The summer is no time to spend a weekend cooped up at home. With so many festivals in the D.C. area, you can easily spend a day — or a few — dancing, eating, drinking, or soaking up arts and culture. From food and drink events to music festivals to Pride, Capital Fringe, and beyond, summer 2023 could be your busiest season in years. Here are some highlights:
Food & drink festivals
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival: Head to Centreville for the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival, where you can learn about bourbon during scheduled classes, or focus on sipping it while you dance to live rock and blues music. Your souvenir glass gets you unlimited beer and bourbon tastings, and when you’re ready for some grub, the food vendors will be happy to help fill your belly with ribs, brisket, barbecue chicken, sausages, pulled pork, and more. VIP tickets ($75) are selling out, so grab yours ASAP if you want a BBQ dinner plate and two extra hours to enjoy the festival. You can buy tickets online. If you’re the DD, you can buy a discounted ticket at the venue for $25. (Bull Run Special Events Center, Centreville; June 3 from 12-6 p.m.; $45-75)
Takoma Trukgarten: Local beer and cider will be on tap at Takoma Trukgarten, a one-day festival will feature 10 different breweries offering more than 25 brews. Sip on 4 oz pours from Silver Branch Brewing, Landmade Brewing, Denizens, Manor Hill Brewing, Streetcar 82, DC Brau, Peabody Heights Brewing Co, 7 Locks Brewing Co., Anxo Cider, and Lone Oak Brewing Co. When you’re ready to soak up the booze, grab a bite from food vendors Bun’d Up, Soko Butcher, Chero’s Grill, or Motorkat. Get your tickets online. (The parking lot next to 201 Ethan Allen Ave., Takoma Park; June 3, 12-5 p.m.; FREE for non-drinkers or $30-40 to drink)
New Kitchens on the Block: At the ninth edition of New Kitchens on The Block, you can be one of the first to try the food that has people talking. Local, award-winning chefs — including Matt Baker of Gravitas, Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit (RIP), David Perez and Carolina McCandless (Cielo Rojo), and several others — will gather at Mess Hall to serve up signature dishes and drinks before their latest spots open. Wash it all down with beers from Right Proper Brewing Company, and cocktails made with booze from District Made Spirits. You can buy your tickets here, including VIP access to a private after-party. (Mess Hall; June 10 from 12-5 p.m.; $99-159)
Taste of NoVa: Enjoy bites from more than 30 restaurants at Taste of NoVa. Tickets get you food samples, sips from NoVa breweries and wineries, plus a one-year subscription to Northern Virginia Magazine. Participating restaurants include Sfoglina, Ambar, Mama Chang, 2941, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, Celebration by Rupa Vira, and many more. This event is 21-plus, and tickets are sold online only. (Segra Field, Leesburg, Virginia; June 11, 12-4 p.m.; $110-$140)
Giant BBQ Battle: This annual barbecue fest on Pennsylvania Avenue is now in its 31st year, and its 2023 theme is “Born in the 90s.” Eat some BBQ (available for purchase), get a sample of some of the competition ‘cue in the judging tent, check out vendors, hear live music from the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff and locals such as Backyard Band and Be*la Dona, play some throwback games, see live graffiti painting, and more. (Pennsylvania Avenue NW; June 24-25; $20-$60)
DC Black Food and Wine Festival: Back for its second year, the DC Black Food And Wine Festival is once again putting the spotlight on African American food and culture. Black-owned wineries and food vendors will ensure attendees are well-fed and hydrated. There will also be cooking demonstrations and live music at this picnic-style event. Most ticket tiers are already sold out, so you’ll want to hustle and snap up yours. (Gateway DC; July 1 from 3-9 p.m.; $65)
A Taste Of The DMV: If a kid-free food festival is your move, you might check out A Taste Of The DMV. The food and music festival will bring together adults ages 21 and up to celebrate Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. There will be a beer garden, craft cocktails, food trucks, local artisans, a wing eating contest, raffles, and performances by Veeta Venom, Aquaa, Tesehki, B. Aquarius, and more. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. (Republiq; July 1 from 2-8 p.m.; $20-150)
Purcellville Wine & Food Festival: Purcellville is a bit of a schlep from D.C., but you need to get out of the city to explore wine country. Pack up some lawn chairs and a blanket, and keep driving past Dulles to get to Dillon’s Woods. The 10th annual Purcellville Food & Wine Festival will feature food, live music, and of course, wine. Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but $10 will get you entry to the festival and a souvenir wine glass. If you go for a VIP table ($250), you’ll get six tickets and glasses, early entry, a table and chairs, three bottles of wine, and goodies from the Western Loudoun Farmers Market. (Dillon’s Woods, Purcellville, Virginia; July 22; $5-250)
