Weekend Buzz: July 16, 2026

Cool summer activities around town this weekend are a welcome relief from the scorching heat. Everywhere you look there's a summer film or music series. Some exciting new plays have opened. A new exhibition launches this Saturday at Falls Church Arts. There's also a Democracy Scavenger Hunt around the Little City and Water Mania at Cherry Hill Park. You can put on your colours (notice the English spelling?) and try some World Cup Watch Parties at Solace Outpost. Take the kids to an exciting new "Snarkitectural Playground" at the Building Museum. Before you see Matt Damon as Odysseus on film, you might want to check out the LOC's "Odyssey at the Library." We also have the latest in local music, film, theater, and fine arts – plus a Grab Bag of god knows what!

LOCAL MUSIC

Concerts in the Park:

Summer Concert Series

Mark your calendars! ~ Cherry Hill Park, 312 Park Ave. Shows run from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. No registration required. 

Thursday, July 16: Avenue 66 (Rock & Funk)Thursday, July 23, Sirsy (Pop, Rock & Funk)

Pack a picnic and lawn chairs then kick back, relax and vibe to live, local music ranging from soulful jazz, to classic rock, all the way to some folky Americana. There’s no better way to enjoy a sweet summer night in the Little City! New this year, Ice Cream Jubilee and The Cheese Cartel will be onsite with sweet treats and snacks for purchase.

The Virginia ABC permit for the Concert in the Park Series has been approved. Bringing your own beer and wine (BYOB) will be permitted, at the Concert in the Park series in 2026 for those ages 21 and older. No hard spirts or liquor, however, will be permitted at this event.

Concerts in the Park are co-sponsored by the Village Preservation and Improvement Society. 

For more info go here.

Creative Cauldron Stage's

Passport Music Festival

Creative Cauldron, 127 E. Broad St. Through Sept. 13.

Every summer weekend at Creative Cauldron features a cabaret or concert by some of the most spectacular talent the D.C. area has to offer! Grab a table for two or a table for four and enjoy your favorite performers and some fabulous new faces.

July 17, 7:30 p.m. STILL WE SING CONCERT

Friday, July 17 at 7:30 PM: Still We Sing led by Suzanne Brindamour: Award-winning musicians unite for a stirring evening of peace and protest music rooted in solidarity, justice, and collective power. Blending genres, original work, and reimagined covers, the performance lifts up voices of resistance and invites the audience into uplifting singalong moments. These songs honor movements for equity, amplify marginalized voices, and remind us what's possible when we organize, care for one another, and build community through art.

Saturday, July 18, 7:30 p.m.: Cecily - The Queens of Disco: An encore performance of Cecily's amazing sold-out show of January 2026. A gorgeous voice and a great band had the whole room dancing and singing to her celebration of Disco – the music of freedom, liberation, and enjoying life. Come celebrate with her and her band as they venture from Donna Summer to Evelyn "'Champagne" King! Wear your best dance clothes to this disco-fueled, soul-soaked celebration inspired by her parents' legendary record collection. Bell-bottoms, go-go boots, glittering grooves — and pure joy on stage. We forgot that this music is so great until we heard Cecily reinterpret these hit songs.  https://cecilymusic.com/.

Upcoming Shows:

July 24 at 7:30 p.m. - EASTERN STANDARD TIME

July 25 at 7:30 p.m. - DAVE KLINE BAND

July 31 at 7:30 p.m. - VOX POP

August 1 at 7:30 p.m. -  ELI LEV & FRIENDS

August 7 at 7:30 p.m. - VALERIA STEWART & FRIENDS

August 8 at 7:30 p.m. - SETH KIBEL

August 14 at 7:30 p.m. - THE GUITAR RENEGADES

August 15 at 7:30 p.m. - JASON PAUL CURTIS AND DC MARTINI

August 21 at 7:30 p.m. - MARCEL PENZES

August 22 at 7:30 p.m. - VERONNEAU

September 13 at 2:00 p.m. - SHENANDOAH RUN

General Admission: $30 - Tier 1;  $25 - Tier 2.

Tables for Two with wine (2 glasses): $90.

Tables for Four with bottle of wine: $180.

Live Stream Ticket: $15

Please Note: To order a table, you will enter the total person count as the quantity in the appropriate table type (i.e., 2 for a table for two and 4 for a table for four). Discount codes DO NOT apply to table sales.

Passholders: Contact the Box Office to apply passes to table sales.

For more info go here.

Beat the Heat at West Falls! 

Friday Night Live Music at West Falls

West Falls, Commons Park, Friday, July 17, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

West Falls is bringing the community together all summer long with weekly live music, outdoor fitness classes, and family-friendly events.

Join us for Friday Night Live Music series in Commons Park and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere with great tunes from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Bring your friends and family for a night of fun!

Enjoy an evening of live music in Commons Park featuring the talented Josh Walker! 

Take in the vibrant atmosphere with great tunes from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. This event is a part of our weekly Friday Night Live Music series, so bring your friends and family for a night of fun!

