SATURDAY
3
OCTOBER
The Ember List · the DC area
Free things to do in the DC area
We reviewed 6,000+ Washington-area events to pick the 28 best free things to do in the DC area between October 3 and October 9. Updated daily.
Highlights for October 2 – October 9
Cooking Up History: The Global Journey of Macaroni and Cheese with Karima Moyer‑Nocchi (Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, American History Museum, Washington, DC)
A conversation and live cooking demo on the global history of macaroni and cheese, featuring a Caribbean macaroni pie. Friday, October 2, 12–1 PM. Free.
Happy Hour with Darden & Friends: Bloom (Reston Town Square Park, 11900 Market St, Reston, VA)
Live jazz sets curated by Darden Purcell in an outdoor park setting. Friday, October 2, 5:30–6:45 PM. Free. Check weather; event may be cancelled.
Art on the Avenue (Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA)
A multicultural arts festival featuring over 300 artists showcasing jewelry, pottery, glass, and more along Mt. Vernon Avenue. Saturday, October 3, 10 AM–6 PM. Free.
Moonshot Studio (Moonshot Studio, The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC)
A hands‑on art‑making studio where visitors can create projects throughout the day. Saturday and Sunday, October 3–4, 11 AM–4:30 PM. Free. Ages 5–18; drop‑in, no registration required.
21st Century Consort: An Unsecret Garden (Ring Auditorium, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC)
A musical exploration of gardens featuring nature‑inspired pieces, presented in the Hirshhorn’s Ring Auditorium. Saturday, October 3, 5–7 PM. Free. Registration recommended.
Mean Girls (Justice Forum, The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC)
A free screening of the film “Mean Girls” in the Kennedy Center’s Justice Forum. Saturday, October 3, 7:30 PM. Free.
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles (Girard Park, 500 Girard Park Dr, Lafayette, LA)
A multi‑day celebration of Cajun and Creole music, food, and crafts, featuring performances, a road race, and cultural programming. Friday, October 9, 12 AM.
Our best picks: free things to do in the DC area — October 3–9
Art on the Avenue is a multicultural arts festival held in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, celebrating our community’s diversity through the arts. This festival is held on the first Saturday in October. Every year, thousands of visitors stroll down Mt. Vernon Avenue in Del Ray, Alexandria, between Bel…
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National…
The REACH. Moonshot Studio at the REACH celebrates creativity and the artist in everyone through hands-on art-making. The recommended age is 5 years old and above. Stop by anytime from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on (most) Saturdays & Sundays to explore our projects.
FREE Registration recommended. As the Hirshhorn anticipates celebrating its newly revitalized Sculpture Garden’s opening at the end of October, the 21st Century Consort will mark this significant moment with a musical exploration of gardens and the life that unfolds within them. An Unsecret Garden invites audiences int…
Millennium Stage Films. Join us for a free film screening in the Justice Forum at the REACH. Mean Girls follows Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), a 16-year-old girl who moves to a public high school in Illinois after being homeschooled in Africa by her zoologist parents.
SUNDAY
4
OCTOBER
Enjoy views of Saturn at its brightest and largest while it is opposite the sun in the night sky! Join park rangers at Fort Hunt Park on October 4 for ranger talks, constellation tours and telescope viewing! Bring a camp chair or blanket and a red flashlight if you have one. A telescope will be provided to share. Event…
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National…
Join docent Sushmita Mazumdar every first Sunday of the month as she guides you to use pencil and paper to consider the unique ideas and expressions of Asian artists from various traditions spanning the continent across centuries. All materials will be provided. No reservation needed.
The REACH. Moonshot Studio at the REACH celebrates creativity and the artist in everyone through hands-on art-making. The recommended age is 5 years old and above. Stop by anytime from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on (most) Saturdays & Sundays to explore our projects.
FREE Registration recommended. As the Hirshhorn anticipates celebrating its newly revitalized Sculpture Garden’s opening at the end of October, the 21st Century Consort will mark this significant moment with a musical exploration of gardens and the life that unfolds within them. An Unsecret Garden invites audiences int…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””] Chloe Kimes is an independent artist and songwriter based in Nashville, TN and hers is a name you ought to know. Consistently producing difficult and honest storytelling, incomparable vocal delivery, and an undeniable sound, she needs not much explanation but simply your atten…
MONDAY
5
OCTOBER
A construction worker in a strained relationship finds solace in a local community theatre’s “Romeo and Juliet” and the lines between life and the tragic story begin to blur. (2024, R)
Converse with a docent. Learn how African Americans flourished in their own communities during the Era of Segregation 1876-1968 despite the turmoil around them. Under a time of intense pressure to take away their rights as citizens, African Americans not only survived the challenges set before them but crafted an impor…
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistl…
TUESDAY
6
OCTOBER
Join naturalist and Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Ana Ka’ahanui from Wonder Joy Walks and Capital Nature, for an introduction to forest bathing. — Join naturalist and Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Ana Ka’ahanui from Wonder Joy Walks and Capital Nature, for an introduction to forest bathing. “Shinrin-yoku,” or takin…
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistl…
Tai Chi is a gentle way to reduce stress. Enjoy the beauty of this gentle, flowing, focused movement fitness routine. — Tai Chi is a gentle way to reduce stress. Enjoy the beauty of this gentle, flowing, focused movement fitness routine. Learn this ancient art of exercise for balance, stretching, muscle tone and flexib…
WEDNESDAY
7
OCTOBER
Come walk with us! Celebrate Maryland Walking Day by walking (or rolling) a few laps through the park on our beautiful Loop Trail. — Come walk with us! Celebrate Maryland Walking Day by walking (or rolling) a few laps through the park on our beautiful Loop Trail. Walking is a fun way to exercise that can be included in…
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistl…
Pause the rush of your week and reconnect through movement at Dance, Decompress and De-Stress, a calming, judgment-free dance workshop created to help release stress, quiet the mind, and restore emotional balance through guided breathwork, gentle stretching, and expressive movement. — Pause the rush of your week and re…
THURSDAY
8
OCTOBER
Step into the rhythm of salsa on a guided tour of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa Experience the rhythm, history, and energy of salsa music through a guided tour of "¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa," a bilingual multimedia exhibition presented by the Smithsonian’s National…
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream). Join us for a free performance in the Justice Forum at The REACH. Violinist Leora Cohen and pianist Ariel Lanyi present a program spanning the elegance of Vienna to the vibrant spirit of Broadway. Featuring works by Mozart, Gershwin/Heifetz, and Schumann, Vienna to Broadway…
Join us for a conversation with artists featured in Revelation: A Journey into Abstraction , an exhibition that explores the creativity and impact of abstract art by African American artists from the mid‑twentieth century to today. Artists Adger Cowans, Shinique Smith, and Hank Willis Thomas will join Tuliza Fleming, P…
FRIDAY
9
OCTOBER
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles has its roots in the cultural revival movements of the 1970s, uniting three gatherings founded to celebrate the music, foodways, and craft traditions of South Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole communities. More than fifty years later, the festival has grown into one of the largest free public e…
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