The spirit of love and Black excellence is taking over the DMV as this weekend highlights sweet celebrations and educational explorations, kicking off the momentum for Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) and Black History Month!
Dive into a handful of the many events happening, and don’t forget to check out the Washington Informer Calendar.
Thursday, Feb. 5
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | $20
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20009
Celebrate self-love and new connections with lively music, fun cocktails, and love-inspired arts and crafts at the Phillips Collection’s Valentine’s party.
Led by Femme Fatale DC, this drop-in workshop – titled “Visible Mending: Stitching Love into What We Keep” – invites participants to repair, decorate, and reimagine fabric through mindful hand stitching.
Groove to a blend of jazz, soul, and rock from Noah Pierre Band in the Music Room, while basking in a special, limited reservation for Singles on Socials DC happy hour.
Additional event highlights include: decorating fold-out heart envelopes and paper fortune cookies; making a 3D valentine for yourself or loved ones; exploring love-inspired art with Phillips educators; and a taste of sample liqueurs from exclusive tasting partner Spirits & Spice.
Friday, Feb. 6
6 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Free, registration encouraged
Sid Gold’s Request Room, 1262 5th Street NE, Washington, D.C., 20002
Running through March 15 in Arena Stage’s Kreeger Theater, “Chez Joey” follows the story of a slick-talking, velvet-voiced songster with dreams bigger than the bandstand. But in a city where the right connections mean everything, he is caught between a bright-eyed chorus girl and a wealthy baroness who can bankroll his big break—for a price.
Inspired by the show, join a night of love songs and duets to spread the holiday spirit!
Bring a sweetheart or closest friends and join Arena Stage at Sid Gold’s for a Valentine’s Day celebration, where guests will sing their hearts out in a toast to love, music, and “Chez Joey.”
Whether choosing to belt out Etta James’s “At Last” or Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” this night is for the singers inside everyone.
Saturday, Feb. 7
35th Annual Chocolate Lovers Festival
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free
Downtown Fairfax, 10415 North Street, Fairfax, VA 22030
The Chocolate Lovers Festival is a beloved annual tradition hosted by the city of Fairfax, in collaboration with local partners, community organizations, and businesses throughout Old Town Fairfax.
Founded in 1992, the Virginia-based festival was created to bring the community together, support local businesses, and celebrate Fairfax’s historic downtown—all through a shared love of chocolate.
This year’s event highlights will feature: a liquid chocolate tent in Old Town Fairfax Square serving non-alcoholic and adult chocolate beverages (tickets available for purchase at the door), along with regionwide chocolate vendors, a chocolate stroll through Old Town Fairfax shops and restaurants, a festive one-mile run, and live entertainment and family-friendly performances, plus so much more.
Don’t miss out on a weekend-long celebration of all things chocolate!
Written Then, Spoken Now: Remaking the Republic
7 p.m. | $15+
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20004
Kick off Black History Month with Ford’s Theatre’s powerful exploration of how free Black Americans shaped the very meaning of citizenship.
As the nation nears its 250th anniversary, historian Dr. Christopher Bonner draws from his acclaimed book, “Remaking the Republic: Black Politics and the Creation of American Citizenship” (2020), to illuminate the activism that expanded the promise of “We the People.”
He’ll be joined by dramaturg Chess Jakobs and Dr. Quincy Mills, director of the Frederick Douglass Center for Leadership Through the Humanities at the University of Maryland, for a dynamic conversation, followed by a book signing. Their discussion will be interwoven with actors performing excerpts from the book along with historical letters and newspapers, giving voice to the individuals who reshaped American identity.
Step inside a night where history doesn’t sit quietly on the page but rather stands up, speaks out, and takes center stage.
A $25 ticket comes with a copy of Bonner’s book. Students with a valid ID are free, book not included.
Sunday, Feb. 8
Horizon of Khufu: Journey to Ancient Egypt
Varies based on ticket selection | $32 for adults, $24.50 for children under 18, seniors, and students
Fever Hub Washington DC, 926 F Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20004
Washingtonians can now walk through the streets of ancient Egypt, witness ancient rituals, and soar above the pyramids— all without getting on a plane.
Horizon of Khufu: Journey to Ancient Egypt is now open in downtown D.C., transporting guests through history using state-of-the-art, free-roam VR technology.
From Fever, the team behind the famed Van Gogh exhibition, and created by immersive studio Excurio in collaboration with Egyptologist Peter Der Manuelian and the Giza Project, the experience brings one of the world’s most iconic wonders within reach for audiences across the DMV—all with museum-level historical accuracy and cinematic scale.