Central and South America

Celebrate the coming of spring with dance! Join local Brazilian favorite Lunna Gomes at Roda Movements in Wheaton, MD. Forro for fun and for a good cause, we are raising money to support the Afro-Bahia Fest and local music groups. Lunna's forro dance class is open to all levels. After class, let's have a turn on the dance floor, dance social starts after class. Event cost : $12

**NEW MEMBERS or 1st TIME EVENT GO-ERS** Before attending your first event, please take a moment to understand how our dinners work and what we ask of members. → **[Learn how DC Metro Dining works](https://tinyurl.com/Landing-Page-DC-Metro-Dining)** **RSVP CUTOFF (i.e. Final Change Your Mind if Registered YES)** → **RSVP Cancellation Cutoff for this Event is Saturday 10a, 3/7**. (Late Cancel applies after this, repeat occurrences can impact membership) *** Let's revisit one of my favorite places for Spanish Tapas / small plates. We’re headed to **Boqueria Penn Quarter** in **DC** (Penn Quarter / Chinatown) **FOOD**: Boqueria serves Spanish tapas style food meant for sharing. Menu favorites in late 2025 and early 2026 include pan con tomate, patatas bravas, jamon serrano and cheese boards, Albondigas meatballs, blistered Pimientos de Padrón, and croquetas including jamón and mushroom varieties. The seafood paella and grilled octopus are dishes that many guests highlight. Dessert churros are a popular way to finish the meal. Guests also praise the red sangria and cocktails. Most members spend between 40 and 70 dollars for dinner and drinks. → **Explore Boqueria Penn Quarter's menu: [https://boqueriarestaurant.com/location/dc/penn-quarter/?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=gmb#tabs_desc_14193_2](https://boqueriarestaurant.com/location/dc/penn-quarter/?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=gmb#tabs_desc_14193_2)**. **SPACE**: Modern, energetic dining room with bar seating and closely set tables. Expect a lively Saturday crowd and moderate noise. → Visit the restaurant site: [https://boqueriarestaurant.com/location/dc/penn-quarter](https://boqueriarestaurant.com/location/dc/penn-quarter/?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=gmb) +++++++++ ==> Tax/Tip combo is our required 30% tax/tip policy (see the FAQs for more details). ==> Limited to 8 slots See you there! JoeN \*\*\* **CLOSEST METRO**: * **Gallery Place  / Chinatown** (Red Line, Green, Yellow) is the closest major stop. Exit onto 7th St NW, walk west toward 9th St NW, turn right on 9th St. The walk is about **6–8 minutes**. **Metro Center** (Red, Silver, Orange, Blue) is similarly close. Exit onto 12th St NW, walk south to F St NW, turn left to 9th St NW. Same **6–8 minutes**. * For directions using the Metro, try using the Plan a Trip feature at the WMATA website ([click on your preferred Metro station](https://www.wmata.com/rider-guide/stations/index.cfm) then at the Station page level click "Plan a Trip". **PARKING**: **Colonial Parking** is the closest and has a discount: [https://www.ecolonial.com/locations/boqueria-parking/](https://www.ecolonial.com/locations/boqueria-parking/) (ensure to use discount code BoqPark). There's not a lack of garages within a few blocks however. Street parking can be limited, especially on weekend evening. *** ***Attendance Notes:*** * **If you RSVP “YES,” please commit to showing up**. With 5,800+ members and limited seating, we can’t afford no-shows. It’s not fair to other members or to our relationship with the restaurant. * **No-Show / Late Cancel rules apply** (see links below). * **Can’t get a slot?** Join the Waitlist and check back frequently—spots often open up before Noon on the day of the event. You may also receive midweek confirmation emails to reconfirm your RSVP, so please check your inbox. * **Billing Reminder**: Add 30% for tax and tip to your food and drink total. This is part of our group’s expectations and helps smooth out service with the restaurant. * **New Members / 1st Timers**: [Visit our FAQs](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C0GeZMWGwc1akHj63aViQ_5n1YpBqPt_/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=107783167750249492259&rtpof=true&sd=true) and [No-Show Policy](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BU0ZjQNdMwTjIkZVGlOlw8rTIia5xWhE/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=107783167750249492259&rtpof=true&sd=true) if you're unfamiliar with how we run things. Looking forward to dining with you! – JoeN