Around the World Cultural Food Festival: Sharing food is an easy and delicious way to celebrate our cultural heritage with friends and neighbors. At the Around The World Cultural Food Festival, purchase delicacies from Bolivia, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Laos, Peru, Scotland, Turkey, and beyond. In between bites, you can catch performances and learn traditional moves through brief dance lessons. (Oronoco Bay Park, Alexandria; Aug. 26 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; FREE)
Music festivals
Capital Jazz Festival: It’s a big year for one of the D.C. area’s biggest events. Spread over three days, the 30th Annual Capital Jazz Fest in Columbia will feature more than 30 performances by contemporary jazz musicians, R&B artists, soul singers, and beyond. The stages are split into contemporary jazz and R&B/soul, so you can stick with what you love most or wander between the two and enjoy a bit of everything. The “Friday Night Soul” concert will feature Fantasia and Joe, while Saturday will usher in talent such as George Benson, Ne-Yo, Corinne Bailey Rae, Robert Glasper, and Stokley, to name a few. You can close out the festival Sunday with performances by The Isley Brothers, Dianne Reeves, Incognito, and more. Assigned seats are mostly sold out, but there’s a patch of lawn with your name on it. Get tickets online through Ticketmaster, or in-person at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 9:30 Club, The Anthem, or Lincoln Theatre. (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland; June 2-4; $89.50-$235)
Washington Folk Festival: Head to Glen Echo Park for the 41st annual Washington Folk Festival, which focuses on folk music and culture from a wide range of U.S. regions and other countries. Pop in for music performances, traditional dance demonstrations, and tales from more than 20 storytellers. (June 3-4; Glen Echo Park; FREE)
Columbia Pike Blues Festival: A music festival might chase away a case of the blues, even if that music is singing them. The Columbia Pike Blues Festival has been an Arlington staple since 1995. This year’s lineup features blues, R&B, and funk performers, including headliner Judith Hill, husband-wife duo Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers, Arlington’s Bobby Thompson, Baltimore’s Gayle Harrod Band, and Spice Cake Blues from D.C. (922 S Walter Reed Drive, Arlington; June 17 from 1-8:30 p.m.; FREE)
Home Rule Music Festival: Celebrate D.C. music at the Home Rule Music Festival. Held over two weekends and at two different venues, the family-friendly event will kick off at Songbyrd Music House with music and film screenings presented by Capital Bop. That event is ticketed, but the free fun begins June 17 at The Parks at Walter Reed. There will be performances by Mark Meadows & The Movement, Kahil El’Zabar, EU, Brian Jackson, and more. There will also be a record fair so you can bring the music home with you. (540 Penn St. NE and 1010 Butternut St. NW, D.C.; June 16-17 & 24; FREE-$65)
Re:SET: Some seriously big names are coming to the D.C. area for Re:SET, a three-day-long concert series. You can buy individual tickets for each day, or a pass to attend the whole shebang. With performances by boygenius, Steve Lacy, LCD Soundsystem, and more, you might have trouble limiting yourself to one day. (Merriweather Post Pavilion; June 16-18; $45-650)
Silver Spring Blues Festival: Head to Downtown Silver Spring for a full day of free music in June. The 14th annual Silver Spring Blues Festival will feature 12 hours of blues with a variety of bands and solo acts. You can learn how to play a tune yourself at the 2 p.m. harmonica workshop, or leave it to the pros and just enjoy the music. (923 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, June 17, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.; FREE)
Out & About Festival: Celebrate pride at Wolf Trap at a festival showcasing LGBTQ+ artists and allies. The Out & About Festival will bring Brandi Carlile, Yola, Lucius, Rufus Wainwright, Celisse, and more to Wolf Trap for two days of music. Brandi Carlile headlines both nights, and there will also be special morning performances for kids. (DCist and WAMU are media sponsors of this event.) (Wolf Trap, Vienna; June 24-25, 4 p.m.; $59-$345)
