FRIDAY, SEPT. 8
DISTRICT IMPROV FESTIVAL: Looking for spontaneous weekend plans? Check out the District Improv Festival, back for its ninth installment. East coast comedy troupes kick things off on Friday night before the festival gets into full swing on Saturday, culminating in performances by headliners Baggage Claim and Will Hines and Jim Woods. (Atlas Performing Arts Center; Friday and Saturday; $15+)
IMPERIAL VISIONS AND REVISIONS: The year 1898 — which saw the Spanish-American War and the annexing of Hawaii — was a flashpoint for U.S. imperialism. Those major conflicts are the subject of 1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions, a new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. Join the museum this Friday and Saturday for a robust symposium featuring expert panels and talks. (National Portrait Gallery; Saturday and Sunday; FREE)
BETHESDA ART WALK: Get your steps in this weekend at Bethesda Art Walk, which brings artists and complimentary refreshments to Bethesda’s premier art galleries. Participating galleries include Gallery B, Studio B, Triangle Art Studios and Waverly Street Gallery. (Bethesda; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; FREE)
BILLY IDOL: Dancing with yourself is encouraged this Friday at the Anthem. Billy Idol, the iconic British glam rock star, is paying the District a visit in support of The Cage, his 2022 EP. Don’t worry — you’ll certainly hear Idol and Generation X classics like “Eyes Without a Face,” “Rebel Yell,” and of course, “Dancing with Myself.” (The Anthem; 8 p.m.; $75+)
MORE: Dario Zucchi Opening Reception (Arts Club of Washington; 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; FREE), Comedy All Stars (Arts Barn; 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.; $22), Opening Reception: Permítanme Hablar (The Festival Center; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; donation based), Red Medicine (The Pocket; 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; $15+), Y2K Fever Dream Video Party (Songbyrd Music House; 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; FREE), Cirque du Soleil: ECHO (Lerner Town Square at Tysons II; through Oct. 22; $54+), Out of the Vineyard (Joe’s Movement Emporium; through Sept. 24; $40)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9
DC BIKE RIDE: This isn’t your typical weekend bike ride. The DC Bike Ride is back, shutting down D.C. traffic for 20 miles of car-free biking. The course takes you past the monuments while music fuels you along the way. At the end, a Finish Festival awaits you with more music, food and activities. (West Potomac Park; 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $75+)
1A FEST: The Freedom Forum is celebrating all things First Amendment this weekend at 1A Fest, an all-day event taking over the Wharf. Hear from writers of The Onion and former NFL player Nate Boyer during First Amendment-themed talks, exercise your First Amendment rights with interactive activities, and enjoy live comedy and musical performances. (This event is not affiliated with WAMU’s national talk show, 1A). (The Wharf; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; FREE)
NOMA IN COLOR: Kicking off this weekend, NoMa in Color is a six-week long celebration of art, culture and community hosted by the NoMa BID. The party gets started this Saturday at Alethia Tanner Park, with a kickoff celebration that features live mural painting, live music, face painting, an artisan market, and more. (Alethia Tanner Park; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; FREE)
CAPITOL HILL ART WALK: This weekend, Capitol Hill’s artists are inviting you into their homes. Over 50 artists will open up their in-home studios, yards, and porches for the Capitol Hill Art Walk, taking place on Saturday and Sunday. Bring some cash — most artists will have work for sale. (Capitol Hill; Saturday and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.; FREE)
DAB FAM JAM: Named after D.C.-based hip-hop polymath Dior Ashley Brown, the DAB FAM JAM is a celebration of the District’s rich music culture taking over Sandlot Anacostia this Saturday. Brown will take the stage alongside rising local talents such as Pink Moni, Riz Tha Great, Farrah Flosscett and more in an event that raises money for the nonprofit DC Music Summit. (Sandlot Anacostia; 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; $10+)
DANCE FESTIVAL: Dance the weekend away with the DC (District Choreographers) Dance Festival, hosted by Dance Place. Back for its third year, this two-day festival puts the spotlight on local choreographers and dancers, who will perform original works at Dance Place and nearby outdoor spaces. (Dance Place; Saturday and Sunday 4 p.m.; $20+)
