Note: This list is updated all month long; be sure to check often. And please contribute out of generosity! Send other cool goings-on to [email protected] to share them with others.

This May, explore your interests and meet young like-minded professionals at local receptions.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Rosslyn City Social, 5:45-8pm at SPACES (1101 Wilson Blvd). Learn more about what’s launching in the neighborhood this year! Invite your coworkers and neighbors to enjoy an evening of networking with fellow Rosslyn employees, residents, business owners and community members who help make Rosslyn a fast-growing and dynamic urban village! FREE

Samasama Art Show & Gathering Opening Reception, 6-9pm at Shopkeepers (1231 Florida Ave NW). Join us for an evening of art and atmosphere at Shopkeepers. Featuring live screen printing by Soul & Ink and Les Talusan a.k.a. The Pinstriped Rebel curating an all-vinyl set of music by Asian American and Pacific Islander artists. FREE, suggested $5-20 donation.

Take the Plunge: A Pop-up Experience to Help Children Thrive, 5:30-8pm at AJAX, Located within The Aspen Apartments(1011 4th Street NW). Come for the cocktails and stay for the inspiring experience. Join FamousDC for exclusive access into PATH’s Defeat Diarrheal Disease Initiative – an interactive experience that will take you behind the veil of efforts to defeat diarrheal disease and give children a healthy start. This one night only event will feature an interactive photo installation and captivating short films about how simple solutions are making a big impact in the lives of children and their families. This event is sure to turn your standard DC soirée into a journey across the world. FREE

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Opaline Brasserie Opens w/ Champagne Tower + Toasts, 5-7pm at Opaline (806 15th St NW). It’s not a grand opening without a Champagne tower! Opaline will be celebrating its opening day, Thursday, May 3rd from 5pm to 7pm with the Champagne flowing. Each guest that celebrates with us will enjoy a complimentary tasting pour of Champagne. Cocktails specials will also be available all night long! FREE

City Kids’ Do More 24 Launch Party!, at Arc’teryx (1099 H St NW). We’ll be pouring free beer and wine from Atlas Brew Works, Scheid Family Vineyards, & Pareto’s Estate along with food and great company including a brief talk at 7pm from Ambreen Tariq, the Founder of Brownpeoplecamping, and several Arc’teryx gear give-aways at 8pm! FREE

Seventh Annual Rooftop Party, 6:30-8:30pm at Room & Board (1840 14th Street NW). It’s that time of year again! Grab a friend and join us to celebrate the warmer weather on our fourth floor rooftop. Enjoy music from a live steel drum band and savor island-inspired sips and snacks, including a signature cocktail. Mingle with fellow design enthusiasts and explore our collection of modern outdoor furniture, perfect for entertaining. FREE

Unconventional Chess Play Day, 6-8pm at WeWork, Fourth Floor (1875 K St NW). Come join The Unconventional Chess Blog and learn about the Polish opening! The Polish opening is an unconventional opening that has been demonized by many grand masters, but you will learn that this opening will win you plenty of games! We will have free food and drinks, and have ten chess boards out for everyone to play! The first 30 minutes will be networking then we will start. FREE

The Cyprus Peace Operation in Military History by Dr. Edward J. Erickson, 6-8pm at the Turkish Embassy (2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW). Dr. Erickson has been working for several years writing a comprehensive study of the military history of the Cyprus Peace Operation. He will discuss the planning and execution of the two-phase operation as well as highlighting the difficulty of the geography as a tactical problem for the Turks to overcome. Reception to follow. FREE

Better Late.. Abstract Paintings by Sheila Cahill Opening Gala, 5:30-8pm at Swann House Historic Dupont Circle Inn (1808 New Hampshire Avenue NW). You are invited to attend the Champagne Reception, with Live Jazz. FREE

