House of Sweden opening

When my Scandinavian immigrant father yearns for the taste of home, the most convenient place for my mom to load up on lingonberry jam and black bread is usually Ikea. Luckily, Nordic transplants to DC will not be forced to trudge through a poorly lit jungle of particleboard bookshelves, unless of course their books are strewn all over their living room. House of Sweden, the Swedish embassy's cultural outpost, is opening a its "Cafe Bites and Sounds" series this weekend. Each Saturday and Sunday from 12-5 you can stop by for Swedish coffee and snacks and hear some Swedish tunes.

House of Sweden Cafe Bites and Sounds

September 27th to November 30th
Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Rooms 4 and 5
House of Sweden
2900 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20007

FREE

National Book Festival

The National Book Festival is sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by First Lady Laura Bush, and it's taking place this Saturday on the Mall from 10-5:30. There's not much in the way of swag beyond maybe a semi-reusable tote bag and and things of that ilk- the real attraction is the impressive range in authors. There's a bunch of celebrity authors, like Tiki Barber, Dionne Warwick and Cokie Roberts. More literary heavy hitters include Salman Rushdie and Paul Theroux. See the full list here, and more details about the festival here.

National Book Festival
National Mall
Saturday, September 27, 10-5:30
FREE

Crafty Bastards

If you're of crafty persuasion but have an aesthetic that's more gritty than grandma, you'll find plenty of inspiration at Crafty Bastards, the yearly event sponsored by the Washington City Paper. You can find more information about vendors, performances, and demos here. But even if you've never touched a pair of pinking shears in your life, here's a few events that will appeal to the craftily-challenged. You could get so sucked in by the knitting lesson (10:30am-11:30am, 12:30pm-1:30pm) that you come back as a vendor next year.

Bicycle Safety The Bike Rack Booth (#59)
10am, 2pm Basic Bike Maintenance
12pm Riding Your Bike Safely In The City (meet in front of the Maker Square Workshop Area)

Yoga Silk Road Yoga Booth (#106). All day.
Stop by the Silk Road Yoga booth to watch yoga demos by the experts.

Crafty Bastards
Marie Reed Learning Center
18th St. and Wyoming
Sunday, Sept. 28 10-5

Car Free Challenge

If you're reading this, chances are you don't have a car to be free from. But that doesn't mean you should miss out on some free stuff. The event going on from 11am - 3pm at 7th & F Streets NW includes:

- Live Music and Entertainment
- Free T-shirts and Other Giveaways
- SmartBike Test Rides and Discounted Memberships
- Free Bike Tune-ups from The Bike Rack
- Segway Demonstrations

You know you want to see a Segway Demonstration! And if you've been meaning to sign up for the SmartBike program, the discount might sweeten the deal.

11am - 3pm
7th & F Streets NW
FREE

Prince of Petworth: Car Free Day Challenge and Celebration Today!