FRIDAY, SEPT. 29
THE ATLANTIC FESTIVAL: “Meet great minds who don’t think alike” is the slogan for this year’s The Atlantic Festival, and the magazine is delivering on that promise with a provocative lineup of political, cultural, business, tech and climate leaders that includes big names such as Hillary Clinton and Spike Lee. Catch the festival’s second day this Friday. (The Wharf; 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; $200)
WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL: This weekend, take a spin around the globe at the World Culture Festival, which will bring music, performances and well-being practices from all over to the National Mall. The festival comes from the mind of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a popular Indian guru, and has a spiritual bent. (National Mall; Friday 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; Saturday yoga 8 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sunday 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; FREE)
ART ALL NIGHT: Get a good night’s sleep Thursday, because you’ll want to stay up late Friday and Saturday for DC Art All Night. Presented by the mayor’s office, the celebration brings late night exhibitions, performances, workshops and more to cultural centers in all eight wards, from crafts in Georgetown to Afrobeats in Anacostia. (Various locations; Friday and Saturday; 7 p.m.-3 a.m.; FREE)
LAWNTOBERFEST: Another fall weekend, another robust selection of Oktoberfest celebrations. Our choice? Keep the party outdoors and head to Hi-Lawn, the rooftop bar that sits atop Union Market, for the third annual Lawntoberfest. Enjoy three days of bratwurst and beer, as well as live music, pumpkin painting and more. (Hi-Lawn; Friday-Sunday; FREE)
MORE: Capclave Science Fiction Convention (Rockville Hilton & Executive Meeting Center; Friday-Sunday; $20+), Feminist Art History Conference (American University; Friday-Sunday; $25+), National Mall of Pickleball (National Mall; Thursday-Sunday; FREE), The Intersection Between Texts and Textiles (Library of Congress; 1 p.m.-2 p.m.; FREE), Back to the Yards 2023 (The Yards Park; 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.; FREE), Chateau Romani / Grimm Winter / Rook (Rhizome DC; 6 p.m.; $10+), Lost Countries (Busboys and Poets 14th & V; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.; FREE), The Tell-Tale Heart (Synetic Theater; through Nov. 5; $35+), The Collapse and the Opportunity: Cities after COVID (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 7 p.m.; FREE), Dancing Joy (Takoma Park Community Center; 7:30 p.m.; FREE), Dark Comedy Show (Tokyo Pearl; 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; $15+), Ashnikko (The Anthem; 8 p.m.; $37.50+), The Journey: A Moving Silent Disco Through D.C. (Penn Quarter Sports Tavern; Friday and Saturday; 8 p.m.-11 p.m.; $30), The Work Sucks Comedy Show (Astro Beer Hall; 9 p.m.; $10)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 30
ALL THINGS GO: Columbia is getting star-studded this weekend. Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker will be there as boygenius, along with Lana del Rey and Maggie Rogers, to headline the All Things Go Music Festival. The stellar lineup also features Carly Rae Jepsen, MUNA, Arlo Parks, Ethel Caine, Sudan Archives and more. (Merriweather Post Pavilion; Saturday-Sunday; sold out, but there are tickets on the secondary markets)
COASTAL CLEANUP: This Saturday, the world’s waterways are getting a little cleaner. Ocean Conservancy is hosting its annual International Coastal Cleanup, and you can participate by heading to Kingman Island along the Anacostia River, where volunteers will be picking up trash and debris. Complimentary breakfast and lunch are included. (Kingman Island; 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; FREE)
DC COFFEE FESTIVAL: Get your morning cup from the experts this Saturday at the inaugural DC Coffee Festival, which brings your favorite specialty roasters and coffee shops together under one roof at Dock 5 at Union Market. General admission tickets are sold out, but you can still partake in the festivities with a VIP pass. (Union Market; 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; $69+)
