Things to do in DC 🏝️ Love Island, Bastille Day, martial arts, & clothing swaps


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Valerie

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

Last week, I asked: What are your thoughts on the Mall fireworks? You responded:

  • Look great but I'm not going in person (35.1%)
  • I'd prefer to go somewhere else to watch fireworks (31.1%)
  • I'm not interested in watching any fireworks (27%)
  • I can't wait to go! (6.8%)

Looking for something specific? Check out these options:

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

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  • 🎭 Free popcorn & three free screenings of transit classics running every Wednesday 7/9, 7/16, and 7/23. Free.
  • 🌐 Enjoy Yoruba-rooted Afro-Cuban drumming, dance, and song with Asokere DC at Mt. Pleasant Library. Wednesday 7/9. Free.
  • 🤓 Ever had coffee + crossword therapy on a Wednesday? Swing by the library Wednesday, 7/9. Free.
  • 🤸 Check out the new Momentum Park(our) at the National Building Museum, a limited-time parkour-style pop-up for all ages. Until Sunday 7/20. $5 in addition to cost of regular museum admission.
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 To all bakers, gardeners, crafters, and artists, registration for the DC State Fair competitions just started. If you bake, knit, paint, or grow plants, the contest is for you. Hurry before registration closes on Friday 8/15. Free.
  • 🤓 Grab a mid-week craft beer and do free DIY crafts at the 1921 Biergarten, Wednesday 7/9. Free.
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Millennials, grab a friend (or be the friend!) for this 30’s Pitch A Friend night. Get a free drink when you sign them up for a date. Wednesday 7/9. Free to attend; $5 to reserve pitch.
  • 📜 Join this riverside history chat to learn how Black Washingtonians fought for safe river access from the early 1900s to modern times. Wednesday 7/9. $15.
  • 🌲 Pack up your gear for a night fishing series at Black Hill Regional Park! Get shore or boat access for Wednesdays, dates 7/9, 8/6, 9/3, 10/8.
  • 🕺 Free R&B, Go-Go, and Jazz concerts every Wednesday! Until 8/13. Free.
  • 🕺 Watch the Shakespeare show Romeo & Juliet in an acrobat circus performance, showing until Sunday 7/20. $35+
  • 🍲 Join the Romanian Weekend fest featuring Romanian food, music, wine, and dance. This year, they’re spotlighting the Banat region and Timișoara with crafts and cultural showcases. Friday 7/11-Sunday 7/13. Free admission.
  • 🌲 Watch it grow is a seed-to-plant planting session. Learn each stage of sprouting and take your own plant home. Monday 7/7. Free.
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Calling Love Island fans, come to a cinema watch party at Eaton DC on Friday 7/11. $7.
  • 🧠 Learn to shuck oysters with 6 oysters, wine pairing, and help restore the Chesapeake Bay - your ticket plants 2,000 baby oysters back in the Bay! Friday 7/11. $36.
  • 🍽️ Come for the afternoon tea at Bistro Du Jour and enjoy pastries and sandwiches, plus can-can dancers in Moulin Rouge style. Add a glass of Veuve Clicquot (+$20), and you’ve got an elegant Paris-style afternoon right in DC. Available Friday 7/11-Sunday 7/13. $89.
  • 🏞️ Binoculars out! Join the bird walk with biologist Dan Rauch to find purple martins, spy on birds, and learn about local birdlife with Dan. Friday 7/11. Free.
  • 🤝 Pick veggies, fruit, and herbs for local food giveaways at THEARC every Friday for two hours. Friday 7/11. Free.
  • 🕺 GIFT is a silent version of “Evil Does Not Exist”, an outdoor screening featuring a live score by Eiko Ishibashi and part of the Asia After Dark series. Friday 7/11. Free.
  • 🕺 Elisapie, an acclaimed Inuit singer-songwriter, sings in English, French, and Inuktitut at the American Indian Museum. Friday 7/11. Free.
  • 🕺 Join the sing-along screening of Wicked during Disability Pride this Friday 7/11. Free.