Free to play board gaming all day until we close

Alright Beavers, it’s time to emerge from the lodge and get back on the pitch! Practice is officially back this week, and we’re capping off the first week with a session that is—quite literally—a big deal. We’ll start with a **fun touch session** to shake off the rust and work on our ball handling. After we’ve built up a proper thirst, we’re heading straight to **Audacious Alewerks** for a post-practice social. **Why you shouldn't miss it:** It happens to be **Pickle Day** at the brewery! Since we’re Beavers, we usually stick to wood, but this Saturday we’re making an exception for some fermented cucumbers. **The Game Plan:** * **Touch Rugby:** Fast-paced, low-contact, high-fun. 🏉 * **The Weather:** Looks like it will be a wonderful warm and sunny day! * **The After-Party:** We’re heading to Audacious Alewerks in Falls Church. * **The Goods:** They are bringing back the **"Kind of a Big Dill" Pickle Gose Ale**. If beer isn't your thing, they’ve got **pickle martinis**. * **The Grub:** **Bad Ass Pickles** will be there from Noon–4:00 PM doing tasting flights. Word on the street is they go great with grilled cheese. **The Details:** * **When:** This Saturday, March 7th. * **Where:** Larry Graves Park then Audacious Alewerks. * **RSVP:** Do it now. Let’s kick the season off right. See you on the pitch!

Our Curanderimo Elder Ixtoii Paloma Cervantes will be traveling to Virginia and teaching this in person two day candle magic workshop where you will learn the traditional Curanderismo way of using candles for bringing blessings and healings. You will learn how to prepare them, how to use them to manifest what you want in life, how to see if they are working or not, and how to read them in the Curanderismo ways. Important Note: The purpose of this workshop is to enhance spiritual growth and well-being. Any misuse of the teachings will not be tolerated, and participants with hidden agendas or intent to harm others will be asked to leave without a refund. INFORMATION: Type of event: Spiritual Workshop. Who can participate: This workshop is open to everyone. You don't need to know anything at all. You need only an open heart to learn something new. This is a two day intensive in person workshop. We will email a list of what to bring and how to prepare for this workshop as soon as you book. Workshop Details: Dates: Saturday, March, 8 and Sunday, March 9 Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Same start and finish time on both days) Tuition: $627 via cash or Zelle. Payment Plan available email healing@curanderasheart.com The full payment is due by February 27 How to book: Contact Curandera Jenny Perez at 703.531.7046

