On Your Radar This Weekend 10.8-10.11

Clean up a local river, enjoy traditional Oktoberfest fun and fill your house with dahlias for a good cause. Read on for all this and more in our weekend events calendar. Note: All descriptions courtesy of hosts of events and edited for clarity.

10.9

Wunder Garten’s Annual Oktoberfest
The annual Oktoberfest at Wunder Garten will feature five weekends chock-full of German food, music, contests, decor, and of course, lots of beer. ​Although this year’s Oktoberfest will adhere to D.C.’s Covid-19 guidelines and emphasize safety, it will not be any less festive. The team at Wunder Garten has assembled a great lineup of activities and specials that will entertain you, tantalize the taste buds and create lasting memories. Revelers will sip on beers in the Märzen style hailing from Bavaria’s oldest breweries like Spaten, Franziskaner and Hofbräuhaus, as well as the best Oktoberfest brews from local and regional breweries like Devils Backbone, Great Lakes Brewing, Port City Brewing and Sam Adams Brewery. Oktoberfest beer flights will be available, and guests will be able to purchase their beers in one-liter steins which can be kept as a souvenir. Various food and entertainment options will also be available. 3 p.m. – 12 a.m. Free to attend. Wunder Garten: 1101 First St. NE, DC; www.wundergartendc.com // @wundergartendc

10.10

Dahlia Day
Spooky skeletons and carved pumpkins not quite your ideal fall decor? Petworth’s She Loves Me offers dahlias to bring some autumnal joy to your home in support of a great cause. Dahlia Day will raise funds for Ayuda, a local nonprofit that supports immigrants throughout the DMV area through free legal services. Purchase online for in-store pickup or delivery, or swing by their brick-and-mortar to grab a stem or several. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Various prices. She Loves Me: 808 Upshur St. NW, DC; www.shelovesme.com // @shelovesmedc

Hydroponics and Vertical Farming
Hydroponics is the process of growing plants without the use of conventional soil or completely in water. In this basic hydroponics class, you will discuss various hydroponic systems (deepwater culture, ebb and flow, nutrient film technique, bato buckets, etc.) and which could be a good fit for your garden. Topics like growing media, synthetic nutrients and fertilizers, growing environment, properties of water, and testing equipment will be covered. You will also discuss various methods of vertical farming that can be implemented indoors or outdoors. A brief lecture will be followed by a Q&A session and tour of our garden to show you examples of many systems and how Cultivate the City can help you design your own. 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Tickets $20. H St. Farms @ W.S. Jenks and Son by Cultivate the City: 910 Bladensburg Rd. NE, DC; www.cultivatethecity.com // @cultivatethecity

Tail Talk Table with Decoding Dog Talk
Learn the basics of some common dog body language cues. This project is intended to empower people in Washington, D.C. to be more educated neighbors and guardians, and to play a more active role in increasing the quality of life for the dogs who bring joy to so many in our community. There are lots of ways to “hear” what dogs are trying to tell us (and each other), even though they don’t use spoken language. Dogs “talk” using a variety of expressions, postures and non-verbal vocalizations, some of which aren’t all that different from the body language, ticks and facial cues that are part of humans’ repertoire of unspoken communication. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Free with RSVP. Newark Street Dog Park: Newark and 39th Streets in NW, DC; https://clsexton.wixsite.com/dogtalk

October River Cleanup at National Harbor with Potomac Riverkeeper Network
Please join the Potomac Riverkeeper Network for a fun and productive morning on the beautiful Potomac. Gloves and bags will be provided. Meet at the carousel at National Harbor (not far from the Capital Wheel, GPS coordinates are 38.7862097, -77.0164488). All volunteers will receive vouchers for complimentary parking in any of the National Harbor garages or carousel lot (excluding the Gaylord Hotel and street meters), courtesy of National Harbor. Participants should bring drinking water and wear clothes they don’t mind getting dirty. Volunteers must complete a safety waiver. Social distancing and masks will be used. 8:30 a.m. Free. The Carousel at National Harbor: 137 National Plaza, Oxon Hill, MD; www.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org // @potomac_riverkeeper_network

10.11

Dancing is My Voice Zumbathon
This gathering at the Lincoln Memorial will be the event finale of a 24-hour global event with zumba instructors from around the world and four tracks of content to help survivors of sexual violence and those who love them move into a better future. Dancing is My Voice provides forums where sexual violence survivors and those who love them can find healing through connection to a supportive community, strength-building physical movements, creative public expression and resources. This year’s beneficiary is KitePride, an organization that helps people in Tel Aviv who want to exit the sex trafficking industry by teaching them marketable skills in a safe work environment. Free to attend, donations accepted. 1-5 p.m. Free. Lincoln Memorial: 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir. DC; www.dancingismyvoice.com // @dancingismyvoice

Register by October 13

DC Fray’s Late Fall Leagues
Want to get active with a little help from your friends? Sign up for a late fall league with DC Fray. With a commitment to playing safe while still making fun possible, this is a great way to check out a new sport or play an old favorite, and make new friends while you’re at it. Choose from flag football, soccer, softball or ultimate frisbee and get out there! Learn more about Fray’s commitment to safety amid Covid-19 at www.dcfray.com/play-safe/. Various times, locations and prices. Click here to register or for more information. www.dcfray.com // @dcfray 

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