56 things to do in (and around) Washington, D.C. this weekend: June 19-21

From Rock the Dock Free Summer Concerts at The Wharf to Mumford & Sons at Jiffy Lube Live, the weekend calendar has options at every price point. Visitors can see Purlie Victorious at Studio Theatre or catch the Free Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center Grand Foyer. Don’t overlook Pippin at Signature Theatre, Jazz in the Garden at NGA Sculpture Garden, FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone at the National Mall, and DC250 Programming, all happening this weekend as well.

In all, we’ve picked 56 things to do this weekend, selected from a much longer list. Browse it all at the Washington Times DC Events Calendar. Don’t forget to check the weather forecast before you head to see if you’ll need a jacket or an umbrella!

Theater & Performing Arts

Studio Theatre: Purlie Victorious — Ossie Davis’s celebrated civil rights-era comedy follows Purlie, a spirited Black preacher on a mission to buy back his father’s church and liberate sharecroppers from a ruthless segregationist landlord. More Info →

Through June 21, 2026 | Studio Theatre | $55–$117

Signature Theatre: Pippin — Bob Fosse’s iconic Tony Award–winning musical returns at Arlington’s Signature Theatre. More Info →

Through July 26, 2026 | Signature Theatre | From $47

Othello — Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Elsbeth) stars in the title role of Shakespeare’s towering tragedy, directed by STC Artistic Director Simon Godwin. More Info →

Through June 28, 2026 | Shakespeare Theatre Company — Sidney Harman Hall | From $35

Sally & Tom — Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks delivers a sharp, layered new play in which a scrappy theater company stages a show about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. Get Tickets →

Through June 28, 2026 | Round House Theatre | Tickets Required

A Fine Madness — Company artist Justin Weaks recounts his personal journey as a Black gay man in Washington, DC, newly diagnosed with HIV — through poetry, music, games, and storytelling that blur the line between performer and audience. Get Tickets →

Through June 21, 2026 | Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company | Tickets Required

Folger Theatre: How Shakespeare Saved My Life — World premiere of a solo performance piece written by and starring Broadway’s Jacob Ming-Trent, directed by Tony Taccone. More Info →

Through July 5, 2026 | Folger Theatre | From $20

CrazySexyCool: The TLC Musical — World premiere directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, this new musical tells the story of TLC — the most successful female group of all time — featuring hits including Waterfalls, No Scrubs, Creep, and Unpretty. Get Tickets →

Through August 9, 2026 | Arena Stage — Kreeger Theater | From $83

SUFFS — The Tony Award-winning musical by Shaina Taub follows the brilliant, passionate women who fought for the right to vote. Get Tickets →

Through June 28, 2026 | The National Theatre | Tickets Required

Moulin Rouge! The Musical — Winner of 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, this spectacular production brings the world of the Moulin Rouge to life with breathtaking sets and a score woven from pop music across the decades. Get Tickets →

Through July 5, 2026 | Trump Kennedy Center Opera House | From $45

Signature Theatre: What Became of Us — Washington, DC premiere of Shayan Lotfi’s new play — a sharp, funny, and poignant look at identity, family, and belonging. More Info →

Through July 26, 2026 | Signature Theatre | Tickets Required

Broadway in the Park with Signature Theatre — Signature Theatre brings Broadway magic outdoors in a special collaboration at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. More Info →

Sat, Jun 20, 2026 | Wolf Trap — The Filene Center

Music & Concerts

Trump Kennedy Center: Free Millennium Stage — The Trump Kennedy Center Millennium Stage offers free performances Wednesday through Saturday at 6 PM in the Grand Foyer — music, dance, and theater from local and national artists. Performance Schedule →

Through December 31, 2026 | Trump Kennedy Center Grand Foyer | Free

Jazz in the Garden — Free outdoor jazz concerts every Friday evening, May 22 through Aug 14, 2026. Event Info →

Through August 14, 2026 | NGA Sculpture Garden | Free (lottery entry)

Rock the Dock Free Summer Concerts — Free Friday night concerts on the waterfront at The Wharf Transit Pier, kicking off Memorial Day weekend. Concert Schedule →

Through September 19, 2026 | The Wharf — Transit Pier | Free

Carter Barron Amphitheatre Summer Series — Carter Barron Amphitheatre in Rock Creek Park is undergoing a major NPS restoration and is targeted to reopen in summer 2026 with a free concert series as part of America’s 250th anniversary programming. Summer Schedule →

Through August 31, 2026 | Carter Barron Amphitheatre | Free to low-cost

Wolf Trap: Summer Opera Festival — Wolf Trap Opera presents fully staged operas under the stars at the Filene Center, featuring emerging opera stars. Get Tickets →

Through August 7, 2026 | Wolf Trap — The Filene Center | From $20

Mumford & Sons — Mumford & Sons perform at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA. More Info →

