Best Music 1. National Symphony Orchestra: British conductor/composer Oliver Knussen conducts works making their Washington debut by Sean Shepherd, Olivier Messiaen and George Benjamin and Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird Suite.” Pianist Peter Serkin performs Messiaen’s “Le R?veil des oiseaux.”
Where: Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
When: 7 p.m. Nov. 3, 8 p.m. Nov. 5 & 6.
Info: from $20 at 202-467-4600, 800-444-1324 or kennedy-center.org.
2. National Philharmonic: Piotr Gajewski conducts an all-Beethoven program. Polish pianist Piotr Paleczny performs the composer’s Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”).
Where: Music Center at Strathmore
When: 8 p.m. Nov. 5, 3 p.m. Nov. 6.
Info: From $32 at 301-581-5100 or strathmore.org.
3. The Ives Project: Pianist Jeremy Denk and baritone William Sharp conduct a three-day multi-disciplinary exploration of composer Charles Ives.
Where: Music Center at Strathmore
When: 8 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: 301-581-5100 or Strathmore.org.
4. The Bard’s Broadway: The Boys from Syracuse. The Shakespeare Theatre Company prevents a concert version of the Broadway hit with score by Rodgers and Hart.
Where: The Lansburg Theatre
When: 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday
Info: $55 to $75 at 202-547-1122 or ShakespeareTheatre.org.
5. Chamber Orchestra Kremlin: Misha Rachlevsky conducts the orchestra celebrating its 20th anniversary in works by Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Bach.
Where: George Mason University Center for the Arts
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Info:$23 to $46 at 888-945-2468 or cfa.gmu.edu.
Best Brainfood
1. Emma Donoghue and Chris Adrian: Emma Donoghue is a Dublin-born writer who writes novels, stories, literary history, stage and history plays. Chris Adrianis the author of three novels. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and was named one of The New Yorker’s “20 Under 40” in 2010.
Where: Folger Elizabethan Theater, 201 E. Capitol St. SE
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday
Info: $15; 202-544-7077; folger.edu
2.Nina Ananiashvili: One of the world’s greatest prima ballerinas will return to perform with 13 dancers from the State Ballet of Georgia in a program that will include three ballets choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky.
Where: G. W. Lisner Auditorium, 21st and H St. NW
When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday
Info: $35 to $150; reception $225; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com
3. Pilobolus Dance Company: Pilobolus performs an inventive program that features daring physicality, breathtaking gracefulness, and ingenious wit.
Where: Center for the Arts, George Mason University, Route 123 and Braddock Rd., Fairfax
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $22-$44; 703-993-2787; cfa.gmu.edu
4. Jane Franklin Dance: 24-Hour Dance Project: A new work by choreographers, dancers and musicians who have only 24 hours to create, rehearse and perform it.
Where: Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW
When: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday
Info: 202-393-3939; woollymammoth.net
5. Lecture and Exhibit: Pablo Ortiz Monasterio: Mexican photographer Monasterio’s work will be on view from November 10 through February 4, sponsored by the Corcoran Gallery and the Embassy of Mexico. Monasterio will give a lecture on the exhibition of his and Muriel Hasbun’s photographs, Conversacio, on November 9.
Where: Exhibit at the Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St.; lecture at the Corcoran Gallery, 500 17th St. NW
When: Lecture: 1 p.m. November 9
Info: Lecture: free; instituteofmexicodc.org
Best Family
1. Owls of Virginia: Families with children ages 12 and older. Join members of the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia as they share their insights into these fascinating and mysterious night-time predators. Info: 703-228-6535.
Where: Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington
When: 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: Free; Registration required: 703-228-4747; Program #612951-I.
2. YoJo: The biggest, bluest, wildest and grooviest fuzzy guy returns to the National to get an attitude adjustment aboutreading. He learns through several comical mishaps that not only is reading really important, but it can also be very enjoyable.
