August Culture Guide: 42 Things to Do in the DC Area

Happy August, DC!

Summer is wrapping up, but there’s still time to see an outdoor opera, go to The Weeknd concert at Northwest Stadium, and tap your feet to the sounds of another rhythmic DC Jazz Festival.

10 Best Things to Do in DC

by Pat Padua

Music

The Weeknd

August 2

His recent film, Hurry Up Tomorrow, was a critical and commercial flop. Good thing he’s still doing what he’s good at: playing his big collection of winning hits in front of a huge crowd.

Panel Discussion

Twin Peaks: Conversation With the Stars

August 4

Auteur David Lynch died in January, and you can celebrate his crowning television achievement by attending this conversation with some of the show’s stars, including Sheryl Lee and Ray Wise (above).

Books

David Levithan and Jens Lekman

August 7

Author Levithan teamed up with Swedish singer-songwriter Lekman for a new novel, Songs for Other People’s Weddings. One wrote the story (about a wedding singer who pens original songs for every couple that hires him); the other wrote and recorded 16 original tunes, which come with the book via a QR-code download.

Music

Ukefest

August 9–13

The ukulele isn’t taken as seriously as the violin or guitar, but its tinkly timbre has helped earn the quirky stringed instrument major cult status. This annual gathering of the uke faithful features 17 hours of classes, a slew of jam sessions, and a faculty concert.

Opera

Carmen

August 15

Composer Georges Bizet never went to Spain, but his classic opera depicts for many the nation’s definitive romantic soul, its very name able to send one into a humming, dancing reverie.

Books

Scott McGill and Susannah Wright

August 19

After the much-discussed recent translation of The Iliad by Emily Wilson, now there’s a revitalization of another ancient epic, The Aeneid. This one is a collaborative effort from Rice University professors McGill and Wright; the introduction is, appropriately, by Wilson.

Theater

Parade

August 19–September 7

This Tony-winning musical is based on the true story of Leo and Lucille Frank, a Jewish couple who lived in the deep South more than a century ago. Their lives are upended when Leo is accused of a heinous crime.

State fairs aren’t just places for gross food and gigantic produce: This exhibit features more than 200 artworks created for fairs from the 19th century to the present. There will also be live demonstrations, including a life-size butter cow made onsite by the official butter sculptor of the Iowa State Fair.

Music

DC Jazz Festival

August 27–31

Highlights at this annual celebration include big names (Ron Carter, above, Branford Marsalis) and homegrown talent (the String Queens, who all work in DC public schools). One not to miss: the Sun Ra Arkestra, led by 101-years-young Marshall Allen.

Music

Afro Plus Fest

August 31

Nigerian star Asake (above), who merges Afro­pop with hip-hop, is one of the international headliners at this festival dedicated to the various rhythms of the African diaspora, including highlife, fusion, and Caribbean sounds. Also on the bill: rapper Gunna, Trinidadian singer Machel Montano, and more.

Want More Things to Do?

by Briana Thomas

Arts and culture:

• View 14 films from 14 countries at African Diaspora International Film Festival (August 1-3, $45+, George Washington University).
• Bestselling authors Jason Reynolds and Kennedy Ryan chat about their latest books at Black Books Matter Fest (August 2, free, National Harbor).
• Washington football legends Mark Rypien, Gary Clark, and Chip Lohmiller board City Cruises to relive their 1991 championship with fans (August 2, $80, Wharf).
• Observe how artists have documented the country’s landscapes over the past 200 years in the new exhibition “American Landscapes in Watercolor from the Corcoran Collection” (opens August 2, free, National Gallery of Art).
• Watch the Best of the Thomas Edison Film Festival’s animations, documentaries, and more flicks at the National Gallery of Art (August 2-3, free, National Gallery of Art).
• Sing karaoke and play word games at Planet Word’s Wordplay Wednesday (August 6, $5+, Downtown).
• Manga, anime, and pop culture geeks can attend this year’s Otakon (August 8-10, $40+, free for children younger than 8, Walter Washington Convention Center).
• Young adult and youth authors Roseanne A. Brown and Namina Forna bring The Reading Lounge to DC (August 31, $5+, Downtown).

Community and heritage:

• Support small farmers, and learn about agriculture at the The Great American Farmers Market (August 3-8, free, National Mall).
• Craft a flower crown, take swing dance lessons, and partake in other activities at President Lincoln’s Cottage’s Strawberry Soirée (August 9, $65, Northwest DC).

Theater:

• Play On remixes Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with Duke Ellington jazz tunes set in Harlem, New York, at Signature Theatre (August 12 through October 5, $47+, Arlington).

Shows and performances:

• Comedian and actor Pete Holmes does standup at Lincoln Theater (August 22, $45+, U Street Corridor).
• Watch the Washington National Opera’s screening of Porgy and Bess at Opera in the Outfield (August 23, free, Nationals Park).
• Magicians Eric Jones, Lucy Darling, and more performers arrive in town for another DC Festival of Magic (August 30 through September 1, $17+, Downtown).
• Experience the excitement and art of drag at RuPaul’s Drag Race “Werq The World” tour (August 30, $68+, Wharf).

Music:

• Celebrate the release of DC goth band Cemetery Sex’s debut album at DC9 Club (August 2, $19, Shaw).
• Techno DJ Hiroko Yamamura spins upbeat mixes at Echostage (August 2, $34+, Langdon).
• The Englishtown Project pays tribute to ’70s band Grateful Dead at The Hamilton Live (August 7, 26+, Downtown).
• Tickets are selling fast for Broccoli City’s DJ block party at the Bullpen (August 9, $45, Navy Yard).
• Latin dance festival DCBX is back with a multi-day showcase of live music and dance parties (August 14-18, $46+, Downtown).
• DC pop-rock group Pretty Bitter is live in concert to promote their new album, Pleaser (August 16, $20, Shaw).
• R&B singer Girl Ultra performs live at Pearl Street Warehouse (August 16, $26+, Wharf).
• Acoustic music legend James Taylor performs at Wolf Trap (August 21, 23-24, $79+, Vienna).
• Local punk duo Teen Mortgage join Glitterer’s show at Black Cat (August 22, $25, Shaw).
• Snag a ticket to vocalist D4vd’s two-night concert at The Fillmore Silver Spring (August 23-24, $49+, Silver Spring).
• DC’s own Soul Meets Body band blends pop and hardcore melodies at Songbyrd Music House (August 24,  $18+, Union Market).
• Rising country-pop artist Jessie Murph sets out on a global tour to promote her upcoming project Worldwide Hysteria (August 27, $62, Wharf).
• Slutbomb headlines the 10th anniversary concert for hardcore and metal music promoters Domestic Terror (August 30, $15+, Union Market).
• Tickets to see local R&B singer Raheem Devaughn at Birchmere Music Hall are selling fast (August 30-31, $149+, Alexandria).

Things to do with kids:

• All ages can play games, groove to music, and see live performances at Arena Stage Community Day (August 23, free, Southwest DC).

Bites and beverages:

• Bring a lawn chair and blanket to enjoy wine and jazz at Marietta House Museum (August 2, $10, Glenn Dale).
• Devour cheap eats from more than 150 participating restaurants during Summer Restaurant Week (August 18-24, $25+, various participating locations).

A version of this article appears in the May 2025 issue of Washingtonian.