Biggest news for this weekend is the military parade running through the streets of DC to celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary. Estimated to cost $45 million during a period of government austerity, many are upset. While the Army is installing metal plates in key locations to help prevent damage from tanks, DC government is worried about the damage to roads, which they often don't get reimbursed for, despite promises.

People weren't happy with what many called a North Korean-style military parade that they believe will be a prop of the president instead of a celebration of the Army, but now with the LA protests and riots against ICE action, but now, thing are even more tense. Protests like No Kings are purposefully not scheduling anything in DC.

Practically, it's going to impact a lot of movement around DC.

​Roads will be closed for the parade, with some closed all day Friday through Sunday.

Metro will be open with only one entrance of the Smithsonian stations closed. People are advised to metro instead of take the bus because of the road closures.

Boats are also limited from 2PM Friday to 10 PM Saturday, unable to pass between Long Bridge (395/14th Street Bridge) and the Teddy Roosevelt Bridge (66).

Valerie

Give your opinion, and check back next week for the results.

Last week, I asked: Which big Pride event is your favorite? You responded:

• Parade (62.1%)
• Concerts (20.7%)
• Rally/March (17.2%)

Looking for something specific? Check out these options:

• ​Museum parties & happy hours​
• ​DC farmer's markets​
• ​DC-area BARK Ranger programs​

Did you go to one of these? Reply and let me know how it was!

Know of something cool happening? Submit an event for consideration!

LATE SUMMER HOURS 🌆

• 🌲 You asked, and National Arboretum listened! Their opening hours has been extended until 8PM all summer! Some exclusions apply. Now through Saturday 8/30. ​
• 🌲 You can now enjoy sunset walks, lotus blooms, nature art, and wellness sessions at Kenilworth Gardens after 5, until 8PM! Until Sunday 9/7. Free.
• 📜 Still love streetcars? See the launching of a new streetcar S.T.E.A.M series at the Trolley Museum every Friday 6/13-8/29.

• 🍾 Sample five unique wines featuring big global flavors plus small bites! Wednesday 6/11. $15.
• 🤓 There’s bingo fun on the lawn & under open skies on Wednesday 6/11. BYO blanket! Free.
• 🕺 We are Gathered is a queer love story by Moonlight screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney, live at Arena Stage + a chance to say “I do” on stage! Until Sunday 6/15. $49+
• 🤓 Learn to play classic Hong Kong style mahjong with The Mahjong Lady today, 6/11. Free.

• 🍲 Six Greek wines are having a moment in this cozy seated tasting class! Taste & learn their regions and the small-batch producers behind them. Thursday 6/12. $46.
• 🧠 Learn pottery by hand over four weeks at Sio Ceramics. Every Thursday 6/5 until 6/19. $350.
• 🎭 Get a front row seat to over 90 screenings of the best films in international documentary filmmaking + a reality check forum! Thursday 6/12 to Sunday 6/15. $15 individual movie tickets.
• 🖌️ You can DIY a Father’s Day mug for the father figures in your life this Thursday, 6/12. Free.
• 🖼️ Looking Back – Looking Forward honors 40 years of the DC Public Library’s role as a living archive. The exhibit opens this Thursday, 6/12! Free.
• 🎭 Summer flicks at Downtown DC are back running! Come by Franklin Park for free Thursday movies until 10 PM. Thursday 6/5 to 6/26. Free.
• 🌲 The Woodridge Library releases its first-ever Plant Day, where you can create your own terrarium! Thursday 6/12. Free.
• 🍾 This Summer Soirée features a swing dance & live jazz evening in Old Town Alexandria’s courtyard, with more than 200 young professionals you can connect with. Thursday 6/12. $50 solo / $80 couple.
• 🏞️ Step off the grid in a mindful 3-mile trail experience, featuring philosophical questions & meaningful dialogue. Thursday 6/12. Free.
• 🌲 Need a chill afternoon recommendation? Enjoy the scenery at Hillwood's gardens and mansion, head to the Lunar Lawn for the picnic competition, then watch a screening of "A League of Their Own." Thursday 6/12. $20.
• 🕺 Enjoy free summer concert nights happening rain or shine! BYO folding chair. Starts Thursday 6/12-8/21. Free.
• 🎭 Attend this play about Lafayette and his young drummer, performed by youth to benefit wounded veterans from France and the US at the French embassy. Thursday 6/12. $34.

