And of course, I'm sure you're aware that it is really hot out! Current forecast has some rain coming through starting tonight, with things cooling off on Friday.
(Also feel free to reply with any suggestions on what you'd like to see with the newsletter)
Last week, I asked: What's the max you would travel for a day trip (without an overnight stay)? You responded:
2.5 hours (25.8%)
2 hours (22.5%)
3 hours (21.3%)
1.5 hours (19.1%)
3.5 hours (11.2%)
🎆 Celebrate July 4th in Style
This 4th of July, skip the crowds on the Mall and elevate your celebration at VUE Rooftop Bar—DC’s most iconic skyline perch.
With some of the best views of fireworks, Red, White, and VUE is your all-access pass to panoramic views of the fireworks, a premium Moët & Chandon open bar, live entertainment, and gourmet culinary stations that’ll take your taste buds on a joyride.
From lobster-topped mac & cheese to caviar deviled eggs and champagne cream-filled desserts, this is not your average rooftop party. With live bands, DJs, themed 70s-Americana flair, and swag to match, this all-night celebration is your ticket to a Fourth you’ll never forget. ✨
🕺 Witness a whole visual show by The Old Guard and Army Band as they celebrate the Army’s 250th. Wednesdays 6/18 until 7/30. Free and open to the public!
🤝 It’s time to do all those local summer fun you talk about. Check your #DCSummerBucketList, earn points, compete on the leaderboard, and win prizes! Now until Sunday 8/17. Free.
🤸 Claim your free outdoor fitness class in downtown Bethesda’s Elm Street Park! Wednesday 6/25-7/12. Free.
🤓 Pull up to the Archives for fast-paced US government trivia — real-time & phone-in style. Score on top and win prizes! Wednesday 6/25. Free.
🎭 Watch this true story set in 1976 when Andy Warhol visits Iran's royal court to paint royal portraits, only to be taken hostage. A struggle over revolution, responsibility and the arts. Now until Sunday 7/6. $53.
🖌️ Tune in for a laid-back garden art class series for adults (with kid-friendly options) to paint, sketch, or unwind. Wednesday 6/25, 7/26, & 8/27. Free.
🌲 Join this guided foraging walk to learn, forage & taste edible plants through Anacostia. Wednesday 6/25. $25+
🧠 Learn how to make berry-inspired French macarons step-by-step! Fancy, fun, and there’s wine on-site. Thursday 6/26. $75.*
🍲 Barcelonian sommelier Lucas Payà invites you for a tasting and master class on wines of Catalonia. Thursday 6/26. $65.
🕺 If you have that one crazy night worth sharing, bring that story to share at The Rewind’s open mic, or just come listen to others. Thursday 6/26. $5.
🧠 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.
🤓 Game face on, and gather your group to play this rooftop escape game. 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.
🤝 A free clothing giveaway for everyone! No forms to fill, no fees, and all sizes & genders welcome. Thursday 6/26. Free.
🍲 A cookbook club for food lovers in June picks Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis for tomorrow’s reading. Thursday 6/26. Free.
🕺 Dolly Parton’s legacy will be on screen with live orchestral renditions of her classics: Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, and I Will Always Love You. Thursday 6/26-Friday 6/27. $44+
🖌️ This pottery class is hands-on, artsy, and...fruit-themed! Design your own fruit-inspired charcuterie board for a cute way to serve cheese. Friday 6/27. $100.
🎭 Watch a free outdoor screening of 10 Things I Hate About You on Friday 6/27, part of a monthly movie screening series at the Plaza until 10/17. Free.
🕺 Catch three free music sets of avant-garde folk, dance‑punk, and alt‑rock on Lamont Plaza for the library’s reopening celebration. Friday 6/27. Free.
🤓 This Friday’s trivia theme is Jane Austen in the Lee‑Fendall garden. Friday 6/27. $15 includes entry + drink.
🕺 Enjoy 60-second comedy sets from dozens of DMV LGBTQ+ comedians, with a live band and for a great cause. Friday 6/27. $19.
🧠 Books & boxing is a workout for both the body and mind. Punch and pick up a book this Saturday 6/28. Free.
🤝 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.
🖼️ Stay tuned for this exhibit on DC Black communities’ fight for educational equity, opening on Saturday 6/28.
🤓 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.
📜 Join in on a fashion history lecture on antique clothing & handmade pieces with a costume-maker and historian at Lee-Fendall. Saturday 6/28. $13.
🕺 Visit Ballston for an intimate Latin concert on Immigrant Heritage Month with salsa, cumbia, bolero, and reggaeton from local stars. Saturday 6/28. $31
🖼️ Get this free admission to museum and exhibits and unlimited rides on a vintage streetcar at the trolley museum for only $5. Saturday 6/28-Sunday 6/29. Free; $5 add-on.