Consider grabbing a bite to eat from the nearby restaurants to complete your evening. Check out Josh Walker for a sneak peek of the music you can expect!

Plus Outdoor Fitness Opportunities!

For those looking to stay active, Barre3 is hosting outdoor classes at The Commons every second Saturday of the month. The workouts combine strength, cardio, and balance in a format designed for all fitness levels.

For more info go here. 

Summer Concerts Around Providence District

Nottoway Nights

Nottoway Park, 9537 Courthouse Rd., Vienna, Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 p .m. Through Aug. 20.

Nottoway Nights will be at Nottoway Park on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., through August 20.

Mosaic Summer Music Series

Arts in the Parks will be at Strawberry Park, Mosaic District Sunday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., through Aug. 9.

For more info go here.

The Maiden Band

Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, 130 N. Washington St., Friday, July 17, 5:30 p.m.

The Maiden Band is the "ultimate cover band bringing your favorite hits to life through live music performances across Northern Virginia and beyond. Whether it’s rock, pop, country, or soul, our energetic shows guarantee an unforgettable night for every audience. With powerful vocals, dynamic musicianship, and a love for entertaining crowds, we make every event shine!"

For more info go here.

Curtis Knocking

Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, 130 N. Washington St., Saturday, July 18, 5:30 p.m.

Curtis Knocking is a Northern Virginia-based classic rock band, "playing your favorite covers from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s."

For more info go here.

Fairfax Swing Band 'Swinging Sounds of the 60s'

Tonight! ~ Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd, Fairfax. Thursday, July 16, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Free. No tickets required.

Join us for an unforgettable concert featuring the exciting sounds of the Fairfax Swing Band as we celebrate some of the greatest music of the 1960s. Enjoy classic favorites by Burt Bacharach, Henry Mancini, Petula Clark, and Tom Jones, along with iconic television themes from Mission: Impossible, Mannix, and more. Come experience an evening of great music, wonderful memories, and the unmistakable energy of live swing!

For more info go here. 

Fridays at the Fountain

at National Landing

Starts July 17! ~ National Landing, Fountain, 1601 Crystal Dr., Arlington. Runs July 17 to Aug. 21, 5:30 p.m to 8:00 p.m. Music begins at 6:00 p.m. Free.

Fridays at the Fountain

Start your summer weekends with a free Friday concert series at Water Park, National Landing’s outdoor food hall, featuring live music from D.C.-region bands. Savor the range of food and beverage offerings from Water Park kiosks and settle in at a table or on the green. 

Friday July 17, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Montaines (Alt Pop/Indie Rock)

For more info go here. 

Concerts from the Library of Congress

Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Jefferson and Madison buildings.

Thursday July 16, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Live! At the Library: Salsa Class, Social and Fania Records Vinyl Display

Thomas Jefferson Building, Great Hall - 2nd Floor (LJ-200-E)

Join us for a Salsa dance class and social featuring Orlando Machuca assisted by Jennifer Lopez, and DJ Hercules. Fania Night celebrates the cultural legacy of the legendary salsa label that helped propel the Afro-Caribbean musical revolution born in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s.

Tuesday July 21, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

'Black Banjo Renaissance: Reflections on the Future' Evening Lecture and Concert

James Madison Building, Montpelier Room (LM-619)

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress celebrates twenty years of the Black Banjo Renaissance with an evening lecture and concert, consisting of an interview by Dr. Allie Martin of Dartmouth College with a special guest, and a performance by Demeanor (Justin Harrington). Demeanor is an MC, banjo and bones player who celebrates hip-hop and American roots as African American art forms.

For more info go here. 

Jazz at the Kreeger

The Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Rd. NW. Saturday, July 18, 2:00 p.m. The Museum will close to non-ticket holders at 2:00 p.m.

Eric Byrd Trio: Eric Byrd - Piano/Vocals. Will Hazel - Upright Bass. Alphonso Young Jr. - Drums.

The Eric Byrd Trio (EBT) are internationally acclaimed jazz artists whose music draws from the rich lineage of swing, bebop, gospel, and blues while speaking with a contemporary voice. For more than a quarter-century, the Maryland-based trio has performed throughout the United States and around the world, earning a reputation for high-energy performances, expressive improvisation, and deep musical authenticity.

Their achievements include a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist Award and a Governor’s Citation recognizing over 20 years of global touring. The Trio’s recording Twenty received the 2022 Washington Area Music Award (Wammie) for Jazz Recording of the Year, affirming their standing as one of the region’s premier jazz ensembles. Their latest release, Echoes of Arrival (2025), signals a forward-looking chapter — honoring the masters while extending the tradition through original compositions and bold reinterpretations. They are the 2026 Washington Area Music Award Winning Best Jazz Artist/Group of the year.

Education is central to the Trio’s mission. Each member holds advanced academic credentials and regularly leads workshops, residencies, and clinics worldwide. Their educational programming highlights the historical and cultural connections between African-American musical traditions and modern jazz. Grounded in tradition and driven by innovation, the Eric Byrd Trio continues to connect audiences across generations through music that swings, inspires, and endures.

