Happy Monday, DC!
There’s one last chance to catch Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour at Northwest Stadium. Also, local community favorites are back in town this week: Embassy Chef Challenge, Live from the Lawn, and Romanian Weekend.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
July 7–July 13
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- Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter concert. The Beyoncé fun continues at Northwest Stadium with more western glam and live country harmonies from her Grammy-winning album Cowboy Carter. In addition to mechanical bulls, attention-grabbing light shows, and sing-alongs, there’s exclusive fan experiences throughout the stadium, including group photo opportunities inside the Legends Plaza tent, and a mobile pop-up by Cécred (the singer’s hair care line) with product samples, and more (Mon, $147+, Northwest Stadium).
- Embassy Chef Challenge. The annual Embassy Chef Challenge returns this week to celebrate international cuisines and cultures at the one-night tasting experience at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. Chefs from more than 30 embassies will compete in a friendly culinary competition to show off flavors from their home countries. Patrons at the food battle will get to sample bites and beverages from Bolivia, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, and more, and then vote for their favorite (Thurs, $169, Downtown).
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play. Don’t miss the award-winning stage adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at National Theatre. Fans of the magical movie series can see Harry Potter and his companions perform stunts and spells live (Tues through September 7, $66+, Downtown).
- Live from the Lawn. Summer is in full swing, bringing outdoor concerts to parks and yards across town. The area’s latest live music series kicks off at Strathmore this week with a reggae concert on Wednesday, and a kids concert on Thursday headlining Divi Roxx Kids. You can attend ten family-friendly performances through August as part of the series (select Wed and Thurs through August, pay-what-you-can, Bethesda).
- Romanian Weekend at The Wharf. All ages are invited to take a trip to Romania this week at the Wharf. The community event is an immersive celebration of traditional crafts demonstrations, musical and dance performances, food and wine tastings, cultural exhibitions, and hands-on activities highlighting Romania’s Banat region and the city of Timișoara (Fri-Sun, free, Wharf).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Part of the National Building Museum’s Great Hall has been transformed into an immersive parkour installation (through July 20, $5 parkour ticket, $10 museum admission, $7 museum admission for ages 3-17 and 60+, Penn Quarter).
- The Smithsonian Folklife Festival addresses the theme Youth and the Future of Culture, with exhibitors demonstrating young people’s projects in film, music production, and master crafts (closes Mon, free, National Mall).
- American University professor Amelia Tseng will discuss her new nonfiction book, Empanadas, Pupusas, and Greens on the Side—a book about Latin immigrants living in Washington in the ’80s (Mon, free, Northwest DC).
- Paint landscapes with artist Samantha Van Heest at the library (Tues, free, Georgetown).
- Watch a movie screening of the classic musical Grease on the southeast lawn of the Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building (Thurs, free, Library of Congress).
- If you’re a fan of romance fantasy books, you can watch enchanting stories come to life through live dance and storytelling at Culture House DC (Sat, $66+, Southwest DC).
- Literary fans can join curator talks, participate in a scavenger hunt, and join a fact-checking workshop at Planet Word’s Curiosity Day (Sun, free, Downtown).
Community and heritage:
- Historian Dr. Jake Desai-Newsome discusses the Holocaust and LGBTQ+ rights at the Capital Jewish Museum (Wed, $10, Georgetown).
- Commemorate Bastille Day at the Embassy of France with Parisian cuisine, drinks, and music (Fri, $140+, Georgetown).
- Listen in on a conversation about DC’s martial arts history with martial arts practitioners at the museum (Sat, free, Smithsonian American Art Museum).
Theater and shows:
- It’s the last chance to see You’ve Got A Friend: Women Pop Songwriters belt hits of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Adele, and other music stars at Signature Theatre (closes Sun, $51, Arlington).
- Attend the US premiere of the new musical Dead Inside at Woolly Mammoth Theatre (Wed through July 27, $31+, Penn Quarter).
- Love, irony, and friends explore their relationships in the DC premiere of Apropos of Nothing, a Comedy (Sat through August 10, $54, Dupont Circle).
Music and concerts:
- Cap’n Jazz plays punk-pop music at the Black Cat (Wed, $35+, Shaw).
- Clap along to the melodies of Celtic folk trio House of Hamill at Hill Center (Fri, $20, Capitol Hill).
- Rock band Wavves is live in concert at Union Stage (Sat, $35+, Wharf).
- Celebrate Latin music at Wolf Trap’s Todo Sonido music festival (Sat-Sun, $67+, Vienna).
- Award-winning gospel vocalist Naomi Raine is live in concert (Sat, $40, Woodbridge).
- Attend the kick-off concert of Jazzy Sundays (Sat, free, Anacostia).
Exercise and wellness:
- Participate in a calming poolside yoga session atop the Arlo hotel (Sat, $34, Downtown).
- Expect donuts, bagels, and a neighborhood bike ride at this Ward 6 meetup (Sat, free, Capitol Hill).
Things to do with kids:
- Children can learn international folk tales from the Pushcart Players at Wolf Trap (Wed-Thurs, $12, free for ages younger than 2, Vienna).
- Sing along with Elmo, Cookie Monster, and friends in this Muppet production that includes old faves like “Rubber Duckie” and new songs written for the show (Thurs through August 31, $40+, Kennedy Center).
Plan ahead:
- Teddy Swims sings soul-stirring songs from his project I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy at the Anthem (July 16, $130+ from third-party sellers, Wharf).
- Savor bites from more than 50 local eateries, and sip unlimited drinks at Washingtonian’s Best of Washington culinary bash; tickets are on sale now (July 24, $195+, Penn Quarter).
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 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.
