Happy Monday, DC!
Pride is officially afoot with a ton of glitzy events popping up around town. Also, major artists are performing in DC this week: Chris Stapleton, John Legend, and several more at Capital Jazz Fest.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
June 3-June 9
- Capital Pride Parade, Block Party, and Festival. The Capital Pride Parade will take to the streets on Saturday in support of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies; its new route begins at the intersection of 14th and T streets, NW. The outdoor festivities also include food trucks, vendors, and a music block party on 17th Street. The following day will bring the massive Pride Festival downtown along Pennsylvania Avenue, with live entertainment across three stages, more than 300 exhibitors, plus bites, beverages, and a sunset dance party (Sat-Sun, free, Downtown, Logan Circle, and Dupont).
- Chris Stapleton concert. The “Tennessee Whiskey” vocalist and guitarist performs at Jiffy Lube Live this weekend. The massive outdoor amphitheater welcomes guests to enjoy the show in covered reserved seats, or you can bring your own chair and blanket to watch Chris Stapleton from the lawn (Fri, $146+, Bristow).
- “The Migration” by Step Afrika!. The *30 vivid panels of Jacob Lawrence’s “The Migration Series” can be viewed at the Phillips Collection. Now, the local dance company Step Afrika! is reinventing Lawrence’s epic work with a percussive dance-theater adaptation showing at Arena Stage (Thurs through July 14, *$41+, Southwest DC).
- Pride on the Pier. If you are looking for a less-crowded alternative to Pride festivities, then visit Pride on the Pier at the Wharf. The fifth annual event includes a drag show, live music by DJs Honey and Heat, a screening of the Pride Parade, and a fireworks finale over the waterfront (Sat, free, Wharf).
- HEIST Summer Series. HEIST Summer Series is back to get the party started, at a new rooftop location near the Capitol. Experience the ultimate day party with DJs and high-energy performances while overlooking DC’s monuments (every Sun June 9-30, $20+, Capitol Hill).
- John Legend concert. A-list singer, musician, and producer John Legend is one of the biggest stars performing at Wolf Trap this season. Fans of Legend’s R&B croon can expect to hear him sing some of his top songs backed by a full orchestra (Tues-Thurs, $55+).
- Capital Jazz Fest. This year’s Capital Jazz Fest has a star-studded lineup of artists including Anthony Hamilton, Kem, Babyface, Gregory Porter, and many more talents performing at Merriweather Post Pavilion in honor of Black Music Month (Fri-Sun, $99+, Columbia).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- “She Drags in Crocs” at Friends Artspace by Brazilian-born, Arkansas-based artist Bia Furtado uses crocs shoes to memorializes BIPOC drag queens (closes Sat, free, but appointment only, Arlington).
- June Thomas presents her new book, A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture (Mon, free, Northwest DC).
- Author Brad Balukjian deep dives into the world of professional wrestling in his new book The Six Pack (Tues, $5 for entry, $30 for entry and book, Shaw).
- Watch a variety of films and documentaries, and sit in on panel discussions with industry figures at LightReel Film Festival at Angelika Pop-Up (Wed-Sat, free+, Union Market).
- Professor Alice Randall discusses her recent book My Black Country at the NMAAHC (Fri, free, but registration required, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture).
- Percival Everett discusses his latest novel, James, which reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s point of view (Fri, free, Northwest DC).
- Shop crafts, bites, and goodies at Eckington Hall’s two-year anniversary party at Alethia Tanner Park (Sat, free, Northeast DC).
- Find your next read at DC Public Library’s used book sale (Sat, free, Northeast DC).
Community and heritage:
- Commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings with a US Army Band performance at the Eisenhower Memorial (Thurs, free, Southwest DC).
- The community-run DC Dyke March returns to uphold the theme of Dykes Against Ge(NO)cide (Fri, free, location TBA).
- Celebrate Pride at Congressional Cemetery with fellow joggers at DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K (Fri, $45, Capitol Hill).
- Takoma Pride Day invites all to participate to a kids parade and colorful street fair (Sun, free, Takoma Park).
Exercise and wellness:
- Break a sweat at Capital Riverfront’s Pride bootcamp workout (Sat, free, Navy Yard).
Theater and shows:
- This one-woman show is a dark comedy at Keegan Theatre (through June 23, $50, Dupont).
- Rose: You Are Who You Eat’s gender-themed storytelling and wordplay is based on a true story (Wed through June 23, $5+, Penn Quarter).
- The Washington Ballet returns to CityCenterDC with outdoor performances of ballet classics and contemporary works (Thurs-Sat, free, Downtown).
- Six comics take the stage at the Arab-American Comedy Festival (Sat, $35+, Kennedy Center).
- Get the chance to see a world premiere double-bill at Universalist National Memorial Church. One show is about political ghosts, and the second production is about a DC community garden (Sat through June 30, $25, pay-what-you-can tickets available, Dupont).
Music and concerts:
- Go-go band Blacc Print Experience plays at the final Mars Arts DC show at Songbyrd (Wed, free, Northeast DC).
- DC-based alternative rockers Flowers of the Dead have a live show at Songbyrd (Thurs, $16+, Northeast DC).
- Bryson Tiller sings R&B harmonies at The Anthem (Thurs, $141+, Wharf).
- Celebrate Black music and Pride month at The Broccoli Ball (Fri, $25+, Howard Theatre).
- Root for the Washington Nationals, and stick around afterward for a post-game concert headlining Flo Rida (Fri, $20+, Nationals Park).
- The National Symphony Orchestra has a new concert series. You can experience the launch of Opera in Concert this weekend (Fri, Sun, $15+, Kennedy Center).
- Legendary soul divas Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight team up for a performance at Wolf Trap (Sat, $49, Vienna).
- Dance the night away at Black Cat’s Femme Fatale Queer Pride Dance Party (Sat, $15+, Shaw).
- 30th Annual Tinner Hill Music Festival headliners include George Porter, Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners and Blind Boys of Alabama (Sat, $10+, Falls Church).
Bites and beverages:
- Have a mid-week chocolate and wine break at a Spain-inspired tasting (Wed, $55, Northwest DC).
- Play bingo and eat brunch at a Pride-themed drag brunch (Sun, $20, Navy Yard).
Sports:
- Receive a Nationals Night Out wearable flag, and cheer on our home team as they play against the Braves (Thurs, $19+, Nationals Park).
Plan ahead:
- Score tickets to next week’s Jazz in the Garden while the lottery registration is open (free, lottery for June 14 closes Fri, National Gallery of Art).
Things to do with kids:
- Kids can decorate paper crafts, play lawn games, and eat treats at Ivy Bookshop (Sat, free, Baltimore).
If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.
An earlier version of this post stated 60 panels are on view, but there are 30 panels on view. Also, the ticket price have been adjusted to reflect the lowest rate. We regret the error.
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