Broccoli City Festival: Two days of hip-hop are scheduled to hit D.C. again this summer. Broccoli City Festival is back, and this year’s line-up features headliners Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan, and Brent Faiyaz, with special guests to be announced. With more than 30 performances split between two stages, plus art, interactive games, and activities, there will be plenty to keep you entertained. You can catch performances by City Girls, Saucy Santana, Glorilla, Asake, and many more at this popular, annual showcase. Food and beverage vendors will offer a range, including vegan and vegetarian items. Get your tickets online. (RFK Festival Grounds, D.C., July 15-16; $40.98-3,499.50)
Performing Arts/Film festivals
Capital Fringe Festival: Fringe is back with a menu of theater, dance, and other productions — much of it original, and 75 percent of it made by locals. Cheer on your neighbors and see what they’ve been working on at this annual celebration of theater and freedom of expression. The full Capital Fringe Festival schedule will be released on June 21, which is also when you can buy tickets to the wide variety of shows. Unoccupied offices in Georgetown will transform into theater spaces, and the DCJCC in Dupont Circle will open its doors for 15 of the productions. (Various location; July 12-23; $15 per ticket)
DanceAfrica DC 2023: Take a West African dance class or just sit back and enjoy a performance at DanceAfrica DC, a multi-day celebration of the spirit of the African diaspora. There will be performances by Kankouran West African Dance Company, Coyaba Dance Theater, Soka Tribe, Taratibu, and more at Dance Place, Catholic University, and the Edgewood Arts Center. (Various locations; May 30-June 4; FREE-$25)
Festival of Film and Sound: You won’t find these on Netflix. The Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound will showcase rare films from the 1920s through 1950s in the first festival dedicated to showcasing the national library’s film collections. Silent film screenings will include live, musical accompaniment, and there will be two presentations with Oscar-winning motion picture sound designer and sound mixer Ben Burtt, plus a program about composer Max Steiner by his biographer, Steven C. Smith. (AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; June 15-18; $150 for a festival pass)
Culture festivals
Capital Pride: June is here, and with it, a multitude of ways to celebrate and support D.C.’s LGBTQ+ community. Check out the Capital Pride Alliance website for a list of official events, including the Capital Pride Festival. Held the day after the Pride Parade, the festival will feature three stages hosting a full day of entertainment. There will also be food and drink vendors, including adult beverage gardens. For those looking to avoid the Sunday scaries, the day will conclude with a sunset dance party. (Pennsylvania Avenue NW, D.C.; June 11, 12-10 p.m.; FREE)
Awesome Con: This local version of Comic Con happens annually in D.C., drawing fans of comics, pop culture, film, and more. For its 10th “edition,” headliners at this year’s three-day event include Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and Andy Serkis from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. (Walter E. Washington Convention Center; June 16-18; $45 – $1,025)
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: The annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival takes over a chunk of the National Mall for two weeks every summer. The focus varies each year, centering performances, exhibitions, and lectures on different areas of study. This year, the festival will explore two themes: Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S. and The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region. The opening concert, “An Evening with Ozarks Women,” will feature performances by Pam Setser, Cindy Woolf, Marideth Sisco, and Melissa Carper. (National Mall; June 29-July 4 & July 6-9; FREE)
Otakon: Anime fans from all over flock to D.C. for the annual Otakon convention. The celebration of Asian culture has something for lovers of anime, manga, music, movies, video games, and beyond. The weekend will include special guests, a formal dance party, a gaming hall, costume contest, workshops, karaoke, artist booths, and more. Without question, there will also be top-notch people-watching. (Walter E. Washington Convention Center; July 28-30; $40-100)
Virginia Scottish Games: What do you know about Scottish culture? Kilts, bagpipes, and whiskey? Not a bad start, but at the Virginia Scottish Games you can explore all that and more. There will be competitions, including athletic demonstrations like the stone toss, hammer throw, and caber toss. You can also nibble on shortbread, Scotch eggs, and meat pies, sip on whisky, and enjoy traditional music and dance. (Festival Hill at Great Meadow, The Plains, Virginia; September 2-3, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; $20-30)
