Sci-Fi/Fantasy

TICKET LINK: [https://bit.ly/YolksMay2026-meetup](https://bit.ly/YolksMay2026-meetup) Join veteran Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey clown Jim Dandy and award-winning burlesque performer Delilah Dentata for Yolks on You, a brunch-time romp that celebrates the funniest, strangest, and most delightful variety performers they can find. Over the show's 8 year run, we’ve welcomed burlesque, clown, live music, flow arts, drag, mime, pole, puppets, and a few things we still don’t quite know how to describe … and we’re doing it all again in May! Settle in with the DC Comedy Loft's rotating lineup of beers, mixed drinks, and brunch menu while you marvel at the cast’s phenomenal (and occasionally baffling) talents.

***Septima*** is a competitive, highly interactive strategy game of witchcraft. As the leader of your coven, you must prove your worth in the town of Noctenburg to become the successor of Septima, the High Witch. Practice your craft and gain Wisdom by collecting herbs, brewing potions, healing the townsfolk, mastering charms and rescuing your brothers and sisters from the trials. But beware: magic, even if used for good, invokes suspicion in the townsfolk...

***Please join us as we continue a course of study on the spelling of the Hebrew letters. Our 10th session will be the spelling of Yod (Yod Vav Daleth) relating to Tarot Key 9. We will be exploring ideas about the spelling of Yod to illuminate our understanding of The Hermit.*** ***No prior preparation is needed and membership in B.O.T.A. is not required. We'll be providing handouts.*** ***Looking forward to sharing in the Ageless Wisdom as we grow in Understanding together!*** ***Fraternally yours in L.V.X.,*** ***Roger***

No one truly understands AI, not even experts, says Helen Toner, an AI policy researcher and former board member of OpenAI. But that doesn't mean we can't govern it. She shows how we can make smart policies to regulate this technology even as we struggle to predict where it's headed — and why the right actions, right now, can shape the future we want. ​​​​Here is how it works: * ​​​​​​​Prior to the event: **Please watch this YouTube video:** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUn8IjZKBPg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUn8IjZKBPg) * ​During the event: We will discuss the following questions: 1. Because AI is changing so fast, it is hard to predict what new things it will be able to do next month. What steps can we take to stay open-minded and adaptable as these tools change how we learn and create? 2. There is a big debate about whether using AI helps us learn faster or makes us skip the hard work of thinking. How can we find a healthy balance between using these new tools and keeping our own minds sharp and active? 3. History shows that the people who use a technology should have a say in how it is shaped for the future. How can we ensure that our local communities have a voice in how AI is developed and used? \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- To provide an enjoyable experience for fellow participants, here are three ground rules during discussion events: 1. Step up and step back. (If you feel that you’ve been talking too much, step back to listen more. If you feel that you’ve been relatively quiet, step up to share your perspective or ask a question) 2. Listen to understand, not to respond. 3. Be open-minded and value differences.

Open gaming at Panera! New players welcome. We have many games on hand or you can bring your own. We are happy to teach or learn one of yours.