ROSSLYN READS: Want to fill out your bookshelf without breaking the bank? Head to Central Place Plaza for the Rosslyn Reads Book Festival, where you’ll find thousands of gently used books available for purchase at low prices, alongside CDs, DVDs and vinyl records. (Central Place Plaza; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; FREE)
OPERA IN THE OUTFIELD: Take yourself out to the opera this weekend at Opera in the Outfield. Washington National Opera will bring Puccini’s La bohème to Nationals Park for a free, no-frills production. Seating will be available in the stands and on the outfield grass, so make sure to bring a blanket. (Nationals Park; 7 p.m.; FREE)
DIASPORA FEST: Didn’t secure your tickets to All Things Go? There’s another music festival in town: Diaspora Fest, a one-day celebration of Caribbean-American arts, culture and heritage, is taking over Franklin Park this Saturday. Dance the night away to artists like Eclipse Band, DC Casineros and Freetown. (Franklin Park; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Bringing It to the Table: Talk. Taste. Transform. (National Union Building; 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; $195), Writers’ Retreat (Rhizome DC; Saturday and Sunday; $150), Pumpkin Patch & Sunflower Fields (Temple Hall Farm; through Oct. 31; $15), Artist Talk with Debora Moore & Exhibition Visit (Hillwood Estate; 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; $60), Festival of Cultures (Laurel Branch Library; 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; FREE), YMCA Block Party (Anthony Bowen Branch YMCA; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Atlas Brew Works 10 Year Anniversary (Atlas Brew Works Ivy City Brewery & Taproom; 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; $20), DC Margarita March (Five Iron Golf; 12 p.m.-9 p.m.; $39+), Oktoberfest (The Roost; 12 p.m.-7 p.m.; FREE), Samuel Beckett’s Celtic Festival (Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub; 12 p.m.-7 p.m.; FREE), BOWS Festival (Capital Turnaround; 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; $75+), Oktoberfest (Aslin Beer Company Herndon, Alexandria and D.C.; 1 p.m.-11 p.m.; FREE), Oktoberfest (National Landing; 1 p.m.-5 p.m.; FREE), Black Modernisms in the Transatlantic World book talk and signing (National Gallery of Art; 2 p.m..; FREE), Patio and Pups Adoption Event (Brookland’s Finest; 2 p.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Hill Family Biking (Garfield Park; 4 p.m.; FREE), Freedom Day (Round House Theatre; 6 p.m.-12 a.m.; FREE), KennyHoopla (9:30 Club; 6 p.m.; $28), The Alloy Project (Signature Building at Reston Town Center; 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; $100); A Right Proper Block Party (Right Proper Brewing Company; 7 p.m.-11:59 p.m.; FREE)
SUNDAY, OCT. 1
MARCH ON WASHINGTON FILM FESTIVAL: It’s been 60 years since the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took over the nation’s capital, with thousands demanding civil and economic rights. The March on Washington Film Festival, which closes out in venues across the city this weekend, carries forward the march’s spirit with films about activism, perseverance and racial justice. (Various locations; through Sunday; $20+)
TAKOMA PARK STREET FESTIVAL: The Takoma Park Street Festival is back this Sunday for its 42nd year, running through both the Maryland and D.C. sides of the neighborhood. Take a stroll on Carroll Avenue (MD) and Carroll Street NW (D.C.), where you’ll find over 165 vendors, live music from 18 local bands, food trucks and more. (Takoma Park; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Maryland Renaissance Festival (Annapolis; Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; $30), The Mid-Atlantic Sports Card Show (Silver Spring Civic Center; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; $10), 14th Annual Oysterfest (Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town Alexandria; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; $100), Sufi Music Festival: Mawlid Celebration (Asian Art Museum; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; FREE), Echo Arts Festival (Glen Echo Park; 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; FREE), PIKEtoberfest 2023 (Pike & Rose; 12 p.m.-4 p.m.; FREE), Family Day 2023! (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 2 p.m.-6 p.m.; FREE)
