Where to Find the Hippest Cultural Attractions in Washington, DC

ArtHouse on Meetup.com
ArtHouse on Meetup.com

Residents and visitors to Washington, DC have their pick of a broader array of free cultural offerings than anywhere else in the country.

That’s a bold statement — but one that is justified by the many festivals, private and public museums, embassies, theaters, clubs and parks offering free or low-cost events.

There is no central cultural calendar for the DMV — the metropolitan DC-Maryland–Virginia region.  Cultural Tourism DC publishes a daily calendar and a weekly newsletter.  They are a good start, but are not comprehensive by any means.  The best you can do is to subscribe to the various mailing lists of the places that interest you the most.

Visitors to DC can also look to listings in the Washington PostWashington City Paper, or Washingtonian magazine but some of the most interesting, offbeat, and fun and free happenings won’t be found there.

ArtHouse on Meetup.com
Ronn the ArtHouse organizer

I pride myself on knowing about cool and unusual events, but there is a guy who surpasses me tenfold.  That would be Ronn, the founder and organizer of the ArtHouse on Meetup.com. He has a knack for ferreting out the hippest cultural events in the DMV!  He organizes meet ups for hip house concerts, art openings, walking tours, foreign films and more.

Yes, Meetup.com is actually a great place to find out about fun events and get togethers, many of which are free.

Here is Ronn’s pitch:

Meet with local film and arts lovers to watch indie, foreign and classic films! We’ll also attend art gallery openings, theater performances, Embassy evenings, museums, author readings and interesting concerts. And more often than not, there will be a reception!

The ArtHouse has attracted over 8,000 members, and members may add their suggestions for upcoming events.

Every month, Ronn sends out a bulletin previewing a curated selection of interesting group events for the month.  You can access the newsletter online here.

Here is a sample of some of the upcoming July 2018 eclectic listings in the ArtHouse Meetup:

Anyone can join the ArtHouse.  It’s not just for singles.  What a great way to to have fun and to meet interesting people!
Is there a Meetup group like this in your area?

Shoot for the Stars — Win a Trip to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival

Win a Trip to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival
Win a Trip to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival

This contest for a trip to the 2014 Sundance Food Festival sure got my attention!

I was in Utah last January but didn’t have the chance to check out the Sundance Film Festival in Park City.

It sure sounded like fun, though.

Enter this contest by January 7, 2014 for a chance to win a VIP trip to for you and a friend to this year’s Sundance Film Fest.

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Free Spielberg Films at the National Archives; Plus: Guastavino Vaulting

Steven Spielberg Film FestivalOne of the things I love best about living in Washington is easy access to cultural institutions — museums, embassies, parks, monuments, and libraries — all of which offer a plethora of free programs.In many Smithsonian museums and government buildings, there are beautiful auditoriums that present concerts, lectures, and film — often free to the public.

The William G. McGowen Theater, deep inside the National Archives building on Constitution Ave., is a leading venue for the screening of documentary films.

This coming weekend, the National Archives will screen a number of Steven Spielberg films in a mini film festival honoring the director’s work, that runs November 15-18, 2013.  This free, public film festival will showcase four of Spielberg’s critically acclaimed films.

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