Fri, Jun 19, 2026 | Jiffy Lube Live | Tickets Required

Sports

FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone — A free, open-to-the-public FIFA World Cup Fan Zone on the National Mall runs through the entire tournament (Jun 11–Jul 19), featuring live match screenings, interactive exhibits, cultural showcases, food, music, and family-friendly activities. More Info →

Through July 19, 2026 | National Mall | Free (timed passes required)

Festivals & Free Events

Artomatic — Artomatic is DC’s celebrated open, unjuried, multi-week arts festival where hundreds of artists take over a large building for weeks at a time. Artomatic Info →

Through July 31, 2026 | 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC | Free

Capital Pride Celebration — DC annual 10-day LGBTQ+ Pride celebration. Pride Schedule →

Through June 21, 2026 | Citywide — Parade on 14th and T St NW | Free (some events ticketed)

Smithsonian Solstice Saturday — The Smithsonian annual summer solstice celebration with museums staying open until 9–11 PM. Solstice Info →

Sat, June 20, 2026 | National Mall Museums | Free

Fête de la Musique — World Music Day — A free all-day outdoor music festival with 40+ acts performing across Georgetown streets and storefronts. Event Info →

Sun, June 21, 2026 | Georgetown streets and French Embassy | Free

Museums & Exhibitions

Adam Pendleton: Love, Queen — A major solo exhibition by celebrated American artist Adam Pendleton at the Hirshhorn Museum, exploring themes of Blackness, abstraction, and language through paintings, videos, and installations. Museum Info →

Through January 3, 2027 | Hirshhorn Museum | Free

Capilla de Maíz & State Fairs: Growing American Craft — Two concurrent shows at the Renwick Gallery: a site-specific installation by Justin Favela featuring gold-fringed walls and piñata corncobs celebrating maize in North American visual culture, alongside “State Fairs: Growing American Craft,” organized with Craft in America. Gallery Info →

Through September 7, 2026 | Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum | Free

National Museum of African American History: Power of Place — The newest Smithsonian museum presents Power of Place — a landmark exhibition exploring how African American communities have shaped and been shaped by the places they call home. Reserve Passes →

Through December 31, 2026 | National Museum of African American History and Culture | Free (timed passes required)

Holocaust Museum: Americans and the Holocaust — A powerful permanent exhibition examining the American response to Nazism and the refugee crisis of the 1930s and 1940s. More Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | Free (timed passes recommended)

International Spy Museum — The world most visited spy museum explores the real world of espionage through immersive exhibitions, artifact-packed galleries, and hands-on experiences across 140,000 square feet. Get Tickets →

Through December 31, 2026 | International Spy Museum | From $24.95

America’s Presidents — The National Portrait Gallery’s signature exhibition of presidential portraits, tracing American leadership from George Washington to the present. Gallery Hours →

Through December 31, 2026 | National Portrait Gallery | Free

Mary Cassatt: An American in Paris — Roughly 40 paintings, drawings, and prints examining how Mary Cassatt created her radically modern impressionist works. Gallery Info →

Through August 30, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | Free

NMAAHC: At the Vanguard — Making and Saving History at HBCUs — A special exhibition spotlighting groundbreaking collections from five HBCU museums and archives, bringing lesser-known stories of African American history and achievement to the National Mall before the show embarks on a national tour. More Info →

Through July 19, 2026 | National Museum of African American History and Culture | Free (timed passes required)

The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today — The Smithsonian’s triennial juried portraiture competition showcasing 35 contemporary American portrait artists working across painting, photography, sculpture, and new media. Learn More →

Through August 30, 2026 | National Portrait Gallery | Free

Star Power: Hollywood Photographs by George Hurrell (A Sequel) — Following the success of the first installment, the National Portrait Gallery presents a sequel exhibition of George Hurrell’s iconic Hollywood glamour photographs from the Golden Age of cinema. Gallery Info →

Through January 10, 2027 | National Portrait Gallery | Free

Nick Cave: Mammoth — Internationally renowned artist Nick Cave explores the entanglement of land and race in American consciousness. Museum Info →

Through January 3, 2027 | Smithsonian American Art Museum | Free

A Better Life for Their Children — Chronicles the extraordinary partnership between Sears Roebuck founder Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Museum Info →

Through January 31, 2027 | National Building Museum | Admission Required

Miró and the United States — The first major exhibition devoted to Joan Miró’s relationship with American art, culture, and collectors traces the Catalan artist’s visits to the U.S. More Info →

Through July 5, 2026 | The Phillips Collection | From $16

Into the Waters: Senju and Bingyi — Two contemporary painters — Japanese artist Hiroshi Senju and Chinese artist Bingyi — explore water through dramatically different lenses in this Smithsonian Asian Art Museum exhibition. Learn More →

