Whether you’re heading to the H Street Corridor for one of DC’s biggest street parties or catching country icon Garth Brooks at Capital One Arena, the third weekend of September brings a full calendar of high-energy festivals, stadium shows, and world-premiere theater.
Here you’ll find 72 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 heading out!
Theater & Performing Arts
Signature Theatre: Merrily We Roll Along — Sondheim’s beloved musical — told in reverse chronology — opens Signature Theatre’s 2026–2027 season. More Info →
Through September 30, 2026 | Signature Theatre | Tickets Required
Garbo: The Actor Who Saved the World — GALA’s season opener about Juan Pujol García (“Garbo”), the Spanish double agent whose deceptions helped secure D-Day. More Info →
Through September 27, 2026 | GALA Hispanic Theatre | Tickets Required
Something Wonderful: Broadway’s Leading Ladies — A cabaret celebrating the great female roles and voices of Broadway musical theater. More Info →
Through September 20, 2026 | Signature Theatre — ARK 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
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 11, 2026 | Round House 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
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
Shakespeare Theatre: The Score — Golden Globe–winning actor Brian Cox (HBO’s Succession) stars in The Score, directed by legendary Trevor Nunn (Les Misérables). More Info →
Through September 30, 2026 | Shakespeare Theatre Company — Sidney Harman Hall | Tickets Required
Some Like It Hot — The Tony-winning Broadway musical comedy in its first regional production, inaugurating Olney’s new Bernard Family Theatre. More Info →
Sep 18 – Nov 8, 2026 | Olney Theatre Center — Bernard Family Theatre | Tickets Required
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
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
Jungle: World Tour 2026 — The British electronic-soul collective plays two nights at The Anthem (Sep 17 sold out). More Info →
Through September 18, 2026 | The Anthem | Tickets Required
The Avett Brothers with Guster — Beloved Americana rockers The Avett Brothers headline two nights with alt-pop favorites Guster at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. More Info →
Sep 18–19, 2026 | Wolf Trap — The Filene Center
Garth Brooks: Blame It All On My Roots — The country superstar plays two arena nights on his Blame It All On My Roots tour. More Info →
Sep 18–19, 2026 | Capital One Arena | Tickets Required
Brandon Flowers — The Killers frontman plays a club-sized solo show (sold out). More Info →
Sep 20, 2026 | 9:30 Club | Tickets Required
Erykah Badu with De La Soul — Neo-soul icon Erykah Badu performs with legendary hip-hop group De La Soul at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. More Info →
Sun, Sep 20, 2026 | Wolf Trap — The Filene Center
Sports
DC United vs. Charlotte FC — MLS home match at Audi Field. More Info →
Sat, Sep 19, 2026 | Audi Field | Tickets Vary
Festivals & Free Events
H Street Festival — One of DC largest and most beloved neighborhood festivals takes over H Street NE with live music on multiple stages, local food vendors, art, and a celebration of one of the city most dynamic corridors. Festival Info →
Sep 19, 2026 | H Street NE Corridor | Free
Events DC WalkingTown — More than 50 free guided walking and biking tours led by local historians and residents. More Info →
Sep 19–26, 2026 | Citywide — all 8 wards | 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
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
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
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
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
Niagara Falls: Mist and Majesty — About 20 works probe how the layered histories and meanings of Niagara Falls have evolved from the early 19th century to today, tracing the iconic site’s shifting role in American imagination and visual culture. More Info →
Through September 20, 2026 | National Gallery of Art | 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
Tomorrow the Sun Will Rise: 2026 Juried Invitational — Showcasing 48 artists living and working in the greater Washington, DC region, this annual juried invitational is one of the area’s most prominent platforms for emerging and mid-career regional artists. More Info →
Through September 20, 2026 | The Phillips Collection | 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
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
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
Sacred Liberty — How biblical texts and ideas shaped the American founding era. More Info →
Through February 28, 2027 | Museum of the Bible | 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
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
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 →
Sep 18, 2026 – Apr 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 →
Sep 18, 2026 – Jan 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
The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short — Comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short take the Constitution Hall stage together for their acclaimed live show The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short, blending stand-up, storytelling, and musical comedy. More Info →
Sep 19, 2026 | DAR Constitution Hall | Tickets Required
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
Eastern Market — Historic public market with local farmers, artisans, and crafters. Market Info →
Through December 31, 2026 | Eastern Market, Capitol Hill | 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
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
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.
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