Happy Monday, DC!
This week is packed with big events. You can watch major musical artist Megan Thee Stallion perform at Broccoli City Festival, or sing along with Luke Combs at Commanders Field. Plus, Best of Washington returns for a night of unlimited bites and drinks.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
July 22-July 28
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- Broccoli City Festival.The popular Black-owned enterprise Broccoli City is back with another mix of big-name R&B and hip-hop artists: Megan Thee Stallion, Gunna, Victoria Monet, Sexyy Red, and Party Next Door, to name a few. New this year, the two-day jam session is moving to Audi Field. Festival-goers can expect reserved seats, VIP lounges, skybox suites, rooftop views, and more new ways to experience this high-energy summer fest (Sat-Sun, $225+, Audi Field).
- Mubadala Citi DC Open. DC’s annual showcase for international tennis talent returns. Last year at Mubadala Citi DC Open, Coco Gauff became the youngest women’s champion in the competition’s history. This summer, top players such as Frances Tiafoe, Reilly Opelka, and Madison Keys face off at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center. In addition to the tournament games, fans can eat bites from Roaming Rooster, Dolcezza, Oro Pizza, and Taco Bamba, attend an autograph session, and sit in on tennis talks (Sat through August 4, $22+, Rock Creek Park).
- Best of Washington. Sample delectable dishes and cuisines from more than 50 restaurants at this year’s Best of Washington party hosted by Washingtonian. Our annual food fest features bites from some of the area’s best eateries including Petite Ceriese, Opal, Ellie Bird, and Joon, at the National Building Museum. Also, there’s unlimited drinks at the open bar to pair with all of the eats. Invite a friend and use promo code BOW15 to score a discount on tickets (Thurs, $195+, Penn Quarter).
- Luke Combs in concert. Luke Combs’s version of “Fast Car” sounds great on the radio, but imagine hearing it live at a stadium. This summer, Combs’s country fans can see him play at Commanders Field with special guests Jordan Davis, the Avett Brothers, Drew Parker, and others (Fri-Sat, $91+,Commanders Field).
- Kids World. Take your kiddos to Franklin Park this weekend for an immersive pop-up packed with hands-on activities, installations, and games. Kids and teens can participate in art projects like face painting, coloring, and beading; work out with super heroes Wonder Woman and Spiderman; watch a teddy bear parade, and more at Kids World (Sat-Sun, free, Downtown).
- Ballroom on the Block. Electronic music DJs, yard games, food stands, and carnival treats are some of the draws of Ballroom on the Block. The electronic music street festival returns this summer for its second iteration of an outdoor day party featuring high-energy tunes from local DJs, a beer garden, corn hole, water pong, and more entertainment (Sat, $16+, Arlington).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Solve brainteasers at Kramers Literary Trivia (Mon, free, Dupont).
- Stanley, a self-driving winner of a historic robotic vehicle race, is on display at the Smithsonian (opens Tues, free, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
- Make massage candles at Shop Made in DC (Wed, $45, Union Market).
- Watch a screening of the documentary Brutal Utopias and participate in a post-film discussion with filmmaker Morgan Adamson at the National Building Museum (Wed, $15, Penn Quarter).
- Read books from Oprah and Reese Witherspoon’s summer book lists at Sundeck Summer Reads pop-up (Wed, free, Navy Yard).
- Movies on the Memorial is screening National Treasure: Book of Secrets this week (Thurs, free, Downtown).
- It’s Christmas in July at Heurich House. You can decorate wooden ornaments and eat ice cream (Fri, free, but registration encouraged, Dupont).
- Summer Renaissance Fair at Shipgarten features jousting, arrow-shooting, axe-throwing, stein hoisting, and more (Sat, free, McLean).
- Test your knowledge of the summer Olympics at Lee-Fendall House Museum (Fri, $12, Alexandria).
- Best-selling YA author Jason Reynolds is in conversation with music journalist and author Marcus J. Moore at Planet Word (Sat, free, Downtown).
- Play a game of Olympics trivia hosted by ESPN Radio (Sun, free, McLean).
- Spark your creativity at Foundry Gallery’s open mic poetry gallery (Sun, $10, Bloomingdale).
Community and heritage:
- A Tour Of Her Own leads a virtual tour about the roles of women in DC during the Civil War era (Tues, $25, virtual).
- This week’s Profs & Pints lecture uncovers the folklore of summer (Tues, $14, Penn Quarter).
Theater and shows:
- Back to the Future the Musical brings your favorite scenes from the movie to life on stage (Tues through August 11, $39+, Kennedy Center).
- Jazz vocalist Awa Sal Secka pays homage to jazz icons such as Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington at Signature Theatre (Tues through August 4, $46, Arlington).
- Laugh into the weekend with 24 regional comedians as they compete to win Comedy Kumite XL (Fri-Sun, $22, Downtown).
- Congressman Curly tells political jokes at Dupont Circle (Fri, $15, Adams Morgan).
Music and concerts:
- Bring a fiddle or guitar and play Scottish music with neighbors at The MacMillan Spirit House (Mon, free, Alexandria).
- Show your talent at Songbyrd’s open mic night (Mon, $12, Northeast).
- Mali band Tinariwen plays at the Warner Theatre (Tues, $20+, Downtown).
- Rapper That Mexican OT arrives at the Fillmore Silver Spring (Wed, $41, Silver Spring).
- Listen to local cover band Uncle Jesse’s throwback jams at Rosslyn Live (Thurs, $5, Arlington).
- Tickets to see singer Eilen Jewell at Hamilton Live are selling fast (Thurs, $15, Downtown).
- Award-winning band blink-182 is on the road this year for their One More Time Tour (Sat, $49+, Capital One Arena).
- Groove to Brazilian funk tunes performed by Simone Baron at Music in the Circle (Sat, free, Dupont).
- Beck is live in concert with the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap (Sat, $49+, Vienna).
- YouTuber and comedian Daz Games has a live show at Lincoln Theatre (Sun, $45+, U Street Corridor).
- Rapper YG makes a tour stop at the Fillmore Silver Spring (Sun, $20+, Silver Spring).
Exercise and wellness:
- Kickbox with fellow gym enthusiasts at Water Park (Mon, free, Arlington).
- Move your feet at Latin and African Dance Night at Georgetown Waterfront Park (Tues, free, Georgetown).
- Unwind on the water at Community Kayak Night (Thurs, $10+, Capitol Riverfront).
- Join the DC Trail Rangers and National Park Service for a local history bike tour of the surrounding areas of Anacostia Park (Sat, free, Anacostia).
Bites and beverages:
- Cheers at Merry Pin’s National Tequila Day Party featuring all-you-can-eat empanadas and a block printing station to create a your own towel (Wed, $35, Georgia Avenue).
Things to do with kids:
- Face painting, a moon bounce, a magic show, and character appearances from The Flash and Ariel are highlights of Shipgarten’s Family Festival (Sun, free, McLean).
If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
