The second annual block party will take place on Aug. 12 this year.

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The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will host its second annual hip-hop block party this August, featuring performances, interactive art, and focused exhibits celebrating 50 years of the genre.

The block party will take place on Saturday, Aug. 12, the museum announced Friday. The event will be held at the intersection of Madison Drive NW and 14th Street NW, outside the museum. A full line-up of artists and programming will be released in the coming months, according to the museum. The event will be free to attend; though tickets are required for entry, and will be available online in July.

While the inaugural 2022 celebration marked the one-year anniversary of the Smithsonian’s Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap, this summer’s event will celebrate 50 years of the genres’ evolution and innovation. In conjunction with the event, the museum will install an outdoor panel exhibition, including artifacts from the museum’s collection.

The party also coincides with the museum’s high-profile Afrofuturism exhibit, a 4,000-square-foot temporary exhibit featuring items from history, politics, and pop culture — including the Black Panther suit from the blockbuster film — that celebrates all things associated with the genre.

Last year’s block party — which was hosted by radio personality Vic Jagger and featured performances by J. Period, The Halluci Nation, and D. Smoke, and DJ Heat —  was widely regarded as a successful debut for the event, drawing a large crowd downtown.

More information about the party will be available on the NMAAHC’s website soon.

Filed Under: National Museum of African American History, nmaahc,