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City Cast DC

Is that a nip in the air? Or do D.C. summers just make 70 degrees feel like fall? Regardless, it’s fall fair season! Whether you’re a medieval freak (me), a basic autumnal babe (me), or a sicko that likes to be scared senseless (me), there’s something for everyone.

All the big fall fairs are a ways out of D.C., so which ones are actually worth the effort? 

 One of the country’s largest ren fests, it’s basically impossible to not have a great time. Turkey legs, jousting, singalongs, and sexy pirates, what's not to like?

 This fair on Oct. 21 & 22 is full of 18th-century activities and demonstrations like candle making, horseshoeing, and wheat treading (?).

 Embrace Christian girl autumn and pull up to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch in your best scarf and leather boots. Stay for the kettle corn, tractor pull, and other family-friendly activities.

 Home of Maryland’s biggest corn maze, this festival also has hay rides, zip lines, petting zoos, and fresh apple cider donuts.

Similar but even larger than the last two, this festival has a “foamhenge”, a goat village, a treetop slide, AND a volcano slide (because you need both).

), Markoff’s is the most elaborate Halloween production you’ll ever see, with hundreds of costumed actors, a whole haunted village, bonfires, and 

 Slightly smaller in scale but no less scary, this haunted forest has two different walks, along with games like ax throwing and hammer smashes to get your adrenaline going.

🎧 More fair tips

Is that a nip in the air? Or do D.C. summers just make 70 degrees feel like fall? Regardless, it’s fall fair season! But which ones are actually worth the effort? We asked an expert.

What Fall Fairs are Worth the Trip?

DC, Explained

And we’re not complaining. Not only do they force you to stay well-read, they’re also a way to build community outside the workplace. But with clubs on everything from cooking to labor politics to Gilmore Girls, how do you possibly choose?!

Consider Why You Want To Join a Book Club:

Is it to learn more about D.C. history? To make new friends? Is it to have philosophical discussions? To get through the classics? This will help narrow down your search.

Most of D.C.’s independent bookstores have public book clubs. Here are a few places to start:

 (Eastern Market) – A queer-owned and focused bookstore, so they have a lot of clubs centered around the LGBTQ community.

 (Park View) – A Black-owned bookstore with book clubs focusing on the African American experience.

 (Adams Morgan) – They have loads, but their most popular is the meet-cute book club.

 (Varies) – Dozens of clubs on everything from travel to local Black history to “intimidating” books.

 (Mt. Pleasant) – This bookstore hosts cookbook clubs, where everyone brings something they made from that month’s cookbook.

You won’t know if it’s a good fit until you go! To make it a little less intimidating, try going with a friend or to a bookstore you already love.

with local book club expert Serena Zets about her favorite book clubs and even how to start your own! Here are some standouts she mentioned:

 (Solid State Books) - Knit and talk about what you're reading.

 (West End Library): Work your way through gargantuan classics.

 (East City Bookshop): Read a selection of the 339 books Rory is filmed reading in “Gilmore Girls.”

Listen for more!

D.C. is obsessed with book clubs (like obsessed). But with clubs on everything from cooking to labor politics to Gilmore Girls, how do you possibly choose?!

How To Find Your Perfect DC Book Club

In the weeks following the September 11 terrorist attacks, D.C. and the U.S. Postal Service faced another type of terrorist attacks anthrax mailings.

Anthrax – a deadly bacteria – was sent via anonymous letters to congressional office buildings in D.C. and news agencies in Florida and New York. Although the attacks were targeted at politicians and journalists, it was also an attack on local postal workers. The Brentwood Postal Facility in D.C., where they sort mail for elected officials, was hit the hardest. And despite many workers falling ill, they were encouraged to keep the offices running.

 – two of which were D.C. postal workers – and 17 people were sickened during the anthrax attacks. It was the worst biological attack in U.S. history to date.

The attacks sparked a nine-year-long investigation that included over 1,000 suspects, 10,000 witnesses, and a slew of chemical and biology experts. 

The FBI was most concerned that it was another Al Qaeda plot. However, after analyzing the anthrax spores, they traced its production to a U.S. bio-defense lab.

The likely suspect – Dr. Bruce Ivins – committed suicide soon after and the case still remains open. After the attacks, the Brentwood Postal Facility was closed for years for decontamination. It was reopened as the “Curseen-Morris Mail Processing and Distribution Center” in honor of the two postal workers who died.

What Were the DC Anthrax Attacks? 

It’s the first day back at school for D.C. kids! But it’s not all name games and first day outfits.

, D.C. Public Schools are working through a lot of changes. Here are a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on as the District heads back to school this week.

Teachers and parents are worried as crime across the city has been on the rise. All middle schools and high schools are implementing security checks upon entering the schools and will have contract security guards. Mayor Bowser is also redoubling her efforts to keep police in schools, which has been 

AI tools like ChatGPT are changing the equation for classroom performance and grading. D.C. and other regional school systems 

 to both benefit from it while keeping student data safe and discourage its use on assignments.

