May 22-June 1: Shakespeare Theatre Free-for-All
The Shakespeare Theatre, an acclaimed professional theater company in DC, will offer free performances of Hamlet under the stars at the Carter Baron Amphitheater in Rock Creek Park (4850 Colorado Ave., NW). Since the tradition started in 1991, performances have drawn more than 500,000 spectators. Performances are free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available (up to four per person) on the day of the performance at the Sidney Harman Hall box office (610 F St., NW) beginning at noon; at the Carter Baron Amphitheater box office (16th St. and Colorado Ave., NW) from noon until the performance starts (for performances Tuesday through Sunday only); and at the Washington Post building (1150 15th St., NW) beginning at 8:30 AM until tickets are gone (for performances Tuesday through Friday only). Seating begins at 7.

May 31-June 1: Vintage Virginia Wine Festival
More than 50 wineries will offer unlimited pours of more than 350 Virginia wines, and experts will be on hand for hourly seminars on the history of wine, wine-and-food pairing, the basics of winemaking, and more. Food vendors will serve salads, cheese, sandwiches, and desserts, and more than 100 local artists will sell crafts and artwork. Bands will perform on the outdoor amphitheater stage, and in the Family Tent kids can enjoy jugglers, musicians, balloons, slides, and bounces. Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville. Free shuttle to and from the Vienna Metro station (Orange Line) will be available. Tickets are on sale here.

June 6-8: Celebrate Fairfax! Festival 2008
Check out more than 400 vendors, artisans, and family activities at this annual community festival at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Pkwy., Fairfax). Concerts will be held on six stages throughout the grounds, with performances by Collective Soul, Sister Hazel, Sugar Ray, and more. If you have kids in tow, head over to the Children’s Avenue tent at the center of the festival grounds, where kids can check out a petting zoo, climbing wall, musical stage, and model-train exhibit. Tickets $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and military, $5 under age 11, free under age 3. Friday 6 PM to midnight, Saturday 10 AM to midnight, Sunday 10 to 6.

June 6-15: Capital Pride
The fourth-largest gay pride event in the country, this festival celebrates gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals and communities in Washington and their cultural and civil-rights achievements. Now in its 33rd year, the event includes educational opportunities and civic and social events, including a performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington (June 6), an interfaith service (June 10), and a bachelor and bachelorette auction (June 12). The event culminates with a parade on Saturday from 6:30 to 8 PM starting at 23rd and P streets, Northwest, and a street festival Sunday from 11 to 6 on Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, between Third and Seventh streets. Closest Metro stop for the parade: Dupont Circle (Red Line); closest for the festival: Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter (Yellow and Green).

June 7: Imagination Bethesda
Geared toward kids under 13, this street festival includes face painters, dance troupes, and hands-on art activities. Woodmont Avenue between Bethesda Avenue and Elm Street in Bethesda. Free. 11 AM to 4 PM. Closest Metro: Bethesda (Red Line).

June 7-8: Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk
On the first weekend in June, museums near DC’s Dupont Circle offer free admission and family-friendly activities such as sheep-shearing demonstrations (weather permitting) and a neighborhood scavenger hunt. The participating museums are Anderson House, Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, Meridian International Center, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, the Phillips Collection, the Textile Museum, and the Woodrow Wilson House. Free shuttle buses between museums will be available. Hours for each museum vary, so check the Web sites before heading out. Closest Metro: Dupont Circle (Red Line).

June 7-8: DanceAfrica 2008
DC’s Dance Place (3225 Eighth St., NE) celebrates African dance and music with this annual festival. In addition to visual arts, food, clothing, and crafts, dance performances will be held at 3 and 8 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Matinee tickets are $25 ($20 in advance), evening tickets $30 ($25 in advance), $10 for those under 18 at all performances. Closest Metro: Brookland-CUA (Red Line).