Our NEIGHBORHOOD GEMS series features emblematic meals from around the world. This series shines a light on local restaurants and is designed to bring together inquisitive foodies and dishes that are unique and oh so worth a trip on roads less traveled! Join us for a Puerto Rican Party at **Qui Qui DC** ! Look in their FAQ's and you'll see: "Do you have mofongo y mayoketchup\*? " Response is.......YESSS! \*A quintessential Puerto Rican "pink sauce" combining ketchup and mayonnaise, frequently seasoned with extra garlic, lime juice, or spices like adobo. It is used on fried foods, rice, and, famously, as a pairing for mofongo. **Washington Post** Did I mention the food is fantastic? Mendez, 50, serves Caribbean comfort food with a flair befitting his fine-dining chops; the New Jersey native, with a Mexican mother and Puerto Rican father, studied at L'Academie de Cuisine before cooking at coastal Italian hot spot Masseria, working at the locavore kitchen A Rake’s Progress inside the Line hotel and helping open South American-themed Mercy Me in the West End. The sazón[ ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/sazon-and-struggle-in-puerto-rico-and-cuba-food-is-a-marker-of-resilience-and-creativity/2018/06/29/b8d63b56-7af7-11e8-93cc-6d3beccdd7a3_story.html)is strong with this one: Mendez’s kitchen exhibits a powerful (but never overbearing) hand with salt, fat and acid. Progressing from passion fruit margaritas to fried bites of blood sausage to a flan draped in burnt caramel guava sauce, every section of the frequently changing menu deserves a taste. You’ll want to make room for it all. Exhibit A: the chuleta kan kan, a two-pound pork chop-chicharrón hybrid claimed to have been invented in the late 1950s by La Guardarraya, a criollo restaurant in southwest Puerto Rico. This beautiful beast includes three sections of pig: A skin-on, bone-in loin chop remains attached to the rib and pork belly. Much of the white pork fat that often gets trimmed away is scored into square blocks, giving the specialty its distinctive “mohawk.” Mendez’s team marinates the hunks of meat for three days, then deep-fries them to order and serves them on a curvy white platter with smashed, fried plantains and a small metal caldera of white rice and pink beans. If you’re sitting at a narrow high-top for two, you’ll need a bigger table. Sourced from a small farm in Virginia, the generous portion of pork is a study in contrasts. The skin on the edge of the chop’s haircut resists your molars with an audible crunch, but there’s plenty of give in the loin, and cubes of belly practically melt in your mouth. Counteracting all that fat is an aji criollo, a thick green sauce of garlic, peppers and herbs that thrums with lime juice and vinegar. Coupled with pickled red onions and scattered cilantro leaves, the aji lifts your palate up. In search of another puckering presence to stand up to fried pork? Go for the Parchita cocktail, a blend of tequila, lime juice and passion fruit liqueur with a tangy Tajin rim. The Mexican-Borinquen theme repeats in a passion fruit tres leches cake that turns cuatro with the addition of coconut milk. While the restaurant’s name is an onomatopoeic reference to pigs — Qui Qui was also a shared nickname between Mendez and a late cousin — the chef knows his cosmopolitan audience hungers for meat-free dishes. I’m shocked to learn his soulful stewed beans are vegan. You can thank the foundation of most dishes here **—** a sofrito built on garlic, cilantro, culantro and aji dulce peppers grown by Moon Valley Farm in Woodsboro, Md. There’s no Goya sofrito here; the kitchen prepares around 32 quarts of the fresh stuff a week. If you feel like tapping your watch while waiting for the next course to come out, keep that type of effort in mind. More good news for vegetarians: Qui Qui offers the expected roast pork pernil, but also a jackfruit version. The mofongo, a molded mash of pounded plantains, also starts out plant-based, so you can order it plain if you prefer. Pescatarians should opt for the shrimp version. Shellfish propped up on the plantain mash are surrounded by herbs and a heady broth dotted with green oil. The essence of shrimp is further concentrated in an asopao, traditionally a soup but here more of a brothy rice. **Check out the menu** [here ](https://www.quiquidc.com/menu) Separate checks will be arranged in advance. All diners will settle their own tabs. We ask that ALL folks honor their RSVP. If you are unable to attend after sending in a YES, please update your status so that others may join and help us support local businesses. In the event our group incurs a fee for no-shows / late cancellations, your ability to RSVP for future events will be restricted. Thank you in advance for your understanding. To enhance the opportunity for great conversation, we will continue to limit the group size. Please feel free to sign-up to meet us along with up to 2 friends. **\*\*** **WAITLIST:** Meetup does not allow waitlists for paid events. *If this event fills and you would like to be added to the waitlist, please send a note to the host through the Meetup app. **\*\**** In the future, we will vary the days of the week and the types of restaurants to keep events interesting. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMMITTED TO GO WHEN YOU RSVP FOR THIS EVENT. Feel free to make suggestions for future meet locations. \*\* The small non-refundable registration fee helps us share the cost associated with the Meet-Up platform ($360/yr) and reduces the likelihood of no-shows, allowing us to better plan our events and accommodate all participants. Meetup charges $0.51 and Paypal charges $0.53 on the $2 registration fee. Thanks in advance for your understanding!\*\* If you are unable to join us in March, we hope you'll stay interested and join us for a meal in the future. Looking forward to catching up with you for a delightful dinner at Qui Qui DC!

