Free & Almost Free Things To Do This Week In DC

Here we focus exclusively on the cheapest YET most satisfying entertainment to be found around DC. Every week we highlight free and almost free activities, a choice happy hour or two, food specials and hot tips for budget survival. PLEASE POST YOUR FREE EVENTS (FOR FREE!) ON OUR AGENDA PAGE or send us FREE TIPS to [email protected] for inclusion in the future FREE THINGS guide. So, time to plan the week! 

• Tuesday, May 12 – See What We Do in the Shadows at Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse for $2. It’s a mockumentary about the daily lives of vampires roommates, and one of the Flight of the Conchords guys is it.

• Wednesday, May 13 – The Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital will be hosting a free screening of Limited Partnership, the heartwarming tale of one of the first same-sex couples to be legally married.
• Friday, May 15 – A solid three days of free films at the National Gallery of Art begins with a screening of The Great Flood at 12:30 p.m. It looks like a documentary worth skipping work.
• Saturday, May 16 – Consuming Spirits at the NGA looks very awesome. 128 minutes of a mixture of multiple styles of animation. And it’s not a kids film.
• Sunday, May 17 – The final National Gallery recommendation, two shorter documentaries about American life, Hamilton and A Year.
• Sunday, May 17 – The Korean Film Festival continues at the Freer Gallery with a free screening of 301, 302.

• Tuesday, May 12 – Notaries Public will be at The Pinch. There’s a $5 cover and doors are at 7pm.
• Wednesday, May 13 – Summer is here, and so is The Summer Camp Show. Bring back all those old summer camp feelings but do so inside Wonderland Ballroom instead around some stupid campfire.

• Wednesday, May 13 – Pulitzer Prize-winner John Luther Adams and The U.S. Air Force Band will be hosting the Washington, D.C., premiere of Sila: The Breath of the World. Outdoor music is the original form of music, you know.
• Wednesday-Monday, May 13-18 – Forward 2015: infinity is a 5 day celebration of electronic creative culture. Be sure to check out all the different events that’ll be happening all-around the city.
• Thursday, May 14 –’95 Live is back and now at the Den of Thieves, which is located next door to Marvin’s. Come and listen to some old school DJ sets.
• Thursday, May 14 – Young Summer will be preforming for FREE at W Washington Hotel. But you must be +21.
• Thursday, May 14 – District Karaoke is at Acre 121. There’s also $4 Heineken from 7-11pm.
• Friday, May 15 – Comedy on the Table at The Velvet Lounge highlights the talented ladies of the District. There’s a $5 cover with proceeds will go to the Baltimore Community Foundation.
• Friday, May 15 – Phoebe Group and The Hive 2.0 present: Shark Tank DC Pitch and watch party. There’s a $25 pitch fee, but you can always just watch people’s entrepreneurial spirit be crushed for free.
• Friday, May 15 – DJ Slugworth and Choppy Oppy will be playing all the beats and breaks on Rock n Roll Hotel’s roof. Roofs are a great place to spend a spring night.
• Friday, May 15 – So many bands will at the Velvet Lounge this Friday. A $10 cover gets you Honest Haloway, Galvanize, DC natives Motion Lines and Chomp Chomp Beats. Show at 10. Doors at 9:30.
• Saturday, May 16 – It’s Shark Week Beach Fuzz record release party. The show will be at the Dance Loft on 14. While the album won’t officially be released until May 19th, come to the party and pick up your copy three days earlier than most other people.

• Saturday, May 16 – Select DC & Foot Therapy presents Hank Jackson, Jackson Lee, F.T.C. and at Flash for FREE.
• Saturday, May 16 – From 7:30-11:30pm at Goethe-Institute Washington is the Sound Scene 2015: Play Along. It’s a music making extravaganza where everything is very interactive.
• Saturday, May 16 – Sol Power Sunset Sessions gives you something else to do on the Rock and Roll Hotel’s awesome rooftop.
• Saturday, May 16 – Maracuyeah fiesta: pupusas and dancing at Judy’s El Salvadorian Restaurant.
• Saturday, May 16 – There’s a Daft Punk/French House Music tribute at U. Street Music Hall. It’s only a $10 cover.
• Sunday, May 17 – Free comedy at Wonderland Ballroom. Go because you love stand-up or Wonderland or whatever.
• Sunday, May 17 – Throwing Back Sunday is happening again on the rooftop of DC9. You already know what it’s about.
• Sunday, May 17 – The DC Bike Swap is from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and it’s actually pretty great.

• Throughout May – It’s Shake Shack’s 4th annual Great American Shake Sale! Donate $2 to No Kid Hungry at Shake Shack and receive a complimentary card for a hand-spun shake.
• Tuesday, May 12th – It’s FREE CONE DAY AT HAAGEN DAZS! It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
• Tuesday, May 12 – Taste of Magnises is happening from 7pm to 9pm at The Loft. Stop by for a sampling of light bites and drinks with the businesses of Union Kitchen.
• Wednesday, May 13 – Drink pink wines on Pinea’s patio. Wines are $7 and food stuff is $5.

• Wednesday, May 13 – Magnises would also like to invite to wine-down this Wednesday at Vinoteca from 7pm-9pm.
• Thursday, May 14 – Enjoy the official Magnises DC launch party. Part 1: the official pregame/block party in the parking lot of 9:30 Club. The first 200o people get a free drink ticket. Part 2: begins at 9:30 at the Howard Theatre, however, this part of the event is not so free.

• Tuesday, May 12 – Join Folger’s for a pay-what-you-can performance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
• Tuesday, May 12 – WE LOVE BALTIMORE is a silent auction and exhibition at Metro Gallery. All proceeds from art sales and the silent auction will go to the Baltimore Community Foundation‘s Rebuilding Fund.
• Tuesday, May 12 – DC Photography May Happy Hour at Marvin’s rooftop. Stop by and talk about photography and probably also your favorite TV program.
• Wednesday, May 13 – Because the weather is beautiful, check out the DC Bike Party’s Superhero Spirit. They’ll be meeting in Dupont Circle at 7:30pm and leaving at 8pm sharp. The route will be approximately 7.5 miles long and ends at H Street Country Club.
• Wednesday, May 13 – Spend the evening with psychologist and economist Per Espen Stoknes. He’ll be discussing his new book, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming. 
• Wednesday, May 13 – Come listen to rock critic Jessica Hopper talk about cultural things through the lens of rock music at Busboys & Poets Brookland.
• Wednesday, May 13 – Ron Charles will be hosting a conversation with Poet Mary Ruefle. The event will be held at the Hill Center. Poets are like sagas, you should listen to them.
• Thursday, May 14 – You, Me Them, Everybody presents: Brandon Wetherbee and friends playing records from their Dream Jukebox. The event will be held at the Looking Glass Lounge and starts at 8:00 p.m.

• Friday, May 15 – If you’re in B-more, the May Day fair will be going on from 11:30am-1:30pm at Center Plaza. Come see seemingly happy people wondering about, puppies and other fair like things.
• Saturday, May 16 – Into old books? new books? any kind of book? Then stop by the Gaithersburg Book Festival because it’ll most certainly have books. You may even get to chit-chat with some authors.
• Sunday, May 17 – Holy crap! Philip Glass will be talking at Sidwell Friends School at 1:00pm. The event is hosted by Politics & Prose, but had to be moved to a bigger venue, but is still completely free.

That’s all, remember – PLEASE POST YOUR FREE EVENTS (FOR FREE!) ON OUR AGENDA PAGE or send us FREE TIPS to [email protected] for inclusion in the future FREE THINGS guide. Feel free to leave us your suggestions in the comments. Sharing is the new caring.