Parents

Unwind and connect at a lively **Happy Hour Social** at Mackenzie’s! Enjoy great drinks, good conversation, and a relaxed atmosphere perfect for mingling. Attendees receive **10% off** during the event, making it even easier to sip and socialize. Stop by and make it a happy hour to remember!

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Terrors of Irish Fairylore,”** an introduction to Ireland’s strange and unsettling folkloric “Good People,” with Brittany Warman, former instructor at Ohio State University, co-founder of The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, and co-author of the new book *Fairylore: A Compendium of the Fae Folk.* [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-terrors-of-irish-fairlylore2](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-terrors-of-irish-fairlylore2) .] Today it is common to think of fairies as small, childlike, sparkly creatures with glittering wings and dresses made from flower petals. But the fae of traditional Irish folklore were no such things. Amoral, capricious, even malicious when they chose to be, the too-frequently forgotten fairies of times long past would, more often than not, haunt nightmares. Join Brittany Warman, a folklorist who has earned a devoted following among Profs and Pints fans, as she explores the darker side of Irish fairylore. The figures she'll discuss include: The Leanan-Sidhe, a vampiric fairy who gives artistic inspiration in exchange for your mortal spirit. The Dullahan, a fairy with a human spine for a whip and a habit of hurtling across fields in a death coach made from human skin. The Banshee, a mournful fairy whose cry signals a death in the family to which she's attached herself. Dr. Warman also will examine the surprising impact of fairy folklore on two classics of Irish Gothic literature, Oscar Wilde's *The Picture of Dorian Gray* and Bram Stoker's *Dracula.* It’s a talk that will remind you that the relationship between the Irish and the spooky stretches well beyond Halloween. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: “The Banshee Appears,” an 1862 illustration by Robert Prowse (Wicklow Heritage / Public domain).

Organization of women and men (associate members) dedicated to community service, education and supporting families in our community.

**Please Note:** This game has limited slots, and you must RSVP. If the event is full, please signup for the Waitlist, and you will be moved up as people update their RSVPs. Clank! In! Space! is built on the same game system as Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure, with players building a personal deck of cards throughout the course of the game, with the cards allowing them to move through the spaceship, attack things, acquire new cards, and — oh yeah — make noise to attract Lord Eradikus and potentially seal their own doom. Light Refreshments are provided. Please RSVP so we can account for Snacks.

Volunteer with us refurbishing donated bicycles to help us get them back out in the community! This event is open to both new and existing volunteers. No mechanical experience is necessary. Note: The warehouse location is in the alley behind 1502 Mt Vernon Ave. Enter through the gray door next to a roll-down garage door. If you drive to the location, be sure to park in the street, not in the alleys or parking lots surrounding the warehouse. And wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty with bicycle grease! Please be aware that volunteers under 18 need a parent or guardian to accompany them to their first volunteer experience and sign a liability waiver, while volunteers under 16 need a parent or guardian to accompany them at all times while volunteering with Vélocity.

**NEW EVENT!!!** Please be sure to RSVP on **[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1988707128556?aff=oddtdtcreator)** so we have an accurate guest list. Pink Poodle Club is Spark's weekly Yappy Hour — every Monday on the back patio from 5–7pm. $1 Scooby Snacks for hoomans and $1 pup cups for the doggos. Come join us for a fun and **dog-friendly** gathering! It’s the perfect chance to meet new people, share stories, and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere with the **LGBTQ+ community**. Whether you're looking to make friends or just hang out, everyone’s welcome. Grab your favorite drink and let’s make some great memories together! This event is free to attend. We hope to see you there. In addition to coffee selections, the venue offers a good food and drinks [menu](https://spark-dc.com/pages/menu-2). We encourage you to register your attendance in advance. We hope to see you there. When you arrive with your dog, order on your own from the [menu](https://spark-dc.com/pages/menu-2). Then meet and mingle with LGBTQ+ folk and their dogs on the back patio. **Metro Directions:** Be eco-friendly. U Street Metro (Yellow/Green line) is only a few blocks away. Take the 13th Street Exit. The venue is adjacent to Crush Bar. This event is a safe space for everyone under the rainbow. Please feel free to invite all your friends to join you there! This event is hosted by **[Go Gay DC](https://www.gogaydc.com)**, Washington DC's inclusive LGBTQ+ community focused on friendship, leadership, and service. It now reaches over 10K fabulous people and is growing fast. Visit [https://www.gogaydc.com](https://www.gogaydc.com) . Go Gay DC's founder is **[TJ Flavell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjflavell/)**. Go Gay DC is on social media: Join the Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoGayDC](https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoGayDC) Like the Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/GoGayDC](https://www.facebook.com/GoGayDC) Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/GoGayDC](https://www.instagram.com/GoGayDC) Follow on Threads [https://www.threads.com/@GoGayDC](https://www.threads.com/@gogaydc) Follow on Bluesky [https://gogaydc.bsky.social/](https://gogaydc.bsky.social/) Follow on X [https://www.x.com/GoGayDC](https://www.x.com/GoGayDC) Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/GoGayDC](https://www.youtube.com/GoGayDC) LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/GoGayDC](https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/GoGayDC?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExZG1DTnM0VnJybG83U3FWcnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR765Xxf5t8wFzbCac74QNX3p0Bs2oT0drXZoOmLV63J8cURMl3ta5b8iP3ztg_aem_nSdndpxd5-hXJ8myNF2_vQ) Search keywords: LGBT LGBTQ LGBTQI LQBTQIA Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex Straight Allies Two-Spirit

