​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 concert tickets, and I am used to getting on early and hitting refresh refresh refresh to snag good tickets. But the Washington Monument ticket system, I failed at it the first time I tried.

I ended up only being able to get tickets for Friday the 13th which was not ideal given all the parade preparations & security fences that were up. But I'm glad I crossed that off my list.

If you want to go, here are instructions on how to get Washington Monument tickets and some tips I learned.

p.s. I also didn't think about my fear of heights until I was in the elevator going up and it kicked in and wow did it kick in!

Valerie

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

Last week, I asked: How is the military parade this weekend affecting your plans? You responded:

• I'm avoiding it at all costs (59.8%)
• I'm getting out of town (18.8%)
• I'm going to be protesting (14.3%)
• It's not affecting me (4.5%)
• I'm going to go enjoy it (2.7%)

Looking for something specific? Check out these options:

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

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!

FOR JUNETEENTH 🌟

• 📖 Juneteenth at Planet Word is a full day of author talks, poetry, storytelling, and book signings focused on Black voices. Wednesday 6/18. Donation.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Juneteenth, drag royalty & a cookout with gay friends from DMV LGBTQ celebrates Black artistry with a side of food included in your ticket. Thursday 6/19. $40+
• 🍾 Wunder Garten is calling all 30s & over for Juneteenth hip-hop/R&B throwbacks. Thursday 6/19. $18.
• 🤸 Enter a grounded space of yoga + reflection this Juneteenth. Thursday 6/19. $20.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Celebrate Juneteenth in one place! Here’s yoga, music, food, art, workshops, mural painting, and Double Dutch for a full-on celebration. Thursday 6/19. Free.
• 🤝 Honor a child’s grave that was vandalized hours after people mourned her in 2023, with history tours, flower planting, and a ceremony. If you want to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that means something, this is it. Thursday 6/19. Free.
• 🎈 Give it your all at this people fest - skate & rooftop party + an outdoor festival made for the people over four days of Juneteenth celebration. Thursday 6/19 to Sunday 6/22. Prices vary.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 For a heartfelt Juneteenth, you’re welcome to share your family's journey to the DMV whether your roots here go back 200 years or just 2. Your story matters! Sunday 6/22. Free.

• 🖌️ 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.
• 🖼️ Few weeks left to view Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s Always to Return exhibit! You’ll find most of it at the Gallery but it’s also spread out across the F Street facade, MLK Library, and 8th Street. Now until Sunday 7/6. Free.
• 🏞️ Get a screen break and out into the Woodridge community for a slow & mindful nature walk. Wednesday 6/18. Free.
• 🖼️ Pride didn’t start at Stonewall, and this gay pride exhibit has the receipts. See 60 years of LGBTQ+ protest and pride history since 1965. Up now through Sunday 7/6. Free.
• 🤓 Hang around for fun bingo play today 6/18. Free.
• 🖌️ Join this creative community for feedback and connection on fellow writers. Wednesday 6/18. Free.
• 🕺 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!

• 🌟 See the Juneteenth events section for more!
• 🧠 Learn how to make berry-inspired French macarons step-by-step! Fancy, fun, and there’s wine on-site. Thursday 6/19 - Tuesday 7/22. $75.*
• 🍲 Cook a dish, bring it to share, and discuss with foodies in a potluck-style evening with home chefs. Thursday 6/19. $18.
• 🤝 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.

• 📖 Sit down for a grown-up story time with award-winning drag queen Tara Hoot. Friday 6/20. Free.
• 🎈 If you haven’t danced around a maypole under the shadow of the Washington Monument, now’s your chance. Make flower crowns, play lawn games, and pretend you’re in Sweden for a night. Friday 6/20. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Join this cozy French social that is part language exchange, and part vibe sesh. Plus, the views are cute and the people usually are too. Friday 6/20. Free.

• 🤸 Claim your free outdoor fitness class in downtown Bethesda’s Elm Street Park! Saturday 6/14-7/12. Free.
• 🌐 Enjoy Hula, Samoan dancing, handmade crafts, and Hawaiian food like you made a one-day trip to Hawaii! Saturday 6/21. $15.
• 🎈 Solstice Saturday lets you explore the Smithsonian museums late into the night, with special programming for the longest day of the year. See all events in one place here. 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.
• 🖼️ See these art prints & photographs from 17 Japanese artists, which went through being worked, reworked, and then reworked again. On view this Saturday 6/21 - Thursday 11/20.
• 🌲 If you’re into carnivorous plants, this DIY mini bog garden workshop will be fun to work with. Saturday 6/21. $25+.​
• 🧠 Pretend you’re a forest witch & create your own herbal blend while learning what all those herbs actually do, then leave with your own self-care ritual! Saturday 6/21. $57.
• 🕺 Explore Georgetown with live music in every corner. See 40+ acts playing everything from jazz to spoken word to R&B this Saturday 6/21. Free.
• 🖼️ Dupont and Kalorama museums are all open with special exhibits, extended hours, and even live music. Join the museum hop! Saturday 6/21-Sunday 6/22. Free admission.
• 🖌️ Your broken necklace still has a purpose, and Mrs. Yvette will teach you how to fix it for a new jewelry. Saturday 6/21. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Ready your cowboy boots, it's line dance night! BYO chairs & cooler ready for picnic night. Saturday 6/21. Free.
• 📖 Meet bugs on live insect demos & creepy-crawly stations, and learn how insects actually help us more than hurt us. Saturday 6/21. Free.
• 🌈 A big gay festival featuring drag story hour, art workshops, maker’s market, and panel discussions on queer identity. Also: pride pet portraits are a thing & you might want to get one! Saturday 6/21. Free.

• 🍲 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+.
• 🐾 Bring your fur baby to the Pawrade this Sunday 6/22. Free, tickets not required.

• 🤓 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.
• 🕺 Boogie in 70s style at the 50th anniversary of the White House prom, held in The People's House, a replica of the White House. Wednesday 6/25. $25.*
• 🧠 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.
• 🖌️ 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.
• 🕺 The 5th Annual Broadway in the Park features Broadway legends Lindsay Mendez and Jessie Mueller. Saturday 6/28. $45+
• 🤝 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.
• 🤓 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.
• 🖼️ 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.
• 🍲 Learn how to harvest, save spores, and grow more fungi in Huitlacoche 102. Sunday 6/29. $5.

• 🤝 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.
• 🎈 Spend 4th of July in a good neighborhood farm cookout. Grilled veggies, meat mains, then bring your side or dirnk to share! Friday 7/4. 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.
• 🤝 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.
• 🧠 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. ​
• 🕺 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!
• 🤸 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+.
• 🍲 Here’s another wine & taco party with 25+ wines & bottomless tacos! Or just come to ask wine pros anything. Sunday 7/20. $66.
• 🎈 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.

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.