Channel your creative side with this week’s crafty events, including a D.C. Puppet Slam, a theatre adaptation of a literary classic and a pasta-making workshop.

Monday

American Authors: This four-man alternative rock band is taking their optimistic lyrics and spirited guitar riffs from Brooklyn to D.C. Listen for hits from the band’s latest album “Oh, What a Life” like “The Best Day of My Life,” which you might recognize from a Lowe’s TV ad, and “Hit It,” which is featured in the FIFA 2014 soundtrack. The Mowgli’s and Oh Honey will open.
9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Doors 6:30 p.m. $20

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D.C. Puppet Slam: Looking to channel your inner kid? Contrary to its title, this event is adults-only and mixes the art of puppeteering with the high intensity of slam poetry. Hosted by eatery-turned-bookstore-turned-theatre Busboys and Poets, the event will feature performances by local puppeteers, including GW alumnus Schroeder Cherry. Three-time National Poetry Slam champion Regie Cabico, a champion for slam poetry as an avenue for socio-political change, will co-host the night.
Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Free, registration online.

Tuesday

Young at Heart Photo Show: Meet 17 photographers from D.C.’s online magazine Brightest Young Things at this FotoWeek show showcasing their best work of 2013 and 2014. The photos cover anything and everything D.C., from celebrities to landscape shots to parties. Swing by for a cash bar, music and a slideshow – plus, the chance to meet some of the District’s best young photographers.

FotoWeek Central, 2801 16th St. NW. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free.

Celebrate, Cultivate, Connect at AIGA: The District Architecture Center joins forces with professional design association AIGA to host Su Mathews Hale, the incoming AIGA national president. Hale will speak about her two decades of graphic design experience and her role as co-founder of the AIGA Women’s Leadership Initiative. And stick around for a one-of-a-kind art auction featuring pieces from custom calligraphy and tea towels to a large popsicle sculpture.

District Architecture Center, 421 7th St. NW. 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. $35

Wednesday

Pasta-Making Workshop with Via Umbria: If you’re looking to get away from microwaved Easy Mac and hoping to hone your cooking skills for more high-brow fare, look no further. Bill Menard, owner of Italian cookware shop Via Umbria, will teach guests how to make hand-rolled pasta of the Tagliatelle, Chitara and Ravioli varieties from scratch. If nothing else, the words “free pasta” should be reason enough to check it out.
Via Umbria, 1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Free, registration online.

Blue October at The Fillmore: Alt-rock band Blue October has released seven albums since their debut album “The Answers” came out in 1998. With their most recent release, “Sway,” the band is back to their usual angst-ridden, melancholy tunes that haunt listeners long after the tracks end. Check out popular tunes like “Into the Ocean” and “Hate Me” for a pre-show refresher. Harvard of the South will open.
The Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD. 8 p.m. $26.

Thursday

War of the Worlds Reenactment: D.C.’s Picnic Theatre Company is putting on a three-night-only reenactment of H.G. Well’s “War of the Worlds” at the historic Dumbarton House in Georgetown. Arrive early for music and cocktails at the Dumbarton House’s stunning Bellevue ballroom. Proceeds from the event will go towards Dumbarton House historical preservation and to fund education programs, like “Advancing Girls Education in Africa” which collects bicycles, uniforms and school supplies for girls in Malawi.
The Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW. $12 in advance, $13 at the door.

Art Night at Torpedo Factory Art Center: Browse Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory Art Center after hours at this monthly event, which includes open studios, galleries and the chance to interact with local artists. This time, you’ll enjoy a public reception of the center’s newest exhibit, “Post-Photography: Beyond the Print,” and get a peek at dance company Jane Franklin Dance, which will perform in open spaces throughout the center’s three floors.
Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 North Union St., Alexandria, VA. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free.