Ever thought: "Yeah, I might go to the wax museum, if it was free!!"

Well, you practically can!

The Washingtonian revealed that the ongoing birthday celebration at Madame Tussauds allows you to skip the normal $20 entry fee, and with a mere rendition of the "happy birthday" song, you can enter the museum for $1.

Check out the possibilities here: http://www.madametussauds.com/washington/

Taste of Georgetown

I have to admit my ventures into Georgetown usually consist of the movie theater, the Anthropologie sale section, alright, alright, all the sale sections...and a favorite gelato spot. Aside from a post Dean & Deluca post-shopping snack, I RARELY eat in Georgetown. Granted, Georgetown is filled with renowned restauarants, but most of the then are a little too eminent for my wallet.

If you are the same way, and even if you aren't a great way to check out the many fabulous Georgetown restaurants is the upcoming Taste of Georgetown. Five dollars gets you one tasting and a complementary wine. If you spend $20, you can five tasting (all for the price of 4!). Participating restaurants include:

o 1789
o Agraria
o Baked & Wired
o Bangkok Joe's
o Café Bonaparte
o Chadwick's
o Clyde's
o Fahrenheit Restaurant
o Filomena Ristorante
o Hook
o J Paul's
o La Chaumiere
o Los Cuates
o Martin's Tavern
o Mendocino Grille
o Mie N Yu
o Morton's the Steakhouse
o Neyla
o Nick's Riverside Grille
o Old Glory BBQ
o Paolo's
o Ristorante Piccolo
o Rugby
o Sea Catch Restaurant
o Tacklebox
o Third Edition
o Tony & Joe's

Taste of Georgetown
Saturday, October 11, 2008
11am - 4pm

Duke Ellington Jazz Festival

DC may not have hosted infamous Harlem Renaissance, but since the 1900's DC has been a foundational national outlet for the expression of African American culture, namely, jazz music. And a main staple of DC's rich history is Duke Ellington, a jazz pioneer.

Today, Wednesday October 1st is the beginning of the week-long Duke Ellington jazz festival. Concerts associated with the event are happening all over the city, and many of them are FREE!

There are so many options, and the schedule website is incredibly easy to use, so there is definitely sometime for every jazz (or even non-jazz) lover out there!

Free Film(s) at the Hirshorn

Well, I know that I'll be glued to my television on Thursday night, but if for some (crazy) reason the upcoming vice-presidential debate doesn't interest you, check out a night of free short films at the Hirshhorn Museum.

The Spanish embassy is partnering with the museum to bring films from one of the well-acclaimed film festivals in Barcelona, LOOP. The Hirshhorn website boasts "new media arts, cinematic work, artists' films, and documentaries provide a wide range of uncommon fare for discerning cinephiles and casual movie fans alike." Please note that some of the material may be for mature audiences only.

Hirshhorn Museum
Thursday, October 2, 2008
8pm

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!

Outdoor Opera

The Washington National Opera season's started up again, bringing with it a ton of events aimed at filling seats with first-time operagoers. One is this concert at the Woodrow Wilson Plaza of selections from operas in the 2008-2009 season, including La Traviata, The Pearl Fishers, and Carmen. Even if this is the extent of your exposure to opera, you're sure to recognize something. The WNO also has a really great program offering tickets to people under 35 at deep discounts.

WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists Perform a Lunch Series Concert
Thursday, Sept. 25
Noon-1:30
FREE

H Street Festival

Street fair season continues with the H Street Festival on Saturday, September 20. There's quite a range in attractions-from burlesque to a former Redskins cornerback-so your whole posse is bound to find something of interest. Hint for the non-Metrobus savvy- you can get on the X2 at Gallery Place under the big gate and it'll take you all the way down H Street. If you get there early grab a latte at lovely Sidamo, one of the most pleasant coffee shops in the city.

H Street Festival
1200-1400 H St. NE
Saturday, Sep. 20 12-6
FREE

Frozen Tropics: H Street Festival Saturday