🌐 The Caribbean American Heritage Month Festival features carnival dancers on stage and an author talk from Walshy Fire on dancehall culture. Saturday 6/28. Free.
🍽️ Cook soup dumplings from scratch in a 3-hour cooking class with Chef Li. Saturday 6/28. $135.
🧑🤝🧑 Hop on that color analysis TikTok trend and let pro stylist Susan Padron work on your personalized color palette. Saturday 6/28. Free.
🎈 DC Day of Archaeology Festival brings together archaeologists from across the DMV where you dig in (literally), learn about preservation, and explore history up close. Saturday 6/28. Free.
🍲 Learn how to harvest, save spores, and grow more fungi in Huitlacoche 102. Sunday 6/29. $5.
🕺 Catch Joe Clair live on a comedy brunch featuring stories from his MTV era, radio days, and life in DC. Sunday 6/29. $35
🕺 Hear funny true stories like awkward breakups or WTF moments told by the best DMV comics. Monday 6/30. $13.
🤝 Witness three top chefs on a one crispy cook-off and vote for your fave fish & chips candidate! It’s tasty and for a cause. Monday 6/30. $72.
🧠 Make some Asian dumplings from scratch with Chef Dobbie with some lessons on knife skills, folding, and dipping sauce recipes. Wednesday 7/2. $65 on sale now.
🧠 Craving French macarons? Learn how to make one & master the macaronage method in this beginner-friendly macaron class. Thursday 7/3. $65.
🍾 Catch the 4th of July fireworks in DC on a rooftop open bar party, all-American food stations, and swag bags. First-come, first-served seating! Friday 7/4. $250.*
🎈 Spend 4th of July at a good neighborhood farm cookout. Grilled veggies, meat mains, then bring your side or drink to share! Friday 7/4. Free.
🧠 Decorate patriotic mini cake donuts for the 4th of July! Ticket includes six mini donuts & a decorating kit. Friday 7/4. $18.
🤝 Nationals Park is turning into a kid’s dream (and maybe adults too), featuring bounce houses, batting cages, carnival games, even a race with the mascot Teddy 🐻 - all to support Horton’s Kids. Wednesday 7/9. $125 early bird; $150 after June 23.
📜 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.
🤸 Join this free monthly 45-minute workout in DC local parks, with workshops rotating between yoga, meditation, and Zumba. Wednesday 7/9, 8/13, and 9/10. Free.
🧠 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.
🤝 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.
🕺 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!
📖 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.
🤸 Ever had a self-care so good you float out? Now you can, literally. Join this floating sound bath experience in Alexandria, Friday 7/18. $80+.
🍾 Dance like you’re in the ’60s sitcoms! Culture Queen will be around to teach you the twist, swing, and classic rock & roll steps. Saturday 7/19. Free.
🧑🤝🧑 From now on, your Saturdays are for dancing. Come to The Wharf each month through August for swing and salsa dance nights. Saturday 7/19 & 8/16. Free.
🍲 Here’s another wine & taco party with 25+ wines & bottomless tacos! Or just come to ask wine pros anything. Sunday 7/20. $66.
🍲 The Best of Washington is a mixer-style fest with unlimited tastings & drinks from 50+ spots in DC! Thursday 7/24. $195 admission; $240 early bird.
📖 If you need a space to finish your book, art, or crafts, you’re welcome to chill & roam around the Heurich House Museum on Thursday 7/24. Free.
🎈 Mark this DMV Made Festival early! Enjoy storytelling & health pavilions, dance, craft workshops, fun zones, and more. Saturday 7/26. Free.
🌲 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.
🧑🤝🧑 The Strawberry Soirée invites you to enjoy swing lessons, flower crown crafts, cocktails & champagne, Cottage history, and lawn games at President Lincoln's Cottage on Saturday 8/9. $66 early bird!
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.
Forwarded this email? Sign up to get things to do, eat, and know in your inbox every Wednesday. One of the big things this weekend is Solstice Saturday, when Smithsonian museums stay open late with special programming. You can see the different programs in my guide to museum parties. Last week, I did something I hadn't done since I was 10 years old: I went to the top of the Washington Monument. Let me tell you: I did not expect for it to be so hard to get tickets! I am a panic buyer of...
Forwarded this email? Sign up to get things to do, eat, and know in your inbox every Wednesday. 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...
Forwarded this email? Sign up to get things to do, eat, and know in your inbox every Wednesday. This weekend is the finale of World Pride, with a ton of events happening across the area. I've included many in today's list, but there are way too many to fit in this email. You can see the official list of World Pride events here, and there are plenty of non-official events happening as well. QueerTalkDC put together a list to check out as well. But, there are a ton of other things happening...
