Happy Monday, DC!
Two new museum spaces open this week: National Geographic Museum of Exploration and the Lincoln Memorial’s cavernous undercroft. Also, Rare Essence, Raheem Devaughn, and more local acts perform live downtown at the annual Barbecue Battle.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
June 22–June 28
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- National Geographic Museum of Exploration. National Geographic’s new Museum of Exploration opens this weekend with a three-day festival in commemoration of America 250. View the works of iconic Nat Geo photographers at “Red, White & Blue: Photographs of the United States,” listen to curator talks, and see music and dance performances (opens Fri, $30 for adults, $26 for seniors, $23 for ages 5 to 17, free for children 4 and younger, Downtown).
- Lincoln Memorial Undercroft. The Lincoln Memorial has a brand new underground museum. Visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at the memorial’s century-old concrete foundations and learn the origin story of the monument’s creation across a 15,000‑square‑foot exhibit space (opens Thurs, $1, National Mall).
- Barbecue Battle. Devour finger-licking samples from America’s top pit masters at Giant’s 34th annual Barbecue Battle. In between savory dishes and treats, dance to live go-go, afrobeats, salsa, and more tunes from local bands and DJs (Sat-Sun, $21, Penn Quarter).
- Volo Sports World Cup watch parties. Volo Sports jumps into the FIFA excitement with a round of lively World Cup watch parties at Wunder Garten. Head to NoMa’s outdoor beer garden to root on your favorite teams; France, USA, Jordan, Argentina, and several others compete this week. There’s giveaways, multiple TV screens, and food and drink deals (Mon-Sat, $15+, NoMa).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Visit a DC Public Library to view art installations, portraits, and other local histories as part of the new exhibition “Hometown DC” (through October 5, free, various participating locations).
- Enjoy journaling and phone-free conversation at Here & Now (Wed, $25+, register for address).
- Local poets present their artistry at Annapolis City Dock waterfront; bring a lawn chair and enjoy the live recital (Wed, free, Annapolis).
- Sit in on a conversation with Isaac Butler about his new book The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America’s Culture Wars at Politics and Prose (Thurs, free, Northwest DC).
- If you’re looking for a weekday thrill, watch these five-minute horror films (Sat, free, Capitol Hill).
- Browse a local makers’ market, grab a drink from a beer garden, and watch crafts demo at District Creates Festival (Sun, $10+, free for ages 2 to 12, Anacostia).
- Block print your own clothes at Doubles Cafe (Sun, $24, Petworth).
Community and heritage:
- Author Norman Kelley lectures on the history of exploitation of Black music (Wed, free, West End).
- Experience carnival rides, live performances, and expositions at Great American State Fair (Thurs through July 10, free, National Mall).
- Watch teams race self-made bicycles at Red Bull Spin Off (Sat, free, Wharf).
- Find trendy threads at Transmission’s queer fashion show (Sat-Sun, $13, H Street Corridor).
Music and concerts:
- It’s the last call to see soul vocalist Jill Scott live at MGM National Harbor (Tues, $427+, National Harbor).
- Practice your line dancing at Dew Drop Inn’s queer party (Tues, $12, Edgewood).
- Art-rock musician St. Vincent makes a Wolf Trap debut backed by National Symphony Orchestra (Thurs, $57+, Vienna).
- Indie-rock artists Dyego and BluNites play live at Pearl Street Warehouse (Thurs, $21, Wharf).
- Attend a multi-day R&B and soca block party with your besties at Fest Wknd (Fri-Sun, $12+, Navy Yard).
- Two-step and sing along to R&B singer Bobby V at Throw Social’s tropical venue (Sat, free+, Ivy City).
Bites and beverages:
- Taste tori karaage and waffles for brunch or have a hands-on Temaki sushi experience at the jazzy Oasis: The Listening Bar. There’s weekly live music and cool libations, too (daily, free entry, Arlington).
Things to do with kids:
- Go to a family-friendly concert or outdoor movie screening during Fairfax County’s Summer Entertainment Series (opens Wed, free, Fairfax).
- Ice cream, face painting, and coloring will keep kiddos entertained while adults network with the mental health community (Wed, free, Arlington).
- Have a movie night out with family at Marie Reed Recreation Center. Bring a blanket and picnic to this week’s screening of Kangaroo (Thurs, free, Adams Morgan).
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.
