Tonight, some 3,000 people will descend upon a former monument to the newsgathering profession for purposes of arty debauchery. Put another way: The massive new Artisphere in the former Newseum in Rosslyn is celebrating its opening weekend, and tonight, the websites Brightest Young Things and the Pink Line Project are hosting a balloon-themed fete—-called Burst, natch!—-that should attract no shortage of stylish culture consumers from both sides of the Potomac River.

Tonight and at tomorrow’s open house, we’ll be tweeting whatever madness we encounter, though Kriston Capps, Erin Petty, andI have different reasons (read: in-progress stories) for attending. My reason involves beer.

Follow our collective thoughtstream after the jump: