Note: Due to rain, you should check Art All Night’s websites for each neighborhood before you head out. You can find a list of the neighborhood websites here.
The free festival Art All Night—a celebration of all things culture in DC—will once again take over the streets in more than 20 DC neighborhoods on Friday and Saturday, September 27 and 28. From 7 PM to 3 AM both nights, art lovers can attend massive block parties, intimate gatherings in small businesses, family-friendly arts-and-crafts sessions, and late-night cocktail parties. “You may be a little apprehensive to see a new gallery or try a new dish, but Art All Night is the time to do that, ”says DC Department of Small and Local Business Development Director Rosemary Suggs-Evans. “When you come out, its a night of education, a night of fun, and a night of support for our communities”
Started in 2011 by Shaw Main Street as an homage to Toronto’s Nuit Blanche, Art All Night has expanded into a city-wide collaboration between the DC government and local Main Streets and BIDs. Organizers estimate that more than 180,000 people attended last year’s events and hope for even more art-lovers this year.
Parties from different neighborhood BIDs and Main Street programs are on the docket for each night—some with special themes like “masquerade” or “afro-punk”—so be sure to check the schedule before venturing out. Activities in Mount Pleasant, Georgetown, and Eastern Market for example, are slated for Friday night, while H Street, Congress Heights, and Dupont Circle are partying into the night on Saturday. An interactive map also lets you plan out your route. Suggs-Evans visits every neighborhood each year, and although it’s probably not possible to visit all 100+ pop-ups in the short timeframe, we at Washingtonian always encourage a challenge.
Never been? Expect lots of live music, special exhibits, and outdoor markets, along with a few more unorthodox performances (snake charmers in Cleveland Park, anyone?) The DC Public Library system gets in on the fun too. Its annual block party in and around Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is always a must-see, and this year’s plans include a full lineup of go-go bands and visiting artists on Saturday. Suggs-Evans says it’s always good to let yourself be surprised by what you find. “Last year I ended up waiting line in Eastern Market for light-up swing sets in Eastern Market. I felt like a little kid,” she says.
This year, Lower Georgia Avenue’s Main Street program is joining the festival for the first time ever. “Collage Avenue” is the theme of their Saturday night programming, so visitors can make their own multimedia art in Bruce Monroe Park, hosted by the new arts-and-crafts hub Merry Pin.
A corresponding celebration for local cuisine—“Dine All Night”—also launched last year to “highlight our city’s vibrant culinary community,” Suggs-Evans says. This year, more than 60 restaurants signed up to offer special menu items and beverages from September 19-29, including El Tamarindo in Adams Morgan and Maxwell Park in Shaw. There’s lots of weekend-exclusive culinary delights to find as well, like a Wingos wing-eating contest in Glover Park on Saturday.
If you’re ready to take to the streets and enjoy all the artsy amusement that DC has to offer, Suggs-Evans has a few tips: Plan ahead, rest up beforehand (especially if you’re not usually a night owl), and try branching out. “It’s always better to start or end somewhere near your neighborhood,” she says, “but I encourage everyone to try somewhere they might have to take Metro to. You’re not going to be disappointed.”
