Two free stops this week

We have some new ideas for free things to do today and tomorrow, and both are absolutely no-pressure: just stop by or drop in.

Golden Triangle Holiday Film Fest
Here's a secret tip to add some charm to a casual date this week. If you're wandering along Connecticut Avenue, perhaps admiring some holiday window displays, tell your sweetie to look up. From 5 to 7 p.m., you'll see a series of nostalgia-inducing films screening on the south-facing wall of the Tiny Jewel Box. Films will be projected at the fifth-story level, 30 feet wide onto the brick "screen," so your best viewing spot is on the west side of Connecticut Avenue NW in the 1100 block. "White Christmas" plays Wednesday, the 1966 animated version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" will run on a loop on Thursday, and 1993's "The Nutcracker," featuring Macaulay Culkin and the New York City Ballet, screens Friday.

-- Anne Kenderdine

Bauble
Teddy bears and treehouses may be symbols of childhood for most people, but at the opening reception on Thursday from 6-9 p.m., these and other tokens of playtime will also serve as artistic inspiration. At U Street's newest gallery, Wool Exploratorium, more then 30 artists will exhibit and sell toy-themed work to raise money for Project Create, which helps local at-risk youth. Participating artists include glass artist Tim Tate, roller-derby-loving muralist Cory Oberndorfer and Guggenheim fellow Alan Turner. The opening celebration also boasts entertainment by DJs Todd Threats and Vince Brown.

-- Stephanie Merry