**The MOOTS Routt 45 Demo Experience:** *A Full Size Run (50cm–60cm)* One bike for any occasion. Every size for our riders. **We are stoked to announce a special collaboration with our MOOTS factory representative for an exclusive demo day at Handy Bikes Retail Showroom.** We aren't just bringing a couple of bikes; we’ll have an entire size run of the legendary Routt 45 ready for you to throw a leg over. **The Bike: The Routt 45** **The Routt 45 is the "do-everything" titanium gravel machine**, named after the unpredictable mix of surfaces found on Routt County Road 45 in Steamboat Springs. Whether it’s forest tracks, chunky gravel, or the trails where the maps end, this bike is built to handle it all with: **-Modern Gravel Geometry:** *A longer top tube paired with a shorter stem for stability and precision.* **-All-Day Comfort:** *A relaxed, upright posture that lets you stay in the saddle longer.* **-Massive Clearance:** *Room for up to 50c-wide tires to soak up the chatter.* **-Ti-Flexibility:** *Compatible with both 1x and 2x drivetrains and featuring discreet fender eyelets.* **Find Your Perfect Fit** Titanium is a lifetime investment, and getting the fit right is the first step. Our rep will be on-site to help you dial in your setup across the full range: *Available Sizes: 50cm \| 52cm \| 54cm \| 56cm \| 58cm \| 60cm* **Don't Just Read the Reviews—*Ride the Legend*** It’s rare to see a full size run of MOOTS in one place, let alone get to take them for a ride. This is a unique opportunity to skip the 'parking lot test' and actually feel how handcrafted US-made titanium handles. Whether you're dreaming of your *'forever bike'* or just want to see what the hype is about, this is the day to do it.

Let's celebrate International Women's Day! Pisco y Nazca offers a wonderful **Prix Fixe brunch**: A THREE COURSE PRIX FIXE MENU for **$34** per person. Also, **option for bottomless** Sangría Blanca, Sangría Roja, Mimosa or Passion Mimosa for **$24** per person. Here is the Prix Fixe brunch **[menu](https://piscoynazca.com/wp-content/menus/washington_dc/PYNDC_Brunch.pdf)**. Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar adds a modern twist to traditional Peruvian cuisine. Inspired by Peru’s top ceviche eateries, this restaurant concept serves up bold-flavored dishes, unique cocktails and a vast selection of local and international beers. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: * Pisco y Nazca offers a payment platform and we can individually pay what we ordered. * **Sign up only if you can commit. Do not sign up if you are a maybe.** * If your plans change, update your RSVP even if you are in the Waitlist. * Individuals that don't show or cancel in the last 24 hours will not be able to join future events organized by me in 2026. * Three or four days before the event, I will ask everyone in the Going list to confirm they are attending. I will ask everyone to confirm by the end of the day. Individuals that do not respond/confirm will be removed from the list and I will ask who in the Waitlist would like to join. * The organizer reserves the right to change, cancel, and/or manage the event as they see fit. Looking forward to seeing everyone at Pisco y Nazca!

Event Starts @ 1 pm $5 entry Prize support based on attendance

Start and end in Antananarivo! With the Wildlife tour Madagascar 9 Days Baobabs and Lemurs Tour, the adventure taking you through Antananarivo, Andasibe, Antsirabe, Morondava and covers other local sightseeing in Madagascar. Highlights Visited Places: Antananarivo Andasibe Antsirabe Morondava Travel Experience: National parks Wildlife viewing Scenic drives Baobabs and Lemurs Tour Local cuisine Itinerary Day01 Antananarivo Day02 Antananarivo - Andasibe Day03 Andasibe Day04 Andasibe - Antsirabe Day05 Antsirabe - Morondava Day06 Morondava Day07 Morondava - Antsirabe Day08 Antsirabe - Antananarivo Day09 Antananarivo Price: $5590 (Double Occupancy) $3990 (Single Occupancy) Inclusions Price Includes 8 nights hotel stay Breakfasts at hotel All transportation by road (Bus / Mini Van) Airport transfer Experienced guides/Tour leader Activities as per the itinerary Price Excludes Flights Meals Personal Expenses Optional activities Travel insurance / Visa Tips \*\*\* For detailed itinerary & to reserve your seat, follow the link: [https://www.bucketlistgrouptravel.com/tour/madagascar-9-days-adventure-baobabs-and-lemurs/](https://www.bucketlistgrouptravel.com/tour/madagascar-9-days-adventure-baobabs-and-lemurs/) Questions? Text / Call / Whatsapp: 2023787696