Tickets: $35. Tickets now include admission to Museum galleries and Sculpture Garden. Ticket-holders may enter the Museum through the front entrance beginning at 1:30 p.m. to view the galleries before the performance begins at 3:00 p.m.

In the event you must cancel your reservation, please email education@kreegermuseum.org as soon as possible so we can offer your seat to someone else. Refunds will only be issued for cancellations made more than 24 hours in advance.

Limited parking is available at The Field School, located at 2301 Foxhall Road NW.

The Kreeger Museum is a Blue Star Museum. Members of the military and their families receive free, walk-in admission to the Museum through September 7, 2026.

If your party contains more than five guests, please email visitorservices@kreegermuseum.org to make a reservation. Please see below for affiliate admission policies.

For more info go here. 

Lubber Run Amphitheater – Free Concert Series

Lubber Run Ampitheater, 200 N. Columbus St., Arlington. Through Aug. 2. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Free.

The Lubber Run Summer Concert series features free performances from a variety of genres including big band, blues, soul and orchestral music as well as cabaret to the Lubber Run Amphitheater. Working in partnership with the Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation, we bring the very best of D.C. metro area arts to the heart of Arlington.

The series will run Saturday, June 6 through August 2, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 11:00 a.m.

View an at-a-glance season schedule.

Wondering about the weather and last-minute cancellations? Visit our Facebook page for the most up-to-date information.

Friday, July 17, 8:00 PM

Little Red & the Renegades

Little Red, on the Azalea City Recordings label based in Takoma Park, Maryland, plays Zydeco and Blues, and has appeared with Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Nathan Williams & the Zydeco Cha-Chas, T-Bone Burnett, Chubby Carrier, Queen Ida, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Brave Combo, Rosie Ledet, and many others. Madlib and Limp Bizkit have sampled Little Red, so you know he's got the fonk bone.

Band members: Little Red (Tom Corradino), Accordion, Piano, Guitar - Carol Arthur, Zydecaribbean Steel Pans, Piano - Antoine Sanfuentes, Drums - Dave Petersen, Bass - Harry Rado, Guitar. Little Red & the Renegades website.

Saturday, July 18, 8:00 p.m.

Son Cubano Subterraneo

Son Cubano Subterraneo brings the musical sounds of Cuba’s golden era to life, right here in the nation’s capital. They are a six-piece ensemble of some of the DMV’s best musicians and entertainers with a shared passion for Cuban “Son”, the musical style at the core of latin Salsa dance music. 

Son Cubano's sound includes authentic Cuban instruments and a deep repertoire of styles, tempos and songs from all the greats including Buena Vista Social Club, Beny More, Arsenio Rodriguez, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Oscar D’Leon, and many others.

Fronted by singer Steven Falcon, a Cuban native and singer extraordinaire who has performed around the world with some of the greats of Cuban Son. He’s joined by bandleader and Cuban tres player Josh Schneck, Fran Vielma on congas, Eduardo Padua on bongos and hand percussion, Matvei Sigalov on guitar and violin, and the amazing Gabriel Vivas on upright bass. Son Cubano Subterraneo website.

Sunday, July 19, 10:30 AM*

123 Andrés!

Presented in partnership with the Arlington Public Library.

Andrés and Christina are 123 Andrés – Washington, DC's beloved Latin Grammy-winning music duo with catchy songs for kids, in Spanish and English. Come see why Billboard called them a "rockstar for little language learners"! 123 Andrés brings their singable tunes, humor and engaging and interactive show – transforming the park into a full family dance party.

For more info go here. 

Grooves in the Grove

at The Wharf DC

Grooves in the Grove at The Wharf DC, 760 Maine Ave. SW. June 16, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. 

Free Summer Concerts: Grooves in The Grove

All summer long, come to The Wharf on Thursday nights at 7:00 p.m. for free vibey concerts in the Grove.

Be sure to visit the stageside restaurant bartaco for bites to enjoy during the show.

Grooves in the Grove returns Thursday evenings this Summer bringing vibey beats to the waterfront. Grab a bite to-go from your favorite Wharf restaurant and enjoy music in The Grove near bartaco.

Grooves in the Grove Music Lineup:

July 16: Tre4rmDC

July 23: DeJay Sax

July 30: Alisha Glover

August 6: Sterling Anderson

August 13: Tre4rmDC

August 20: Alisha Glover

August 27: Sterling Anderson

September 3: Tre4rmDC

For more info go here. 

Rock the Dock at The Wharf DC

Transit Pier at The Wharf DC, 970 Wharf Street SW, Friday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Free. Family friendly.

Free Summer Concerts

All summer long, come to The Wharf on Friday nights at 7:00 p.m. for free concerts on Transit Pier presented by Pacifico. With R&B, Rock, Go-Go, Country, and your favorite pop covers, there's something for everyone.

Be sure to visit the stageside kiosk Union Pie for hot pizza and Cantina Bambina for Pacifico Beer to enjoy during the show.

