Happy Monday, DC!
Snap and clap to the rhythms of DC Jazz Fest or move your feet to the beats of major music stars Tems and Wizkid at Afro Plus Fest. Also, there’s family fun at the DC State Fair over Labor Day weekend.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
August 31–September 7
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- DC Jazz Fest. Listen to homegrown and international jazz tunes at the District’s most popular ode to the genre. This year’s finger-snapping lineup features award-winning artists such as Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet and Kurt Elling as well as local musicians Nasar Abadey and Janelle Gill. Most of the shows and concerts will take place at Wharf-area venues: Arena Stage, Union Stage, Pearl Street Warehouse, and the Anthem (Wed-Sun, $29+, Wharf, Downtown).
- Afro Plus Fest. Afrobeat stars Wizkid, Davido, Tems, and Alkaline headline the second iteration of Afro Plus Fest this Labor Day weekend. After a sold-out debut last year, the Afro-Caribbean and hip-hop party is expanding to a multi-day showcase at Northwest Stadium where fans can whine their hips to the beats of amapiano, soca, and other high-energy genres (Fri-Sun $199+ for three-day admission, Northwest Stadium).
- DC State Fair. If you like pie, mumbo sauce, and all things made in DC, then the DC State Fair is an event for you. Anthem Row will host a showcase of the city’s agricultural, culinary, and creative talents such as bands Pocket Threes and the Jogo Project (Sun, free, Downtown).
- Electric Coney Labor Day 0.5K. Tickets are going fast to race—or slack—through a half-kilometer route beginning and ending at Electric Cool-Aid. Athletes, walkers, joggers, and even crawlers are encouraged to finish the race in between bites of hot dogs and sips of refreshing beverages; costumes are welcome (September 7, $58, Shaw).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Watch the Love Island reunion with social club New Friends, Old Strangers over prosecco and happy hour bites at Moxies Restaurant (Mon, $10, Downtown).
- If you’re under 5’4″, this clothing swap at Rhizome is a great way to add some new items to your wardrobe (Tues, free, donations welcome, Takoma).
- Watch a screening of space movie Project Hail Mary (Tues, free, MLK Library).
- Play a laid-back game of American Mahjong at Aslin Beer Co. (Wed, $39, Alexandria).
- Learn about DC’s Black poets (Wed, free, MLK Library).
- Get a flash tattoo at Phillips after 5 (Thurs, $20, Dupont Circle).
- Calling all Bey Hive members to a Beyonce-themed trivia night at Shaw’s Tavern (Fri, $26, Shaw).
- See paintings, ceramics, furniture, and other art pieces at Labor Day Art Show (Sat through September 7, free, $10 donation welcome, Glen Echo Park).
- View the “Basquiat × Banksy” exhibit before it closes this week, and there’s an art talk with music scholar Adrian Loving (Fri, free, Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden).
Community and heritage:
- Publisher Sarah Longwell unpacks her book on American politics How to Eat an Elephant at Sixth & I (Thurs, $45 for in-person, $12+ for virtual, Downtown).
- View rare artifacts and film footage at the Capital Jewish Museum’s “Blacklisted: An American Story” (closes September 7, $12 for adults, free for kids under 12, Downtown).
Theater and shows:
- Watch a movie screening of Hook accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra (Sat, $40+, Wolf Trap).
- You can learn how to juggle, hula hoop, and watch circus performances at Circus Arts Conservatory (Sat through September 7, free, Smithsonian American History Museum, Arts and Industries Building).
Music and concerts:
- Sing along to songs from iconic artists Dolly Parton and Tim Curry at JR’s (Mon, free entry, Dupont Circle).
- Latin band Grupo Frontera plays live at EagleBank Arena (Fri, $238+, Fairfax).
Bites and beverages:
- Sip cocktails from one of Uruguay’s top bars at this mixology pop-up (Tues, free entry, U Street Corridor).
- Savor roast lamb, falafel, sweets and more at Middle Eastern Food Festival (Sat-Sun, free entry, McLean).
Things to do with kids:
- Kiddos can explore chocolate-inspired play places before Hershey Super Sweet Adventure closes (through Mon, $25+, Tysons).
- Relive the legacy of RFK Stadium with games, live music, and more family-fun (Sat, free, RFK Campus).
Plan ahead:
- American Icons is the kickoff theme for fall’s National Gallery Nights and the lottery opens this week (September 10, free, but registration is required via a ticket lottery Mon-Thurs, National Gallery of Art).
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.
