Good day, DC!
Welcome back from the extended weekend. Explore art, fashion, and dining deals after hours during Art All Night this weekend. Also, Adams Morgan Day includes a mural reveal, and actor Brian Cox stars in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Score.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
September 8–13
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- National Gallery Nights. American Icons is the kickoff theme for fall’s National Gallery Nights. Come dressed in your most fashionable red, white, and blue for an evening of DJ dancing, live Appalachian music, and visual art interpretations of the US flag (Thurs, free, but limited walk-up tickets available, National Gallery of Art).
- Art All Night. Experience art nearly round-the-clock—painting, photography, fashion, music, and dining—during the District’s 15th Art All Night. You can visit the official app to see the calendar of events across all eight wards (Fri-Sat, free, multiple DC locations).
- Adams Morgan Day. Move your feet to the rhythms of DC-based Jamaican reggae artist Carl Malcolm, show off your singing talents at a karaoke showcase, watch DC Casineros perform folkloric Cuban dance, and find much more family-friendly fun at Adams Morgan Day (Sun, free, Adams Morgan).
- The Score at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Actor Brian Cox—best known for his role in HBO’s Succession—is the lead star in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Score. The production narrates German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s 18th-century visit to Frederick II (Fri through October 18, $43+, Downtown).
- Robyn at The Anthem. Listen—or sing along—to Robyn’s synth-pop anthems at the Wharf this week. The first concert is sold out, but there’s still time to snag a ticket to the second show and hear songs from Sexistential, the Swedish artist’s first album in eight years (Wed, $92+, Wharf).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Journalists Asma Khalid and John Harwood discuss the future of journalism at Politics and Prose (Wed, free, virtual, Northwest DC).
- Comic fans can meet cartoonists from Taiwan at the library (Thurs, free, MLK Library).
- Discover 15th-century dress from the Inka empire in the exhibit “Weaving an Empire” at the George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum (Sat, free, Northwest DC).
- Craft and design your own colorful mini pig or star piñata at Del Ray Artisans Gallery (Sun, $15 for children, $30 for adults, Alexandria).
Community and heritage:
- This live dance performance at the Library of Congress interprets the personal stories of World War II veterans (Thurs, free, registration required, Library of Congress).
- Learn about the recovery efforts of US Army engineers through artifacts and personal stories at the exhibit “Steel & Stone: Engineering the Response to 9/11” (Fri-Sun, free, Fort Belvoir).
- Stop by the Prince George’s Publik Playhouse to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with face painting, food truck eats, salsa dancing, and live music by Pablo Antonio y La Firma and DJ Suelto (Sun, free, Hyattsville).
Theater and shows:
- Signature Theatre pays homage to some of Broadway’s lead women from the Golden Age (Tues through September 20, $61, Arlington).
- Venus—a dark comedy about dating—opens at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (Wed through October 4, $20+, Penn Quarter).
- Experience blues tunes, comedy, and August Wilson’s acclaimed storytelling at Round House Theatre’s rendition of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Wed through October 11, $53+, Bethesda).
- Mosaic Theatre spins the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz into an immigration story in new production Somewhere over the Border (Thurs through October 4, $65, H Street Corridor).
- DC’s high-energy dance crew Step Afrika! marks the country’s 250th anniversary with a moving performance (Thurs through November 1, $77+, Southwest DC).
- Get tickets to the heartwarming true story Come From Away at Ford’s Theatre (Thurs through October 18, $20+, Penn Quarter).
- Keegan Theatre premieres A Beautiful Blue Morning Sky. The concert tells stories of September 11 (Fri-Sun, donations welcome, Dupont Circle).
Music and concerts:
- Bluegrass, country, folk, and Americana bands play at the Watermelon Pickers’ Fest (Thurs-Sat, $87+, Berryville).
- Folger Consort takes a musical tour through 17th-century Venice featuring sounds composed by Claudio Monteverdi (Fri-Sun, $20+, Capitol Hill).
- Rosslyn Jazz Fest ushers in another weekend of contemporary jazz performances (Sat, free, Arlington).
Get involved:
- Volunteer to beautify the grounds at Alexandria National Cemetery and clean headstones in honor of 9/11 (Sat, free, Alexandria).
- Check out trendy fashions for kids and garden displays at Hillwood Estate to help raise funds for Project Create Art Center (Sat, $92+ for adults, $44+ for ages 4 to 12, free for ages younger than 3, Northwest DC).
- Nonprofit Young Mothers, Inc. is treating local moms to a self-care and wellness day at the library. You can volunteer your time or beauty and makeup services to support the event (Sat, donations welcome, Anacostia).
Things to do with kids:
- Venture through Bluey’s House with your kiddos and say hello to Bluey and Bingo (daily through October 31, $42+, Tysons).
- There’s circus snacks, face painting, and enchanting French acrobats at Cirque de Paris (Thurs through September 20, $20+ for adults, $10 general admission for ages 3 to 12, National Harbor).
Plan ahead:
- Get tickets to an Oyamel party in celebration of music producer Benny Blanco’s new book F*ck Failure (September 17, $250+, Downtown).
- Legendary hip-hop band The Roots teams up with go-go veterans Junkyard Band for a soulful concert; tickets are on sale now (September 18, $95+, National Harbor).
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.
