Whether you’re on a solo date or evening out with friends, DC offers several free activities that are cool options for a budget-friendly adventure. Save money at one of these upcoming happenings:
Explore a museum
12100 Glen Road, Potomac; 6th St. and Constitution Ave., NW
Although the Smithsonian museums lead the way in free exhibit explorations, there’s an array of other museum and galleries throughout the area where you can view the latest exhibitions on a budget. The Potomac art complex Glenstone always has free entry with timed-entry passes. In March, Glenstone’s Pavilions will reopen for the spring showcase featuring artworks by Jenny Holzer, Alex Da Corte, Simone Leigh and more. The renowned National Gallery of Art—which boasts more than 3,000 works on view and is not part of the Smithsonian—offers free admission and guided tours. Plus, on select days and times places like the Phillips Collection, the National Building Museum, the Rubell Museum (always free for DC residents), and the National Museum of Women in the Arts allow guests to visit for free.
Go to a live concert
540 Penn St., NE and 555 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center has presented a number of new programs since it opened in 2023, including the free Peabody Performance Series, which hosts live student and faculty shows. The spring lineup brings the Peabody Chamber Orchestra, the New York City chamber group Loadbang, and the Peabody Jazz Ensemble to the stage (March 7, April 30, May 2). As part of the Washington Performing Arts’s ongoing Mars Arts concert series you can groove to jazz, R&B, soul, pop, and hip-hop at Songbyrd Music House or outdoor at Tregaron Conservancy (March 5, April 16, May 4, 7, June 4).
Attend a festival with your family
101 Market Square, SW
The Wharf’s Mardi Gras parade is going to be a big event. All ages are welcome to join the New Orleans–inspired festivities when they kick off on Market Pier. You can enjoy seeing jugglers, stilt walkers, decorated floats, and the Mardi Gras king and queen as they stroll a mile down Wharf Street. To end the night with a bang, there’s a fireworks show and live performances across four stages by local go-go and funk groups the Experience Band & Show, Too Much Talent Band, Crush Funk Brass Band and others (March 1).
Watch a movie
540 Penn St., NE; 8th & G streets, NW
Here’s a budget-friendly way to find entertainment beyond your typical movie theater. Watch one of your favorite rom-coms, classic films, or action movies at a museum or music venue. Songbyrd Music House has a popular monthly movie series that pairs a martial arts film with a live score of the soundtrack. The next Can I Kick It? show is a rewind of The Perfect Weapon (February 25). Next up, is a double feature of Hollywood glamour screenings at Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in connection with its current exhibition “Star Power.” Museum goers can watch two romances, The Women and It Happened One Night (March 22, April 19).
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.