ROSSLYN JAZZ FEST: Get into the groove at the Rosslyn Jazz Fest, which takes over Arlington’s Gateway Park this Saturday afternoon. This free event includes performances by New Orleans-based quintet Galactic, Cuba’s Pedro Martínez Group, and D.C.’s own Oh He Dead and DuPont Brass. (Gateway Park; 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Celebration of Textiles: Quilting D.C. (The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; FREE), Forest Bathing (Fort Slocum Park; 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; FREE), Cover Crop Workshop (Upshur Community Garden; 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.; $5+), Emancipation Memorial: Contested Memory, Historical Responsibility, and Their Convergence with Art (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; $10+), Older Adult Block Party (Dupont Circle; 12 p.m.; FREE), Limitless Are Leaves (Gallery Neptune & Brown; through Oct. 14; FREE), Grow Your Own Microgreens (Jenk’s Hardware Store Rooftop; 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.; FREE), Matmos Plays the Sounds of Folkways Records (Hirshhorn Museum; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; FREE), Mono Lake and Last Things (National Gallery of Art; 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.; FREE), District Made Tour & Tasting (District Made Spirits; 3:30 p.m.; $50), Sails Away Opening Reception (Washington Printmakers Gallery; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; FREE), Sounds of Guatemalan Marimba (National Museum of the American Indian; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; FREE), Forget Why Poetry Series (Rhizome DC; 3 p.m.; $10+), Jazz in the Parks (The Parks at Walter Reed; 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; FREE), Opening Reception & Pop Up Shop with Arlington Weaves (Mason Exhibitions Arlington; 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; FREE), Digable Planets (9:30 Club; 6 p.m.; $45), Tryst Turns 25 (Tryst; 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.; $10+)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 10
DC STATE FAIR: We may not be a state (yet!), but that doesn’t stop us from having our own state fair. The DC State Fair is back this weekend for its 14th year, bringing local makers, community organizations, food vendors, artists, and a mumbo sauce competition to Franklin Park. (Franklin Park; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; FREE)
TAKOMA PARK FOLK FESTIVAL: Summer’s not over yet. Make the most of the remaining warm days at the Takoma Park Folk Festival, which brings live folk music, craft vendors, delicious summer food, and more to Takoma Park Middle School. (Takoma Park Middle School; 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; FREE)
JEWISH MUSEUM BLOCK PARTY: If you haven’t checked out the Capital Jewish Museum yet, here’s your chance. The museum is celebrating its June opening with a Block Party this weekend. Swing by for a Jewish New Year celebration featuring live music by local band Minnush, social justice activities, an artisan market, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, and more. (Capital Jewish Museum; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; FREE)
SMALL PRESS EXPO: Comics, cartoons and graphic novels, oh my! Celebrate the wide and weird world of comic arts at the Small Press Expo, which lands in the D.C. area this weekend. Most workshops and panels will take place at the Bethesda North Marriott, but keep an eye out for special events taking place across the city. (Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center; Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.; $15+)
LATINO HISTORY THROUGH MUSIC: Hispanic Heritage Month is almost upon us, and the DC Strings Workshop is celebrating with a wide-ranging performance that pays tribute to Latino heritage and Latin America’s impact on classical music. (The Wharf; 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; $15+)
BECK & PHOENIX: Lo-fi legend Beck and French pop band Phoenix have teamed up for Summer Odyssey, a sunny tour that stops at the Merriweather Post Pavilion this Sunday. Opening for the indie stalwarts are Weyes Blood and Sir Chloe, two rising artists that each merit a ticket purchase in their own right. (Merriweather Post Pavilion; 5:45 p.m.; $30+)
GREASE, WITH A SIDE OF MUMBO SAUCE: Spend a summer night with this very special edition of Grease. Presented by DC Black Broadway, Grease with a Side of Mumbo Sauce gives the classic musical a District twist. Set in D.C. in the ‘80s, this summer romance is full of dancing, fashion and go-go. (Lincoln Theatre; Friday through Sunday 7 p.m.; $60+)
MORE: Breakfast with Zeke (Masseria; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; $25+), Healthy Together Fairfax (Franconia Park; 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.; FREE), Simple as Water (National Gallery of Art; 2 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.; FREE), US Open Tennis Men’s Final Watch Party (City Ridge; 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; FREE), Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Kennedy Center; through Sept. 24; $69+), The Milk Carton Kids (Union Stage; 8 p.m.; $30+), Chefs for Maui (Any Day Now and Moon Rabbit; Thursday through Sunday; $150)
