Couldn’t grab a ticket for the Program Board’s Gala before the event sold out? We’ve got your weekend covered.
For an after-hours museum experience
While Program Board can boast about renting out the National Portrait Gallery as a classic GW-exclusive event, several museums in the District frequently hold cheaper after-hours events with just as much, or even more, to offer.
Located in Dupont Circle, just a few blocks from campus on 21st Street, The Phillips Collection — the first museum of modern art in the U.S. — regularly hosts “Phillips after 5,” a monthly after-hours experience including food and drink, live performances and hands-on art experiences.
February’s installment, themed “Love Is in the Air,” involves karaoke, cocktails, concerts by indie band Broke Royals and a friendship bracelet-making station. This all-encompassing evening takes place Feb. 1 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
While it requires a longer trek, the Library of Congress organizes free, weekly “Live! at the Library” after-hours events on Thursdays. Each week features a different conversation with an author or musician accompanied by a performance. The week of the Gala, cellist Seth Parker Woods will be the Library’s special guest. For these specials, The Library of Congress is open from 5 to 8 or 10 p.m., depending on when performances end.
If late nights aren’t your jam but you still want to spend some time in a museum for a cheap price, the recently reopened National Museum of Women in the Arts is offering free admission for those who reserve tickets Feb. 14, letting students admire art themed around the sky without breaking the bank for a Gala ticket.
A starry night
While this year’s Gala theme is “Starry Night,” attendees will have no luck seeing any glistening stars from the inside of the Portrait Gallery — let alone Van Gogh’s actual painting, which resides in New York. If you’re looking to stay on theme without a ticket or sparkly outfit, head to a planetarium or escape the District for stargazing without the light pollution of the city.
The David M. Brown Planetarium in Arlington, accessible by a half-hour Metro ride or bus, hosts “Stars Tonight,” a show exploring the night sky, every first Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. for $5. If you’d rather look at the stars in real-time instead of through a screen, it’s worth journeying by Uber to the Turner Farm Park Observatory in Great Falls, Virginia, for a free Friday night viewing through the observatory’s telescopes.
Playing dress up
With the Kennedy Center in GW’s backyard, the plethora of dress-up-worthy shows performed at the venue provides an excuse to get dolled up. For those willing to splurge on a ticket just a tad more expensive than a Gala one, the National Symphony Orchestra is hosting actors and singers Seth MacFarlane of “Family Guy” and Liz Gillies of “Victorious” for a series of jazz and comedy duets Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $69.
Feb. 2 at the Kennedy Center also offers Jonathan Larson’s acclaimed “tick, tick… BOOM!” which you can see for $20 if you can snag one of their first-come, first-serve student tickets, available for most other Kennedy Center performances.
No need for formalities
If staying on campus is your preferred Friday night activity, you can never go wrong with a GW Comedy Nights showcase. The student favorite comedy group is hosting its next show in Betts Theater at 8 p.m. on Gala night, with tickets going for a feasible $3.
Since the group’s first showcase in October 2022, GW Comedy Nights has provided a supportive community for student comedians and comedy enthusiasts alike. The February performance is sure to make you laugh more than a night at a Smithsonian and certainly in comfier clothes.
