Food  |  Things to Do

10 Fun Food Events Around DC This Week

On the menu: a barbecue battle, rosé festival, and an empanada feast.

Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle 2019. Photograph by Helena Coutinho.

Are you ready for a barbecue smackdown? The 30th Annual Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle is back this Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26. The event, held on the National Mall, will host cookbook authors, chefs, and professional pit masters who are each competing to be crowned BBQ champion. There will be free food samples, microbrew and wine tastes, cooking demonstrations, and live music. Tickets start at $15; get them here.

Celebrate summer with your favorite pink drink. The Yards (355 Water St., SE) will host its fourth annual Rosé All Day on Saturday, June 25 at 4 PM. where guests are invited to sip on rosé from nearby  restaurants, listen to live music, and participate in pink-themed activities such as flamingo croquet and flower-crown making. Tickets are $15, and include one drink.

In honor of World Refugee Day, Maydān (1346 Florida Ave., NW) is hosting the Meet at Maydān Food, Culture, and Wine Festival on Sunday, June 26 from 10 AM to 2 PM. The restaurant will be transform its Florida Avenue alleyway into a market filled with food vendors, wine, and handcrafted items from the Caucasus, North African, and Middle Eastern regions. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.

Galleria @ La Cosecha (1280 Fourth St., NE) is hosting an in-person Argentine Empanada Feast on Wednesday, June 29 at 6:30 PM. You’ll prepare—and eat—your own from-scratch empanadas. Choose between meaty or vegetarian fillings. Tickets are $59.

Some of José Andrés’s restaurants are kicking off their first ever Summer Fest from now until the end of summer. Jaleo (80 Seventh St., NW), Spanish Diner (7271 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda), Oyamel (401 Seventh St., NW), China Chilcano (418 Seventh St., NW), and Zaytinya (701 Ninth St., NW) will serve a special menu of seasonal dishes, including strawberry gazpacho with goat cheese, grilled lamb chops with smoked-yogurt tzatziki, and a chocolate milkshake with Maria cookies.

Dress up in your fanciest attire and head to the Black Tie Sicilian Ball at the Embassy of Italy (3000 Whitehaven St., NW), an evening filled with dessert, dancing, and DJs. The celebration of Sicilian culture, held Saturday, June 25 at 7:15 PM, features an open bar with Italian wines and beers and a buffet of Italian desserts such as tiramisu and cannoli. Tickets can be purchased here, and start at $120.

Head to the Wharf this Wednesday, June 29 for free vegetarian food. World Animal Protection has partnered with TiNDLE, Hooray Foods, and Promobile Kitchen to host a food truck that will give out free plant-based chicken and bacon sandwiches in Market Square (760 Maine Ave., SW).

Taste Caribbean street food at the Caribbean American Heritage Month Celebration. You’ll find Trinidadian doubles, Jamaican jerk chicken, and other island dishes at Union Market (1309 Fifth St., NE) on Saturday, June 25. The party starts at 2 PM and features live music and dance performances.

Massive beer festival Savor: An American Craft Beer Experience is taking over the Anthem (901 Wharf St., SW) on Friday, June 24 from 7 PM to 10 PM. More than 200 craft beers will be paired with eats such as honey-spiced duck breast, tuna tostada, sticky toffee pudding, and more. Tickets start at $144; get them here.

Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap (401 E. Braddock Rd., Alexandria) is hosting a kids pizza-making class this Saturday, June 25 from 10 AM to 11 AM. Your little ones—age 5 and up—will learn to create a cheese or pepperoni pizza from start to finish. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased here.

Sophia Young
Editorial Fellow