Through September 27, 2026 | Smithsonian Asian Art Museum | Free

America’s State Flowers — The U.S. Garden Info →

Through October 12, 2026 | U.S. Botanic Garden | Free

Dear America — A landmark exhibition at the National Gallery of Art featuring works by American artists responding to the nation’s history, ideals, and ongoing story. Gallery Info →

Through September 20, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | Free

¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa — A new exhibition at the National Museum of the American Latino tracing the origins and cultural journey of salsa music and dance across Latin America, New York, and beyond. Museum Info →

Through October 18, 2028 | National Museum of the American Latino (in NMAH building) | Free

Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration — A major special exhibition at the National Archives Museum explores the story behind the Declaration of Independence — how it came to be, how it has been preserved for 250 years, and how the U.S. More Info →

Through July 5, 2027 | National Archives Museum | Free

Hirshhorn: Basquiat × Banksy — Two landmark paintings in direct dialogue: Basquiat’s Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump (1982) and Banksy’s Banksquiat: Boy and Dog in Stop and Search (2018) — the first time either artist’s work has been shown at the nation’s museum of modern art. More Info →

Through September 7, 2026 | Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden | Free

Bison: Standing Strong — A major Smithsonian exhibition on the American bison with an immersive prairie soundscape and three larger-than-life bronze bison sculptures outside. Museum Info →

Through May 1, 2029 | National Museum of Natural History | Free

In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness — The Smithsonian’s America250 centerpiece: 250 objects spanning the nation’s full 250-year history across all three floors, including the original Star-Spangled Banner and Thomas Jefferson’s writing desk (note: on display at the Smithsonian Castle Jun 2–Jul 26; a reproduction shown in its place during that period). More Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | National Museum of American History | Free

American Aspirations — Smithsonian Castle — The iconic Smithsonian Castle reopens with this landmark exhibition featuring Thomas Jefferson desk used to draft the Declaration, Harriet Tubman hymnal, and gold from Sutter Mill — exploring 250 years of American aspiration. Visit Info →

Through July 26, 2026 | Smithsonian Institution Building | Free

American Icon: The US Flag in Art — Over 30 works from the late 1800s through today illustrating changing American interpretations of the flag, opening as part of the NGA’s America 250 programming on the same day as the gallery’s massive Block Party event. Gallery Info →

Through December 6, 2026 | National Gallery of Art, East Building | Free

Special Events

DC250 Programming — DC serves as the epicenter for America’s semiquincentennial celebration with special programming, exhibitions, and events. DC250 Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | Various Locations | Varies

Civic Season at the National Museum of American History — From Juneteenth through the Fourth of July, the museum hosts Civic Season with daily drop-in programs (noon–4 p.m.), conversations with curators and community leaders, and a gathering space for reflection on America’s 250-year journey. More Info →

Jun 19–Jul 4, 2026 | National Museum of American History | Free

Eastern Market — Historic public market with local farmers, artisans, and crafters. Market Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | Eastern Market, Capitol Hill | Free Entry

Meridian Hill Park Drum Circle — Every Sunday afternoon, Meridian Hill Park hosts one of DC most enduring community traditions — a spontaneous drum circle drawing dozens of drummers and hundreds of participants. Park Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park) | Free

Tidal Basin & Cherry Trees — Nearly 4,000 cherry trees surround the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson, FDR, and MLK Memorials. NPS Cherry Blossom Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | Tidal Basin | Free

DC Farmers Markets — DC vibrant farmers market scene runs year-round. Market Locations →

Through December 31, 2026 | Various DC Neighborhoods | Free Entry

Georgetown Waterfront — Stroll the C&O Canal towpath, explore boutique shopping, and dine at waterfront restaurants with Potomac River views. Georgetown Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | Georgetown | Free

Drive-In at Union Market — DC’s beloved outdoor drive-in returns for its 13th year — one screening per month, $20 per car (up to 170 cars), free to watch on foot from Neal Place. Event Info →

Through October 3, 2026 | Union Market | $20/car or free on foot

Trump Kennedy Center Outdoor Film Series — Free outdoor film screenings on the Trump Kennedy Center REACH campus video wall, held most Friday evenings through late August. Event Info →

Through August 29, 2026 | Trump Kennedy Center REACH Campus | Free

Sunset Cinema at The Wharf — Outdoor waterfront movie screenings at The Wharf, with views of the Potomac. Event Info →

Through September 30, 2026 | Transit Pier, The Wharf | Free

DowntownDC Summer Movie Series — Free open-air double-feature screenings in Franklin Park, with DJ sets before each show. Event Info →

Through June 26, 2026 | Franklin Park | Free

Event dates, times, and prices are subject to change. Please verify details directly with venues before attending.