71 things to do in (and around) Washington, D.C. this weekend: October 2-4

If your weekend plans are still up in the air, D.C. is giving you plenty of reasons to get out and explore. October is kicking off with a perfect mix of high-culture openers and lively outdoor neighborhood gatherings. You might spend Saturday afternoon watching dachshunds race at The Wharf’s annual Oktoberfest, spending an evening with the National Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore, or discovering local artists along Mount Vernon Avenue.

Not everything happening in Washington makes this list — but these 71 events are a strong place to start. The full calendar is at the Washington Times DC Events Calendar. Be sure to check the weather forecast before heading out!

Theater & Performing Arts

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — August Wilson’s landmark drama about a fraught 1927 Chicago recording session, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, opening Round House’s 50th-anniversary season (co-production with Olney). More Info →

Through October 18, 2026 | Round House Theatre | Tickets Required

Woolly Mammoth: Venus — A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere dark comedy by Steve Yockey, directed by new Artistic Director Reggie D. More Info →

Through October 4, 2026 | Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company | Tickets Required

Come From Away — The Tony Award-winning musical tells the heartwarming true story of a small Canadian town that cared for 6,579 stranded airline passengers on September 11, 2001. More Info →

Through October 18, 2026 | Ford’s Theatre | Tickets Required

Somewhere Over the Border — A DC-premiere musical reimagining of The Wizard of Oz by Brian Quijada, blending cumbia, mariachi, rock, and hip-hop, inspired by his mother’s immigration story. More Info →

Through October 4, 2026 | Mosaic Theater Company (Atlas Performing Arts Center) | From $42

Some Like It Hot — The Tony-winning Broadway musical comedy in its first regional production, inaugurating Olney’s new Bernard Family Theatre. More Info →

Through November 8, 2026 | Olney Theatre Center — Bernard Family Theatre | Tickets Required

Measure for Measure — Shakespeare’s problem play opens Folger Theatre’s 2026-27 season. More Info →

Through November 1, 2026 | Folger Theatre | Tickets Required

Wish You Were Here — Sanaz Toossi’s play follows Salme and her four closest friends from a 1978 wedding in Karaj, Iran, through a decade of revolution and departure. More Info →

Through November 1, 2026 | Studio Theatre — Mead Theatre | Tickets Required

Theatre Week — Theatre Washington’s regionwide discount ticket run, covering dozens of productions at flat $20/$40/$60 prices. More Info →

Through October 11, 2026 | Venues across DC, MD & VA | From $20

Not Exactly a Nun — Solo debut by comedian and attorney Yasmin Elhady, presented by Story District with Woolly Mammoth — five performances only. More Info →

Through October 4, 2026 | Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company | Tickets Required

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: The Musical — Musical adaptation of the beloved alphabet picture book, opening Imagination Stage’s season (ages 3–9). More Info →

Through October 18, 2026 | Imagination Stage, Bethesda, MD | Tickets Required

Coming to America: An Immigrant Cabaret — A cabaret of songs and stories drawn from immigrant experience. More Info →

Through October 18, 2026 | ExPats Theatre at Atlas Performing Arts Center | Tickets Required

Nikola: A New Musical — A world-premiere musical about inventor Nikola Tesla, with book, music, and lyrics by Nikko Benson and Benjamin Halstead, directed by Marshall Pailet. More Info →

Oct 2 – Nov 29, 2026 | Arena Stage — Kreeger Theater | From $59

The Fruits of Our Labor (Step Afrika!) — Step Afrika! brings its percussive-dance production rooted in the African American tradition of stepping to Arena Stage. More Info →

Through November 1, 2026 | Arena Stage — Fichandler Stage | Tickets Required

Music & Concerts

Kennedy Center: Free Millennium Stage — The 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 | Kennedy Center Grand Foyer | Free

NSO: Noseda Conducts Exotic Tales — Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Mussorgsky/Ravel’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Ravel’s Boléro in a single program. More Info →

Oct 2, 2026, 8 PM | Music Center at Strathmore | Tickets Required

Black Violin: The Be Free Tour — The classically trained hip-hop duo Black Violin blends violin, viola, and beats into a genre-defying live show. More Info →

