Good day, DC!
If you are in need of a positive escape, we’ve got you covered with a list of fun things to do. The local fair excitement continues this week at the Arlington County Fair. Also, you can join one—or several—hip-swaying Latin dance parties at DCBX to dance the stress away.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
August 11–August 17
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- Arlington County Fair. The Arlington County Fair returns with entertainment for all ages. Neighbors can participate in archery and ax-throwing, shop for art at the Night Market, devour bites at Food Truck Alley, and zip through inflatable obstacle courses. If you’re a fan of local talent, you won’t want to miss the lineup of area musicians and entertainers performing daily, including acts such as Maryland’s Joshica band, the Arlingtones Barbershop Chorus, and percussive dance group Calico Cloggers (Wed through Sun, free, Arlington).
- “Play On” at Signature Theatre. Play On, set in Harlem, remixes Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with jazz tunes by Duke Ellington and choreography by Breon Arzell (Tues through October 5, $47+, Arlington).
- DCBX Latin dance festival. Latin dance festival DCBX is back with a multi-day showcase of live music and dance parties at Westin DC Downtown. Partiers can tap into the cultural festivities at a number of DJ dance parties; ballroom salsa, kizomba, and bachata sessions; and performance workshops where you can show off your moves (Thurs through August 18, $46+, Downtown).
- “Carmen” at Wolf Trap. Georges Bizet’s classic opera has been remixed and remastered by a number of artists over the years. This weekend, admirers of the Spanish-set tale will have a chance to be a part of the musical reverie at Wolf Trap (Fri, $39+, Vienna).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Walk through spellbinding installations at Museum of Illusions on Library Day (Mon, free, Downtown).
- Take in paintings by Japanese American women artists Hisako Hibi, Miné Okubo, and Miki Hayakawa before the “Pictures of Belonging” exhibit closes (closes Sun, free, Smithsonian American Art Museum).
- Take an evening stroll through the National Arboretum gardens during the extended summer hours (through August 30, free, Northeast DC).
- Local columnist Qin Sun Stubis discusses her nonfiction book Once Our Lives at JF Books (Fri, free, Dupont Circle).
Community and heritage:
- Taste Jamaican dishes, listen to live music, and shop vendors at Jamaica Fest DC (Sat, free, Silver Spring).
Theater and shows:
- Watch a dance performance from Dance Institute of Washington under the courtyard tent at Hillwood (Wed, $30, $10 students, $5 for children ages 6 to 18, free for children 5 and younger, Northwest DC).
- Comic Ali Sultan headlines a funny show at the DC Arts Center (Fri, $23, Adams Morgan).
Music and concerts:
- Millennials can relive teenage memories at the Jonas Brothers Jiffy Lube Live concert (Tues, $36+, Bristow).
- Dance the night away at AfroTón. This year’s social dance party will host salsa, bachata, cumbia, and more dance sessions (Wed, $12+, U Street Corridor).
- Experimental vocalist Charmaine Lee brings her improvised melodies to Rhizome DC (Thurs, $15+, Takoma Park).
- It’s the last chance to perfect your ukulele skills at classes and jam sessions during Ukefest (through August Wed, $535 for all-access pass, Bethesda).
- Relax outdoors and enjoy the indie-pop sounds of Dandy at the Modern at Art Place (Fri, free, Fort Totten).
- Country singer Sam Hunt will perform at Nats Stadium after our home team faces off against the Phillies (Fri, $22+, Nationals Park).
- R&B singer Girl Ultra performs live at Pearl Street Warehouse (Sat, $26+, Wharf).
- Hardcore punk group the Armed is live in concert at the Atlantis (Sat, $32.50, Wharf).
- Bring a lawn chair and good vibes to Jazzy Sundays in Anacostia (Sun, free, Anacostia).
Get involved:
- Tour Common Good City Farm and taste tomato dishes for a good cause. You can donate school supplies for local youth at the event (Thurs, free, LeDroit Park).
Bites and beverages:
- Allegory will collaborate with award-winning bar team Panda and Sons for a night of modern mixology (Mon, free entry, Downtown).
Things to do with kids:
- Fair season is afoot with carnival rides, sweet treats, pig races, and much more at the Montgomery County Agriculture Fair (through Sat, $13+ single-day admission, carnival tickets sold separately, Gaithersburg).
- Concerts, derby demos, rodeos, and carnival fare are highlights of Prince William County Fair (through Sat, $20 for adults, $10 for children and seniors, Manassas).
- Kiddos can sing along with Elmo and Cookie Monster at Sesame Street the Musical (through August 31, $51+, Kennedy Center).
- Watch a movie screening of Disney family flick Mufasa (Wed, free, Mount Vernon Square).
- Make bubbles, scented lotion, and participate in more science activities with the family at ACS Kids Zone (Sat, free, Downtown).
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.