Talk/”Salongespräch” | Freedom of the Press: Still the 4th Estate?, 7-10pm at Austrian Cultural Forum (3524 International Ct NW). On the occasion of the International Day of the Freedom of the Press, the Austrian Press and Information Service and the Austrian Cultural Forum in Washington, DC are organizing a Salongespräch/panel discussion entitled: “Freedom of the Press: Still the 4th Estate?”. The debate will be followed by a Q&A session and an Austrian wine and cheese reception. FREE

Friday, May 4, 2018

90 Days Film screening and reception, 6-8:30pm at Anacostia Arts Center (1231 Good Hope Rd SE). We will start the evening with a panel discussion with filmmakers and local HIV advocates Rayceen Pendarvis and Pat Nalls moderated by award winning journalist, Candance Montague. FREE

Gallery Opening – Curated Cosmos, 5:30-7:30pm at AAAS Art Gallery (1200 New York Ave NW). Michael Benson is an American writer, photographer and film-maker who has spent more than a decade painstakingly piecing together and processing raw image data collected by NASA and the European Space Agency over six decades of space exploration. The result is breathtaking images representing a profound collaboration between science and art. FREE

Saturday, May 5, 2018

International Embassies Open House, 10-4pm. Travel the world to over 40 embassies.Embassies will open their doors to DC visitors and residents Saturday, May 5, 2018. Participants can travel the world as they experience the food, art, dance, fashion, and music of different countries. In the past, visitors have been treated to karate demonstrations, dance performances, sari wrapping lessons, and henna demonstrations. FREE

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Solutions Journalism Docs Screening with Freethink Media, 6-9pm at Freethink Media (626 E St NW). Join Solutions Journalism’s D.C. chapter for a solutions-oriented documentary film screening and Q&A reception with the filmmakers. Beer & wine, light refreshments will be served. FREE

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Gulf Arts and Culture Symposium: Art and the Gulf City, 4-8pm at Phillips Collection (1600 21st St NW). Join AGSIW and Alserkal Avenue for performances and talks by leading Gulf-based artists. With this event, AGSIW celebrates its third anniversary of examining the Gulf Arab states in all their complexity. A reception to mark the occasion will follow the performances. FREE

Hill Center Galleries Opening Reception, 6:30-8:30pm at Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Ave SE). Join us for a celebration of a new series of solo exhibitions and the installation of a new piece curated exclusively for our Abraham Lincoln Hall. Grab a glass of wine, stroll through the galleries, meet and talk to the artists, and enjoy a wonderful evening of regional art. FREE

Thursday, May 10, 2018

ACR EPP Networking Reception, 5-7pm at Meridian Institute (1800 M St NW). This event seeks to bring together individuals active in the fields of environment and public policy – including practitioners in collaborative problem solving, government agency staff, students and academic researchers, and anyone else interested in approaches to conflict resolution in the environment and public policy sphere. Beer, wine, and light appetizers will be provided. FREE

Voices from U Street: A Reflection on Decades Past, 6-7:30pm at Prince Hall Masonic Temple (1000 U St NW). The Prince Hall Lodge welcomes in the U Street neighborhood and the Funk Parade community for an evening or refection and discussion about U Street over the decades. The Discussion will be followed by a community reception in the Prince Hal Lodge Ballroom. FREE

Pay Our Interns – Reception & Celebration, 6-9pm at Public Bar (1214 18th St NW). Pay Our Interns invites you to attend a celebration to support our efforts to help young people nationwide have access to paid internship opportunities. We see this event as an opportunity to share the recent successes of Pay Our Interns and the broader Pay Our Interns community. FREE

Rep. Beyer Hosts Congressional Art Competition Awards Reception, 6-7pm at National Art Education Association HQ(901 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314). This year, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) is hosting the Artistic Discovery Contest Reception and Exhibition for Virginia Congressman Don Beyer’s 8th district. Works of art from schools within Congressman Beyer’s district will be juried by local visual arts educators who are NAEA members, and displayed in the NAEA Studio & Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia. FREE