Drumming is connection. Explore the culture of Brazil through it's diverse rhythms. Join this class and explore the distinctive rhythms unique to Brazil: jongo, maracatu, afro-samba, bossa nova, carimbo and samba. Instruments will be provided and this lesson is suitable for all levels. Sway and swing the Brazilian way. $15 class fee

Join us for a fun Saturday evening starting with dinner at Ranchero Kitchen at 6:30 PM, where we’ll be supporting an immigrant-owned local business. Pupusas: Beans, Potatoes, Veggie Homemade juices: Passionfruit, Tamarind, Horchata, Pineapple-cashew After dinner, we’ll head to Skate Zone 71 from 8:00–10:30 PM for skating, music, and good vibes. Come hungry and ready to roll! 😋🛼 Locations: Ranchero Kitchen 984 Morse Rd Columbus, OH 43229 (Same plaza as Ohio BMV license bureau) Skate Zone 71 4900 Evanswood Dr Columbus, OH 43229

This month, we are in-person at GameArena!!! We will also be joined by students and their games from [Shawnee State](https://www.shawnee.edu/game-design-programs)! \-\-\- Join us for our our monthly COGG Prototype and Play event @GameArena! Come to play and showcase your games. We're back in the upper levels of the catwalk mezzanine area. It'll be packed with lots of camaraderie playing your game(s) and other's games on the 2nd floor as well as the 1st floor in the gaming room below the mezzanine. Light snacks and water provided but you can buy food and drinks at the bar (alcoholic drink ID required). [https://www.game-arena.co/menu](https://www.game-arena.co/menu) **Attendees:** Don't have a game to show? Not a problem! All are welcomed and invited from all ages and backgrounds. The more we can have to play test our games the better! **Developers:** Do you have a game that you would like to get critical feedback on? Would you like an excuse to work on a game with other talented artists, programmers, musicians, designers, and writers? Digital, table-top, non-experienced developers, and the like are welcomed! We'll provide signage for your game to help others learn more about your work. Wifi, outlets, tables, and seats (though standing tables also) are available. Come to the Prototype and Play workshop to collaborate and meet local game developers for an evening of epic and raw game play fun! Play works-in-progress, show off your own game, work with others to add polish to a game, or even lend your talents to other fellow developers. Can use South Garage at the Gateway with a $5 voucher on your way out. 75 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9) If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to reach out to us at [info@thecogg.com!](http://info@thecogg.com!/)

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

This is a free, in person meeting. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

At Dunkin’ Donuts – Baskin-Robbins, 3245 North High St., Columbus, OH 43202 I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a banana split. $6 banana split Wednesdays through March. Go bananas for Baskin-Robbins this March! Brand debuts new banana dolce de Leche flavor of the month and $6 banana split Wednesdays. This March, Baskin-Robbins is going bananas! They are rolling out a next level twist on the classic Bano fee pie with its newest flavor of the month – banana dolce de Leche – a sweet, creamy creation. That’s sure to send die hard banana lovers, and anyone with a sweet tooth into a full on frenzy. As an additional treat, Baskin-Robbins is introducing $6 banana split Wednesdays to make midweek moments even sweeter.

Wouldn’t it be nice to find a way to overcome your feelings of anger so that you not only control them, but you no longer have the urge to lose your temper in the first place? And how about being able to shake off resentments, persistent annoyance, or even feelings of vengeance? We’d like to invite you to an event on how to overcome anger and resentment. We will show you why people have trouble controlling their temper and where resentment comes from. Flaring anger can ruin a meeting, a relationship, an opportunity, or just about any aspect of life. Worst of all, outbursts towards our family can create hurt that lingers throughout a lifetime. You want to have a civil conversation, and you’ve vowed that you wouldn’t lose your temper, but a few minutes later, the anger flares up. Maybe you’ve realized that being angry doesn’t get you what you want so you internalize it. Or maybe you avoid the knockdown, drag-out fights, but stewing in resentment is exhausting and takes an emotional toll. In this event we show you how to get to the root of your anger so that it stops being an issue to you. You’ll also learn why people harbor resentments and how to move on. Don't continue to struggle, make a difference in your life, and join us for this local event. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the event. We look forward to seeing you there. This Meetup is sponsored by your local Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center.

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [Crimson Cup Coffee Shop - Clintonville](https://www.crimsoncup.com/about/location/clintonville)!