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Northern Virginia and Washington-area venues are offering a crowded slate of events from Jan. 29 through the first weekend of February, with restaurant specials, major stage productions, museum exhibitions, concerts and winter activities competing for attention.

Dining

Falls Church Restaurant Week returns for its second year from Jan. 31 through Feb. 9. The “Ten Days of Deliciousness” promotion highlights the City of Falls Church’s growing restaurant scene.

Culture and education

The Library of Congress marks the 100th anniversary of Edward Gorey’s birth with a curated display on Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “100 Years of Edward Gorey” features selections from the Glen Emil Gorey Collection and Edward Bradford Gorey Collection in the Great Hall’s South Gallery. Gorey was an American writer, poet, illustrator and set designer known for his macabre imagery.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library hosts Board Game Sunday for Adults from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 2 in the Lower Level Conference Room. Experienced players will teach modern tabletop games, and newcomers are welcome. The monthly gathering is open to adults 18 and older in partnership with the Northern Virginia Board Game Group. Registration is not required, but admission is first-come, first-served until the room reaches capacity.

Comedy, theater and dance

Patrice DeVeaux headlines the A&A Comedy Showcase at Clare & Don’s Beach Shack from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 2. Falls Church City comedian Ace Jackson is also scheduled to perform.

At Signature Theatre in Arlington, “JOB” runs from Jan. 28 through March 16. The psychological thriller follows a young tech worker whose workplace breakdown goes viral. Before she can return to her job, she must undergo an evaluation with a crisis therapist, but the appointment turns into an escalating confrontation as secrets emerge. The play examines work, the internet and the darker side of social media.

“The Lake Effect,” written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph and directed by Alex Levy, runs Jan. 30 through Feb. 16 at 1st Stage, 1524 Spring Hill Road in Tysons Corner. Set during a harsh Cleveland winter storm, the drama reunites estranged siblings after their father’s sudden death. While closing his struggling Indian restaurant, they confront the memories and secrets that separated them.

The Kennedy Center presents the world-premiere musical “Schmigadoon!” in the Eisenhower Theater from Jan. 31 through Feb. 9. Based on the Emmy Award-winning Apple TV series, the story follows New York doctors Josh and Melissa as a backpacking trip intended to repair their relationship leaves them trapped in a magical town resembling a Golden Age musical.

“GUAC” continues at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company through Feb. 16. Written and performed by Manuel Oliver, co-written by James Clements and directed by Michael Cotey, the production follows Oliver’s transformation into an activist after his son, Joaquin “Guac” Oliver, was killed in the Parkland shooting. Seven years after the loss, the show combines grief, humor, remembrance and a call for change.

The Folger Shakespeare Library presents a staged reading of “Valor, Agravio y Mujer (The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs)” at 8 p.m. Jan. 31 as part of the 2025 Reading Room Festival. Written by Shakespeare’s Spanish contemporary Ana Caro Mallén de Soto, the play follows Doña Leonora as she disguises herself as a man and crosses Europe to seek revenge on the former lover who abandoned her. Tatyana-Marie Carlo directs Julissa Contreras’ adaptation, presented with Expand the Canon. A discussion moderated by Robert Ramirez will follow, featuring Carlo, Emily Lyon and Contreras.

The Folger also stages a bilingual reimagining of “Hamlet” at 5 p.m. Feb. 2. The adaptation casts Hamlet as a Black, Latinx prince and blends Shakespeare’s text with Spanish spoken in present-day New York City. A post-show conversation will include director Laurie Woolery; adaptors Emily Lyon and Reynaldo Piniella; translator Christin Eve Cato; and actor Robert Ramirez. DC Theater Arts Executive Editor Julian Oquendo will moderate.

Robert Askins’ Tony-nominated comedy “Hand to God” runs at Keegan Theatre from Feb. 1 through March 2 under director Josh Sticklin. After his father dies, the anxious and reserved Jason joins a Christian puppet ministry in Cypress, Texas. His relationships with his mother and others in town unravel when his puppet, Tyrone, develops a startling personality.

The National Ballet of China brings “Chinese New Year (A Ballet in Two Acts)” to the Kennedy Center Opera House at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 31, and 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1. The production combines Western ballet and Chinese culture in a family’s New Year celebration set to Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” score. The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and National Children’s Chorus, United States of America, provide live music.

Magic and visual art

Magician Mike Super performs at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts at 4 p.m. Feb. 2. The winner of NBC’s “Phenomenon,” an “America’s Got Talent” finalist and a guest on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” Super presents a family-oriented illusion show recommended for ages 3 and older.

