Good day, DC!
Hispanic Heritage Month begins this week with a Latin film festival boasting more than 40 screenings. Also, neighbors can learn more about the District on a free guided tour during Walking Town, and H Street Festival is back.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
September 14–20
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- H Street Festival. H Street Festival showcases local eateries, vendors, and fashions and offers kids’ activities and contests. There are also music performances from local artists such as Mychelle Lee and DJ Ty-One (Sat, free, H Street Corridor).
- “Routed West” exhibit at National Museum of Women in the Arts. Discover the heritage of African American quilts in the new exhibit “Routed West” at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Museum-goers can view more than 80 intricate artworks connected to the Second Great Migration (opens Fri, $16, free for ages under 21, Downtown).
- AFI Latin American Film Festival. Explore Latin American movies with a pass to this multi-week film fest. AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is screening 43 movies such as World Cup documentary The Match and the US premiere of São Paulo dramedy Isabel. The theater is also hosting filmmaker talks and throwing parties with embassies (Wed through October 7, $15 for general admission, $200 for festival pass, Silver Spring).
- Walking Town. Celebrate local culture and heritage on a guided tour during Walking Town. Lace up your tennis shoes for a stroll through NoMa’s street art, Brookland’s historic landmarks, DC’s hidden cemeteries, and more engaging routes (Sat through September 26, free, various locations).
- Charles County Fair. All ages can sing along outdoors to live gospel, R&B, country, and rock concerts at this fair. Plus Reptile World invites children to learn about sea creatures and meet them (Thurs-Sun, $10 for adults, free for ages 10 and under, La Plata).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Head to Alethia Tanner Park for a colorful mural festival (through Fri, free, NoMa).
- Attend Addison/Ripley Fine Art’s opening reception of “Projection Warnings” by artist Robin Bell—the creator behind the anti-Trump protest projections at the former Trump Hotel (Sat, free, Georgetown).
- Create traditional Korean masks at Chuseok Family Festival (Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art).
- See posters, prints, and more artworks from the US Treasury at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream’s “Shaping American Identity” exhibit (opens Sat, free timed-entry tickets, Downtown).
Community and heritage:
- Ukrainian dance, traditional crafts, face painting for kids, and a beer garden are back at Ukrainian Festival (Fri-Sun, free on Fri and for ages under 21, $15+ for Sat-Sun, Silver Spring).
- Falls Church’s artsy family-friendly festival turns 50 (Sat, free, $3 taste tickets, Falls Church).
Theater and shows:
- It’s the final week to see Signature Theatre’s homage to some of Broadway’s leading women from the Golden Age (closes Sun, $61, Arlington).
- DC’s high-energy dance crew Step Afrika! marks the country’s 250th anniversary with a moving new production (through November 1, $77+, Southwest DC).
- Commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11 at Ford’s Theatre’s Come From Away (through October 18, $20+, Penn Quarter).
Music and concerts:
- Latin jazz band René Ibáñez & Cubano Groove plays live at Met Park (Thurs, free, Arlington).
- Salsa dancing on the waterfront is back (Thurs, free, Wharf).
- Dance the night away to the beats of throwback tunes from the ’00s at 9:30 Club (Fri, $28.50, Shaw).
- Learn country, Latin, and trail ride line dances at Forest Hills Park (Sat, free, Van Ness).
- Bikini Kill, creators of the “Rebel Girl” punk anthem, rock out at The Fillmore (Sat, $62+, Silver Spring).
- Dress in dirndls and lederhosen and join a community choral performance; there’s beer, too (Sun, $15, Dupont Circle).
Bites and beverages:
- Celebrate Mexican Independence Day with live music and margarita specials at Taquería Xochi (Tues-Wed, free entry, Navy Yard, Arlington).
- Chow down on bulgogi, Korean fried chicken, ramen, and more street food at this Chuseok fest (Sat-Sun, free, Manassas).
- Local businesses compete in a tasty chili cook-off at Sonny’s Pizza (Sun, free admission, Georgia Avenue).
- Enjoy happy hour drinks and treats with your furry friends on the Dovetail patio (Sun, free, Logan Circle.
Things to do with kids:
- Watch animated superhero flick Iron Giant with the family outdoors at Crispus Attucks Park (Fri, free, Bloomingdale).
- Kiddos can play on rope swings, visit farm animals, venture through a tractor museum, and ride an enormous slide at Cox Farms Festival (Sat through November 8, $15+, Centreville).
Plan ahead:
- The Washington Commanders takes on the Seattle Seahawks at their first home football game (September 27, $127+, Northwest Stadium).
- Dance along to Charli XCX’s hyper pop hits; tickets are on sale now (September 28, $102+, Capital One Arena).
- Snag tickets to indie folk vocalist Phoebe Bridgers’ concert before seats sell out (September 29, $168+, Capital One Arena).
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.