Oct 2, 2026 | Warner Theatre | Tickets Required

Weezer: The Gathering, with The Shins and Silversun Pickups — A three-band alt-rock bill pairing Weezer with two 2000s indie mainstays. More Info →

Oct 2, 2026 | Capital One Arena | Tickets Required

Olivia Rodrigo: The Unraveled Tour — The pop superstar plays a two-night stand on The Unraveled Tour, with special guest Wolf Alice. More Info →

Oct 3–4, 2026 | Capital One Arena | Tickets Required

Knocked Loose & Denzel Curry — A co-headlining bill pairing the Grammy-nominated hardcore band with the acclaimed rapper. More Info →

Oct 3, 2026 | The Anthem | Tickets Required

Outlander In Concert: Echoes Through the Highlands — A live orchestral performance of Bear McCreary’s sweeping scores from the TV series “Outlander.” More Info →

Oct 4, 2026 | Warner Theatre | From $78

Festivals & Free Events

Art on the Avenue — A multicultural arts and music festival in its 31st year, with 300+ artists, live stages, and food from Avenue restaurants. More Info →

Oct 3, 2026, 10 AM–6 PM | Mount Vernon Ave, Del Ray, Alexandria, VA | Free

Oktoberfest at The Wharf 2026 — A free waterfront Oktoberfest featuring the 14th Annual Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash, stein-hoisting, polka, and an adoptable-dog parade. More Info →

Oct 3, 2026 (2–7 PM) | The Wharf — Southwest Waterfront | Free

Takoma Park Street Festival — The 45th annual festival with multiple music stages and 100+ craft and food vendors along Carroll Avenue. More Info →

Oct 4, 2026 (10 AM–5 PM) | Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD | Free

Museums & Exhibitions

A South Forty: Contemporary Architecture and Design in the American South — Surveys place-based contemporary Southern architecture and civic design from 1990 onward, attentive to climate, materials, and labor. More Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | National Building Museum | From $19

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

Coming Together: Reimagining the American Downtown — Explores how U.S. More Info →

Through November 30, 2026 | National Building Museum | From $19

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

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)

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)

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

Clifford Ross: Digital Waves — Installed on a 23-foot-high screen in the West Building’s Rotunda, this immersive digital work builds waves from millions of glowing pixels, juxtaposing virtual water with the neoclassical space and its iconic fountain. More Info →

Through October 18, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | 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

Carlotta Corpron: Light Is a Plastic Medium — A career survey of pioneering American abstract photographer Carlotta Corpron (1901–1988), drawn largely from a recent gift to the Hirshhorn. More Info →

Through January 31, 2027 | Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden | Free

The Tuskegee Chapel: Paul Rudolph x Fry & Welch — Examines the design and cultural significance of Tuskegee University’s landmark chapel, with models, masonry replicas, Ezra Stoller photography, and a robotically-laid brick sculpture. More Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | National Building Museum | From $19

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

Camouflage: Designed to Deceive — An immersive exhibit tracing camouflage from nature to the battlefield, connecting biological deception to espionage and modern military design (included with admission). More Info →

Through January 31, 2029 | International Spy Museum | Tickets Required

Insular Horizons: Travel and the Environmental Imagination on Crete, 1598–1845 — A Rare Books Gallery exhibition examining travel and the environmental imagination on the island of Crete across three centuries. More Info →

Through April 30, 2027 | Dumbarton Oaks | Free

Busy Bliss: A Collector’s Passion — A Special Exhibitions Gallery show drawn from a collector’s passion, on view throughout fall 2026. More Info →

Through February 28, 2027 | Dumbarton Oaks | Free

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

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

Sky Hopinka: Kicking the Clouds — Through photographs, poems, and film, Indigenous artist Sky Hopinka connects family, language, place, and lived Native American experience in this solo presentation at the National Gallery. More Info →

Through December 6, 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

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

Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting — A survey of 100 years of Native painting — 50+ works by 46 artists — tracing how Native painters redefined Native art from the post–WWI era onward. More Info →

