Yesterday, the third annual autumn gathering of the District’s dandiest tweed aficionados — now numbering around 900 strong — took over the streets of Washington.

So you’d really like to get a look at the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, but you’re not excited about fighting the unticketed crowds early next week or marching alongside the Mayor in a “Freedom Rally and March”?

Today marks the 165th birthday of the Smithsonian Institution — so we thought we’d help celebrate with a collection of our favorite photographs from every museum, building or panda habitat the Smithsonian offers to Washington.

With tonight being the Night of 1000 Cakes and all, we thought it might be appropriate to highlight some of our Flickr feed’s standout images from this year’s Fort Reno festival. We can’t help if they’re all radiating sunshine and good vibes.

What better place to have a little summer fun than the carnival? The D.C. Summer Carnival, which recently took up residence at the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds (also known as the parking lot), provided District residents with all the Tilt-A-Whirling and fried Oero-eating they could handle. The carnival’s over for the year, but the color always makes for some memorable photography.

The District got a brief taste of the severe storms which brought Chicago to its knees yesterday, and as clouds rolled in, this editor’s first thoughts turned to those who had congregated at Fort Reno.

Woo, fireworks! Here it is, our annual day-after recap of last night’s blindingly colorful displays of explosives around the District, captured through the lenses of our Flickr pool photographers. Enjoy.

A very successful DC Jazz Festival closed on Monday night — our recap of the highlights of this year’s festival is after the jump.

To D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, they were the “tattooed people.” But to the hundreds of residents that showed up in Dupont Circle yesterday to show off their D.C. flag tattoos, they were simply proud of their city and willing to show it.

Because what better time to look back on a relaxing long holiday weekend than a sweltering hot Wednesday afternoon?