Where: The National Theatre,1321 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
When: 9:30 and 11 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-783-3372; nationaltheatre.org
3. Kids Euro Festival: Theater, puppetry, magic, music. Washington and its surroundings are lit up by actors brought here by the embassies of the European Union. See a multi-media puppet show about a little penguin from Romania or a musical fairytale about braveness and intelligence from Greece and much, much more.
Where: Various venues; see website
When: Through November 10
Info: Free; various times; see website: kidseurofestival.org
4. Get Nutty/Scavenger Hunt: Families with children 6 and older. Get to know your local nuts: acorns, hickories, walnuts and more. Hike around with your eyes on the ground looking for what the squirrels haven’t found.
Where: Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Rd., Arlington
When: 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday
Info: Free; Registration necessary: 703-228-4747; Program #612851-N
5. Wild Ones: Candle Making: Kids ages 6 and older. Try your hand at some new and old ways to make luminaries. Info: 703-228-6535.
Where: Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington
When: 3:30 to 5 p.m. Nov. 9
Info: $5; Registration required: 703-228-4747; Program #612921-C
Best Gatherings
1. Charles Bracelen Flood: The author discusses and signs his new book, Grant’s Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant’s Heroic Last Year.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919;
2. 90th Birthday Bash: The Phillips Collection celebrates its 90th birthday by offering free admission, live ballet and music, a cash bar and hands-on art projects.
Where: Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-387-2152; phillipscollection.org
3. Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith: Van Gogh: The Life: The authors of the Pulitzer Prize-winningJackson Pollock: An American Sagaare the first in some seventy years to write a full biography of the Dutch modernist master. With the support of the Van Gogh Museum, Naifeh and Smith draw on van Gogh’s letters as well as on unpublished correspondence from his family and associates.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.org
4. Peace Caf?/Israel and Palestine: Drs. Allam Jarrar and Ruchama Marton will discuss health care as a human right, Israeli and Palestinian civil society as model organizations in building cooperation and coexistence, and the impact of the political background on perspectives for peace in the region.
Where: Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-387-7638; busboysandpoets.com
5. Anne & Emmett: The play explores an imaginary conversation Anne Frank and Emmett Till.
Where: Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NW
When: Through Sunday
Info: 202-399-7993; atlasarts.org
Best Outdoors
1. Visit Bartholdi Park: The Park was created in 1932. The plantings have been redesigned during the last decade and are continuously updated to reflect modern trends in American horticulture and new plant introductions. The Park now serves as a home landscape demonstration garden and showcases innovative plant combinations in a variety of styles and design themes.
Where: Across Independence Ave. from the United States Botanic Gardens, 100 Maryland Ave. SW
When: Dawn to dusk
Info: Free; 202-225-8333; usbg.gov
2. Maryland Heights: Beauty and history combined. Scenic overlook, Civil War fortifications, moderate to strenuous climb. Well maintained trail. 5.3 miles round trip.
Where: Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia
When: Year round
Info: Free; localhikes.com
3. Visit the National Columns: Every place has its landmarks.Some of Washington’s most notable and unusual landmarks are the National Capitol Columns. The stately permanence of the Corinthian columns and careful placement on a natural knoll in the Ellipse Meadow makes them seem as if they have been there for a very long time. In fact, the National Capitol Columns are among the most recent features added to the Arboretum, little more than a decade ago.
Where: United States Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NW
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day
Info: Free; usna.usda.gov
4. Local Bird Walk: Blackwater Wildlife Refuge: This 27,000 acre refuge of tidal marsh and woods is home to bald eagles, migrating waterfowl and the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel. Wear comfortable shoes. Info: 703-228-6535.
Where: Meet at Lubber Run Rec Center,, 300 N. Park Dr., Arlington
When: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Info: $35; Registration necessary: 703-228-4747; Program # 612841-C
5. Benjamin Banneker Park: At the edge of the L’Enfant Promenade is this circular park with a fountain and a wonderful view of the Potomac River. This park is a memorial to Benjamin Banneker, the African-American man who assisted Andrew Ellicott in surveying the District of Columbia in 1791. Pierre L’Enfant designed the city based on the boundaries set forth by Banneker’s and Ellicott’s survey.
