1. Prepare for the 4th. The 4th of July is next week. Kick celebrations off with some early fireworks at a Nationals game (Fri, $16+, Navy Yard), on an Independence Eve Margarita Cruise (Sun, $32, Georgetown), or at the Bladensburg Fireworks Show (Fri, free, Bladensburg, Md.).
- Join the crawl. 4th of July bar and pub crawls are happening all across the city including the Red White and Brew Pub Crawl (Sat, $12.99, Penn Quarter), the Drink For America Bar Crawl (Sat, $15+, Dupont Circle), the Independence Day Crawl (Sat, $8+, Dupont Circle), and the Made in America Bar Crawl (Sat, $9+, Dupont Circle). You can also compete in a 4th of July flip cup tournament (Sat, $3.50+, Park View).
- Music, crafts, and food. Attend a cookie decorating class (Sat, $90, Fairfax), bring a picnic to Stars, Snacks and Stripes (Sat, $10+, Georgetown), enjoy live music, drinks, and food at the Freedom Food Festival (Sun, free, Lexington, Va.), or head to the Kick off to the 4th at the Wharf show (Fri, free, the Wharf).
- Learn something. Gain some knowledge about the nation’s capital at the American Independence Scavenger Hunt (Sat, $20, Rosslyn), or the Secrets and Scandals of DC walking tour (Sun, $20, the National Mall).
2. Fun and festivals. Tons of festivals are happening in the DC area this week, including the second half of the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival (Thurs-Mon, free, the National Mall), the Berry 4th Tacular Festival (Sat, free, Silver Spring), and Children’s Book Fest (Wed, free, Federal Triangle).
- Support filmmakers. For movie lovers, attend the Ibero-American Film Showcase (Thurs, free but registration required, Lanier Heights) or the Video Consortium DC’s June gathering kickoff event (Mon, free, Eckington).
3. Special exhibitions. The Playhouse, the Building Museum’s latest summer block party exhibition, opens this Friday with several installations celebrating William Shakespeare and a Midsummer Night’s Dream (Opens Fri, free, Penn Quarter). It’s also the last week to see Bubbleworks (Mon-Mon, free, Downtown), an immersive experience that combines music and bubbles.
4. Bring your pup. Enjoy drinks (including dog-friendly ones) with your fuzzy friend at Canines and Cocktails, (Wed, $5, Park) or Yappy Hour (Thurs, free, Eckington). You can even treat your dog to a free puppuccino and pastry or compete in The Office trivia at Bark Social (Tues, free, Bethesda).
5. Fill up on food. Make and enjoy empanadas at the Argentine Empanada Feast (Wed, $59, Union Market) or learn how to make them at home during this DIY Empanadas virtual class (Wed, $25, online). Head to The Wharf for free plant-based chicken and bacon sandwiches (Wed, free, the Wharf) or learn from a professional chef at home with this Mediterranean cuisine cooking class (Thurs, $95 per person).
6. See a show. Head to the theater to see one of these plays: To Kill a Mockingbird (Mon-Sun, $49+, Kennedy Center), Red Velvet (Thurs, $234+, Penn Quarter), Fires in the Mirror (Sun, tickets not yet available, Dupont Circle), or Drunk Shakespeare (Sat, $25+, Arlington). You can also see a circus star and tight rope champion take the stage with a cast of world-class acrobats and aerialists at Funambula (Opens Wed, $15+, Fort Washington).
7. Enjoy live music. Listen to jazz and dance at a silent disco at Eastern Market’s Funky Fridays (Fri, free, Eastern Market), snatch a ticket to Jazz in the Garden (Fri, free but registration required, the National Mall), head to a show at Comedy Show + Jazz in Adams Morgan (Fri, $15+, Adams Morgan), attend the AfroPiano Experience (Fri-Mon, $13+, Silver Spring), or enjoy a small concert with good wine at City Winery DC (Wed, $8.5+, Gallaudet).
8. Get moving. Take advantage of the good weather at a free outdoor yoga, barre, or HIIT class at National Landing (Sun-Wed, free, Arlington), or attend a yoga class (Sun, $25) at the National Arboretum. You can enjoy more free yoga at the Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library (Wed, free) or at Cool Yoga in Alexandria (Wed, free, Alexandria).
9. Watch a movie. See The Bob’s Burgers Movie at Little Hall Theater (Thurs, $3, Quantico) or head outdoors for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Thurs, free, the Wharf), Encanto (Fri, free, Farragut Square), Queen of the Capital (Tues, free, Adams Morgan), Can I Kick It? (Tues, free, Franklin Park), and Under the Tuscan Sun (Thurs, free, National Harbor).