Students’ scores in both English and math have improved (marginally) from last year, but they’re 

 than pre-pandemic results. What’s worse, officials credit the small gains they’ve made to city-provided tutoring and mental health support. However, these programs are funded by COVID money, which expires in September of 2024, leaving schools to search for other support funds.

 at least 2,300 vacancies in the region’s seven major systems. Many teachers are retiring early or looking for jobs with better work-life balance, citing lack of pay, stress, and students behavioral issues as reasons why.

D.C. Public Schools are working through a lot of changes. Here are a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on as the District heads back to school this week.

What to Watch As DC Heads Back to School 

D.C.’s summer restaurant week starts next Monday, August 28 and runs through Sept 3. There are a lot of hot newcomers this year, so it's time to start making some reservations ASAP.

There are 150 participating restaurants that will offer a mix of $40 and $55 prix fixe multi-course dinners and $25 lunches/brunches.

This year is the first that restaurants in Reagan National and Dulles Airports will be participating. The list also features some of this year’s most exciting restaurant debuts like 

The more expensive the restaurant, the better the deal, so try those Michelin-starred or upscale spots on your list. Think 

. If you can, go for the lunch menu. It’s often similar to the dinner menu but half the price. Lastly, avoid the alcohol, it’s almost never included and can double your tab quickly!

Take a look through the list of participating 

, but this is where we’ll be trying to snag reservations:

Try Beijing-style dishes like chicken lettuce wraps and wok seared branzino at this flashy celebrity restaurant at The Wharf.

Cucumber melon granita and koji marinated salmon won me over to finally go try this Michelin Star spot by Chef Matt Baker.

Normally $125 per person, restaurant week is the perfect time to try this Peruvian joint that just won RAMMY’s “Best New Restaurant of the Year.”

Go for the pork collar with miso peach purée, and stay for the goat's milk ice cream. Their restaurant week menu displays the best of Japanese/Spanish fusion.

I try to go to this classic (but not cheap) Mediterranean spot every year for restaurant week. They don't skimp on the menu and the vibes are immaculate.

D.C.’s summer restaurant week starts next Monday, August 28 and runs through Sept 3. There are a lot of hot newcomers this year, so it's time to start making some reservations. 

Make the Most of DC Restaurant Week

We are quite literally living in a Barbie world (and I'm not talking about 

). Women shaped D.C., but their contributions often go unrecognized. Here are a few surprising spots where we can see their impact when the men just weren’t Kenough to get it done.

The reason we have cherry blossoms in D.C. is 

 – First Lady Helen Taft and journalist Eliza Skidmore — brought them here. As a member of National Geographic, Skidmore traveled to Japan and came back with this idea to plant cherry trees along the Potomac. Her proposal to the Army fell on deaf ears, but 20 years later, she brought her proposal to First Lady Taft who helped negotiate the donation of 2,000 cherry trees in 1910.

This museum houses many miraculous (and deranged) things, but one of its most famous inhabitants was Rosa Parks. The 

, HH Leonards, welcomed Parks and helped take care of her after she’d been attacked in Chicago. Parks ended up living there for 10 years and became best friends with Leonard. You can see the room she lived in as part of the museum today.

Technically, this building is called the Nancy Hanks Center after the first woman to lead the National Endowment of the Arts. The building was almost demolished in the ‘50’s, but Hanks and her foundation 

 and brought it back to the symbol it is today.

Take a full “walking tour” of D.C.’s women's history with our podcast.

Why D.C. is Barbie Land

We are quite literally living in a Barbie world. Women shaped D.C., but their contributions often go unrecognized. Here are a few surprising spots where we can see their impact when the men just weren’t Kenough to get it done.

Where To See Hidden Women’s History in D.C.

D.C. has been flexing its courtroom muscles this past week as local Judge Tanya S. Chutkan oversees former President Trump’s indictment hearing. But you’re getting enough of that elsewhere. So instead, I’d like to turn your attention to the courthouse down the street, with its unexpected connection to justice.

The land beneath the Supreme Court has a long and sordid history, as a temporary Capitol (when the British burned down the real one in the War of 1812), a boarding house, and then… a prison.

JoAnn Hill, author of “Secret Washington DC” says that during the Civil War, “Confederate soldiers were coming in. Generals were coming in. And they ended up turning [the boarding house] into a prison called the Old Capitol Prison.”

A lot of influential people ended up being imprisoned at the Old Capitol Prison. One of the most well-known was socialite Rose O’Neal, whose covert action helped hand the Confederacy their victory at First Bull Run. Even after Rose was arrested, she and her daughter continued to write and send coded messages from prison.

Another Confederate spy, Belle Boyd would communicate with her supporters by sewing messages into rubber balls and tossing them out her window. “The guards, all men, didn't think anything of it, but she was actually relaying information,” Hill told us. Needless to say, security wasn't the tightest back then.

