Arty, smarty, but with a party?

December 18, 2009 8:52 AM

Mr. Arkham and I want to take a long weekend-type mini vacation in early February, somewhere either driveable or a cheap flight from DC. Our usual M.O. for picking places is to find a cool event, then plan a trip around it. He summed up what we're looking for as "arty, smarty, but with a party."

We love museum events like the Late Fridays at the V&A or Hirshhorn After Dark but we're also film and book nerds who go to horror and comic conventions.

We're mostly looking to stay within the U.S. but willing to venture farther if we can find an inexpensive flight. Walkable, arty cities like Portland (OR) and Toronto are ideal, but we don't want to go somewhere and then get stuck in a hotel due to bad weather.

Austin was a possibility, but I understand the bats aren't around that time of year so we'll probably save that for another trip.

So...anything cool and fun going on in your town in early February?

posted by JoanArkham to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh always has cool events. Friday evenings they usually have live music and movies and then Saturdays they do arts and crafts in the workshop. Although the Saturday workshop is geared towards kids, it is free and open to anyone. There is a fantastic Shepard Fairey exhibit up right now that goes till the end of January if you can make your trip a little sooner. I have made the drive to and from DC and it is not too long (4 hours or so) if the weather cooperates. The Carnegie Musem of Art is on the other side of town and is combined with the History Museum so you can change it up if you want.
posted by swizzlepants at 9:42 AM on December 18, 2009

Do you camp? There's a Burningman-affiliated gathering near Pittsburgh in February. I've done other events with this crowd, and it's definitely arty-party.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:43 AM on December 18, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions! Pittsburgh is definitely on our "to do" list, but I'm concerned about weather that time of year.

We so do not camp, MrMoonPie, but it's funny you should mention that...we may wind up going to Playa del Fuego over memorial Day weekend. See you there?
posted by JoanArkham at 10:47 AM on December 18, 2009

You may very well see us there, Joan. We've gone to Wickerman instead the last few years, but have been to PDF before; Wickerman has been rescheduled to June this time around, so I might be bringing my guitars, wine, and lasers to Delaware!
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:20 PM on December 18, 2009

Response by poster: Based on other factors we picked San Francisco...and then found this.
posted by JoanArkham at 10:13 AM on January 20, 2010