Kingman Island

There are only three islands of note in D.C.—Theodore Roosevelt Island, Kingman Island and neighboring Heritage Island. The latter two, sitting in the middle of the Anacostia River across from RFK Stadium and the Langston Golf Course, are certainly the lesser-known of the group. But a bluegrass and folk festival set for tomorrow is hoping to change that, as well as raise awareness for the river they occupy.

The Third Annual Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival kicks off tomorrow at 1 p.m., bringing music, food and drink to a man-made island that has become one of the city’s last nature refuges. The festival, organized by Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), seeks to bring attention to both the islands and the Anacostia River; attendance has climbed steadily in the last two editions of the festival, and organizers hope for 5,000 attendees for tomorrow’s festivities.

Five bluegrass and folk bands are scheduled to perform—King Street Bluegrass, Patuxent Partners, Split String Soup, Hollertown, and By and By—food trucks will be on hand and a Sierra Nevada beer truck will be serving its own beer, Dogfish Head and Heavy Seas.

Kingman and Heritage islands were created by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1916 from land dredged from the Anacostia River. Over the decades the islands were proposed as sites for everything from an airport to an amusement park and a landfill. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that D.C. took control of the land, and recent efforts have focused on turning the islands into a nature refuge and recreation area. Advocates of the islands see the future of the two as a key component of their hopes to clean up and revitalize the ailing Anacostia River.

The entrance to the island is located at RFK Stadium’s Lot 6, a free shuttle will be provided from the RFK/Stadium Armory Metro station.