10.29 - spooky scary
what’s going on in d.c.
If you’re a runner, there’s a creepy 5K tonight - the Dead Man’s Run 5K - hosted by the Congressional Cemetery. Competition is likely to be fiercer for best costumes than best time. The race’s entry fee is $35.
The weather should clear into the evening, making it a prime night to enjoy an outdoor movie. Catching the spooky season sentiment, Georgetown’s Dumbarton House is showing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on its lawn tonight. Or, if you’d rather stay inside, AFI Silver in Silver Spring is playing 20th-century horror movies throughout the weekend - think Dracula, Frankenstein, and an American Werewolf in London.
16th St.’s Mexican Cultural Institute created a traditional, multi-level Day of the Dead altar that will be on display on Saturday from 10-4.
Union Market’s Hi-Lawn (the rooftop spot) is hosting a ‘90s prom-themed party with live music, special food/drinks, and a glow in the dark “after party".” The event is Saturday from 6-midnight.
For gymnastics fans, the Gold Over America Tour featuring Simone Biles and crew hits the Capital One Arena on Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $22.50.
Halloweekend activities: Eater DC rounded up Halloween weekend events and specials, including drag brunches and restaurant dog parades. Washingtonian has an even more comprehensive list with haunted houses, pumpkin carvings, and trick-or-treating.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: the Camden tomato pie at Shaw’s Calico
The specialty grocery store Foxtrot is opening its third D.C. location opens today in Dupont, with free coffee until 10 AM. If you haven’t tried Foxtrot yet, use the code MIDC with this link for $10 off your first order.
what’s on our minds?
Early voting in the Virginia gubernatorial race continues through Saturday, a few days before Tuesday’s general election. Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin are facing off in an expensive and tight race with significant racial overtones (a dog whistling ad by Youngkin re: the book Beloved, Youngkin’s plan to ban critical race theory, etc.) and Trump’s looming presence. If you’re a Virginian who hasn’t voted yet, make sure you have a plan for Tuesday.
Snoop through Julia Child’s former D.C. house - now on the market for $3.5M.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
The “ghost stores” of Instagram - per Vox, “That cute dress you bought off Instagram could be found on Shein, AliExpress, or Amazon for much cheaper.”
Red America’s Compassion Fatigue: A Report From Mobile, Alabama - per The New Republic, “We’ve heard repeatedly from the country’s vaccine resisters. But what about the people who follow the rules? They’re ignored and forgotten—and they are in pain.”
How Corruption Ruined Lebanon- per The New York Times Magazine, “The deadly port blast, the triple-digit inflation, the energy shortages — Lebanon’s many crises have a shared root: misrule by a self-dealing elite.”
what are we watching/reading?
What better weekend to watch some horror - Vulture has a great list of lots of streaming options. Personal favs - Midnight Mass (a young priest shows up to an economically depressed island and “miracles” ensue) and There’s Someone Inside Your House (ok this one isn’t “great” per se, but it’s a fun slasher set in Nebraska).
Last Night in Soho in theaters. This aesthetically appealing thriller by Edgar Wright (the director of Baby Driver) defies time as a London fashion student, enamored with 1960s London, falls into a dream world where she takes on the identify of a much cooler, but more vulnerable, girl.