16. Memorial Day Weekend Concert
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 619-7222
Description: As a kickoff to the summer tourist season, this popular concert features the globally acclaimed National Symphony Orchestra in an unforgettable setting under the stars.
17. Washington National Cathedral Flower Mart
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 537-6200
Description: Each year, the mart’s theme is a salute to a different country, featuring flower booths, entertainment, and decorating demonstrations.
18. Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Day
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 667-0441
Description: D.C.’s most historic arts district extends a gracious welcome through house tours, craft demonstrations, and concerts on the first weekend in June. A shuttle service is provided.
19. Military Band Concerts
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 619-7222
Description: Summer brings a daily dose of free concerts to Washington. On any night of the week, you can catch a patriotic performance by the U.S. Army Band, U.S. Air Force Band, U.S. Marine Corps Band, or U.S. Navy Band. The concerts are set against patriotic backdrops like the Washington Monument Sylvan Theatre, the U.S. Capitol, and the National World War II Memorial. Call the National Park Service or visit the bands’ Web sites for an up-to-date schedule (www.usafband.com, www.usarmyband.com, www.marineband.usmc.mil, and www.navyband.navy.mil).
20. The Shakespeare Theatre Company Free-For-All
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 547-1122
Description: Carter Barron and D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Company collaborate to stage free, professional performances of Shakespearean masterpieces for two weeks every June. These open-air productions draw huge crowds, in spite of the fact that you have to drive into D.C. to pick up those free tickets the same day as the performance.
21. Smithsonian Folklife Festival
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 633-6440
Description: The rich cultural and folklife heritage of the Americas is played out on the National Mall in the form of lectures, concerts, working villages, and hands-on exhibits. You’ll see performances and exhibits from obscure societies you may not have known existed, as well as the more familiar ones, like Cajun or Navajo Nation. The festival runs through the 4th of July and attracts upward of 1 million people.
22. Red Cross Waterfront Festival
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (703) 549-8300
Description: One of Alexandria’s top summer events, the Red Cross Waterfront Festival brings in a weekend full of music (including some top-name rock, country, folk, and reggae acts), ethnic foods, canoe rides, juried arts and crafts, fireworks, tall ships, and even a 10K run to work off all the calories. Admission fee applies.
23. National Independence Day Celebration
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (800) 215-6405
Description: Washington fittingly plays host to the nation’s largest 4th of July party, with a parade down Constitution Avenue, colonial military maneuvers, concerts at the Sylvan Theatre next to the Washington Monument, and an evening performance by the National Symphony Orchestra on the west steps of the Capitol. The day ends with a spectacular 45-minute fireworks exhibit that has been known to draw more than a million onlookers—on both sides of the river.
24. Waterlily Festival
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 426-6905
Address: 1900 Anacostia Drive SE
Description: A true off-the-beaten-path experience, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is a fascinating blooming ground for aquatic plants—the only National Park site of its kind, nestled against the Anacostia River. Each July the Waterlily Festival draws crowds to see the splendid flowers in peak bloom.
25. Black Family Reunion
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 737-0120
Description: Since 1986 African American families have gathered at the Washington Monument for this annual event, organized by the National Council of Negro Women. Themed pavilions tackle issues like health, education, and economic empowerment, while music, activities, and family entertainment make it a fun event for all ages.
26. Kalorama House And Embassy Tour
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 387-4062
Address: 2340 S Street NW
Description: Historic Kalorama is still one of D.C.’s most exclusive and interesting neighborhoods. Homes and gardens in this area are lavish and beautifully maintained. You begin at the Woodrow Wilson House, a museum property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Admission fee applies.
27. Kennedy Center Open House
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 467-4600
Address: 2700 F Street NW
Description: Stroll the towering red-carpeted halls of Washington’s premier performing arts center, and then enjoy the free concerts and performances at this annual open house.
28. Labor Day Weekend Concert
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (202) 619-7222
Description: The National Symphony Orchestra officially closes Washington’s summer tourist season with a rousing selection of classical and patriotic arrangements. This event is packed, so plan to come early, maybe with a blanket and a picnic, and take public transportation or you’ll be caught in the mother of all traffic jams.
29. Rock Creek Park Day
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Address: 5200 Glover Road NW
Description: The nature center is headquarters for a slate of environmental, recreational, and historical programs during this daylong tribute to one of the world’s largest and most beautiful urban parks. Each year Rock Creek Park Day commemorates the founding of the park in 1890.
30. Occoquan Fall Craft Show
City: Washington, DC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (703) 491-2168
Description: More than 350 juried artisans, representing 30 states, exhibit their wares in front of some 100,000 shoppers in this tidy and historic waterfront community. This weekend fair just might be the largest craft show on the East Coast. Admission is free.