Rock The Dock 2026 Lineup

At 7:00 p.m. on Fridays this summer, come to Transit Pier at The Wharf to enjoy free live performances by these talented local artists:

July 17: Hot Cactus (Top 40)

July 24: The Fearless Eras (Taylor Swift Tribute)

July 31: 7 Deadlies (Rock)

August 7: Salsa Dance Night with Salsa with Silvia and music by Cubano Groove (Salsa)

August 14: The Experience Band & Show (Go-Go)

August 21: Rock Creek Kings (Rock)

August 28: Secret Society (Feel Good)

September 4: Perfekt Blend (R&B)

• Every concert begin at 7:00 p.m. on Fridays. 
• Concerts take place at Transit Pier at The Wharf (970 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024). Learn more about different ways to Get to The Wharf.
• Limited bench seating and tables and chairs are available on a first-come first-served basis. 
• This event is family-friendly — all ages are welcome. Dogs on a leash are welcome. You must be 21+ to consume alcohol.
• Waterside bar Cantina Bambina serves up cold Pacifico and mixed drinks throughout the concerts. Outside drinks are not allowed.
• Don't forget to visit the DC Lottery tent on Transit Pier to spin the prize wheel to win cash and DC Lottery swag.
• You may bring in food from any Wharf restaurant. Stageside kiosk Union Pie offers hot and fresh pizza throughout the show. Whether you're craving a Cuban sandwich, a hot and sweet pizza, or chips and guac, our Wharf restaurants have something for everyone.
• In the event of inclement weather, event status updates will be posted on the Rock The Dock event page on The Wharf Facebook page.

For more info go here. 

LOCAL FILM

Sunset Cinema at The Wharf

Mark your calendars! ~ Transit Pier at The Wharf, 970 Wharf Street SW. Wednesday evenings from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

2026 Lineup

July 15: A League of Their Own (1992)

July 22: Catch Me If You Can (2002)

July 29: Apollo 13 (1995)

August 5: Roman Holiday (1953)

August 12: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

August 19: F1 (2025)

August 26: Project Hail Mary (2026)

September 2: Double Feature of When Harry Met Sally (1989) and First Wives Club (1996)

• Movies take place on Wednesdays at Transit Pier at The Wharf (970 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024). Learn more about different ways to Get to The Wharf.
• Movies are on Wednesdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
• Movies begin at 7:30 p.m.
• Limited adirondack chairs are available on a first-come first-served basis starting at 7:00 p.m. You may bring a blanket or folding chairs to this event.
• Closed captions are available upon request. Please see the movie attendant on site or email here to make the request.
• This event is family-friendly — all ages are welcome. Dogs on a leash are welcome. You must be 21+ to consume alcohol.
• Waterside bar Cantina Bambina serves up cold Pacifico and mixed drinks throughout the movies. Outside drinks are not allowed.
• You may bring in food from any Wharf restaurant. Stageside kiosk Union Pie offers hot and fresh pizza throughout the show. Whether you're craving a Cuban sandwich, a hot and sweet pizza, or chips and guac, our Wharf restaurants have something special for everyone.
• In the event of inclement weather, event status updates will be posted on the Sunset Cinema event page on The Wharf Facebook page.

For more info go here. 

Wanna Spice Things Up?

The Invite

Paragon Theater Founders Row, 112 Founders Ave.

The Invite

R|107 min|Comedy

A middle-aged couple who are feeling stagnant in their relationship invite the younger and livelier couple from the apartment upstairs for a get-together that takes an unexpected turn.

Starring: Olivia Wilde, Edward Norton, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz.

For showtimes go here. 

Movies in the Park

at Mosaic

Strawberry Park, Mosaic District, 2911 District Ave, Fairfax. Films start at 7:00 p.m. Rain or shine unless otherwise noted.

Movies in the Strawberry Park returns to Mosaic District for another summer filled with blockbuster hits and family favorites. Film lovers can watch on the larger-than-life outdoor screen, be sure to bring a blanket or chair.

Movie Lineup

• July 16: Goat
• July 23: A League of Their Own
• July 30: The Parent Trap
• August 6: Captain America: The First Avenger
• August 13: Forrest Gump
• August 20: Cars

Series presented in partnership with Fairfax250 Commission.

For more info go here.

Shahzia Sikander: The Last Post

Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), 8th and G Streets, NW. Through Nov. 8. Open Daily, 11:30 a.m.– 7:00 p.m. Free admission.

Shahzia Sikander: The Last Post. Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM)

Shahzia Sikander, The Last Post, 2010, single-channel HD digital animation, color, 5.1 surround sound; 10:00 minutes. Music: Du Yun, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, 2025.11, ©2025, Shahzia Sikander. Courtesy the artist and Sean Kelly, New York/Los Angeles

Through precisely inked and animated scenes, Shahzia Sikander’s video artwork The Last Post (2010) critically considers the legacy of British colonialism in Asia, using her signature approach of infusing Indo-Persian miniature paintings with a contemporary perspective. 

