What to Expect at The Wharf’s October 12 Opening

After more than a decade of planning and building, the Wharf is set to open one month from today. The neighborhood’s developer, Hoffman-Madison Waterfront, has scheduled a full weekend of events to celebrate the milestone—including a free concert from Kevin Bacon and brother Michael. Their band, the Bacon Brothers, will play at 5 p.m. on October 12 on the development’s District Pier.

The next night’s headliner, Go Go Gadjet, will perform at 6 p.m. on the District Pier. White Ford Bronco will play in the same spot at 6 p.m. on the 14th, and the Howard University Gospel Choir will perform the following evening at 5 p.m.

Dozens of other musical acts will perform throughout the weekend, including the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, the Children’s Chorus of Washington, Pebble to Pearl, and Oh He Dead. The full schedule of activities—which also includes paddleboarding, kayaking, and yoga—will be on the Wharf’s website later today.

While the brand new Southwest DC neighborhood promises dozens of restaurants and shops, it’s been unclear until now how many of them will be up and running in time for the October 12 grand opening. The developer provided Washingtonian the following list of new businesses expected to be open a month from today—including restaurants from Fabio Trabocchi (Del Mar), Kwame Onwuachi (Kith/Kin), and Mike Isabella (Requin):

Marisa M. Kashino

Senior Editor

Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 and was a senior editor until 2022.