Good day, DC! The Beths are in town for sold-out concerts at the 9:30 Club, and there’s a new Ruth Orkin photography exhibit to explore at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. For some holiday fun, you can get tickets to the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington jazzed-up production.   Best Thing s to Do This Week and Weekend December 8–14 “Ruth Orkin” exhibit. Get an up-close look at 21 vintage photographs from mid-20th century photographer Ruth Orkin at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The exhibit is a selection of moments captured of everyday women, families, and Hollywood stars in postwar America (Fri through March 29, $16 for adults, $13 for DC residents, free for ages 21 and younger, Downtown). In Clay musical. This new musical on the life of French potter Marie-Berthe Cazin makes its US debut at Signature Theatre. The production by lyricist Rebecca Simmonds and composer-lyricist Jack Miles transports audiences to Paris in the ’30s; tickets are going fast (Tues through February 1, $47+, Arlington). The Beths in concert. The New Zealand guitar-pop band arrives in DC to promote its new melodic album Straight Line Was a Lie. Tickets for the two-night concert at 9:30 Club are sold out, but there’s a chance you can snag one from third-party sellers (Tues-Wed, $66+ for third-party tickets, Shaw). Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington The Holiday Show. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s jazzy holiday show returns to Lincoln Theatre for another playful performance of wintertime favorites and remixes. The high-kicking chorus is closing out 2025 with holiday carols “O Holy Night,” “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Daddy,” and more ($26+). Related December Culture Guide: 42 Things to Do in the DC Area Want More Things to Do? Arts and culture: Art historian Paul Glenshaw gives a lecture on Édouard Manet’s classic French painting “The Railway” (Mon, free, Northwest DC). The Metro Holiday Pop-Up Shop is back.ferris wheel Bring a friend to the library for paper-wreath crafting this week compliments of Metro (Tues, free, MLK Library). Local artists Autumn Spears and Monica Jahan Bose blend sewing and textiles to present stories of cultural heritage in the new exhibit “Braids Threads: Connecting Legacies” (opens Sat, free, Dupont Circle). Make ornaments, decorate cookies, and shop small at this outdoor winter festival (Sat, free, Cleveland Park). All lovers are welcome to help DC break the Guinness World Record for couples kissing under mistletoe (Sat, free, Downtown). Browse coffee, ceramics, and more finds for winter solstice at Yalda Market (Sat, free, Brookland). Doggies can ride a Ferris wheel, and be a part of the family photos with Mr. Claus at The Capital Wheel (Sat, December 20, $18 for adults, free for dogs accompanying a ticketed adult, National Harbor). Community and heritage: See eye-catching illuminations, meet Aladdin the camel, and take a candlelight tour at Mount Vernon (Fri-Sat, December 19, $58 for adults, $36 for ages 6-11, free for ages 5 and under, Mount Vernon). Celebrate the joy and unity of Kwanzaa with storytelling, music, and food at Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum (Sat, free, Annapolis). Watch the lighting of the National Menorah in honor of Hanukkah (Sat, free, National Mall). Theater and shows: An Irish Carol remixes Dickens’s classic tale at Keegan Theatre (Thurs through December 28, $65, Dupont Circle). Comic and podcaster Matt Rogers does standup for the holidays at the 9:30 Club (Fri, $56, Shaw) See an enchanting ballet performance of the Nutcracker by Dance Academy of VA at Capital One Hall (Sat, $26+, Tysons). Music and concerts: Catch an evening carol performance from local troupe Capital Accord Chorus and others at a festive Willard InterContinental Hotel (through December 23, free, Downtown). It’s the last chance to hear the Folger Consort play melodies from 15th-century Spain and Portugal in Resplendent Joy (closes Sun, $20+, Capitol Hill). Epiphany Choir plays Vivaldi’s “Gloria” with a chamber orchestra for Christmas (Tues, free, Downtown). Youtuber Trisha Paytas goes live at The Anthem (Fri, $62+, Wharf). DC band The JoGo Project rocks out Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center (Sat, free, Silver Spring). Don’t miss The Washington Chorus’ 200 vocalists sing an array of joyous Christmas tunes surrounded by candlelights (Sat-Sun, December 20-22, Bethesda, Kennedy Center). Bites and beverages: The Dishonesty Bar—Silver Lyan’s hidden gem—gets a ’70s makeover for the holidays where guests can sip cocktails amid retro decor (through January 3, free entry, Downtown). Author and cocktail historian Philip Greene creates seasonal cocktails with fellow DC mixologists (Wed, $70, National Mall). Toast frosty martinis with friends, and snap a wintertime photo at The Elf on the Shelf pop-up at Morris American Bar (through December 30, free entry, Mount Vernon Square). Take an elevated day trip to a decked-out Salamander Middleburg resort for a brunch buffet with Santa (Sat-Sun, $150 brunch for adults, $75 brunch for children, Middleburg). Sports: Ahead of pro wrestler John Cena’s  final match, WWE fans can bid the megastar farewell at an outdoor fest with food trucks and family-friendly fun (Sat, free, Downtown). Things to do with kids: Children can customize ornaments and take pictures with Santa while grownups shop for gifts at the Old Town Alexandria Christmas Market and Holiday Craft Show (Sat, free, Alexandria). Kids can bowl with Santa this season at area AMF and Bowlero bowling alleys (Sat-Sun, one free bowling game per child, Annandale, Sterling, Temple Hills). If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.The post 30 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less