The Last Post centers a European gentleman in a red waistcoat, a symbol of British imperial power. Indian court architecture, Chinese cut-paper silhouettes, and a watercolor map of South Asia all dissolve and reconfigure around him. Artist Shahzia Sikander based this figure on miniature paintings from the late eighteenth century depicting British East India Company officials.  

Sikander’s faceless “Company man” and his shifting surroundings allude to that corporation’s expanding presence from the 1600s to the 1800s in South Asia and China, where it blurred state, military, and mercantile power. As images shatter across the screen and electronic beats by Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Du Yun explode on the soundtrack, we are invited to viscerally feel the reverberations of imperial activities across continents, oceans, and time.  

The Last Post was recently added to SAAM’s collection as part of a longstanding time-based media art initiative. It is presented in a dedicated gallery for immersive media art installations that opened in 2023. This ten-minute film runs continuously and can be entered at any time.

The presentation is organized by Saisha Grayson, curator of time-based media at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

For more info go here. 

An American in Paris

National Gallery of Art, East Bldg. Large Auditorium, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Saturday, July 18, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Gene Kelly, one of the foremost stars in the Hollywood musical era, stars as Jerry Mulligan, a World War II veteran and aspiring painter trying to make a living as an artist in Paris. There he falls in love with his friend’s girlfriend Lisa Bouvier, portrayed by Leslie Caron in her screen debut. Inspired by a 1928 tone poem by George Gershwin, An American in Paris features incredible production numbers and several vintage Gershwin tunes, including "I Got Rhythm," "'S Wonderful," and "Our Love Is Here to Stay." The film swept the 1952 Academy Awards, winning Oscars for best picture, screenplay, score, cinematography, art direction, set design, and even a special award for the choreography of its 18-minute closing ballet in which Kelly and Caron perform before backgrounds resembling French masterpieces. An American in Paris was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1993. (Vincente Minelli, 1951, DCP, 115 minutes)

Part of the Treasures of American Cinema film series. 

To register go here. 

High Society

National Gallery of Art, East Bldg. Large Auditorium, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Sunday, July 19, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Part of Lyrics in Motion: Classic American Musicals.

Often referred to as the last great musical of the Golden Age of Hollywood, High Society features an all-star cast including Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong (and his band), and a memorable score of Cole Porter classics. Set in Newport, Rhode Island, the film showcases the Newport Jazz Festival (established in 1954) and features a remarkable version of Cole Porter’s “Now You Has Jazz.” It includes the first big-screen duet by Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, singing “Well, Did You Evah?”  This was Grace Kelly’s last movie before she retired from acting and married the Prince of Monaco. High Society was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2025. (Charles Walters, 1956, DCP, 111 minutes)

Part of the Treasures of American Cinema film series. 

To register go here. 

Animation Celebration!

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, 4th Street & Independence Avenue SW. Through July 31.

Animated short films by Indigenous filmmakers, featuring colorful folktales, humorous encounters, and lighthearted lessons.

All films are available to stream free July 1 (5:00 p.m. EST) to July 31 (5:00 p.m. EST).

For more info go here. 

Sunset Cinema

Wednesdays at The Wharf DC

Mark your calendars! ~ Transit Pier at The Wharf DC, 970 Wharf Street SW.

Free Outdoor Movies

All summer long, come to The Wharf for free movies on Transit Pier presented by Pacifico. With action movies, rom-coms, blockbusters, and classics, there is something for everyone.

Stop by Cantina Bambina for Pacifico Beer to enjoy during the show.

Sunset Cinema Upcoming Films

July 22: Catch Me If You Can (2002)

July 29: Apollo 13 (1995)

August 5: Roman Holiday (1953)

August 12: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

August 19: F1 (2025)

August 26: Project Hail Mary (2026)

September 2: Double Feature of When Harry Met Sally (1989) and First Wives Club (1996)

• Movies take place on Wednesdays at Transit Pier at The Wharf (970 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024). Learn more about different ways to Get to The Wharf.
• Movies are on Wednesdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
• Movies begin at7:30pm.
• Limited adirondack chairs are available on a first-come first-served basis starting at 7:00pm. You may bring a blanket or folding chairs to this event.
• Closed captions are available upon request. Please see the movie attendant on site or email here to make the request.
• This event is family-friendly—all ages are welcome. Dogs on a leash are welcome. You must be 21+ to consume alcohol.
• Waterside bar Cantina Bambina serves up cold Pacifico and mixed drinks throughout the movies. Outside drinks are not allowed.
• You may bring in food from any Wharf restaurant. Stageside kiosk Union Pie offers hot and fresh pizza throughout the show. Whether you're craving a Cuban sandwich, a hot and sweet pizza, or chips and guac, our Wharf restaurants have something special for everyone.
• In the event of inclement weather, event status updates will be posted on the Sunset Cinema event page on The Wharf Facebook page.

For more info go here. 

LOCAL THEATER

Catch Me If You Can

Opens this weekend! ~ Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria. Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. Sunday Matinees at 2:00 p.m. July 18 through Aug. 8.