June 8: Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Children’s Festival
Yo-ho, yo-ho, the pirate’s life for me! Grab your kids and head over to the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center (3001 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria) for the ASO’s Children’s Festival, featuring musical selections from Pirates of Caribbean. Kids can also participate in dance and art activities and a costume contest. Ticket are $5; closest Metro: Pentagon (Blue and Yellow lines), then take the 7A Metrobus toward Landmark and get off at North Beauregard Street and Fillmore Avenue.

June 14: Reston Town Center Taste of the Town
One of Northern Virginia’s largest outdoor food festivals, Reston’s Taste of the Town, at Reston Town Center (11921 Freedom Dr.), offers tastings from area eateries, live music, a beer-and-wine garden, and kid-friendly activities and games. Admission and parking are free, but tastings start at $1. Noon to 10:30.

June 15-17: Full Moon Hike at the National Arboretum
Each night, take a guided night tour of DC’s National Arboretum through moonlit gardens, meadows, and woods. This five-mile hike—held in rain or moonshine—is described as “mildly strenuous” and includes hills and uneven terrain. Be sure to wear sturdy walking shoes. Not recommended for children. Tickets are $19; tour time is 8 to 10 PM.

June 21-22: National Capital Barbecue Battle
You’ll probably be able to skip lunch—and maybe dinner—if you check out the National Capital Barbecue Battle. Sample ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, and more as barbecue teams duke it out for $40,000 in cash and prizes. There will also be cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, live music on three stages, and celebrity appearances. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6 to 12, under age 6 free. Pennsylvania Ave., NW, between 9th and 14th sts. Closest Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Green and Yellow lines).

June 25-29 and July 2-6: Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Learn about cultures around the world at the annual Folklife Festival on the National Mall (between 7th and 14th Streets). The Smithsonian packs the two-week event with music, food, dancing, crafts, cooking demonstrations, and outdoor exhibits from a diverse sampling of world cultures. This year, the culture of Bhutan will be highlighted alongside that of Texas (including its music, food, and wine). Open daily 11 to 5:30; evening events start at 6. Call 202-633-7484 during the festival to find out about daily events. Free. Closest Metro: Smithsonian (Orange and Blue lines).

June 26-August 21: Sunset Serenades at the National Zoo
Head over to the National Zoo on Thursday nights from 6:30 to 8 PM throughout the summer for free family-friendly concerts. Musical acts from nearly every genre perform on a stage on the zoo’s Lion/Tiger Hill. Closest Metro: Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Red Line).

June 28-29: DC Caribbean Carnival
This annual festival features performances by local bands and artists who hail from Caribbean countries as well as food, crafts and entertainment. The don’t-miss event is the parade, which travels down Georgia Avenue from Missouri Avenue to Barry Place on June 28 starting at 11 AM. The parade ends at the carnival grounds at Banneker Recreation Park (Georgia Ave. at Barry Pl.). Admission to the carnival is $10. Open Saturday noon to 9, Sunday noon to 7. Closest Metro: Shaw-Howard University (Green and Yellow lines).

May-August: The Commandant’s Own
Friday nights at the US Marine Corps Barracks (Eighth St. between G and I sts., SE) mean free outdoor performances of the United States Drum and Bugle Corps and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon. Shows start at 8:45, but it’s a popular event, so plan on getting there an hour earlier. The Marines perform in light rain or shine; if a passing shower occurs, performances are delayed until it’s gone. Learn more at the Drum and Bugle Corps’s Web site.

May 23-October 3: Jazz in the Garden
Friday nights, enjoy free jazz concerts in the National Gallery of Art’s sculpture garden (Constitution Ave. between Seventh and Ninth sts., NW). Bring a blanket and picnic dinner or enjoy a sushi platter and a cheese-and-fruit plate from the Pavilion Cafe in the garden from 5 to 8:30 PM.

This article is part of Washingtonian's Visitors' Guide. For more articles like it, click here.

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