By now everyone in the District knows about the very popular events taking place at the House of Sweden, and many of the other embassies around the city. Though somewhat out of the way, and that may not be a bad thing for those hoping to avoid crowds, the French Embassy’s cultural wing, La Maison Française, also deserves prominent mention on this list. Ranging from film festivals to concerts, the venue hosts events to showcase the arts of the French diaspora.

“We have a lot of programs that are very different,” said Will Braillon, the Deputy Director of La Maison Française. “We choose high quality artists and we offer the best in every category.”

One of the embassy’s annual highlights is La Fête de La Musique, taking place this Saturday, June 20, from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. The event’s roots trace back to France, where in 1982 the country’s cultural ministry decided to hold an annual event on the summer solstice that would provide musical performances, of any genre, that were all free and open to the public. La Fête de La Musique now takes place in 340 cities across 110 countries worldwide. The event at the embassy is somewhat disparate because there is a nominal entry fee, but the embassy still expects over 50 acts and more than 3,000 visitors to attend this year’s events.