Based on the unbelievable true story of one of the most famous con artists in history, Frank Abagnale Jr., Catch Me If You Can is a rousing musical set in the 1960s. We begin as Frank is captured by Agent Carl Hanratty, after years of pursuit. Frank, however, thinks the audience deserves to hear his version of the truth, and narrates his life as a hip, dance-heavy variety television show. We see Frank, as a teenager, run away from his unhappy home to live a life of great adventure, conning people by assuming a multitude of identities: airplane pilot, doctor, and lawyer, to name a few. A fast, rollicking musical by the creative team behind Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can tells the tale of an ingenious, yet lonely, boy looking for his place in the world.

For ticket info go here. 

First Date: The Musical

Theatre on the Run, Arlington

Opens Tomorrow! ~ Dominion Stage, Gunston Theatre II, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington. Evening performances on July 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 at 8:00 p.m. Matinée performances on July 18, July 19, and July 25 at 2:00 p.m. Runs: July 17 through July 25.

Join Dominion Stage for our upcoming production of First Date the Musical, a one-act telling of a blind date, loaded with all pre-existing notions, baggage, and the hopes that come with an evening's pursuit of love and connection as depicted in laugh-out-loud modern musical theatre numbers and equally sincere scenes.

"When blind date newbie Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds they are not alone on this unpredictable evening. In a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron's inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines. Can this couple turn what could be a dating disaster into something special before the check arrives?"

For ticket info go here.

Pippin

Limited seats available! ~ Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Through July 26.

Stephen Schwartz’s (Godspell, Wicked) musical masterpiece of purpose, ambition, lust and glory sizzles for summer, thrillingly staged as only Matthew Gardiner can do.

A traveling troupe of performers brings to life the story of Pippin, the restless heir of Charlemagne, on his quest for purpose. Dreaming of greatness, he dives into war, passion, and even murder — only to find himself disillusioned at every turn in this dazzling and provocative coming-of-age parable about what it means to be extraordinary.

Join us for this sardonic and witty extravaganza, flush with spellbinding dance and the iconic songs “Corner of the Sky,” “Magic to Do” and “Morning Glow.”

“Massively, almost overwhelmingly entertaining” ~ BroadwayWorld 

• Running time: approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
• This show will use strobe and lighting effects, loud noises, theatrical haze/smoke and the use of a torch/fire.
• The production will contain adult themes, sexual content, adult language, drug use, representations of violence, war and death, and discussion of suicide.
• Recommended for mature teens and up. Signature does not admit anyone under 6.
• Audio Described.

For ticket info go here. 

Beetlejuice

Broadway at the National

Final Weekend! ~ National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Thursday, July 16, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, July 17, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 18, 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, July 18, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 19, 2:00 p.m.; Sunday, July 19, 7:30 p.m. Through July 19.

IT’S SHOWTIME! A MUSICAL COMEDY ABOUT MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY DAY-O!

He earned his stripes on Broadway…. now the ghost-with-the-most is coming back to Washington, D.C. by popular demand!

It’s showtime! Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, BEETLEJUICE is “SCREAMINGLY GOOD FUN!” (Variety). And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O!

Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission.

Age Rating: Recommended for ages 13 and up. Parental discretion advised. Contains strong language, mature references, and a lot of the crazy, inappropriate stuff you would expect from a deranged demon.

For ticket info (including group reservations) go here. 

The Play That Goes Wrong

Final Weekend! ~ The Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

The Cornley Drama Society is presenting its newest production, THE MURDER AT HAVERSHAM MANOR, but things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show — an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences! Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes, this Olivier Award–winning comedy is a global phenomenon that’s guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter!

For ticket info go here. 

Carla Hall in Please Underestimate Me

Extended! ~ Olney Theatre Center, Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road (Route 108), Olney. Thursday, July 16, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, July 17, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 18, 1:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 18, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 19, 1:30 p.m. Through July 26.

Carla Hall is a judge on Food Network’s Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, Summer, Holiday & Halloween Baking Championships, host of Max’s Chasing Flavors & ABC’s The Chew, competed on Bravo’s Top Chef & Top Chef: All Stars and so much more.

Award-winning chef, best-selling author, and beloved TV personality, Carla Hall, is at the top of her game. But getting there was no picnic. In this theatrical one-woman show, Carla Hall invites you to “strap in” for a wild, hilarious, and emotional ride as she reveals how she learned to embrace her own authenticity, “work her quirk” and finally step into her power. From her Tennessee roots as an awkward theater camp kid, to Howard University, to a stint on the runways of Paris, to her irreverent takes on the confusing expectations of Black excellence, crushing sexism, and the many attempts to erase her uniqueness, Carla has had to battle every step of the way to find her true voice – and wait till you hear it. In this insightful and inspiring World Premiere, Carla reveals the secret ingredients to her greatest creation: herself. This intimate exchange will leave audiences laughing, thinking, feeling and… maybe even discovering a little of their own power in simply being themselves.