“Full Circle” remains on view at the Falls Church Arts Gallery through Feb. 23. The all-media exhibition features 42 artists examining circles and the idea of coming full circle. Sharon Malley served as juror and selected Miisha Nash’s “Let It Go” for the Juror’s Choice Award.

The National Gallery of Art’s “Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti” continues through March 9 in East Building Gallery 214. The exhibition introduces 21 recently donated works by Haitian artists, including 20th-century figures Hector Hyppolite, Rigaud Benoît and Philomé Obin. It also examines Haiti’s influence on African American artists such as Lois Mailou Jones and Eldzier Cortor and the country’s broader importance within the African Diaspora.

At the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, “Basquiat × Banksy” runs through Oct. 26. The exhibition places Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 painting “Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump” alongside Banksy’s 2018 response, “Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search.” It is the first presentation of either artist’s work at the museum.

The show also includes 20 Basquiat works on paper and wood from Larry Warsh’s collection, created between 1979 and 1985, as well as the film “Downtown 81.” Shot in 1980 and 1981 and released in 2000, the film stars Basquiat as a struggling artist named Jean.

Marilyn Gates-Davis presents “Pieces of a Dream” at Glen Echo’s Park View Gallery on Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Gates-Davis, winner of the 2024 Park View Artist Award at the 53rd Annual Labor Day Art Show, created the solo exhibition of dreamscape paintings. Admission is free.

Live music

Creative Cauldron’s 14th annual Passport Music Festival continues through Feb. 1 at 410 S. Maple Ave. in Falls Church. The club-style concert series features performers from the Washington metropolitan area and beyond, with Latin, jazz, blues, folk and world music on the schedule.

Badfish brings its tribute to Sublime to the State Theatre on Jan. 30, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Kash’d Out and The Quasi Kings join the Gimme The Gold Tour stop. The Rhode Island-based Badfish lineup includes Joel Hanks on bass, Scott Begin on drums, Pat Downes on vocals and guitar, and Danny Torgersen on horns, keyboards and guitars.

National Symphony Orchestra Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conducts Samuel Barber’s opera “Vanessa” at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 and 8 p.m. Feb. 1. Five soloists take the principal roles in the concert presentation of Barber’s story of love, longing and secrets.

The Pan American Symphony Orchestra presents “Fantasia Española” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. The program features music by Pablo de Sarasate, Joaquín Turina, Isaac Albéniz and Manuel de Falla.

Violinist Holly Nelson is featured in Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy,” while Argentine pianist Agustin Muriago performs as soloist in Turina’s “Rapsodia Sinfónica.” The program also includes Turina’s “The Bullfighter’s Prayer” and “Serenade,” excerpts from de Falla’s “El Amor Brujo,” and Albéniz’s “Tango en D.”

Grammy-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis joins the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Feb. 1. Led by founder and artistic director Jim Carroll, the orchestra also welcomes vocalist Darden Purcell, director of George Mason University’s jazz program.

Marsalis’ career spans jazz, classical performance, Broadway, film and popular music. His credits include collaborations with Sting and the Grateful Dead and scores for “Mo’ Better Blues,” “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Rustin.” The all-ages concert has tickets priced at $36, $51 and $60, with half-price admission for youths through Grade 12.

Winter recreation and chocolate

Curling & Cocktails takes over The Wharf Ice Rink from 7 to 10 p.m. Jan. 29. Free games begin at 7, 8 and 9 p.m., with each registration covering as many as four players. No skates are needed, and beginners are encouraged to participate. Walk-up players may be accommodated if time and space permit.

Sessions continue each Wednesday through Feb. 19, with Eventbrite registration opening the preceding Thursday. Participants should dress for outdoor conditions and wear flat-soled shoes. Spectators may watch from the sidelines and purchase drinks from Cantina Bambina’s concession stand.

The 31st annual Chocolate Lovers Festival runs Jan. 31 through Feb. 2 in downtown Fairfax. Returning attractions include Construct a Cupcake, Musical Cakes, Taste of Chocolate and Liquid Chocolate, while a make-your-own chocolate bar activity joins the schedule.

The festival also features the Washington Nationals presidents and the LOVE sign in Old Town Square. Activities are spread across the City of Fairfax Regional Library, Old Town Hall, Old Town Square and the Historic Fairfax Courthouse. Entry to the venues is free, although some tastings and activities may charge a fee.