Good day, DC!
The H Street Festival turns 20 years old this weekend. Adults, kids, and pets can participate in the lineup of outdoor entertainment. If you’re looking for an indoor happening, Issa Rae is in town to discuss her new book, and Theatre Week is back.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
September 15–21
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- H Street Festival. The H Street Festival showcases local eateries, vendors, and fashions, and offers kids’ activities and contests. This weekend’s 20th celebration will feature more than 200 exhibitors and over 80 food and drink sellers in Northeast’s lively corridor (Sat, free, H Street Corridor).
- Issa Rae at DAR Constitution Hall. After canceling her appearance at the Kennedy Center earlier this year, actor and writer Issa Rae arrives in DC to discuss her book I Should Be Smarter by Now. It is a collection of essays narrating the actor’s rise to Hollywood fame and cultural impact (Tues, $91+, DAR Constitution Hall).
- National Mall of Pickleball. Pickleball courts are open for community play and duo matches on the National Mall this week. The Trust for the National Mall and Humana are hosting three days of programming and activities in celebration of the sport for all ages to enjoy (Fri-Sun, free, walk-ins are available, National Mall).
- March On Film Festival. The March On Film Festival—formerly March on Washington Film Festival—is back in town to present “stories that move.” The festival spotlights the unsung heroes and stories of the civil rights era. This year’s keynote speakers and honorees are community leaders such as filmmakers Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith, and Senator Cory Booker. The lineup features film screenings, panel discussions, and a Harlem Renaissance-inspired party (Mon through September 21, free+, various DC locations).
- Immigration Film Fest. Immigration Film Fest, organized by the local nonprofit KAMA DC, is dedicated to sharing the stories and experiences of refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants. Over the span of the next three weeks, the hybrid showcase will host 32 virtual screenings and four in-person showings, including a community screening this Friday to kick off the event (Fri, September 25 through October 4, $50+ in-person pass, $35 virtual pass, Northwest DC).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Meet up and collaborate with fellow zine and comic creators (Mon, free, MLK Library).
- Experience art installations on radical feminism after hours at NMWA Nights (Wed, $25, Downtown).
- Films on the Green is showing the French romance Amélie outdoors between the National Gallery of Art West Building and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (Wed, free, but registration encouraged, National Mall).
- View four new exhibitions at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at GW (Thurs, free, George Washington University).
- Celebrate the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum 58th birthday at their late-night museum party (Thurs, free, Anacostia).
- Feature documentary Immutable—a coming-of-age story revolving around a group of students from the Washington Urban Debate League—screens this week at Planet Word (Thurs, $10, Downtown).
- Watch a movie screening of ’90s flick The Parent Trap at Mitchell Park (Fri, free, Kalorama).
- There will be arts and crafts activities, retro arcade games, glow-in-the-dark swag, and more throwback entertainment at Back to the Yards (Fri, free, Navy Yard).
- Attend filmmaking workshops, and see youth-led projects and media at The Anacostia Youth Media Festival (Sat-Sun, free, Anacostia).
Community and heritage:
- Learn how Piscataway communities and enslaved people contributed to the lands of Dumbarton Oaks (Tues, free, Georgetown).
- Listen in on a panel discussion examining key moments in US immigration legislation at the Capital Jewish Museum (Wed, $10 for in-person, free for virtual, Georgetown).
- It’s the final week to take a guided history or culture tour of DC during Walking Town (closes Sat, free, various locations).
- Shop goodies at a vendor market, attend a beer fest, and more at the 17th Annual Columbia Heights Day (Sun, free, Columbia Heights).
Theater and shows:
- Theatre Week invites locals to catch more than 20 area performances at a discounted rate (Fri through October 5, $25+, various participating theaters).
- Ford’s Theatre presents a play about the pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement, The American Five (Sat through October 12, $26+, Penn Quarter).
Music and concerts:
- See soul vocalist Kendra Morris live in concert at DC9 Nightclub ahead of her new album release (Thurs, $15+, Shaw).
- Geordie Greep makes his solo music debut at the Black Cat (Sat, $30+, Shaw).
Bites and beverages:
- Taste samples of whiskey and bourbon at BBQ & Barrels (Fri, $74, Nationals Park).
- Sip wines and eat fresh baguettes at Garden Party de la Rentrée at the Embassy of France (Sat, $96, Northwest DC).
Things to do with kids:
- Young children can see colorful puppets and rubber ducks at The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at Imagination Stage (Wed through October 12, $15+, Bethesda).
- Kiddos can play on rope swings, visit farm animals, venture through a tractor museum, and ride an enormous slide at Cox Farms Festival (Sat through November 9, $15+, Centreville)
Plan ahead:
- Tickets are on sale to see Lucy Dacus, Doechii, and Noah Kahan perform live at All Things Go Music Festival (September 26-28, $39+, Columbia).
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.