  • 📜 Travel back to 1864 at Fort Stevens Day and tour the Civil War site with living history interpreters + a guided walk to the Battleground Cemetery. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🤝 Peek inside Peirce Mill to see how flowing water powers millstones to make cornmeal, paper-plate waterwheels, try Archimedean screws, and join the river clean-up fun. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🛍️ Shop through 3,000+ donated books at Georgetown Library’s giant summer book sale. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🤸 Bend, breathe, and flow to 90's hip‑hop yoga beats at this fun yoga session. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🕺 See local martial artists in a storytelling sparring match for DC Asian Martial Arts History. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Bastille Day is rolling in early! Enjoy French food, games, and live music in Fessenden Park. Saturday 7/12. $20.
  • 📖 “Debuting with Queer Joy” brings together three amazing new queer voices as they share what it’s like to write joyfully and authentically despite today’s challenges. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🤝 Attention! Free clothing swap!! Drop up to 25 items, pick new items, or stop by the pop-up piercing and flower station. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🍽️ A day party brunch of bottomless mimosas, 80s/90s/early-00s R&B, breakfast staples, seafood entrees, and more. Saturday 7/12. $68+
  • 🕺 The Dragon Clan Show combines choreographies of martial arts, ninja illusions, and weapon mastery into one show. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🌲 Here’s a quiet way to start your day: go on a calm morning tour + tasting on edible plants and herbs at the US Botanic Garden. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Eat pizza and connect with fellow creators and early-stage entrepreneurs from the Life Circle. Talk about rapid-fire conversations about growing on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, newsletters, and more. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🖌️ Learn modern calligraphy over drinks in 90 minutes, using brush lettering techniques and a full beginner’s kit. Saturday 7/12. $65.
  • 🕺 District Sounds is back with free performances by Oddisee, Brooklyn The Kid, LAY, Frankie, a flamenco dance party, and more. Saturday 7/12. Free.
  • 🕺 A Ball of Thorns and Roses is a fae-themed dance performance with a post-show dance party, and this is one of its final public shows. Saturday 7/12. $60 general admission. Use the code 'lover' for 10% off your ticket!
  • 🖌️ Join the flower arranging session with Alexes and work with seasonal flowers. Saturday 7/12. $85.
  • 🏰 Join this kayak tour led by a Park Ranger, exploring historic Civil War sites along the Georgetown Waterfront. Bring your kayak or rent one nearby. Sunday 7/13. Fees not stated.
  • 🤝 Drop off unwanted items and take what you need at Trinidad Farmers Market - it’s a zero-cost swap. Sunday 7/13. Free.
  • 📖 Join this team of cozy readers gathering for a series of Jane Austen Tea Parties, cookies, and maybe a fancy hat to seal the theme. Sunday 7/13 & 8/24. $12.
  • 🕺 Free Sunday jazz concerts in Anacostia on Sunday 7/13-9/7. Free.
  • 🌲 Meet flower-farm duo instructors for a farm tour & a Gardening 102 for beginner gardening tips. Sunday 7/13. $5.
  • 🍲 THE ROOST is hosting a Roséfest with six tasting stations and unlimited pours of some of the best rosé wines for summer. Sunday 7/13. $53​
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Coffee & reggaeton party with vegan and non-vegan snacks available! Sunday 7/13. $35.
  • 🤓 It’s game night. Come for the games, stay for the people! Chill, play board games, and make new friends on Sunday 7/13. Free.
  • 🍾 Dance to disco over ABBA’s song hits like Mamma Mia” or “Take a Chance on Me” and enjoy a full bar at Dirty Habit’s patio. Sunday 7/13. $32+*
  • 🌐 Drink dozens of Italian wines with cheese and charcuterie during Cheesetique Del Ray’s month-long Mozzarella Fest. Sunday 7/13. $20.

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* 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.

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