News4’s Tommy McFLY breaks down how to have a super weekend in the D.C. area leading up to the Fourth of July.
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America, like your bestie, knows how to milk her birthday for as long as possible. Welcome to a weekend of Independence Day extravaganzas.
The National Mall is where it’s at. Beyond the firework booms, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is back with a view of the Ozarks (we promise it's way nicer than Jason Bateman’s), plus there’s Thai culture near the Capitol and extended hours at the National Archives.
📱 We’ve been watching your Wes Anderson trend vids… and had to try it for ourselves (especially since “Asteroid City” just hit theaters)! Check it out on TikTok and below.
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Weekend fireworks in Maryland and Virginia
Check out our roundup of the best places to watch fireworks across the DMV. Here are a few highlights happening before July 4:
- The Workhouse Arts Center will host a party complete with after-hours museum access, live music and food trucks on Saturday. Find some carpool buddies; it costs $40 per vehicle.
- 💸🚫 For a free pick on Saturday, SummerFest at Gaithersburg’s Bohrer Park will have all-day fun and fireworks, followed by the SummerGlo After Party powered by dance band Attraction, plus LED hoopers, jugglers and stilt walkers.
- Complete Sunday fun day plans with an air show, festive hat competition and family fun at the Great Meadow Independence Day Celebration in The Plains. Tickets start at $50 per car.
- 💸🚫 Sunday's free option? Go to Vienna's free Fourth party and dance along to an Earth, Wind and Fire tribute band.
- On Monday, check out Nationals Park’s Freedom Fireworks, set to go off after the Nats-Reds game (no ticket needed to watch on the waterfront or at a Navy Yard happy hour).
National Archives celebrates July 4
The Scene
The most fun things to do and places to be in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
💲 Free
🔗 Details
A “National Treasure” screening (5 p.m. Fri.)is just the beginning.
Then, why not see the Declaration of Independence yourself? The Archives will host extended hours (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat. to Tues.), a Frederick Douglass oration (Tues., 2 p.m.) and a family-friendly festival (Tues, opens 9 a.m.) featuring a patriotic reading of the Declaration of Independence.
It’s also a great spot to watch the National Independence Day Parade.
Shakespeare in the Parks: The Tempest
📅 Various dates through 7/16
📍 Montgomery and Prince George’s counties
💲 Free
🔗 Details
Shakespeare’s tale of a shipwreck and magic takes a 1980s twist for Prince George’s Shakespeare in the Parks. The whole family is invited to bring a lawn chair and picnic to 90-minute shows at a dozen outdoor venues, including Patuxent River Park on Thursday and National Harbor on Friday.
Sawasdee DC Thai Festival
📅 Sun., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
📍 National Mall (Between 3rd and 4th Streets NW)
💲 Free
🔗 Details
Say sawasdee (hi) to Thai culture on the National Mall. The Royal Thai Embassy is celebrating favorite things from the Land of Smiles, including food, massage and martial arts, plus they'll introduce you to pop and jazz music. Here’s the full schedule.
It's a first-of-its-kind celebration marking 190 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the U.S.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
📅 6/29-7/4 and 7/6-7/9
📍 National Mall
💲 Free
🔗 Details
Exploring the Ozarks and diverse spiritual traditions in the U.S., the annual Folklife Festival is back to celebrating Americana.
The schedule is packed every day with demonstrations on everything from guitar making to foraging to genealogical research, a Community Square Dance, performances, on-theme concessions and free concerts every night at 6:30 p.m.
🚵♀️ Don’t miss a wooden mountain bike trail built on the National Mall just for this festival. It was created by the Missouri native behind the Backyard Trail Builds channel on YouTube.
More Things to Do in Washington DC
- 🥁 Go-Go on the Rooftop with Experience Unlimited (E.U.): Fri., MLK Library, free
- Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA: Fri., 9:30 Club, $35
- Beyoncé Dance Night – Renaissance\Renaiddance: Fri., Howard Theatre, $19.99-$40
- Reggae Fest D.C.: Sat, The Howard Theatre, $20-$40
- DC Black Food and Wine Festival: Sat., Gateway DC (SE), $40-$125
- A Taste Of The DMV: Sat., Northeast DC, $10-$50
More Things to Do in Maryland
- 🎪 UniverSoul Circus: 6/30-8/20, Plateau at National Harbor, $25+
- Bowie Baysox: 🏳️🌈 Pride Night on Fri. and 🎆 fireworks on Sat., Sun., Mon.
More Things to Do in Virginia
- 🤣 Los Trompos: 6/30-7/31, Ballston Quarter, free
- Plaza Party: Fri., Village at Leesburg, free
- Makers Market: Sun., Pentagon Row, free
Want to know what's up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.