Where: 10th and G Sts. NW
When: any day, dawn to dusk
Info: Free; dc.about.com
Best Theatre
1. “The Boys from Syracuse”: A musical concert. Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart. Based onShakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,” this play tells the story of identical brothers separated in a shipwreck as children. When the two brothers meet in Epheseus, confusion and comedy lead them to discover their true identities. Adapted in the late 1930s,”The Boys”incorporates the swing music of the era in famously infectious songs like “Falling in Love with Love.”
Where: The Forum, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW
When: Friday through Sunday
Info: $55 to $75; 202-820-9771; shakespearetheatre.org
2. “The Mistorical Hystery of Henry IIIV”: An adaptation of William Shakespeare’s history plays “Henry IV” Parts One and Two.
Where: Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
When: Thursday through December 4
Info: $25 to $35; 888-841-2787; artisphere.org
3. Teatro de la Luna’s Fourteenth Annual Hispanic Theater Festival. This weekend: “Courage II” takes you to modern day Puerto Rico, singing a compelling song of liberty. Also, children’s theater.
Where: Theatre Two, Gunston Arts Center, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington
When: Through Nov. 19
Info: $30 to $35; children free; 703-548-3092; teatrodelaluna.org
4. “After the Quake”: In the aftermath of a terrible earthquake, a writer fueled by heartbreak heals a broken little girl, while a menacing frog saves Tokyo from an enormous worm. Adapted from the short stories of Haruki Murakami, adapted by Frank Galati.
Where: Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE
When: Through Sunday
Info: 202-399-7993; atlasarts.org
5. “Greek”: British playwright’s Steven Berkoff’s adaptation of Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex.” Set in modern day London, this version of the myth combines Shakespearean grandeur and Cockney slang, making a modern rags-to-iches story full of sarcasm and scatological humor.
Where: H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street NE
When: Through November 27
Info: $27 to $40; 703-683-2824.
Best Galleries
1. Harry Callahan at 100: The NGA celebrates the centennial of the birth of one of the most innovative artists of the 20th century through 100 of his photographs taken between the 1940s and the 1990s. In additional the Gallery own’s substantial Callahan holdings, the show includes rarely-seen images on loan from Mr. Callahan’s widow, Eleanor Callahan.
Where: National Gallery of Art, Constitution Ave. between 3rd and 7th Sts. NW
When: Through March 2012
Info: Free, 202-737-4215 or nga.gov
2. Will Ryman’s Roses: 58th Street: You needn’t pay admission to the Phillips to enjoy Will Ryman’s 7-by-12-foot cluster of red and pink roses at the corner of 21st and Q Sts. NW. Installed in the sweltering month of July, they take on a more paradoxical beauty as winter approaches.
Where: The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW
When: Through Jan. 2012
Info: $12, $10 seniors & students, free for 18 and younger, 202-387-2151; phillipscollection.org
3. Patricia Piccinini: The Welcome Guest: Sculptor and video artist Patricia Piccinini gets her first D.C. solo show, highlighting working made since 1997. Her sculptures are made from silicone, fiberglass, taxidermied animals, and human and animal hair, among more conventional materials, exploring the changing relationship between the natural and man-made realms.
Where: Conner Contemporary Art, 1358-60 Florida Ave. NE
When: Through Decemeber
Info: Free, 202-588-8750; connercontemporary.com
4. Encorachment: Works by Delna Dastur: D.C. and Mumbai-based artist Delna Dastur’s multimedia works capture the vertiginous sense of traversing a an increasingly borderless globe.
Where: Gallery plan b, 1530 14th St. NW
When: Through November 20
Info: Free, galleryplanb.com
5. Photographs by Facing Change: Documenting America: This series of photos shot on July 4, 2011 in nine different American cities by the nonprofit. photo collective Facing Change explores various ways of expressing patriotic zeal
Where: Carroll Square Gallery, 975 F St. NW
When: Through November 18
Info: Free, 202-624-8643; carrollsquare.com/gallery
