Good day, DC!
There’s a lot to celebrate this week. Learn about the Juneteenth holiday during a community day at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, visit a Smithsonian museum after hours to ring in Solstice Saturday, or watch the rainbow-filled Capital Pride Parade. Also, DC rapper Wale has a two-day homecoming concert at Nats Park.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
June 15–21
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- Wale and Smino concert. DC rapper Wale released the widely praised album Everything Is a Lot in November. This weekend the lyricist has a two-day music fest to perform tracks from the project alongside musicians Smino and Alex Vaughn (Sat-Sun, general admission sold out, $536 VIP tickets, Nationals Park).
- Fête de la Musique. Georgetown will host more than 30 live acts and concerts during Fête de la Musique across several outdoor locations and two stages at the French Embassy. The ode to the French holiday includes Latin dance on the waterfront, country and blues tunes at Old Stone House Museum, and lots more family-friendly entertainment (June 20, free, Georgetown).
- Juneteenth Community Day. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is going all out for the holiday to celebrate Opal Lee’s 100th birthday. All ages are invited to participate in a line dancing workshop, cooking class, art-making, and story time for kids (Fri, free, but registration required, Smithsonian African American History and Culture Museum).
- Home Rule Music Festival. This celebration of DC’s musical roots kicks off at the Parks at Walter Reed on Saturday. The free outdoor concert plans to transport festival goers into the cosmos with jazz, soul, go-go, and funk rhythms from artists such as Chuck Brown Band, Melanie Charles, Trouble Funk, and SunRa Arkestra featuring Marshall Allen (Sat, free, Takoma Park).
- Solstice Saturday. Ring in the first day of summer at Solstice Saturday with live jazz, curator talks, arts and crafts, and more after-hours fun at several Smithsonian museums (Fri-Sat, free, various participating locations).
- Capital Pride Parade. Capital Pride Alliance’s annual parade struts through DC streets in honor of the city’s LGBTQ+ history and community. Wave a rainbow flag as marchers, performers, and decorated floats parade through parts of Logan Circle, Shaw, Downtown DC, and Penn Quarter beginning at 3 PM (Sat, free, various DC locations).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Journey through deep space at Starstruck, a new virtual reality stargazing experience designed with real astronomical data (ongoing, $29, Penn Quarter).
- Look at more than 40 mixed-media works by photographer Bonnie Lautenberg that blend film with art history (through August 9, free, Northwest DC).
- View large-scale bronze sculptures of a panda, tiger, giraffe, and other endangered animals at City Center DC’s new installation A Wild Race Against Time (through November 1, free, Downtown).
- The Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building reopens for a limited time to present the Voices and Votes exhibit (Tues through September 7, free, Southwest DC).
- Watch a late-night movie screening of The Matrix atop Hedy’s Rooftop Pool (Wed, $30, Downtown).
- Catch a screening of pioneering Black African film Black Girl at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (Wed, $10, Silver Spring).
- Poet and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. returns to Planet Word to discuss his latest book Knucklehead (Sat, free, Downtown).
- National Gallery of Art is showing classic musical Singin’ in the Rain (Sun, free, registration encouraged, National Gallery of Art).
Community and heritage:
- Greet the amateur sailors who are racing around the world (Wed through June 22, free, Wharf).
- Attend a concert by the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices at Shiloh Baptist Church in commemoration of Black history in Alexandria (Fri, free, Alexandria).
- Shop a marketplace of Black-owned businesses, listen to live music, and more at Juneteenth for the City (Fri, free, Anacostia).
- The Soulversations Juneteenth Block Party is a food, music, and art experience (Fri, free, Union Market).
- 17th Street Block Party returns this Pride Month for restaurant deals, family-friendly activities, and drag performances (Sat, free, Dupont Circle).
Theater and shows:
- Snarky comic Daniel Tosh does standup at Warner Theatre (Thurs-Fri, $39+, Downtown).
- Get tickets to comedian Dominick Pupa’s This Is Not a Pride Show But It’s June and I’m Gay standup show at The Comedy Loft (Thurs, $35, Dupont Circle).
Music and concerts:
- Gospel music star Tye Tribbett celebrates the 20th anniversary of his breakout project Victory with a live concert (Fri, $226+, MGM National Harbor).
- Everyday People bash is a groovy option for a day party at The Bullpen (Sat $36, Navy Yard).
- Local go-go and soul bands Back Alley and Junkyard Band perform live at BlackRock Center for the Arts (Sat, free, Germantown).
- Glitter, deejay tunes, dancing, and live drag performances are part of this open-air fest with indie queer artists at Metrobar (Sat, $9.58, Brentwood).
- DJs and artists Rico Nasty, Yaeji, The Dare, and more bring Venus energy to Berhta (Sat, $60, Northeast DC).
- Rapper Leikeli47, DJ Harrison, pop singer Lisa Lisa, and others perform at this year’s outdoor Capital Pride Concert (Sun, free, VIP $230+, Downtown).
Bites and beverages:
- Come dressed in a throwback ’00s outfit to dance to Y2K hits and enjoy cocktails and bites in celebration of Mr. Henry’s 60th anniversary (Thurs, $30, Downtown).
Exercise and wellness:
- Seniors can participate in a mobility and aerobics workout (Sat, free, Anacostia).
- Choose from cardio boxing, R&B pilates, or Trap yoga at Franklin Park’s outdoor fitness session (Sat, free, Downtown).
- Kids ages three to six years old can go on a short bike ride through Capitol Hill (Sat, free, Eastern Market).
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.
