Things to Do

26 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

National Book Festival, Foo Fighters, and "The Notebook" musical are great going-out plans this week.

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The Notebook musical. Photograph courtesy of Nederlander Prod. Co.

Happy Monday, DC!

Cynthia Erivo joins more than 80 authors at the National Book Festival this weekend. Plus, it’s a music-filled week: Foo Fighters play at Nationals Park, there’s a concert at Carter Barron Amphitheater, and The Notebook gets a musical remix.

 

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

August 17–August 23

    1. National Book Festival. Cynthia Erivo, Ann Patchett, Martin Scorsese, Annette Gordon-Reed, and 80 more authors are participating in this year’s National Book Festival. The Library of Congress’s reading jamboree features panel discussions with award-winning writers, author meet-and-greets, crafts, and live storytelling performances for children by local troupe Story District (Sat, free, registration required, Mount Vernon Square).
    2. Foo Fighters. Virginia native Dave Grohl has a homecoming concert at Nationals Park with his band Foo Fighters in promotion of their latest album, Your Favorite Toy, (Mon, $40, Nationals Park).
    3. Summer in the Parks. The historic Carter Barron Amphitheater has been closed for a decade. This weekend, the venue reopens for three nights of live performances and music from local acts Black Alley, JazzDC AllStars, and several others; tickets are going fast (Thurs-Sat, $16, Rock Creek Park).
    4. The Notebook at National Theatre. Nicholas Sparks’s love story is a best-selling novel and a tear-jerking film. Now, the unforgettable romance is a touring musical. Audiences can watch Noah and Ally fall in love again live on stage through song and dance (Wed through August 30, $44+, National Theatre).
    5. Masego concert. Jamaican American vocalist and instrumentalist Masego lights up the Anthem this weekend with smooth R&B melodies from his latest album Fix Your Face (Sat, $62+, Wharf).
Related
August Culture Guide: 38 Things to Do in the DC Area

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

  • All skill levels are invited to this weekly community Mahjong Night at the library (Tues, free, MLK Library).
  • Participate in a poetry workshop with poet María Fernanda at Folger Shakespeare Library (Fri, free, registration required, Capitol Hill).
  • Movies on the Pitch closes out its summer screenings with an action-packed showing of Top Gun: Maverick (Thurs, free, Audi Field).

Community and heritage:

  • Virginia Tech’s Civil War history professor Paul Quigley answers questions about the Civil War and American conflict (Mon, $14, Penn Quarter).
  • Taste honey, go on a garden tour, and more outdoor fun at Mt. Pleasant Pollinator Fest (Sun, free, Mount Pleasant).

Theater and shows:

  • Catch more than 200 shows at Washington Improv Theater’s Improvapalooza (Wed-Sun, $25+, Logan Circle).
  • Comic Pauly Shore does stand-up at the Comedy Loft (Thurs, $40.50, Dupont Circle).

Music and concerts:

  • It’s been two decades since My Chemical Romance released The Black Parade. Fans can relive the music at Nats Park this month (Tues, $101+, Nationals Park).
  • Grammy-winning artist Ledisi pays homage to jazz singer Dinah Washington (Fri-Sat, $29+, Bethesda).
  • Ella Mai performs intimate tracks from her Do You Still Love Me? record to a sold-out audience at the Anthem (Fri,$95+ from third-party sellers, Wharf).
  • Vocalist Anthony Green is live in concert at the Atlantis (Sat, $43, Shaw).
  • Listen to live bands play zydeco, bluegrass, and more folk sounds at the Washington Folk Festival (Sun, free, Glen Echo).
  • Move your feet at Pitchers at this queer line-dancing session (Sun, free, Adams Morgan).

Bites and beverages:

  • Stick a fork in Alexandria’s diverse culinary scene during Restaurant Week (through Sun, $35+, various participating locations)

Things to do with kids:

  • Kiddos can watch a movie screening of Trolls World Tour at the library (Fri, free, Bellevue).
  • Ride zooming carnival attractions at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair (through Sat, $17, Gaithersburg).
  • The classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty gets a time-traveling remix at Adventure Theatre and ATMTC Academy (through Sun, $28, Glen Echo).

Sports:

  • Cheer on our favorite women’s basketball team, the Washington Mystics (Wed, Fri, $69+, Congress Heights).
  • Indycar racers will zoom through downtown at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix (Sat-Sun, free, National Mall).
  • Keep up the summer’s soccer energy at a Washington Spirit home game (Sun, $29+, Audi Field).
  • Queer basketball enthusiasts can play a game of pickup at Watkins Park (Sun, free, bring-your-own-ball, Capitol Hill).

 

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Briana Thomas

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.