NOVA This Week (10/15): HU Homecoming: The Reunion featuring Method Man

Don't Miss This Week

Howard University's homecoming lands squarely in this issue, and the headliner is HU Homecoming: The Reunion featuring Method Man on Saturday, October 17 — a rare big-name hip-hop booking tied to one of DC's longest-running campus traditions.

Same day, same spirit: the 5th Annual Howard Homecoming Blaque Mecca Block Party turns the neighborhood into a street festival, now in its fifth year and worth building a Saturday around if you're anywhere near Howard's campus.

Thursday, October 15

On screen: The Middleburg Film Festival opens out in Loudoun's horse country, while closer in, Alexandria Oddball Cinema keeps its streak of rare, eclectic film finds going at the library.

Talks worth your evening: Stories from Our Federal Employees brings firsthand accounts of international diplomacy and humanitarian work from former USAID staff, and over at DC Public Library, Author Talk: Shirley M. Marshall digs into local history and the women's suffrage movement in DC.

• More: Live at SOAK: Push Play showcases local DC music, and A Grave Misunderstanding Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre pairs dinner with an interactive whodunit out in Loudoun.

Friday, October 16

For the curious: an Embassy Row Spy Tour with an ex-CIA Officer is the kind of oddly specific DC outing that's hard to find anywhere else — part walking tour, part tradecraft lesson.

Games and family: Fairfax County Library hosts Discover the Joy of Mahjong, a hands-on introduction to the tile game, alongside an American Innovations Scavenger Hunt for kids, while Loudoun teens get an After Hours Teen Center: Clue Movie Party.

Book hunters: Fairfax has two sales running — the Friends of Fairfax City Library Fall Children's Book Sale and the Friends of Oakton Library Book Sale — both good bets for cheap reading before Halloween break.

Saturday, October 17

Taste something new: Exploring the World of Tea with UppiTea is a sensory workshop led by a professional tea sommelier, while French Pastry 101 with Chef Wendi James at Hill Center goes hands-on with croissants and technique.

Outside and playful: Ping Pong on the Plaza is an easy, multigenerational way to spend a Saturday afternoon outdoors, and Pokemon Palooza gives younger fans a high-energy library takeover.

• More: DC's Friends Book Sale is a solid treasure-hunt stop for book lovers.

Sunday, October 18

Music all around: Hill Center's American Roots Concert Series brings Horace Trahan & The Ossun Express to town, Loudoun's Live Music: KAZ mixes East Coast jazz, rock, and folk, and Music BINGO turns a brewery into a game night.

Homecoming continues: Rotimi & Loren LoRosa host the HU Homecoming Karaoke + Comedy Brunch, and the International Runway Show & Pop Up Shop adds a fashion angle to the weekend.

• More: a Pokemon Scavenger Hunt gives families another reason to visit the library this weekend.

Monday, October 19

Book clubs, reimagined: Books on Tap: "Intermezzo" moves the discussion to a local pub, while the Escape Room Book Club: Rewind turns the format into an interactive puzzle room.

Halloween warm-up: teens can enter the Capitol View Library Creative Art Contest: Spooky House(s), and the always-odd Evil Laugh Contest is back for round one.

• More: kids can Touch a Fire Truck, and Loudoun offers a practical seasonal class, Overview of Home Canning.

Tuesday, October 20

Useful and civic: Loudoun's Become An Extension Master Gardener info session is worth a look if you've ever wanted official backing for your yard opinions, and Arlington hosts a practical Billing & Energy Efficiency with Washington Gas workshop.

Make something: watch Artist-in-Residence: Brett Wilson work in real time, or bring your own project to Makerspace: Open Sew Night.

• More: the Burke Branch Friends, Inc. Book Sale has over 10,000 items to dig through, and the Evil Laugh Contest returns for a second round.

Wednesday, October 21

Spooky season, properly: Halloween Storytime at Westover Library covers the youngest crowd, Haunted Inns & Hotels in Virginia digs into the state's reputedly haunted lodging, and the Strange Lands Book Club discusses "The Ghost Bride."

• More: Board Game Evening at Aurora Hills, Alexandria's Creatives's Club: Celebrating Latinx Creatives, and Loudoun's Library Board of Trustees Meeting round out the day.

Thursday, October 22

Food with a side of history: Smithsonian Associates' Stirred by the Ages: A Dialogue Between Cocktails and History traces how history shapes what's in your glass, and Impacting Taste: Regenerative Brands Taste Test is a blind tasting built around sustainable food systems.

Civic and professional: Black Gov Tech's October Tech Mixer brings together DC's tech community, and Arlington's Federal Workers Support Group offers a space for those navigating recent federal workforce changes.

• More: Cuentos para niños / Stories for Children at Shirlington keeps the bilingual storytime going.

Friday, October 23

Give a Shuck: A Taste of The Wharf turns the waterfront into a seafood festival for the day, with Wharf restaurants, live music, and raffles.

Smithsonian Associates also hosts Jim Henson: A Creative Life in Six Objects, a close look at the legacy of one of the region's own creative icons.

• More: teens have Brick and Chill: Teen LEGO® Hangout, and Loudoun runs a genuinely useful Demystifying NEOGOV workshop on applying for county jobs.

Saturday, October 24

Halloween in full swing: Pretty Boi Drag Presents: Murder in the Stacks brings interactive drag theater to a local bookstore, the Columbia Pike Film Club screens "Ready or Not," and Halloween Stories & Mystery at Shirlington gives families their own spooky kickoff.

Also worth a stop: Lloyd Wolf: 50 Years Behind the Camera, a retrospective from a longtime local photographer.

• More: Alexandria's Community Repair Event and Arlington's Fall Friends Book Sale round out the day.

Sunday, October 25

Close out the week at the Fall Friends Book Sale's Half Price Day for deep discounts, or catch the Artist Talk for "Against All Odds" for an inside look at a local gallery exhibition.

All Week

• Teens can join the ongoing D&D Club for Teens for tabletop role-playing.
• Aspiring filmmakers should check the Five-Minute Horror Filmmaking Workshop.
• Fairfax has two more book sales going: Friends of Oakton Library Book Sale and Friends of Pohick Library Book Sale.
• The Great Decisions: The Future of Human Rights and International Law discussion series continues for the civically minded.
• Loudoun's Heroes vs. Villains Interactive Display is up for seasonal browsing.
• Kids can craft at Kids Club: Creepy Clay Creatures in Arlington.
• Mystery fans can join Fairfax's Muffins and Mysteries Book Club.
• Out in Loudoun, the Murder Mystery Dinner is running throughout the week.
• Alexandria's Creatives's Club: Celebrating Latinx Creatives offers another culturally themed kids' art workshop.