• 🕺 Get a free ticket to see Grammy-winning rap icon Nelly postgame at Nats Park! Friday 6/13. Free with game tickets ($25+).
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Treat your dad to good food + outdoor fun with a community-style Father’s Day Cookout. Friday 6/13. Free.
• 🍽️ Try cuisines & sips from Virginia to Japan in this four-course pairing dinner. Friday 6/13. $92.
• 🍲 Enjoy a Frida-inspired tasting menu by Chef Marcelino Zamudio & craft your own mini-Frida doll! Friday 6/13. $64.
• 🍾 Kappa Takeover has a full weekend lineup of comedy shows, pre-games, after-party, and festivities at MGM National Harbor. Friday 6/13. $135.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 DPR has released their late-night hype series for carnival-style bash festivities in various centers, starting this Friday, 6/13-8/22. Free.

• 🤝 Let’s choose community over conflict on DC Joy Day! Enjoy free food for 500 guests, DJ sets, line dancing, face painting, teach-ins, community tabling, and more. Saturday 6/14. Free.
• 🍲 With 200+ food vendors, 30+ live acts, giveaways, and a 21+ beer garden, A Taste of the DMV! is one of the biggestCome hungry and leave happy! Saturday, 6/14. Free.
• 🏰 Lee-Fendall House has an interesting history as Union hospital in Civil War-era Alexandria and you can tour its past this Saturday 6/14. $18.
• 🍾 ChaCho Distillery is throwing a party for their 4th year anniversary, and enjoy your first cocktail on the house! Saturday 6/14. First cocktail free.
• 🍲 Learn to make classic French cream puffs, pâte à choux, and éclairs with Chef Dee & take your created treats home this Saturday, 6/14. $75.*
• 🍾 R&B, poetry, wine, and sunset - all in one experience. Don’t miss the fest next Saturday, 6/14! $40.
• 🎭 Listen to comedy legend Kevin McDonald for backstage stories from The Kids in the Hall (of "and his all-out improv jam with DC’s local comedians! Saturday 6/14. $22.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Grab your friends and form a team for the speed puzzling competition & win the fastest puzzler team in Cleveland Park! Saturday 6/14. Free.
• 🍽️ This curated picnic dinner is inviting Black Queer women for a meal & conversation this Saturday 6/14. $34.
• 🏞️ Hike & get outside through DC with DPR and Hike Club DMV! Explore trails, city parks, native flora, and enjoy a community line dance post-hike activity. Saturday 6/14. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Grab your free Salsa & Bachata class with a picnic at Mitchell Park! Hosted by DC Area Social Group this Saturday 6/14. Free.
• 🌐 The Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival Opening Night features a music, dance, and performance lineup with gospel legend Erica Legend and Step Afrika! Saturday 6/14. $30+
• 🤸 Claim your free outdoor fitness class in downtown Bethesda’s Elm Street Park! Saturday 6/14-7/12. Free.
• 🌐 Watkins Park Juneteenth Festival honors African American culture and strength through history exhibits, live performances, culture and community. Saturday 6/14. Free.

• 🤝 Opera Italiana will perform under the stars at the Lincoln Memorial this Sunday 6/15. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Jam to free live rooftop concerts from Go-Go legends and rising stars, or stop by the pop-up vendor mall on Sunday 6/15. Free.
• 🏞️ Join book lovers on a monthly session of walking, talking & listening over favorite audiobooks around DC’s scenery. Sunday 6/15. Free.

• 📖 Listen to Omar Tyree talk about his novel Flyy Girl, a NYT bestseller and NAACP Image Award winner. Tuesday 6/17. Free.
• 🛍️ This is a free PRIDE art supply swap and craft night with local vendor market. Tuesday 6/17. Free.
• 📖 Explore the lives of celebrities behind the scenes through memoirs from stars you know and love. Tuesday 6/17. Free.
• 📖 Matchmaking Maria knows the swipe fatigue of dating apps, so she’s offering no-nonsense dating advice on Tuesday 6/17. $25.
• 🤸 Wind down on a sunrise rooftop yoga session + tea & 20% spa discounts. Wednesday 6/18. $13.
• 🖌️ Inspired by the Folger’s “How to Be a Power Player” exhibit, you can make a Tudor ruff and DIY your own regal ruff. Wednesday 6/18. Free, no tickets required.
• 🌐 This is a full-day Juneteenth Celebration featuring yoga, gardening, food trucks, live performances, interactive mural art, and more! Thursday 6/19. Free.
• 🌐 The Washington Revels Jubilee Voices brings Juneteenth to life through songs & storytelling on freedom, faith, and hope. Thursday 6/19. Free.
• 🌐 Join Juneteenth for the City for a block party with Black-owned vendors, food, and history sessions that honor Black liberation. Thursday 6/19. Free.
• 🍲 Cook a dish, bring it to share, and discuss with foodies in a potluck-style evening with home chefs. Thursday 6/19. $18.
• 📖 Sit down for a grown-up story time with award-winning drag queen Tara Hoot. Friday 6/20. Free.​
• 🎈 Solstice Saturday lets you explore the Smithsonian museums late into the night, with special programming for the longest day of the year. Saturday 6/21. Free.
• 🌐 This is also an all-day Juneteenth Festival featuring local food vendors, storytelling, and more family-friendly activities. Saturday 6/21. Free.​
• 🎈 Home Rule Music Festival is a full day of celebrating DC’s music & culture with Go-Go legends, Afro-funk jazz, food vendors, and more! Saturday 6/21. Free admission.
• 🍲 Love BBQs? Go to the biggest BBQ festival in DC! With over 100 free food samples, BBQ competitions, $50,000+ in prizes, more pitmasters, and the Giant Corks to Caps 21+ Oasis. Saturday 6/21-Sunday 6/22. $21+ (note: super popular & always packed, but fair warning: it tends to be more "meh" than memorable)

