Affordable Rainy Day Activities in the DC Area

With today being a rainy one, and the threat of Hurricane Isaias making it a potentially stormy week, here are five affordable and fun rainy day activities in the DC area.

• Visit the Torpedo Factory – The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA is open with modified hours, Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. It’s a great place to get out and enjoy some art indoors. Entrance and exit are via sliding doors on the Waterfront and Union Street sides only. There is currently no capacity limit, but masks are required and social distancing should be observed. Also, artists maintain their own hours, so their availability should be confirmed in advance here. If you don’t want to venture out, there are lots of online exhibits and tools to check out. Free admission, classes/camps are extra. More information, particularly on COVID procedures can be found here.
  
• Have a glass of District Winery wine and watch livestreams around the city – Order a bottle of wine or two from local winery District Winery and check out the impressive list of livestreams that the Washingtonian put together. There are webcams from the National Harbor, traffic cams, the Washington Monument, a naked mole rat camera at the zoo and more. Wines are $23-$39, $89 for a summer wine bundle of four. Webcams and livestreams are free.
  
• Take a Virtual Cocktail Class – Mark your calendars for Saturday August 8th from 5-6 p.m. for a happy hour cocktail making class with The Columbia Room. On August 8th, learn how to make cocktails that are “sessionable,” meaning you can drink more than a few and not get drunk. $72/ticket. More information can be found here.
  
• Join a Virtual Book Club – Did you know that DC Public Libraries hosts a #brownbagdc book chat? The Twitter book club meets Wednesdays at noon to share with library staffers and customers what they’re currently reading. The meetings are held at the username @dcpl using the hashtag #brownbagdc. Free, for more information click here.
  
• Check out Busboys & Poets Zoom Dinner Party Series – Tonight, Friday July 31st, at 6 p.m., Busboys & Poets is hosting a virtual dinner party featuring Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project. Order your favorite Busboys & Poets dinner, set your table and tune in. Hosted by BB&P founder Andy Shallal. Free, for more information click here.