Contents
Hot August Music Festival
Pop-rock star Grace Potter and renowned jazz-fusion band Snarky Puppy are the main acts at Maryland’s longtime bluegrass and blues festival. The epic music roundup is a chance to see nine performances across two stages. Between shows, you can cool down with beer from Union Craft Brewing and participate in a family-friendly drum circle.
Admission: $89 and up.
DC JazzFest
In 2005, the DC Jazz Festival premiered on U Street’s Black Broadway as the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. Now the homegrown event continues the mission of showcasing international jazz talents with both year-round programming and an annual five-day bash at the Wharf and the Kreeger Museum. Headliners this summer include multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, Grammy-winner Samara Joy, and hip-hop legend D-Nice.
Admission: $25 and up.
Appaloosa Festival
Pack your tent and spend Labor Day weekend with fellow roots-music fans. Created by Virginia folk-rock band Scythian, this festival is all about the founders’ motto of experiencing “music among friends.” Expect intimate and wholesome performances on the picturesque Shenandoah Valley main stage from acts including local rock quintet Carbon Leaf and Nashville’s Tophouse.
Admission: $60 and up.
Watermelon Pickers’ Fest
A blend of bluegrass, country, folk, and Americana is onstage at the Watermelon Pickers’ Fest. After a one-year hiatus, the family festival is back at Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds with performances by all-women string band Della Mae, the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Furnace Mountain, and others. You can also learn new skills at an instrumental, dance, or singing workshop, or take youngsters to the Kids Barn for watermelon-themed T-shirt tie-dyeing and an instrument “petting zoo.”
Admission: $60 and up.
Rosslyn Jazz Fest
The largest outdoor music festival in Arlington returns this September for its 32nd year. Gateway Park will be filled with the live rhythms and smooth sounds of contemporary jazz, including performances by locals such as DC vocalist Cecily, the increasingly popular Bomba Fusion band, and El Laberinto del Coco.
Admission: Free
Takoma Park Folk Festival
For more than 40 years, this community showcase has been a treasure of the Takoma Park neighborhood. Neighbors can watch live music performances across six stages, by local talents like the Washington Balalaika Society Orchestra and folk guitarist Cody Summit. Festival-goers can also shop mixed-media and fine-arts crafts, and eat bites from food trucks.
Admission: Free*
The Ramble Festival
This laid-back, three-day festival at Harford County’s 200-acre Camp Ramblewood was conceived after the pandemic to provide a fun and easygoing space for music lovers to gather and camp out. In addition to daytime concerts, the entertainment runs late into the night with after-hours barn superjams–a take on drum-mer Levon Helm’s iconic Midnight Rambles–including performances by Shadow Mountain, the Fiery Sneeze, and more.
Admission: $235.
Festival Fashion
What’s In, What’s Out
Looking for festival ’fit inspiration? Here’s what’s trending this year.
Back to TopIn
Cowboy boots
The Cowboy Carter era calls for Western-inspired accessories.
Back to TopOut
Flower crowns
This former music-festival MVP is getting a well-deserved break.
Back to Top
In
Laid-back and rewearable
Casual is king this year, including slim sneakers (think Adidas Samba shoes) or striped boxers as outerwear.
Back to TopOut
Fast-fashion maximalism
Low-key looks mean shopping your closet and repurposing basics rather than layering up on cheap micro-trends.
Back to Top
In
Y2K cool
The influence of the aughts is still going strong in trucker hats and baggy, low-slung jeans.
Out
Boho chic
Pack away your felt hats and free-spirited fringe–but don’t get rid of them: Trends are always cycling back again.
Hot August Music Festival
Pop-rock star Grace Potter and renowned jazz-fusion band Snarky Puppy are the main acts at Maryland’s longtime bluegrass and blues festival. The epic music roundup is a chance to see nine performances across two stages. Between shows, you can cool down with beer from Union Craft Brewing and participate in a family-friendly drum circle.
Admission: $89 and up.
DC JazzFest
In 2005, the DC Jazz Festival premiered on U Street’s Black Broadway as the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. Now the homegrown event continues the mission of showcasing international jazz talents with both year-round programming and an annual five-day bash at the Wharf and the Kreeger Museum. Headliners this summer include multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, Grammy-winner Samara Joy, and hip-hop legend D-Nice.
Admission: $25 and up.
Appaloosa Festival
Pack your tent and spend Labor Day weekend with fellow roots-music fans. Created by Virginia folk-rock band Scythian, this festival is all about the founders’ motto of experiencing “music among friends.” Expect intimate and wholesome performances on the picturesque Shenandoah Valley main stage from acts including local rock quintet Carbon Leaf and Nashville’s Tophouse.
Admission: $60 and up.
Watermelon Pickers’ Fest
A blend of bluegrass, country, folk, and Americana is onstage at the Watermelon Pickers’ Fest. After a one-year hiatus, the family festival is back at Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds with performances by all-women string band Della Mae, the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Furnace Mountain, and others. You can also learn new skills at an instrumental, dance, or singing workshop, or take youngsters to the Kids Barn for watermelon-themed T-shirt tie-dyeing and an instrument “petting zoo.”
Admission: $60 and up.
Rosslyn Jazz Fest
The largest outdoor music festival in Arlington returns this September for its 32nd year. Gateway Park will be filled with the live rhythms and smooth sounds of contemporary jazz, including performances by locals such as DC vocalist Cecily, the increasingly popular Bomba Fusion band, and El Laberinto del Coco.
Admission: Free
The Ramble Festival
This laid-back, three-day festival at Harford County’s 200-acre Camp Ramblewood was conceived after the pandemic to provide a fun and easygoing space for music lovers to gather and camp out. In addition to daytime concerts, the entertainment runs late into the night with after-hours barn superjams–a take on drum-mer Levon Helm’s iconic Midnight Rambles–including performances by Shadow Mountain, the Fiery Sneeze, and more.
Admission: $235.
Festival Fashion
What’s In, What’s Out
Looking for festival ’fit inspiration? Here’s what’s trending this year.
Back to TopIn
Cowboy boots
The Cowboy Carter era calls for Western-inspired accessories.
Back to TopOut
Flower crowns
This former music-festival MVP is getting a well-deserved break.
Back to Top
In
Laid-back and rewearable
Casual is king this year, including slim sneakers (think Adidas Samba shoes) or striped boxers as outerwear.
Back to TopOut
Fast-fashion maximalism
Low-key looks mean shopping your closet and repurposing basics rather than layering up on cheap micro-trends.
Back to Top
In
Y2K cool
The influence of the aughts is still going strong in trucker hats and baggy, low-slung jeans.
Out
Boho chic
Pack away your felt hats and free-spirited fringe–but don’t get rid of them: Trends are always cycling back again.
*This article has been updated from its original print version, to add in the Takoma Park Folk Festival.
This article appears in the August 2024 issue of Washingtonian.