Join us for the world premiere of the musical ***Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders,*** commissioned by GALA and conceived by Helen Hayes multi-award winner Luis Salgado from Puerto Rico and Colombian artist Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez. Blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as bomba, currulao, and cumbia, and Gabriel García Márquez’s magical realism, Aguardiente is a bold new musical about the messy, urgent act of making art in a world on fire. As a group of artists race to finish a new show, their rehearsal room becomes a battleground of ideas, ambition, and lived experience—especially for a composer whose undocumented status makes the dream of success anything but simple. As the team wrestles with what story they should tell, the line between reality and imagination begins to blur, until—like two currents meeting in the same river—the artists’ own struggles spill into the story they are creating: a vibrant tale set in a river town on the brink of environmental collapse, where two young lovers must decide whether to stay and fight for their homeland or leave in pursuit of a dream, making Aguardiente a theatrical journey about migration, memory, and the complicated act of transforming real lives into art. **PERFORMANCES:** ***Aguardiente*** is a bilingual production with surtitles in English and Spanish, and runs April 30 through May 24, 2026. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. The show is approximately 160 minutes long and includes one intermission. Community Night is Thursday, April 30. Noche de GALA, which includes a post-performance reception with the cast and creative team, is Saturday, May 2, under the honorary patronage of His Excellency Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo, Ambassador of Colombia to the U.S. **TICKETS:** Regular tickets for ***Aguardiente*** are $60 Premium, $55 Orchestra Standard, $45 Orchestra Value, and $35 Balcony Value; $35 Seniors (65+), Military, Teachers, and Groups (10+); $25 25 and Under; Community Night tickets are $25 each and Noche de GALA: Chosen ticket price + $5 (per person). **[GET TICKETS HERE](https://ci.ovationtix.com/35923/production/1245626)** **CAST:** ***Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders*** features an 18-people multicultural cast that includes Samuel Garnica (Venezuela) as Alberto, Sebastián Treviño (Colombia and Mexico) as Alejandro, Vin Ramos (Puerto Rico) as Azuquita, Ana Luisa Martínez (Mexico) as Anís, Shayla Hernández (Puerto Rico) as Kiara, Emy Ramos (Dominican Republic and United States) as Beta, Eric González (Spain) as Eve, Machirán (Cuba) as Pepe/MC, and Leanna “Leah” Finol (Venezuela and Hungary) as Mamá/Mom. The ensemble includes Ralphie Rivera (Puerto Rico, Dance Captain), Álvaro Medina Molina (Puerto Rico and Colombia, Alberto U/S), Santiago Ayala (Colombia, Alejandro U/S), Brianna Ríos (El Salvador and Puerto Rico, Anís U/S), Ana Daniela Pérez (Panama, Beta U/S), Bibi Sánchez (Mexico, Mamá U/S), Julia Neveu (United States, Eve U/S), Zaramaría Fas (Puerto Rico, Swing), and Rodrigo Calderón (Peru, Swing, Azuquita U/S). **CREATIVE TEAM:** This enthralling new musical is written, directed, and choreographed by Luis Salgado, with music and music direction by Daniel A. Gutiérrez, and lyrics by both Salgado and Gutiérrez. Scenic Design is by Clifton Chadick, Lighting Design is by Colin Bills, Projections Design is by Milton Cordero, and Madeline “Mo” Oslejsek is Sound Designer. Costume Design is by Jeannette Christensen, Properties Design is by Chelsea Dean, and Hair and Makeup Design is by Andre Hopfer. Sorany Gutiérrez is the Dramaturg, Valeria Cossu is Associate Director, and Ralphie Rivera is Associate Choreographer. Cody Von Ruden is Assistant Costume Designer and Elias Hall is Assistant Properties Designer. The band includes Daniel Gutiérrez (Music Director, Conductor, Keys), Sebastián Natal (Assistant Music Director, Multi-instrumentalist), Juan “Juancho” Gómez (Guitar), Iván Navas (Multi-instrumentalist), Jaime Rodríguez (Percussion), Roger Torres (Trumpet), and Michael “Mike” Ventura (Saxophone). Ester Teixeira Vianna is Stage Manager, Rbekah Nogueira is NYC Assistant Stage Manager, Brian Martínez is DC Assistant Stage Manager, Ilyana Rose-Dávila is Production Manager, Amanda Leyva is Assistant Production Manager, Anson Stevie is Technical Director, Delbis Cardona is General Manager for Rehearsal Space, and Lorena Suárez is Company Administrator. Gustavo Ott is the Producer and Rebecca Medrano is the Executive Producer. The production is made possible in part with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Paul Angell Foundation, the National Latinx Theater Initiative, and the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Additionally, GALA Hispanic Theatre is a recipient of the 2026 THRIVE! Grant, funded by the Mark Edelman Theater Fund and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the National organization for theatre leading for a just and thriving theatre ecology.

We will meet outside as long as the weather is nice. If not, we will move inside. Look out for a comment the morning of each meeting with our exact location. As we are meeting in person, please remember to bring something to read as we usually spend some time sharing our current reads and/or reading when meeting in person. As a reminder, there is no assigned reading; please bring whatever you are currently working on. This group is super casual, sometimes we read and sometimes we talk the whole time. **** NO SHOW POLICY: Due to the high number of members on the waitlist recently we are having to reinstate our no-show policy. If you sign up and no-show to 2 events you will be removed from the group. Reminders are provided weekly to change your RSVP to allow those on the waitlist a chance to come to the meet-up, no 3rd chances with be given. Please be considerate to your fellow members. Thank you! I look forward to reading you!