2018 Latino 100 Reception, 5:30-7:30pm at Altria (101 Constitution Ave NW). Join us for a networking reception to honor the 2018 LATINO 100 companies at 5:30 pm on May 10 at Altria. Open bar and free hors d’oeuvres. FREE

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Open Reception: D.C. ROCKS and GOING GLOBAL, 4-6pm (2204 Rhode Island Ave NE). Guests can meet the artists at the Opening Reception on May 12th, 4 – 6pm. Free and open to the public, with light refreshments and wine provided and music curated by Ahmad Zaghal. FREE



AF DC, 11am-6pm at Union Market (1309 5th St NE). AF is two day pop-up market designed to make shopping fun again. Our first event of the Spring season kicks off at Union Market DC, May 12-13 from 11am – 6pm. With over 100 brands in attendance, you’ll be the first to experience the world’s most innovative and emerging brands, all with complimentary cocktails provided by Marker’s Mark. FREE

Monday, May 14, 2018

2018 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Reception, 6-8pm at The City Club of Washington, DC (555 13th Street Northwest). Teach For America’s Asian American & Pacific Islander Alliances, Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL), and Leadership for Educational Equity are pleased to co-host the 2018 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Reception, bringing together members of the #AANHPI community in Washington, DC to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and the accomplishments of our community to date. FREE

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

AAWGC 2018 Reception & Forum, 5:45-7:30pm at Pepco Edison Place Gallery (702 8th St NW). Join us, for a reception to learn more about the African Amercan Women’s Giving Circle. You are also invited to stay for the forum. The African American Women’s Giving Circle (AAWGC), in partnership with Pepco Edison Place Gallery, presents a capacity building forum for small-medium sized nonprofits. FREE

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

ONS Advocacy Day Reception, 5-6:30pm at Senate Dirksen Office Building (2nd St NE). As a thank you to our supporters from the nursing, cancer, and patient advocate communities, ONS would like to cordially invite you to a celebratory reception for the ONS Center for Advocacy and Health Policy. FREE



MAKE in DC: A Pop-Up-Palooza, 1:30-5pm at MakeOffices Glover Park (2201 Wisconsin Ave NW). Join BYT & MakeOffices to celebrate the opening of the newest MakeOffices locattion with an afternoon of panels, pop-ups, instagrammable art installations, incredible networking opportunities, giveways, and so much more. FREE

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Infrastructure Week Rooftop Reception with Waterways and Airsheds Leaders, 6-8pm at Cassidy & Associates (733 10th St NW). We welcome industry, government, and non-profit leaders of infrastructure policy to join a conversation on innovative solutions to maritime and air quality infrastructure. These two segments of our infrastructureagenda are vital to the economic and health of our nation. FREE

Q Street GOP Reception, 6-9pm at Rooftop of Cozen O’Connor (1200 19th St NW). Join us for a spring GOP reception hosted by Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies. Q Street hosts various events targeted to increase the diversity of our membership in many ways—though our members and friends of all political affiliations are welcome at these events. FREE

Friday, May 18, 2018

Art Opening and Reception for Artist Dorian Allyn Berman, 6:30-8:30pm at Hera Hub DC (5028 Wisconsin Ave NW). Join us for food and drinks as we celebrate the installation of our new show! This collection will showcase the works of Dorian Allyn Berman, a local artist from Bethesda, MD. Her works will be on display and for sale until September 2018. FREE

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

2018 Foodelicious Night, 6:30-8:30pm at Freer Gallery of Art-Meyer Auditorium (1050 Independence Ave SW). The Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs invites you to “Foodelicious Night” as part of the District’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration. Please join us for exciting cooking demonstrations from three of DC’s award-winning AAPI chefs and get an exclusive taste of the delicious offerings. FREE

Sunday, May 27, 2018

The Future of NATO and European Relations under the Trump Administration, 7-10pm at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW). Join the World Affairs Council-Washington, DC with its expert panelists as we discuss the impact of President Trump’s policy towards NATO, and how it will affect the future of NATO as well as US-European relations. FREE