Through May 1, 2027 | National Museum of the American Indian | 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

Reset: Abstraction Embodied in Design — A companion design show presenting abstract objects — chairs, rugs, textiles, lighting — by contemporary Black designers. More Info →

Through June 12, 2027 | National Museum of African American History and Culture | Free (timed passes required)

Revelation: A Journey into Abstraction — Explores abstract art by African American artists from the mid-20th century to today — 41 works by 38 artists including Alma Thomas, Gordon Parks, and Simone Leigh. More Info →

Through June 12, 2027 | National Museum of African American History and Culture | Free (timed passes required)

From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage — A 250th-anniversary exhibition of 600+ specimens and cultural objects representing all 50 states, DC, and five territories, exploring where natural and cultural history meet. More Info →

Through December 31, 2029 | National Museum of Natural History | Free

The Spirit of Invention: Patent Office and Patentees — Timed with the U.S. More Info →

Through June 6, 2027 | National Portrait Gallery | Free

The Declaration’s Promise — Opening in the David M. More Info →

Through January 8, 2027 | Library of Congress | Free

National Air & Space Museum: 50th Anniversary Galleries — Five major new galleries open simultaneously on the museum’s 50th birthday, including the Flight and the Arts Center — whose inaugural exhibition features 30 works by Robert Rauschenberg (on his centennial) exploring the artist’s relationship with NASA and aviation. Museum Info →

Through June 1, 2027 | National Air and Space Museum | Free

The Bible in Times of War — Military Bibles from America’s major conflicts paired with soldiers’ first-person accounts. More Info →

Through February 28, 2027 | Museum of the Bible | Tickets Required

The Megiddo Mosaic: Foundations of Faith — The third-century Megiddo mosaic, whose inscriptions are among the earliest physical evidence of Christian worship. More Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | Museum of the Bible | Free

Shahzia Sikander: The Last Post — A video work using Indo-Persian miniature-painting vocabulary to interrogate the legacy of British colonialism in Asia. More Info →

Through November 8, 2026 | Smithsonian American Art Museum | Free

From the Vault: Art About America — Rarely shown collection works for the semiquincentennial, including George Washington portraits and colonial clergy paintings. More Info →

Through October 11, 2026 | Museum of the Bible | Tickets Required

Marlo Pascual: Making Something Out of Something — Pascual recontextualizes anonymous vintage photographs and found objects into sculptural tableaux. More Info →

Through February 28, 2027 | National Museum of Women in the Arts | Tickets Required

Hestia Fragmented — A textile-gallery installation built around the museum’s fragmentary Hestia tapestry. More Info →

Through October 11, 2026 | Dumbarton Oaks — Textile Gallery | Free

Sacred Liberty — How biblical texts and ideas shaped the American founding era. More Info →

Through February 28, 2027 | Museum of the Bible | Free

Hispanic Heritage Month at the Molina Family Latino Gallery — Guided tours of “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa” plus Hispanic Heritage Month programming across Smithsonian museums. More Info →

Through October 15, 2026 | National Museum of American History | Free

Much Here Is Beautiful: Photography Surveys of the U.S. Bicentennial — Photographs documenting communities across the United States during the nation’s bicentennial era, exploring how Americans defined themselves and their country. Learn More →

Through April 18, 2027 | Smithsonian American Art Museum | Free

Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California — More than 80 quilts tracing how Second Great Migration families carried textile traditions west. More Info →

Through January 17, 2027 | National Museum of Women in the Arts | Tickets Required

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

Moonshot Studio at the REACH — A hands-on, drop-in art-making studio at the REACH celebrating creativity for all ages (recommended 5+), open most weekends. More Info →

Saturdays & Sundays in October 2026, 11 AM–4:30 PM | Kennedy Center REACH | Free

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

National Geographic Museum of Exploration — Grand Opening — The brand-new 100,000-square-foot National Geographic Museum of Exploration opens June 26 at the organization’s historic DC campus. More Info →

Through December 31, 2026 | National Geographic Society HQ, 1600 M St NW | From $22.99

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