This is the first event of the year where you can rent a canoe or kayak. Scroll down for more information on renting from Prince George's County. Postponing this by a week, so hopefully the forecast is warmer and less breezy. I've adjusted the times so there will still be plenty of water to explore Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. We'll shove off from Bladensburg Waterfront Park promptly at 1:30pm and head downstream towards Kenilworth, about two miles downstream. We'll do a loop around the wetlands and hopefully see some early blooms and plenty of birds. Once everyone regroups, we'll turn around and paddle back to Bladensburg, arriving before 4pm to accommodate rental returns. This is event is suitable for paddleboards (including iSUPs), recreational/touring kayaks, and canoes, but not inflatable kayaks. Everyone must WEAR, not just bring a USCG-approved life jacket or PFD. **RENTERS** The Prince George's County Parks Department rents single and tandem kayaks or canoes at this launch. You MUST reserve beforehand (several days before a nice weather weekend). Rentals run from 1pm-4pm. We will start paddling at 1:30 and be back at the ramp just before 4. **As a reminder, this group is geared towards paddlers with at least a modest amount of experience.** We do not offer instruction and highly advise against joining any of these events if you have never paddled before. [Double check the date and reserve boats here.](https://mdpgparksweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/search.html?Action=Start&SubAction=&_csrf_token=kU6I180Y6V00232Y1Q452Q4D5X5Z545S0A6Y605H5P73595T6I4G035O645C656Q5X4J5C576L5S4B6H4V6R5V4J6P5271544Z565805534O4X53016E4Q5A5A076S405G&begindate=05%2F10%2F2026&enddate=05%2F10%2F2026&type=&subtype=&category=&keyword=&keywordoption=Match+All&features=&quantity=1&secondarycode=&features1=&features2=&features3=&features4=&features5=&features6=&features7=&features8=&blockstodisplay=24&begintime=01%3A00+pm&endtime=04%3A00+pm&primarycode=BWP+Rentals&timeblocksearch=&display=Graphical&layer=42018&module=RN&multiselectlist_value=&rnwebsearch_buttonsearch=yes) Single Kayaks: $25 for Prince George's and Montgomery County residents; $33 for non-residents Tandem Kayaks & Canoes: $30 for Prince George's and Montgomery County residents; $39 for non-residents

[https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38382930](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38382930) 24.1 miles. Picnic at Beltsville Community Center, 14 miles into the trail. Restrooms are available at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the event. This is an easy ride on relatively flat terrain and should be appropriate for all bikers and all bikes. The route is 24 miles and about 800 feet elevation gain. It should be a beautiful day. **WHERE AND WHEN WE MEET:** Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Rd, Bladensburg, MD 20710. We meet at 10:00 and ride at 10:15am **ROUTE:** MD-Trail 1 - can be downloaded from Ride with GPS here: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38382930](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38382930) We'll take the Anacostia River Trail north to the Northeast Branch Trail through Riverdale Park, around the College Park Airport to Lake Artemesia. The Paint Branch Trail takes you through the University of Maryland campus, alongside USDA research fields to Cherry Hill Rd., where we can stop and reverse the route back to Bladensburg. Mileage round trip is 24 +/- but there's more trail at either end of the ride for those who want to put in more miles. **RESTROOMS** Restrooms are available at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the event. **WHAT TO BRING:** Our bikes will always be in our sight. No additional locks are required to keep your bike safe on this trip. Bring snacks and a light lunch if you want to eat on the journey. Don't forget to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. **OTHER INFORMATION:** FYI: membership of the Ride With GPS E-bike Lovers club is now free as [www.ebikelovers.com](http://www.ebikelovers.com/) is generating sufficient income from ads to cover the costs. Here is the link to activate your free membership: [https://ridewithgps.com/auto_approve/Club/6746/Zwa5jhttF5mJrFbN](https://ridewithgps.com/auto_approve/Club/6746/Zwa5jhttF5mJrFbN) You will have access to over 2,000 miles of curated e-bike routes. With free membership, we hope everyone will download trails before we e-bike. This is the link to the EBL Ride With GPS page: [https://ridewithgps.com/organizations/6746-e-bike-lovers](https://ridewithgps.com/organizations/6746-e-bike-lovers) For the E-bike Lovers group to be successful, we need to grow our membership carefully. Please feel free to invite other E-bike lovers, spread the word and let's have fun. Please only RSVP if you are coming, so we know how many E-bike Lovers will participate. We enjoy a nearly 100% RSVP success rate. Thank you so much for your help! As usual, non-assisted bikers are most welcome. **Your registration for this ride signifies your agreement with the terms of the disclaimer below.** **DISCLAIMER** **LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, NEITHER GREGORY MAASSEN, NATHAN MERRIS, RICHARD CAMER, TRIP COORDINATORS, THEIR AFFILIATES, FAMILY AND FORMER AND CURRENT EMPLOYERS NOR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING, OR DELIVERING E-BIKE LOVERS GUIDES, OUR MEETUP EVENTS, AND THE GPS E-TRAILS IS LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF A USER’S ACCESS TO, OR USE OF THE E-BIKE LOVERS GUIDES, OUR MEETUP EVENTS, AND THE GPS E-TRAILS.** **See for the full disclaimer: https://ebikelovers.com/disclaimer**

