08.26 - solar power
what’s going on in d.c.
Friday: NoMa hosts an early Dog Days of Summer celebration with treats and gifts for pups (7:30-9:30 am) | In the afternoon, dogs (and their human friends) can head to Bethesda’s Bark Social for National Dog Day treats (6-11 pm) | Rapper/newfound pop-punk singer Hoodie Allen performs at Union Stage (8 pm)
Saturday: REI and DC Bike Ride host a summer ride and festival to celebrate Women’s Equality Day (9:30 am) | Open Streets DC heads to Brookland, with a no car route along 12th St NE (9 am-1 pm) | Soul Mega Fest, a beer festival celebrating Black-owned brewers, posts up at The Parks at Walter Reed (1-6 pm, $50) | It’s Ukrainian Independence Day - to commemorate the holiday, there will be a rally and parade at Lafayette Square near the White House (4 pm) | Port City Brewing in Alexandria hosts a free comedy night (7:30 pm)
Sunday: There’s a plant swap at Silver Spring’s Plants Alive!, as well as a makers market (12-4 pm)
Monday: Lorde performs at The Anthem as part of her rescheduled Solar Power tour (7:30 pm)
All weekend: DCBX | 14, D.C. Bachata’s main annual event, takes over the Renaissance Hotel this weekend with performances, classes, and music.
looking ahead: Audi Field will host the National Women’s Soccer League’s championship game on October 29. Tickets for the game will go on sale Sept. 7 with pre-registration. It’s unlikely the home team/defending champs Washington Spirit will make the championship this year, but the game is likely to feature some USWNT stars.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: Skillet sweet corn taco at Chaia
Whitlow’s, a popular Arlington bar that closed last year, reopened in the district this week. Their new spot is in Shaw near the 9:30 Club with a laid-back decor and indoor and outdoor space.
Ghostburger is opening in Shaw on Monday, replacing Espita. The spot will feature burgers and cheesesteaks (plus some veggie options)
what’s on our minds?
A retired Silver Spring man picked up a new hobby - repairing bicycles to donate to his community, including Afghan refugees. Members of the community are donating bikes that Manuel Vera fixes up to give away - nearly 300 have found new homes since last August.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
UFO Lobbyist’s Quest to Prove to the Government That Alien Life Exists - per Washingtonian, “Stephen Bassett has spent a quarter century on a mission to make the White House and Congress take the issue of extraterrestrials seriously.”
The Twisted Life of Clippy - per SeattleMet, “In the ’90s, Microsoft created an annoying paperclip that it quickly retired. Its developers never imagined the virtual assistant would become a cultural icon.”
The Cult of A24 - per Vulture, “The iconoclastic studio has bred superfans, dropped swag, and perfected a house style. It’s also teetering on the verge of self-parody.”
Why Do We Love TikTok Audio Memes? Call It ‘Brainfeel.’ - per The New York Times Magazine, “Welcome to the era of the audio meme, a time when replicable units of sound are a cultural currency as strong as — if not stronger than — images and text. Though TikTok didn’t invent the audio meme, its effortless interface may have perfected it, and the platform, which recently ended Google’s 15-year-long run as the most visited website in the world, would be nothing without sound.”
We’ll be off one more time this summer (9/2), so look for MIDC in your inbox on 9/9!