Navy Yard's busiest night this month is a Saturday soccer final, not a baseball game. The Nationals finished their season weeks ago. On Saturday, November 21, the National Women's Soccer League plays its 2026 championship at Audi Field with an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS. Two days later, The Yards' Sundeck lights up for the holidays.
Between those two dates, a new restaurant has opened at Urby, a bakery is still getting ready at the Thompson Hotel, and the Saturday farmers market is down to its last listed weeks.
How November Lines Up Without Baseball
| Date | What | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturdays, Nov. 7, 14 and 21 | Half Street Central Farmers Market | Half Street | Open-air market |
| Saturday, Nov. 14, 5 to 8 p.m. | Boots on the Boardwalk | The Yards Boardwalk | Free, registration required |
| Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m. | 2026 NWSL Championship | Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave. SW | Ticketed |
| Nightly, Nov. 23 to Jan. 1, 5 to 10 p.m. | Light Yards | The Yards' Sundeck | Free, registration required |
Two of these four dates are Saturdays that already have something else going on. The Half Street Central Farmers Market runs every Saturday from spring through fall with more than 30 local vendors. Its calendar currently lists dates through November 21. That means the market's last listed Saturday falls on championship day, and the Saturday before it shares the evening with a country night on the boardwalk.
Boots on the Boardwalk on November 14 offers live country music, line dancing, games and a mechanical bull from 5 to 8 p.m. It's free, but The Yards asks you to register. If you want to shop the market and come back for the boardwalk that evening, you can do both on foot.
A New Dining Room Opened Into the Off-Season
Bar Nuestro opened on Wednesday, October 28, at Urby on Yards Place SE. It comes from Daniella Senior, the owner of Colada Shop. It opened after baseball season ended, so its first season is the cold-weather calendar above.
In Washingtonian's opening coverage, Senior describes a menu built on the Latin and European mix she grew up with in the Dominican Republic. Dishes include yuca beignets, an oxtail ragu over mafalde pasta, a smash burger with banana ketchup, and a sweet plantain sundae. Entrées run $26 to $54 and classic cocktails $14 to $17. A pre-batched $10 "Tiny Tini" reaches the table in about two minutes.
Two details are especially useful for neighbors who eat out with family or friends who have dietary limits. According to Washingtonian, everything that goes through the fryer is gluten-free, and the kitchen uses no seed oils, peanuts or tree nuts. Dishes are labeled vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free.
The space has 80 seats inside, three private dining nooks, and a 60-seat courtyard patio with a koi pond in the center of the Urby building. Senior told Washingtonian, "When I saw the patio, I'm like, 'This has to be the best patio in DC.'"
The grand-opening release PoPville published lists these hours:
- Monday and Tuesday: 4 to 10 p.m.
- Wednesday and Thursday: 4 to 11 p.m.
- Friday: 4 p.m. to midnight
- Saturday: 11 a.m. to midnight
- Sunday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
On Saturdays it opens at 11 a.m. and stays open until midnight. That covers market day, the afternoon, and the late evening after a match.
The Bakery Still on Its Way, and the Izakaya Already Here
A few blocks east, Kneads Bakeshop is moving into the Thompson Hotel at 221 Tingey St. SE. Eater DC's fall preview listed October as its target. Celeste McCall's October 18 Capitol Cuisine column in HillRag still listed it as coming soon. She describes a 5,500-square-foot space with a pastry counter, a full-service bar, a large dining area and a patio when the weather allows. The menu she previews includes crème brûlée donuts, pistachio baklava croissants, Basque cheesecakes and seasonal bakes like roasted garlic sourdough. Check before you walk over.
That same column covers Takumi Bistro & Bar at 20 M St. SE, which opened in the spring and offers izakaya-style small plates. McCall reports two bento boxes at $24.95 each, one with sushi and one with cooked items like shrimp tempura, plus a six-ounce glass of Bushido draft sake for $9. Her column opens by noting that the Nationals have left for the season but the neighborhood is still busy, and it lists at least two restaurants in the works.
Saturday, November 21, Hour by Hour
This is the day the month builds up to. The NWSL set Audi Field as the championship site in a June 3 announcement, and its September 22 schedule fills in the rest of the day. Some neighborhood calendars list the match on Sunday the 22nd. The league and Audi Field's event page both list Saturday, November 21, at 8 p.m.
- 8 a.m. The first NWSL Championship 5K, presented by CVS Health, runs along The Wharf and benefits the American Heart Association.
- During the day. The Half Street Central Farmers Market sets up on Half Street for the last date on its current calendar.
- 3 to 7 p.m. The sixth annual NWSL Fan Fest takes over The Wharf with games, sponsor booths, food, drinks and music. It's free and open to the public, and the league takes RSVPs through Eventbrite.
- 7:30 p.m. CBS and Paramount+ start pregame coverage.
- 8 p.m. Kickoff at Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave. SW. Audi Field's listing runs the event until 10:30 p.m.
Audi Field's page shows tickets on sale through Ticketmaster. The league's official fan events are at The Wharf, so the pre-match crowd builds there in the afternoon and moves to the stadium in the evening. If you live nearby and plan to stay home, the national broadcast means you can watch from the couch.
Two Days Later, the Lights Come On
Light Yards opens Monday, November 23, and runs nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. through January 1. This year's installation, new for 2026, puts more than 20 tall illuminated candy canes on The Yards' Sundeck. Visitors press buttons to start animated light displays. Admission is free, but The Yards requires registration through Eventbrite. On Mondays, Bar Nuestro closes at 10 p.m., the same time the lights go off.
Light Yards runs for six weeks, while the soccer final takes one Saturday night. For the rest of the year, the Sundeck installation is the main thing on the calendar.
The Rink Hasn't Posted Its Dates
The Canal Park ice rink at 200 M St. SE usually ends up on a Navy Yard winter calendar, but it hasn't announced a 2026–27 opening yet. The rink's own site still shows it closed and lists only last season, which ran December 5, 2025, through March 2, 2026. If this season follows a similar schedule, skating would start soon after Light Yards opens. Last season's dates don't guarantee this year's, so check the rink's page for the 2026 opening, hours and prices before you go.
If you're weighing a condo near the river or a rowhouse a few blocks back from M Street and want an honest view of how game nights, holiday crowds and the neighborhood's busy weekends fit into everyday life there, Brandon Foy and the Sproost Properties team can talk it through with you. Let's Get You Started.
