Hello to everyone who has an opinion on McDonald’s Mambo Sauce (no, not mumbo!) and/or the potential government shutdown!
You may want to send off Xiao Ji Qi, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian or visit the World Culture Festival on Friday or Saturday, just in case the government shuts down on Sunday. If the government shuts down, it's likely that the National Zoo and Smithsonian Museums would close.
Did you know Fort Belvoir opens its gates every year for anyone to celebrate Oktoberfest? It's happening this weekend!
The weather is starting to turn around, and it'll feel so good to get outside on the first day of October with sunny skies and a high of 80°.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
Great weather is on tap for these fall festivals with corn mazes, giant slides and apple cider doughnuts.
World Culture Festival
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
📅 Fri. to Sun.
📍 The National Mall
💲 Free
🔗 Details
Centered around a football field-sized stage hosting hundreds or even thousands of performers at a time, the first World Culture Festival in the U.S. will be a spectacle.
The lineup of performances for the Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase, scheduled for 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, is almost unbelievable. Here's what organizers say to expect:
- Concerts from Skip Marley (Friday) and local go-go bands
- A Chinese cultural performance with 1,000 singers, dancers and dragons (Saturday)
- A tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop featuring Kurtis Blow, SHA-Rock, Sequence Girls and DJ Kool and 100 break dancers (Saturday)
- Over 100 other performances
🧘🏾♂️ A massive yoga class is set for 8 a.m. Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial, followed by a meditation led by the peace activist and spiritual leader behind the festival, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
"Doing a group meditation can uplift the energy and create such positive vibes. And that's much needed," Shankar said. He said the festival is all about fostering unity in a stressed-out world.
The rest of the weekend, explore the festival village, featuring sessions such as “Be Authentically You!” and “Water Color & Mindful Self-Expression," food trucks and a Kids' Zone.
If the government shuts down, the World Culture Festival will cancel Sunday's in-person programming and broadcast performances.
"Friday and Saturday programming on the National Mall remains unchanged irrespective of the government shutdown outcome. In case the National Mall becomes inaccessible due to government shutdown, we will move the Sunday portion of our programming to a private venue and live stream it to our local, national and international audiences," a spokesperson said in a statement.
Pro tips:
- Register for free event passes online before you go.
- A government shutdown could impact the location or schedule on Sunday (although festival organizers tell us they have contingency plans).
The Big Dig
📅 Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
📍 Ashburn, Virginia
💲 $15
🔗 Details
Live out your childhood dreams of operating excavators and scissor lifts but also help families affected by pediatric cancer.
After testing out construction equipment, enjoy games, crafts, music and food trucks.
DC Coffee Festival
📅 Sat., two sessions
📍 Dock 5 at Union Market
💲 $35-$69
🔗 Details
Get your buzz on while trying specialty roasters’ unique beans.
Pick a session or get an all-day pass to coffee, vendors and entertainment. Here’s the fest’s FAQ (yes, you can BYO mug and dog!).
Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra
📅 Sat., show at 8 p.m.
📍 The Lincoln Theatre
💲 $35
🔗 Details
The hip-hop orchestra that previously sold out at the Kennedy Center is back with strings, horns, piano, “a party-rocking DJ, a soul-stirring female vocalist, and a fire-breathing MC.”
Art All Night
📅 Fri. and Sat., 7 p.m. until late
📍All eight wards
🔗 Details
Art All Night is a block party spanning all eight wards of the District.
From Congress Heights to Chevy Chase, Deanwood to Georgetown and everywhere in between, enjoy live music, dance, art, hands-on crafts, activations from local businesses and so much more homegrown D.C. goodness.
Art All Night has interactive maps for Friday and Saturday. Each map lists which locations go heavier on late-night vibes, live music and family-friendly activities (peek at the column on the left).
Concerts this weekend
Soul Glo, 8 p.m. Friday, Howard Theatre, $20
Maybe the most exciting punk band of the past few years. The fierce, exhilarating Philly trio’s influences range from hardcore to rap. Details.
The Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, 9 p.m. Saturday, Slash Run, $15
Hardcore band with one of the most charismatic frontmen on the D.C. scene celebrates 10 years with a tape release party. Longtime D.C. hardcore/punk/metal band The Mostly Dead opens. Details.
Shabazz Palaces, 8 p.m. Sunday, DC9, $25-$30
Ishmael Butler, aka Palaceer Lazaro (aka Butterfly of hip hop legends Digable Planets), carries on his other group’s tradition of thought-provoking poetry rap. Details.
More things to do in DC
Concert to End Cancer featuring White Ford Bronco: Thurs., The Bullpen (Southeast D.C.), $25 (GA) or $50 (VIP)
March on Washington Film Festival: Through Sun., various venues and ticket prices
DC Theatre Week: Through 10/8
Last chance: Panda Palooza: Through 10/1, National Zoo, free
Atlas Brew Works 10-Year Anniversary: Sat., noon to 5 p.m., Northeast D.C., $20
Salsa Dancing on the Rooftop: Sat., 6-9 p.m., Lady Bird at the Banneker, free entry (21+)
Opera in the Outfield: La bohème: Sat., gates open 5 p.m., Nationals Park, free
More things to do in Maryland
Prince George’s Film Festival: Thurs. to Sun., various locations and events
Silver Spring Arts & Crafts Fall Fair: Sat., 1-6 p.m., Veterans Plaza, free entry
Unwine Festival: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Patuxent River Park, $50 (GA)
All Things Go: Sat. and Sun., Merriweather Post Pavilion, sold out but waitlist is available
PIKEtoberfest: Sun., Pike & Rose in Bethesda, Free entry
Oktoberfest at Guinness Open Gate Brewery: This weekend and next, Halethorpe, Free (general admission)/$25-$595 (VIP experiences)
More things to do in Virginia
Fields of Fear at Cox Farms: Fri. and Sat. nights 9/22-11/4, plus 10/8, Centreville, Virginia, $30-$40
Mosaic Fall Festival (rescheduled from last weekend): Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fairfax, free
Manassas Latino Festival: Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Harris Pavilion, free
Leesburg Airshow: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Leesburg Executive Airport, free
Rosslyn Reads Book Festival: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Central Place Plaza, free entry
State Fair of Virginia: Through 10/1, Doswell, $10
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