com. $30 in advance (includes a mug and 25 drink tickets), $10 at the door without drink tickets. VIP tickets are $50, including early admission and 25 drink tickets. -- Fritz Hahn

Move to the sounds of the Fall Classic

Washington-New York music blog All Things Go has organized the Sept. 13 Fall Classic, a music festival with a lineup of indie bands whose jams are made for dancing. Baltimore's most emotive rock act, Future Islands, headlines the bill, which also features bands such as Haerts and Tove Lo. Tickets for the Sept. 13 event at Union Market's Dock 5 space are selling quickly. 1309 Fifth St. NE. www.allthingsgofallclassic.com. $50-$60. -- Lavanya Ramanathan



Future Islands. (Josh Sisk/The Washington Post)

Say 'prost!' to Oktoberfest

Munich's 181st Oktoberfest begins at noon on Sept. 20, and that's the signal for local German bars and restaurants to begin their own celebrations. Biergarten Haus, which will turn all of its draft lines over to Oktoberfest beers, taps its first kegs the same day during the H Street Festival. The Old Stein Inn offers live German music and dancing Friday-Sunday through the end of October. Of course, there are large family-friendly festivals, too: Frederick's Oktoberfest features scarecrow making and pumpkin decorating as well as a beer garden with seasonal brews from locals Flying Dog and Brewer's Alley. Biergarten Haus: 1355 H St. NE. 202-388-4053. www.biergartenhaus.com.

Old Stein Inn: 1143 Central Ave E, Edgewater. 410-798-1544. www.oldstein-inn.com. Frederick's Oktoberfest: Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Frederick Fairgrounds, 797 E. Patrick St, Frederick. 301-663-5895. www.frederickoktoberfest.com. $5 in advance, $10 at the gate for everyone 21 and older; $5 for ages 3 to 20. Free admission for anyone wearing authentic lederhosen or a dirndl. -- Fritz Hahn

Laugh with Aziz Ansari

TV’s “Parks & Recreation” is coming to an end this year, leaving municipal government’s trillest slog, Tom Haverford, jobless. But don’t feel bad for Aziz Ansari: In fewer than 10 years, he’s graduated from awkward gigs at the Black Cat (where he performed in 2007) to arena-sized shows such as this month’s outing at the Verizon Center. He also has a $3.5 million dollar deal to write a tome on modern love. As the comedian barrels into his 30s, his standup is maturing, too. Expect to hear the comic’s observations on his generation, technology and, of course, love. Sept. 27 at Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. www.ticketmaster.com. $35-$55. -- Lavanya Ramanathan



Aziz Ansari. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images)

Craft an excuse to buy something cool

Crafty Bastards returns to Union Market for its 11th season with aisles upon aisles of eye-catching, handcrafted goods. Buy yourself something nice from 140 different vendors from across the U.S. How about some makeup from Minneapolis, hand-dyed scarves from North Carolina or a messenger bag from New York? Sept. 27-28 at Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NE. www.washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards. $5 admission. -- Margaret Ely

Meet Daniel Boulud's DBGB

Few out-of-town chefs have been more eagerly anticipated than Daniel Boulud, who counts several Michelin stars and James Beard Foundation Awards among his accolades. Boulud will open a D.C. outpost of DBGB, his Bowery brasserie, in the new CityCenterDC complex in mid-September and, much like Stephen Starr's Le Diplomate before it, the restaurant is sure to become the newest see-and-be-seen spot downtown. 931 H St. NW. www.dbgb.com. -- Maura Judkis

Revisit the 1960s

From the civil rights movement and the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, to the Apollo 11 landing and the Vietnam War, the 1960s could be described as a time of revolution. Time magazine covered it all, and the National Portrait Gallery offers visitors a chance to look back on the decade with original cover art from its Time collection. The “Time” exhibit will be on view from Sept. 26 through Aug. 9, 2015. -- Macy Freeman