Come play some casual Commander at Crystal City! Bring your favorite decks for some pickup games, and feel free to bring your trade binders if you'd like! **We play at 2100 Crystal Drive** in Arlington, VA, 22202, which is a seating area that is right next to We, the Pizza in Crystal City. Detailed directions on how to get there: **Directions from the Metro:** If you're taking the Metro, exit at Crystal City. When you come up the first set of escalators, turn left to enter the underground shops and then turn left again after a brief walk. Cross the street, enter the next building, and the seating area will be on the left after passing the Minuteman Press Printing and Marketing shop. **Parking:** If you're driving, garage parking is free after 4 pm. Enter the garage on 2144 Crystal Drive. There will be elevators that take you up to the main level. If you have any questions, please join our Discord for the most up-to-date information: https://discord.gg/fBUWvrAVMv

Let's see a movie this weekend. Haven't even seen a trailer for Mortal Kombat II but I've been a fan of Karl Urban since Xena: Warrior Princess so let's watch him on the big screen. Your host will be in seat E7. Let's see about getting food afterwards.

Join us as we kick off Summer Movie Season with a Happy Hour & a movie event to see the sci-fi action-adventure, THE MANDOLARIAN AND GROGU! The sci-fi action-adventure follows a lone bounty hunter and his apprentice Grogu (Baby Yoda) embark on an exciting new Star Wars adventure. Here are details, a trailer and our plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: In the film, Djarin and his apprentice Grogu are enlisted by the New Republic during a period where remaining Imperial warlords threaten the galaxy. The film is written/directed by Jon Favreau (the mastermind behind the early MCU films) and stars Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwild1rw7Aw HAPPY HOUR PLAN: For Happy Hour food and drinks before the show we’ll meet in the bar area at nearby Bravo at 5:15pm! We’ll have a section reserved for the group, so keep an eye out for us and we’ll keep one out for you! CMG Pro Tip: If you can, bring cash as it helps make for a quicker exit from the restaurant. MOVIE PLAN: Please purchase your ticket for the 6:45pm showing and meet in the lobby area at 6:30pm! Tickets on sale now and advance purchase as soon as possible is advised! Once you have yours, please list you seat number in the Comments section of this event. Happy Summer and See You Soon, Dan

The theme for May is Thriller. • The book we will be discussing is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. (determined by votes from April Book Club. Let me know if you'd like a free digital copy of the book) • This event will be at the main library. Feel free to come whether or not you've started or finished the book. • Small snacks will be provided. You're welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! Let me know if you’d like to volunteer to bring snacks or drinks for the group.

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/a/9/6/600_348310902.jpeg Instructor - Crow, HPS Class fee is $30 at the door or approved exchange RSVP with Advance pay of $25 (discounted) by PayPal on the web or by contacting Enchanted Elements (614) 437-2642. Reservations made directly to Enchanted Elements will be added to the class list manually not online. Private Instruction ~ Closed to the Public ~ Initiated Members Only Please come prepared for ritual. Blessings ~ Crow