Aaaaah! It’s September: a month for spending more time outdoors and celebrating all the wonderful people who have graced us with their presence by being born this month. (You’re so very welcome!)
How can we celebrate me and everyone else? Let’s find out.
The DC Jazz Festival has started!!!! It runs through September 4 and it promises to be amazing. Most of the venues will be around the Wharf, but you know there is jazz year-round at Mr. Henry’s. Check out the line-up here and download the app for iOs and for Android.
Tonight, you can resume having a happy hour at the Tune Inn, after over 900 days’ worth of sad hours. Rush over to the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. They’ll have new specials too!
If you’re looking for a beloved dive in northeast, Kelly’s Irish Times is holding their Batting Cage Comedy Show this and every Thursday at 8 p.m. Reserve your seat here.
The Live, on the Hill is back! Starting September 2, make sure you come by Eastern Market Metro Plaza, 700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, south side. On September 9, come listen to a thoroughly local band called The Love Station. All shows start at 5 p.m. at Eastern Market Metro Plaza, on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, right by the metro entrance.
The DC Housing Authority is holding a special back to school event on Saturday, September 3, noon-4 p.m. and they are looking for your donations. Email pettway.pgfresidentcouncil@gmail.com to find out how to help your neighbors.
On Saturday there will also be a cleanup in Kingman Park. Plan to meet at the Triangle Park on Oklahoma Avenue, starting at 9 a.m. and gloves and bags will be provided. For more information, email beckharlan@gmail.com.
There will be a Labor Day concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol on Sunday, September 4. The grounds will open at 3:30 p.m. and there will be a dress rehearsal starting at 4 p.m. The main concert starts at 8 p.m.
Remember that in addition to our beloved Eastern Market, we have a new outdoor market close to the ballpark, the Half Street Central Farm Market, 9:30 am-1pm every Saturday. More info here.
Did you know the U. S. Capitol holds Capitol Conversations on weekdays at 1 p.m.? These virtual sessions are informative and fun–– a neat opportunity to learn something new while you eat your lunch. Register for Capitol Conversations here.
Capitol Hill Village is a vibrant community constantly doing more to improve the lives of seniors on the Hill. In their latest issue, they talk about pickle ball and where you can play the latest-sensation game. Read here.
The Capitol Hill Art League recently opened a show at Frame of Mine on 8th Street. The show is titled “Labor of Love” and features the work of local artists. Click here to see more or visit them in person. Frame of Mine is open 10 am-6 p.m on select days. Note: they’ll be closed for the Labor Day holiday.
PLAN AHEAD
On Saturday, September 10, get ready to ride! The DC Bike Ride is happening all over town and you can join. Kids under seven ride for free and youth pays half price. Enjoy a blissful car-free day and see the city from a unique perspective. Check out the course map here. For more information and tickets, click here.
I recently spoke to race organizer Chris Browne about the ride, which has taken place every year since 2016 (except for 2020) and he tells me that this is not just an effort to bring the joy of bike-riding to a wider audience, but to make sure that as many people as possible are able to ride a bike– to that effect, you can even rent a bike and helmet on race day, so even if you don’t have a bike, you can still have fun. The DC Bike race takes the safety of a closed-street marathon and turns main thoroughfares into an event for as many people as possible to enjoy biking safely.
On Saturday, September 17, help Crazy Aunt Helen’s welcome Gina Schaefer of A Few Cool Hardware Stores (a.k.a. Frager’s parent company) as she talks about her debut book, “Recovery Hardware.” More details and tickets here.
Oktoberfest, which starts in September, is a great celebration of Bavarian culture and, well, a celebration of beer! From September 16 to October 9, enjoy fun events around town. Leading the pack it’s Wundergarten, with a beer garden, parties, German food, and the traditional Tapping of the Keg. For more details and to RSVP, click here. (Multiple dates are available)
Are you a musician seeking a wonderful place to play? You may want to audition for the Capital City Symphony, based out of the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Incidentally, CCS’s season opener is October 16, with An Artist in the World. More details here.
A new interactive experience is coming to Rhode Island Center, the space right off Rhode Island Avenue Metro, where the Van Gogh exhibit was earlier this year. The experience is called DINOS ALIVE and it looks like it’s gonna be a great hit for the younger set (and their tired, devoted parents). Dinos Alive is coming in October, but you can get tickets here.
Get tickets to The Till Trilogy at Mosaic Theater Company. This collection of three works focuses on the 1955 murder of Emmet Till, a 14-year old child who was tortured and killed for allegedly offending a white woman. For more information and tickets, click here. The Till Trilogy runs October 4- November 20 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.
The third annual “In This Together” community walk, organized by Calvary Women’s Services, is happening on September 24. Get a team together, sign up and help end homelessness in DC. For more info and details, click here.
Another wonderful film festival coming in late September is the March on Washington Film Festival. If there has ever been a time to reflect, learn and uphold the courage of those seeking for equality and fighting for basic rights, it is now. Learn more about the festival and their mix of in-person and online screenings happening September 28-October 2 here.
If you’ve never tuned in to a chat from the U. S. Botanic Garden, you may want to change that this coming October 8. TikTok/Instagram sensation, @blackforager (a.k.a. Alexis Nikole Nelson) will be demonstrating how to cook with acorns and you’re not going to want to miss it. Alexis is funny, charming, engaging and very knowledgeable about all the delicious eats in your backyard. Register here.
Do you love beer? Do you love events that are just a short stroll downhill from our beloved neighborhood? Then Snallygaster— celebrating 10 years of wonderful beer merriment this year– is surely your jam. This year’s iteration happens October 8 on Pennsylvania Avenue, between 3rd and 6th Streets NW. More tickets and information here. We are told tickets are going fast: last year it was very crowded but also a lot of fun, so get your beer buds together for suds.
The Congressional Cemetery’s Soul Strolls are a hot ticket, coming at you October 14, 15, 21 and 22. Learn about the residents of our quietest community and wander the beautiful grounds at night. Tickets are $15-35 and you can get them here, while you still can.
OFF-HILL
Take note: The Remarkable Indonesia Festival will close streets around the National Mall on Saturday, between 4th and 7th Streets NW. Additionally, Adams Morgan will have a pedestrian zone on 18th street NW between Columbia and Kalorama Roads.
Are you a Studio Ghibli fan? The Japanese animation studio has created movies that are touching, funny, mesmerizing and more akin to watching a moving painting than a cartoon. More info and tickets here.