After the Civil War, the prison was turned into row houses. Then finally in 1929, the ground was cleared to make way for the Supreme Court building we have today.

Want more dark and weird D.C. history facts? We have a 

These Prisoners Lived Where the Supreme Court Stands

In D.C. it’s common to live in a row home with 3 - 10 (or more!) people far into your 30’s. While you might be picturing a New Girl situation, oftentimes it’s more like this:

“We had all settled down to watch TV one day when we heard scurrying, and before anyone could react, a big fat rat fell from the ceiling! It bounced off the couch and ran around our living room while we screamed.”  - Hey DC reader, Erin L.

“I lived with three other girls in a 1B/1B row house that was completely infested with rats - we had to keep all our food in bins. Also, the smoke alarm would go off every time you turned the oven on, but we didn't care, we were so distracted by the rats.” - Hey DC reader, Rebekah B.

But it's not ALL bad, in fact, group homes can be a great way to build community.

“Six of us all lived in a group home (a former brothel!) for years. Those that moved away all found themselves coming back for parties and sleepovers. Fast-forward 12 years and everyone has moved out, but we’re still best friends!” - Hey DC reader, Kim B.

“I live in AdMo with seven roommates. I love that we have a beautiful space for hosting! We’ve hosted for Porchfest, have done several Sofar Sounds concerts, pottery events, BBQs, etc!” - Hey DC reader, Charlie C.

So, how do you keep a happy group house? You all had some advice:

“Discuss how sharing food and cooking works up front, will it be individual or family style?” - Hey DC reader, Auj B.

“Call out other’s messes quickly and don’t take hygiene comments personally. This avoids passive aggression and nips problems in the bud.” - Hey DC reader, Ben H.

“Keep a chore wheel and have regular house meetings!” - Hey DC reader, Cora L.

“Ask someone if they are an axe murderer - their answer tells you lots!” - Hey DC reader, Margaret C.

"Learn the history. A lot of these homes used to belong to wealthy D.C. families, and you can track their history at the People's Archive at MLK library. My home's original owner was a doctor who practiced in the basement! - Hey DC reader, Charlie C.

Have you lived in a D.C. group home? What are your tips?

How to Survive a D.C. Group House

The city is pushing ahead with plans to build a controversial homeless shelter in a former George Washington University dorm. It’s on a block with two hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants and has drawn applause from advocates, but also concerns from neighbors.

Seven years ago, Mayor Muriel Bowser promised to build a homeless shelter in every ward, but Ward 2 never got one. Last year, GW put a dorm up for sale, and the Department of Human Services jumped at it in hopes of completing the Mayor’s goal.

This 200-person facility will be the first of its kind in the District. It will house residents separately rather than in a bunk room, which is especially important for the medically vulnerable. It would also allow adult families (like couples or siblings) to remain together, the absence of which is a huge reason people stay in encampments.

Most residents agree that shelters are needed, but they disagree on 

 exactly they should be. Advocates say wealthy neighborhoods shouldn’t be exempted from supporting unhoused communities. However, some residents worry the shelter would disrupt fancy nearby businesses and harm tourism.

To address this, DHS has committed to 24/7 security inside and outside the building, limited initial capacity, and continued community engagement before and after the facility opens.

The Department of Human Services wants to start renovations next month and hopes to open the facilities to residents this fall.

Our podcast City Cast DC covered more about how the shelter's going to work.

What other precautions is DHS taking?

The city is pushing ahead with plans to build a controversial homeless shelter in a former George Washington University dorm. It’s on a block with two hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants and has drawn applause from advocates, but also concerns from neighbors.



Washington, DC's New Foggy Bottom Shelter Ruffles Feathers

The New Foggy Bottom Shelter Ruffles Feathers

Downtown D.C. is known as a place to work, not live or hang out. In a new ranking of downtown vitality scores, D.C. ranks almost last. Mayor Bowser has made it her life’s mission to revitalize downtown, and 

wants to add about 15,000 residents to downtown in the next five years

But, how do we actually repurpose the area to make it feel like a neighborhood we’d want to live in? Washington Biz Journal Tristan Navera has been covering the revitalization and 

chatted with City Cast DC about what’s 

 Downtown has greenspace, but most of it is off limits, or not appealing. Playgrounds and parks are needed to provide safe outdoor spaces for families and events to use.

D.C. has lots of old zoning restrictions that make it hard to open retail and other businesses downtown. Specifically, Tristan suggests revamping one that prevents light manufacturing, meaning a lot of food production (think Krispy Kreme’s donut line production) and creative spaces are unable to land downtown.

This doesn’t mean just more sidewalks, this means making it actually pleasant to walk around downtown. The city is playing with the idea of funneling traffic towards a few larger streets and leaving others for buses or pedestrians only.

dding more shopping and dining draws people in and gets them to spend time downtown. People need places that aren’t home and aren’t work to hang out, like cafes, libraries, galleries, and gyms.

What would make you want to hang out downtown