Hey everyone! We had some requests from a few people to try an online event for busy schedules. It's a great way to meet EVERYONE in the group rather than trying to coordinate schedules in smaller groups. Invite your friends, even if they're not in the area. Bring your wonderful faces, and let's have some laughs! Zoom meeting link: [https://zoom.us/j/96954872184?pwd=AbEhH2enGOGQIRanJXzHTuN6LPWnbl.1&from=addon](https://zoom.us/j/96954872184?pwd=AbEhH2enGOGQIRanJXzHTuN6LPWnbl.1&from=addon)

Join StepMoms of the DMV for an in-person coffee meetup! This casual and supportive gathering is a space for stepmoms to share experiences, offer advice, and connect with others navigating similar challenges. Whether you’re a seasoned stepmom or just beginning your step-parenting journey, this event is open to all. Grab your favorite coffee, settle in, and let’s chat about the unique dynamics of blended families and how to thrive as a step-parent. Let’s celebrate StepMother’s Day together with people who truly get it — building community, encouragement, and connection along the way!

Each month we will gather in community for mindfulness meditation and activities. There will be time for collective family practice as well as time for parents and children to break-out into groups and engage with peers. Rooms will be right next door to each other. We request that children under the age of 5 stay with caregivers.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“How AI Alters Thinking,”** on dealing with artificial intelligence’s capacity to change and undermine our thought processes, with Eli Alshanetsky, assistant professor of philosophy at Temple University, principal investigator at its Cognitive Integrity Lab, and author of an upcoming book on AI and freedom of thought. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-how-ai-alters](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-how-ai-alters) .] Doctors who give bad advice can be sued for malpractice. Teachers belong to a profession with set standards. When artificial intelligence guides you, however, that guidance comes with a disclaimer: Use at your own risk. Every day millions of people take that risk, and usually AI seems genuinely helpful. But even if AI gives us good answers, might its use over time do bad things to how we think? Explore the relationship between AI and our own minds with Eli Alshanetsky, whose Cognitive Integrity Lab studies how artificial intelligence changes how we think, learn, and build trust. Author of *Articulating a Thought* and the upcoming book F*reedom of Thought in the Age of AI*, he’s on the cutting edge of efforts to answer AI-related questions such as: How can we tell when work is truly our own? How can technology support rather than replace authorship and reflection? What does trust mean when AI mediates our relationships with others and with our own thoughts? To set up his discussion of potential consequences of AI, he’ll describe how social media’s impact on society serves as a preview. Social media didn’t just give people what they wanted to click on, it actually changed what they regarded as click-worthy. It broke attention spans and fueled radicalization across millions of very different people. It left us with people who doom-scroll for hours, who can’t focus, who don’t know what to trust anymore. If you’d shown people this version of themselves ten years ago, would they have chosen it? Artificial intelligence is making a similar deal with us, but the stakes are higher. It isn’t chasing clicks. It’s optimized for giving you the most satisfying response to whatever is on your mind right now. The risk over time isn’t just that you’ll get lazy. More profoundly, even when you think hard, your sense of what counts as good thinking—as well as what sounds like you—will shift to match what AI has been feeding you. We’ll consider what kind of person this produces and whether this is someone we want to be or want children to become. Professor Alshanetsky will lay out a practical framework, which he calls “the interaction layer,” for using AI without letting it replace the thinking it’s supposed to support. He’ll also talk about what AI-related concerns should be the focus of parents and educators. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Illustration by David S. Soriano / Creative Commons.

This is where you meet the area's 30, 40 and 50 years young; 30 somethings, 40 somethings, 50 [somethings.......as](http://somethings.......as/) they are known as GENERATION Xers....., who are active, self accomplished, sophisticated, young at heart, empty nesters; who would like to do things and enjoy life; who has got time and could afford it as well! ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU WILL BE ALL SET TO ENJOY THE EVENT. YOU NEED TO GRAB AT LEAST A DRINK OR A FOOD ITEM :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. Direct RSVP required. We have the discretion to decide entry. Many of you were not born while we were partying:) The profile picture of this invite was taken while we were having a blast. One of our members was buying us rounds of shots. He almost spent $ 1K just on shots. LET US DO IT AGAIN! They also make us feel loved and honored, by serving, one of our signature cocktails, which is named after us - MerTini:) It will be one of the featured cocktails. Ask your bartenders:) Unacceptable Attire: 1. Athletic Clothing: This Includes gym attire, sweatpants, yoga pants, and tracksuits 2. Baggy Clothing: Clothing that is excessively loose-fitting or oversized, such as baggy jeans, sagging sweatpants or oversized t-shirts. 3. Sportswear: Jerseys, team logos, and other sport-specific attire 4. Beachwear: shorts, tank tops, swimwear, and revealing clothing 5. Flip Flops: Open-toe sandals, thong sandals, and flip flops are not allowed 6. Timberlands and Steel Toed Shoes. DETAILS : * We will have a registration station and check you in. * Most of our members complained about people writing in the comment box. Since it sends notification to all attendees. If you have any questions, send a message to the organizers. Don't write in the comment box. PARKING INFO Parking might be a challenge and the event involves drinking. We highly encourage you to take a public transportation, taxi service or a ride share. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. ***N.B. : We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via ([info@merevents.com](http://info@merevents.com/)).***