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

Happy Monday, DC!

Have some laughs at Kevin Hart’s live stand-up, or travel to Paris at the National Gallery of Art’s fall after-hours kick-off this week.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

September 9–September 15

1. 1. Kevin Hart at DAR Constitution Hall. Comedian Kevin Hart does three stand-up shows at DAR Constitution Hall this week. The mega star returns to DC for a hilarious lineup of performances after winning the Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center earlier this year (Fri-Sun, $141+, Downtown).
   2. National Gallery Nights. A Night in Paris kicks off National Gallery Nights as an ode to the gallery’s new exhibition “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment.” The after-hours soiree includes cabaret performances, French music, film, art, and food (Thurs, free, but registration is closed; limited door passes available, National Gallery of Art).
   3. “DC Originality.” DC Originality pays homage to homegrown music heroes such as Ginuwine, Kenny Lattimore, Imani-Grace Cooper, The String Queens, Afro Blue, and other DC native singers and musicians. The National Symphony Orchestra concert will be hosted by actor Anthony Anderson and Dr. Tonya M. Matthews (Tues-Wed, $33+, Kennedy Center).
   4. Walking Town. Celebrate 25 years of Walking Town tours throughout the city over a span of nine days. Neighbors are invited to bike or walk through the streets, parks, and alleyways of Washington to learn about the city’s history and culture. A few explorations of note include a Bird Walk at Constitution Gardens, a MuralsDC U Street Walk, and a Walking Tour at The Parks at Walter Reed  (Sat through September 22, free, various locations).
   5. Falls Church Festival. This fall jamboree is a combination event. First, a festival brings together more than 90 crafters, businesses, and civic organizations for a day of family fun and entertainment, including pony and amusement rides for kids and a beer garden for adults. Simultaneously, Taste of Falls Church dishes up cuisine from area restaurants (Sat, free, Falls Church).

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

• Draw a portrait of your pet while sipping your favorite beverage at Palette 22 (Mon, $65, Arlington).
• Discover the “Capital Brutalism” exhibit at National Building Museum, and sit in on an architecture conversation with designers Angela Brooks and Lawrence Scarpa (Wed, $15, Penn Quarter).
• Connect with fellow artists, and practice your sketching skills at the National Portrait Gallery (select Thurs, free, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery).
• DC artist Sophia McCrocklin discusses the forests of Rock Creek Park (Thurs, free, Bethesda).
• Filmmaker and author Nicholas Meyer hosts a live reading at Folger Library (Thurs, free, but registration required, Capitol Hill).
• Dive 1,000 feet into the ocean at Artechouse’s new immersive exhibition “Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean” (opens Sat, $25+, Southwest DC).
• Browse jury-selected creations including sculptures, paintings, jewelry, pottery, textiles, and more at the Alexandria Old Town Art Festival (Sat-Sun, free, Alexandria).

Community and heritage:

• Experience the colorful choreography of an Ukrainian dance troupe, traditional crafts, a beer garden, and concerts at the Ukrainian Festival (Fri-Sun, free on Fri for ages 20 and under, $15+ for Sat-Sun, Silver Spring).
• View life-size replicas of King Tut and the Rosetta Stone at St. Mark DC Egyptian Festival (Festival Sat-Sun, exhibit Sat-Sun, September 21-22, free, Fairfax).
• Acknowledge Latinas in aviation with flight demos, bilingual story time, art, and more to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Sat, free, College Park).
• The Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs is throwing a Salvadoran jamboree: Mi Pequeño El Salvador Festival (Sun, free, Mount Pleasant).

Theater and shows:

• It’s the last call for Soft Power at Signature Theatre (closes Sun, $40+, Arlington).
• Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors is revived at Shakespeare Theatre Company (Tues through October 6, $39+, Downtown).
• Attend the DC premiere of Primary Trust at Signature Theatre (Tues through October 20, $40+, Arlington).
• Sojourners at Round House Theatre explores the Nigerian-American experience (Wed through October 6, $50+, Bethesda)
• Watch an insect love story at Cirque du Soleil OVO (Wed-Sun, $49+, Capital One Arena).

Music and concerts:

• Rapper Nicki Minaj arrives in DC to promote her latest album, Pink Friday 2 (Mon, $39+, Capital One Arena).
• Don’t miss indie rock act Built to Spill’s 30th anniversary tour (Mon, $40, Shaw).
• Spend an evening with pop/rock/punk vocalist PJ Harvey at the Anthem (Wed, $55+, Wharf).
• Take a concert lunch break on Wilson Plaza to see go-go group Heat Stroke play live (Wed, free, Downtown).
• Listen to ’80s and ’90s rock music surrounded by nature at Brookside Gardens (Wed, free, Wheaton).
• Dance DJ Kygo spins electronic tunes at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Thurs, $31+, Columbia).
• Lee Brice, Citizen Cope, and JJ Grey & Mofro headline the Annapolis Songwriters Festival (Thurs-Sun, $35+, Annapolis).
• Listen to singer/songwriter James Taylor at Wolf Trap (Thurs, Sat-Sun, $65+, Vienna).
• Journey through the sounds of Florence and Venice from the 16th and 17th centuries (Fri-Sun, $20+, Capitol Hill).
• The first Weezer show at the Anthem is sold out, but there’s still time to snag a ticket to the group’s second show (Sun, $125+, Wharf).

Exercise and wellness: 

• Gardeners with disabilities can promote cognitive ability by learning to grow native plants in Gardening 101 (Thurs, $30, Boyds).

Games and trivia:

• New Columbia Pub Quiz is hosting a new round of trivia fun at 1310 Kitchen & Bar (Thurs, free, Georgetown).

Bites and beverages:

• Grab lunch at CityCenterDC Farmer’s Market; there’s a yoga class, too (Tues, free, Downtown).
• Elevate your dining experience with Wine & Waygu inside Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria (Wed, $65, Downtown).

Things to do with kids:

• The 100th Charles County Fair features live music and carnival rides (Thurs-Sun, $10 for adults, free for ages 10 and under, La Plata).
• Kiddos can play on rope swings, visit farm animals, venture through a tractor museum, and ride an enormous slide at Cox Farms Festival (Sat through November 5, $10+, Centreville).
• All ages can enjoy a lively literary performance by Story Pirates at Lincoln Theatre (Sun, $35+, U Street Corridor).

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.

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.