Another crazy summer is almost halfway through the books. Hope you’ve been staying cool, taking care of yourself and… well, coping the best way you can. This weekend will be very hot, with heat indices of over 110 on Friday and potentially Saturday. If you are out and about, please hydrate, wear sunscreen and protect yourself. And if you see vulnerable neighbors in need of help, visit heat.dc.gov for ways in which you can help.
During the summer, kids 18 and under have access to free meals in the District! Click here to learn more and help spread the word.
Funky Fridays are going strong at Eastern Market Main Street! This Friday, July 28, plan to stop by your favorite retailers and taste Atlas Brewing Company’s commemorative Eastern Market Anniversary Kolsch — a crisp German-style beer that goes well with this week’s weather! If you love it, you can pick up some to-go at Labyrinth, ReLume, East City Books, Rewild and more! Make sure you pick up a bracelet so you can participate in the tasting at 7th and C SE beforehand!
Intern Day is coming to Nationals Park on Monday, July 31. Get cheap tickets with a loaded concessions value if you can prove you’re working for little to no pay in town! Click here for tickets and the fine print. By the way, the first 20k fans get a t-shirt on this day, so yay, free tee! Also on July 31, there will be a special read-aloud event right before the game. The reading event will take place 15 minutes after gates open for game day. More info here.
On Monday, August 1, join your friends and neighbors in celebrating National Night Out at Garfield Park. From 5-8 p.m. Come and enjoy food, refreshments, local vendor booths, a DJ and live music and much more.
Ginkgo Gardens‘ summer sale wraps up on July 31. Go get plants!
WEEKLY FUN
It may be hot as Hades out there, but folks love their outdoor movies. Cinematery tickets at Congressional Cemetery are available here. NoMa BID’s CiNoMatic will return in the fall at Alethia Tanner park and you can still help pick the movies. Click here to pick! Movies on the Pitch at Audi Field continues in August with Minions: The Rise of Gru. Click here for tickets. Union Market continues their Drive-In at Union Market series with Lindsey Lohan’s Parent Trap. For info and tickets, click here.
Summer Movies on the Lawn at the Library of Congress continues their film registry series on Thursdays. There will be live music before the movie. Tonight, watch one of my absolute favorite movies ever, Groundhog Day (1993), which was entered into the registry in 2006. More info here.
Mr. Henry’s is THE place to listen to jazz on the Hill. They have performances Wednesday through Saturday, but we have a soft spot for Saturday Showcase. Tickets and more info on all the performers past and future here.
Want to get your square dance on with the DC Rawhides? They are yee-hawing their way into our hearts on select Friday and Saturday evenings, 7-11 p.m., at Eastern Market’s North Hall. Click here for more info.
A Sunday tradition, the Flea Market at Eastern Market is your one-stop shop for wonderful art, clothing, cosmetics and more. Follow them on Instagram here.
Labyrinth has great events almost every night of the week, except for Monday. If you’re looking to demo board games or enjoy some of your favorites with old and new friends, check out their event calendar. On Thursdays, join Capitol Hill Village for board game night. More info here.
as you are on Barracks Row has great events happening almost every day of the week: from crafting on Wednesdays to karaoke on Thursdays and Sundays to Saturday dance parties, this queer-safe space welcomes everyone. Looking for a place to watch the Women’s World Cup? They have a list of parties here! Check out their calendar of events here.
Looking for a chill biergarten to watch the Women’s World Cup? The Brig has huge screens! More info here.
On Wednesday evenings, make it trivia! Two Girls Trivia runs a quiz at Fight Club starting at 7 p.m. For more information and quiz hints, check out their Twitter, @twogirlstrivia.
Every Thursday and Friday, Kelly’s Irish Times has comedy! The Batting Cage Comedy show starts at 8 p.m. and is free on Thursdays. More info here.
And every Thursday, Wunder Garten is doing late night Happy Hours, starting at 9 p.m. Let’s face it: Some of you out there are late owls and you need this. For more info, click here.
The Miracle Theatre is kicking off an $8 Summer Series starting off on June 30. Watch classics like Labyrinth, Jaws and more for only $8! Click here to get tickets.
OFF-HILL
If you’re a fan of tennis, the Mubadala Citi Open is this weekend! Check out all the tennis fun that’s fit to check out at the Fitzgerald Tennis Center at Rock Creek park and runs through August 6. For more info and tickets, click here.
The Hirshhorn’s last Maker Morning of the season is happening Saturday, July 29, starting at 10 am. For more information, click here.
This is a cute tradition! Did you know that the sculptures in Rosslyn’s Dark Star Park do something cool every August 1? This year, join the fun in person or via a livestream! Click here for more info about Dark Star Park day!
One of my personal favorites, the National Building Museum, has a Lego-themed exhibit and a beautiful summer installation called LOOK UP! For more info, tickets and membership options, click here. I am a proud supporter of the Building Museum and highly encourage you to support them and their mission as well, and no, they have not paid me to say this.
Rainy days are for watching a movie in a comfy theater. The Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market has a great selection of movies. Check them out here.
Mondays can be tough days, but Songbyrd has Music Trivia this and every Monday up in Union Market district to gladden hearts and fuel your competitive spirit. The best part? It’s ALL AGES! Enjoy it with friends or as a family. More info here.
PLAN AHEAD
On Monday, August 8, join neighbor Chasten Buttigieg as he chats with author R. Eric Thomas about his new book, Congratulations, The Best is Over at the Miracle Theater, part of East City Books’ programming. More info and tickets here.
The National Book Festival is back on August 12 at the Convention Center. From 9 a.m. until 8 pm., you will get a chance to meet your favorite authors, listen to free chats and browse around for well-loved and new releases. There are also virtual activities if you cannot make it. For more information and to plan your day, click here.
On August 19, the Potomac Gardens family community is having a back-to-school event and they’d like neighbors’ assistance with donations to help make sure neighbor kids have at least two complete sets of uniforms for nearby elementary schools (yellow, white or blue polo shirts and blue or khaki pants in boys’ and girls’ sizes). Contact Misha Pettway at misha.pettway@gmail.com or by phone at (202) 271-6326 to coordinate donations.
Hill Family Biking is taking a little August break, but they’ll be back on September 2 for a Back to School ride, where they’ll be hitting all the elementary and middle schools in our area–– both in wards 6 and 7. For more information or to volunteer, visit hillfamilybiking.org
The DC Bike Ride is coming on September 9, by the way! Enjoy 20 miles of car-free, safe streets! Learn more or sign up here.
The fanciest picnic you’ve ever planned, Dîner en Blanc, returns on September 9. More details and sign up here.
Registration is open for Congressional Cemetery’s Dead Man’s Run on October 14, starting at 5:30 p.m. Run or walk through the cemetery, wear a costume, have a great time! $35 gets you in, or $5 for the kids’ Fun Run if no adults are running a race. Register here.
Also on October 14, Snallygaster is taking over Downtown DC and, if you can believe it, all their early VIP passes are sold out. You can still score general admission tickets here.