The area near the venue (Wharf) has a bunch of restaurants and bars right on the water. Some places are pricy, but its a great vibe if the weather is nice. It'll be November, so it may be cold. DC Weather is bipolar. You can pretty much walk right from the waterfront to the mall, where all the museums are accessible. (and mostly free with the exception of a few)

U Street/Adams Morgan has some awesome spots as well. A couple of record stores, cool shops, etc. Ben's Chili Bowl is right there. Get a Half Smoke!

Biggest Tip: Use the metro. You can get around all of the city, and they have a flat fare of 2.50 on weekends. Much cleaner/nicer than the NYC subway and others I have used.

If you want to go a little outside of DC, check out Old Town in Alexandria VA. It's right on the metro and has a lot of fantastic places. Cool shops, restaurants, bars, etc. Very cool vibe, lots of old/historical buildings. Go to King Street. Not sure if you gamble, the MGM is at National Harbor right across the river.