Things to do in the DC area: Elvis’ Birthday Fight Club, Bluegrass Festival … and more!

Don’t expect actual boxing at this fight club. Instead, the choreographed fights tend more to the cartoonish and comedic — alongside occasional stripteases. Fighters vary each year, and in the past, there have been battles between the Supreme Court vs. The Supremes, Princess Leia vs. Xena: Warrior Princess and Freddie Mercury vs. the queen of England.

Betty O’Hellno, hostess at Elvis’ Birthday Fight Club, said the event has been going on for 15 years now. Following the events from Thursday through Saturday at the GALA Hispanic Theatre, the Creative Alliance in Baltimore, Maryland, is hosting the show on Jan. 9, 10, 16 and 17.

Find out about other upcoming shows for Elvis’ Birthday Fight Club on Astro Pop Events.

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Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the DC area.

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Here’s what else is happening in the D.C. area:

DC

Aspiring Writer’s Circle
If you’re a writer — or an aspiring one — the D.C. Public Library hosts a creative writing-focused group every first and third Thursday of the month for writers to share what they are working on and even request feedback. For this virtual event, all genres are welcome.

Bluegrass Festival
Union Stage is hosting a free Bluegrass Festival with bands Split String Soup and Radish. The event is on Friday. While admission is free, all tickets are first come, first served.

D.C. Dating Live!
Singles (or couples looking for a thrilling, comedic show) should head to the Howard Theatre for a live dating show where “real singles” from the audience get to engage in challenges, Q&As and the potential to find their spark. The event is Saturday with tickets that cost approximately $33 per person. The first 200 singles to arrive get a free drink.

Modern Calligraphy for Beginners
At Atlas Brew Works’ Bridge District location in Southeast D.C., learn the basics of modern calligraphy, while using a pointed dip pen and ink. If pretty lettering is your style or goal, this workshop on Saturday costs $65 per person.

“What We Know About Snow”
This upcoming Profs & Pints lecture at Penn Social dives into a meteorologist’s take on the science of snow and snowstorm prediction. Get a better understanding of all things snow with help from Jeffrey Halverson, professor of geography and environmental systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a severe storm expert with The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang. The event on Monday costs approximately $15 to attend.

“A Puzzling Swap!”
Take a puzzle or leave a puzzle at the Takoma Park Neighborhood Library this Tuesday. A table on the first floor of the library will offer old and new puzzles available for swapping with neighbors.

Maryland

Book talk: “Descenes and Discords: An Anthology”
Two influential punk and postpunk community fanzines, called Descenes and Discords, used to be distributed across D.C. in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Writer and musician Howard Wuelfing has chronicled both zines in his recently published book, “Descenes and Discords: An Anthology,” while providing new commentary on their creation and impact. On Saturday, People’s Book in Takoma Park, Maryland, is hosting a free, in-person event with first-come, first-served seating for the public to learn more about Wuelfing’s new book.

Cash on the Nail’s Record Release
D.C.-based punk rock trio Cash on the Nail is hosting a record release alongside two other bands, Czonka and Fashion Crime, on Saturday at the Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring, Maryland. Tickets cost roughly $19.

“ICE!”
Catch the last few days of the Gaylord National’s annual “ICE!” exhibit through Sunday. The Christmas exhibit features large-scale ice sculptures that depict scenes from the film “The Polar Express.” Families can also enjoy ice tubing lanes.

Virginia

New Year’s Day Trash Cleanup
At Belle Haven Park, the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail are hosting a trash pickup early Thursday. Volunteers should come with water, gloves, long sleeves and pants.

Winter Fest
Bundle up, because Lorton, Virginia’s Mason Neck State Park is hosting a nature exploration Thursday with family-friendly hikes, crafts and campfires.

“Toy Stories”
The Del Ray Artisans Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, has an opening reception for their “Toy Stories” art exhibit this Friday. The exhibit highlights local artists with a theme on “celebrating the toys we cherished as kids.” The gallery is free and open to the public. The exhibit runs through Jan. 31.

Have an event you’d like featured in WTOP’s Things to do in the D.C. area weekly guide? Let us know!

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