• 🧠 You can create natural dyed fabrics using plants & natural dyeing techniques with herbalist Meaghan Thompson-Moore. Thursday 6/26. $23.
• 📖 Honor DC’s poets Essex Hemphill, Tim Dlugos, and Reinaldo Arenas whose work influenced DC’s poetry before their lives were lost to AIDS. Bring tissues, your questions, and your heart. Thursday 6/26. Free.
• 🕺 Experience the historical dance that would have been performed at Marquis de Lafayette's Grand Ball in Philadelphia in 1824, now in Hillwood’s Lunar Lawn on Thursday, 6/26. Pay what you can.
• 🤝 Smart teens with big ideas have been learning & building plans all week, inviting you to the Lincoln Cottage to listen, share, and support their fight against human trafficking. Free pizza! Thursday 6/26. Free.
• 🍾 Get a BTS tour of the 9:30 Club as it's turning 45. You can enjoy a photo exhibit, updated coffee table book with 100+ new pages, and see dressing rooms and a rooftop bar straight out of 1980s DC. Thursday 6/26-Friday 6/27.
• 🤝 Wonder what DC looks like without traffic? We’re reclaiming the streets at Capitol Hill for fitness classes, family activities, and more! No cars on #OpenStreetsDC. Saturday 6/28. Free.
• 🤸 Flow beat by beat to R&B beats from the 2020s! Reserve your spot for Saturday 6/28. Free.
• 🤓 For Pokemon fans, gamers, and pop culture collectors, voice actress Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld (Nurse Joy!!) will be there for autographs and selfies. Saturday 6/28. $10.
• 🖼️ True crime fans, there's a new exhibit exploring how forensic science evolved, from arsenic poisoning cases in the 1800s to the very first lie detector and modern bitemark analysis. Saturday 6/28.
• 🤝 Expecting? This community baby shower is the sweetest way to show up for new parents, and those who could use a little extra support. Free baby essentials! Saturday 6/28. Free.
• 🍲 Find authentic Ghanaian food on traditional dishes served in Asanka bowls + afrobeats on Saturday 7/5. $40.
• 🎈 Young creatives from around the world will be on the Mall sharing stories, skills, and visions for a better tomorrow. Enjoy workshops, demos, food, music, dancing, hands-on activities. Wednesday 7/2-Monday 7/7.
• 🕺 Join the crowd for the 5th Annual All-American Country Summer Nights and enjoy country swing lessons, live Americana music, BBQ, and wine at Bull Run. Bring your boots! Saturday 7/12. Early bird @ $25 for individuals; $40 for two!
• 🍲 Here’s another wine & taco party with 25+ wines & bottomless tacos! Or just come to ask wine pros anything. Sunday 7/20. $66.
• 🌲 It’s the 100th year of tradition with the Chincoteague Pony Swim! See ponies make their annual swim to Chincoteague Island, plus auction and carnival shows on Wednesday 7/30-Thursday 7/31. Price not stated.
• 🖼️ Don't miss on this free or $2 entry to TWO museums: Josiah Henson Museum & Woodlawn Manor. Now through Monday 9/1. Free.

Know of something cool happening? Submit an event for consideration!

* Items marked with an asterisks contain affiliate links (for which I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you) or sponsored. Events are featured based on if I find them interesting and think others will too, regardless if they are affiliate or sponsored.