“We can all catch some measure of [Carla Hall’s] infectious energy and exceptional joie de vivre.” - Marie Clare 

By Carla Hall, Lori Kaye & Leslie Thomas. Directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

Due to the layout of the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, late seating is at the discretion of the House Manager. Those exiting the theatre during the performance will not be re-admitted while the performance is in progress.

Ticket prices: $52 - $121 (including fees).

Age Guidance: If this were a film, it would be rated PG-13 for language and mature themes.

For ticket info go here. 

CrazySexyCool – The TLC Musical

Arena Stage, Kreeger Theatre, Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Through Aug. 9.

CrazySexyCool: The TLC Musical

Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

Advisories: Contains theatrical haze, low-lying fog, flashing moving lights, loud sound effects.

THEIR SISTERHOOD. THEIR STORY. THEIR LEGACY.

TLC blazed a trail and changed the game. The trio stormed the '90s music scene, not only topping the charts — but creating the look, sound, and soul of a generation. With their unforgettable anthems, fly dance moves, and head-turning style, Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins, Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas defined what it meant to be women in music. The most successful female group of all time, they’ve spent over three decades breaking boundaries and empowering generations. Now their journey comes to the stage with the fresh, new musical

CrazySexyCool: Visionary writer and director, Kwame Kwei-Armah (One Love: The Bob Marley Musical) brings TLC’s (mostly true) story of unshakable sisterhood to the stage, featuring a powerhouse cast, high-octane choreography, and multi-platinum Billboard hits like "Waterfalls," "Creep," "Unpretty," and of course, "No Scrubs." Go beyond the fiery scandals, explosive creative clashes, and harrowing tragedies to experience this remarkable tale of defiance, triumph, and love.

For ticket info go here. 

Twelfth Night

Opens Sunday! ~ Shakespeare Theatre Company, Klein Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Friday, July 17, 7:30 p.m. (Young Prose Night, Opening Night); Sunday, July 19, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, July 21, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, July 23, 7:30 p.m. Through July 23.

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Jess Chayes.

It starts with a shipwreck; it ends with a double wedding. When Viola washes ashore and disguises herself as a man, she sets off a chain of mistaken identities, sexual desire, and romantic chaos that make this Shakespeare’s most enduring and lyrical comedy. Directed by Jess Chayes (STC’s Jane Anger), Twelfth Night is Shakespeare at his most irresistible.

Runtime: Approximately two hours and 45 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.

STC Academy Summer Repertory

The Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy is a Master of Fine Arts program that trains actors to work with classical language and embody mythic storytelling. This is classical work in its purest form: energetic and lean, with a focus on actors, language, and story.

After completing a one-year intensive program of coursework spanning classical text study, stage combat, and more, the Class of 2026 performs two plays in repertory as the culmination of their training: Macbeth and Twelfth Night.

Tickets: $25 for general public, or see both shows for $40.

Add an equal number of tickets for each show to your cart and the offer to see both for $40 will be applied. Not valid on previously purchased tickets. Cannot be combined with other offers.

For ticket info go here. 

ADRIFT: A Medieval Wayward Folly

Opens Tomorrow! ~ Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Opening Night and Happenstance Theater's 20th Birthday Party: Friday, July 17 at 6:30 p.m. Runs: July 16 to Aug. 2.

ADRIFT | A Medieval Wayward Folly. Produced by Happenstance Theater.

Adrift runs approximately 85 minutes. 

"Transcendent and provocative…Happenstance provides immeasurable entertainment with its comedy, music, and artistry… A characteristically compelling, intelligent, and thought-provoking hour of unique, outstanding, must-see theater." ~ DC Theater Arts

"ADRIFT is full of wonders! Part Samuel Beckett, part Monty Python, part Lewis Carroll, part opium dream, and part Hieronymus Bosch… Highly entertaining." ~ Talkin' Broadway

"Charming and beautifully crafted… Its multiskilled ensemble, both as performers and craftspeople, raise the bar and transform a sketch comedy act into something far stranger and more beautiful… Skillfully performed and stylistically integrated, this eclectic pastiche of medieval symbols are a splendid homage to the source materials." ~ The Observer

A ship of fools adrift at sea. They ask, “What do we do now?” After an apocalypse, the search begins.

Characters from the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, archetypes from the Tarot, and medieval marginalia are brought to life in this ingeniously staged production of theatrical alchemy using live music, physical comedy, puppetry, and so much more.

This pod of eccentrics will drift into the world to bring delight, share hopes and fears, and find a way forward. 

A dynamic medieval tapestry of pure theater… and it wouldn’t be the Middle Ages without a hellmouth, demons, and angels.

Box Office: 240.644.1100.

For online ticket info go here. 

LOCAL FINE ARTS

Falls Church Arts: All Member (M-Z) Show (Part II) Opens with Meet-the-Artists Reception, July 18

Falls Church Arts (FCA) "is excited to announce the second installment of the All Member Show featuring artists with last names starting with M-Z," a July 12 gallery press release announced. The "all media" exhibit, running through Aug. 23, "features the best of our members' work."

The opening meet-the-artists reception will be held at FCA's gallery spaces at 700B W. Broad Street from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 18. The Juror's Choice Award will also be presented at the reception.

