36 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

Happy Monday, DC!

Book lovers can meet award-winning authors at the National Book Festival this week. There’s also an array of other community, dance, and food festivals around town.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

August 19–August 25

1. 1. National Book Festival. Attention, bookworms: The National Book Festival returns to the Washington Convention Center this month. The schedule is full of appearances by bestselling authors—this year’s lineup includes James Patterson, James McBride, and Sandra Cisneros. There will also be family-friendly read-alouds, science demos, live storytelling, and more reading fun (Sat, free, *Mount Vernon Square).
   2. Maryland Renaissance Festival. Don your best 16th-century attire and stroll Revel Grove’s 27-acre village at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Lords, ladies, knights, and jesters are welcome to shop the goods from more than 140 artisans. Visitors can watch demonstrations of jousting and archery, see performances across ten stages, and feast at English-style taverns. Don’t miss the glassblowing show (Sat through October 20, $23+ for adults, $13+ for children, Crownsville).
   3. Opera in the Outfield. If you missed the sold-out new production of Puccini’s Turandot by Washington National Opera in May, you can watch a replay of the show this week at Nationals Park. This summer’s Opera in the Outfield broadcast features a screening of Turandot, and performances by Step Afrika! and Musico the Magnificent (Sat, free, Nationals Park).
   4. WOW! Indonesia Festival. Immerse yourself in Indonesian culture at WOW, Indonesia! Festival hosted by the Indonesia Embassy. Festival-goers can see a 100-person traditional dance parade, fashion show, martial arts demo, and R&B song performances (Sun, free, Downtown).
   5. Around the World Cultural Food Festival. This waterfront happening at Old Town’s Oronoco Bay Park offers a chance to try cuisine from around the globe, including Japan, Malaysia, Peru, and Lebanon. The kid- and pet-friendly event also features song and dance performances plus traditional artisan and craft vendors (Sat, free, Alexandria).
   6. DC Plant Week. Celebrate plant life at a botanical happy hour, plant swap, or orchid workshop during this year’s DC Plant Week. The third annual event—organized by plant store REWILD— features citywide deals and specials on garden goods, plus gatherings at neighborhood flower shops for plant enthusiasts (through Fri, free+, multiple locations).
   7. Maryland State Fair. The whole family can take part in carnival rides, live concerts, puppy yoga, motorsports, and farming fun at the Maryland State Fair (select dates Thurs through September 8, $15 for adults, free for children under 5, Lutherville-Timonium).
   8. Usher in concert. If you didn’t get enough of Usher at his electrifying Super Bowl performance earlier in the year, you can see him live at Capital One Arena. His Atlanta tour launch was postponed due to a recent injury, but he is set to kick off the tour in DC this week. Sing along to the R&B icon’s oldies and new music surrounded by fellow super fans (Tues-Wed, $119+, Capital One Arena).
   9. “Voting by Mail: Civil War to Covid-19” exhibit. Ahead of the November presidential elections, head to the National Postal Museum to browse artifacts from elections dating back to the 19th-century. Check out an absentee ballot request from a World War II soldier, a mailed tally sheet from 1864, and recent objects from the 2020 race (opens Sat, free, Smithsonian National Postal Museum).

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

• View short documentaries and narrative films from local producers and creatives at the DC Black Film Festival at Miracle Theatre (through Sun, $15+, Eastern Market).
• Compete in an adult spelling bee at Bark Social (Tues, $5, Alexandria).
• A Paris-inspired evening at the Library of Congress features live music by Gypsy Jazz Trio (Thurs, free, but registration required, Library of Congress).
• Baltimore poet Artie Foxx recites rhymes at Galactic Panther Art Gallery (Thurs, $10, Alexandria).
• Watch short films from independent media at the Heritage Film Festival (Thurs, $10+, Northwest DC).
• Shop art and handmade goods at a pop-up market on P Street (Sat, free, Dupont Circle).
• Explore centuries-old bonsai trees, plus rose gardens and azaleas, during summer evening hours at the US National Arboretum (Fri, free, Northeast DC).
• Do-si-do with a friend at a Summer Square Dance (Sat, free, Northwest DC).
• Go stargazing at the Udvar-Hazy Center to see sights of the night sky (Sat, free, Chantilly).

Community and heritage:

• Socialize with adorable baby goats from Walnut Creek Farm (Mon, $40, Alexandria).
• DCBX16 brings Latin dance, fitness, food, and live music to the city (Thurs-Aug. 26, $50+, Downtown).
• Take a guided walk through NoMa with City Girls Who Walk DC, and then dance at the post-walk block party (Sat, free, NoMa).

Theater and shows:

• Jerry Seinfield arrives at Wolf Trap to perform two shows (Mon-Tues, $55+, Vienna).
• Five comedians will share jokes at this comedy show by Immigrant Food and KAMA DC (Thurs, $10, White House).
• Experience Arab music and poetry at Folger Theatre (Fri, free, Capitol Hill).

Music and concerts:

• Listen to New Found Glory play their entire Catalyst album live (Mon, $42+, Silver Spring).
• Punk-rockers The Gaslight Anthem perform live at the Anthem (Tues, $45+, Wharf).
• Korchfest celebrates musician Brandon Korch’s 40th birthday with live music collaborations at Black Cat (Fri, $15+, Shaw).
• This dance party tribute to Sophie includes pop-up drag performances (Fri, $15, U Street Corridor).
• If you couldn’t snag a ticket to local group All Time Low’s DC shows, then catch the rock group perform at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Sat, $45+, Columbia).
• Rapper Ohgeesy takes the Howard Theatre stage (Sat, $25+, U Street Corridor).

Bites and beverages:

• Alexandria Restaurant Week continues to serve cheap eats at area restaurants (through Sun, $27+, Alexandria).
• The Sports Bra pop-up bar celebrate Women’s Equality Day at Hotel Zena with themed drinks and dishes (Fri-Mon, free, Downtown).

Plan ahead: 

• DC Jazz Fest returns this summer for its 20th anniversary. Secure a ticket to see Jacob Collier, Samara Joy, D-nice, and other musicians live (August 28-September 1, free+, various DC locations).
• The ticket lottery for Live! At The Library: Film Costume Ball is open (September 12, free, Library of Congress).

Things to do with kids:

• Take your kiddos to a Back to School Block Party at the library for games and refreshments (Wed, free, Northwest DC).
• Saint George Annual Middle Eastern Festival invites kids to make sand art, jump in a moon bounce, and eat Middle Eastern bites with their families (Sat, free, Northwest DC).

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 listed Library of Congress as the event location, but it is not. We regret the error.

Briana Thomas

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.