Exhibit artworks for this show will be available for purchase from the gallery.

Kwaku "ABSKU" Ofori-Yirenkyi

Opens This Saturday! ~ Idylwood Studios, 7617 Idylwood Rd. Runs: July 18 to July 26. Opening Reception: July 18, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Artist Statement (from Instagram) by Kwaku Ofori-Yirenkyi: What's lost, and what's gained in the process of migration and assimilation? Through portraiture and layered symbolism, I reflect on the memories I carry, the identities I have inherited, and the person I continue to become between worlds.

Join me for the opening reception: 📍 Idylwood Studios

📅 July 18 | 6–8 PM

The exhibition runs through July 26.

I'd love to see you there.

Loida Velilla: Slices of Life

Rare Bird Coffee Roasters, 230 W. Broad St. Through Aug. 2. Free.

Loida Velilla's Artist Statement: 

I have been painting in a variety of mediums, including acrylics and pastels. My focus is on mutuality of colors and design - including abstracts and bold impressionism. I work to instill a feeling of personal connection with each work of art, achieving a balance of color, design, overpainted highlights and drama. My art studios are in both Falls Church, Va. and Bayamon, Puerto Rico. I have conducted an interactive workshop at the Museum of Art in Bayamon, PR.

Instagram: @Loida_Artist; email:  loida.velilla@gmail.com.

For more info go here. 

Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, National Mall, Fourth Street & Independence Ave. SW. Ongoing Exhibition.

Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting explores how Native artists challenged perceptions of what constituted art and what Native art could and should look like. Featuring more than 50 works by over 40 artists, this exhibition tells the story of how American Indian art expanded after World War I and how Native painters began to advocate for themselves in a world that often ignored their talent.

Artists such as Fred Kabotie, Tonita Peña, and Stephen Mopope carved out space for painting at a time when Native art was often dismissed. Later generations — including Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Kay WalkingStick, Fritz Scholder, James Lavadour, Jeffrey Gibson, Dyani White Hawk, and Athena LaTocha — expanded the field even further, embracing a wide range of approaches. Over the span of ten decades, these artists and their work demonstrated the breadth, complexity, and continuing expansion of Native self-expression. 

For more info go here. 

Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art

National Museum of African Art, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW. Through August 23.

Curated by Kevin D. Dumouchelle and Serubiri Moses.

We are here.

Artists’ voices are central to this exhibition, which is based on years of close collaboration and dialogue with African visual art practitioners who claim belonging in the LGBTQ+ community, however they define those terms. They're united by a simple, shared declaration: We are here and always have been and will be.

The exhibition is part of a larger research initiative, the Here Project, that seeks to document these voices. The artists in the Project practice across the entirety of the African continent and its global diaspora, using their work to speak their truths. Inviting us into their worlds, they share complex stories of openly claiming their identities, their histories, and their place. While their experiences are unique to them, they address issues that unite us all: the importance of family, of spirit, of standing up for oneself and others, of imagining the future, of making intimate connections, of finding belonging, of embracing potential, and above all, of experiencing joy.

Here is based on years of close collaboration and dialogue with these artists and their communities. Through their art, they invite us into their worlds, and share complex stories of openly claiming their identities, their histories, and their place. Here is in the largest exhibition on this subject to date, with nearly 60 artworks, demonstrating how they're a part of a larger story of African art history.

They are here. All that is left is for us to hear them.

Support for Here generously provided by the Fisher Arts Impact Fund.

For more info go here. 

Mary Cassatt

National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Ave. NW, West Bldg. Main Floor, Gallery 86. Through Aug. 30.

An intimate exhibition brings together rarely-seen treasures and iconic works by Mary Cassatt, marking 100 years since her death.

Mary Cassatt’s art and life reflect an independent spirit that defied expectations for women in her time. Explore three galleries in the National Gallery’s impressionist collection to look closely at how she worked. Some 40 paintings, drawings, and prints — largely drawn from our rich holdings of her work — show an artist shaped by tradition yet radically modern.

Admission is always free and passes are not required.

For more info go here. 

Material Witness

Rubell Museum Washington DC, 65 I St SW, Through Fall, 2026.

Material Witness presents 30 of today’s most compelling and innovative artists employing non-traditional materials and processes. Squid ink, Coca-Cola, ostrich eggs, anointing oil, lipstick, discarded metal, and animal hides are several of the preformed, natural, and unnatural mediums incorporated into three-dimensional works that expand upon the storied legacy of assemblage—a critical approach to artmaking that was first formalized in the 1961 exhibition The Art of Assemblage at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.With echoes of land art, Arte Povera, abject art, and readymades these artists employ industrial waste, organic detritus, and mass-produced commodities to explore formal, environmental, political, and social concerns. Found objects in various entropic states provide the backbone for many of these works, illuminating cycles of consumption, decay, and renewal.Material Witness spans 23 galleries across the museum’s three floors and presents individual artist rooms as well as group presentations connecting artists who share similar materials and motives. For many of these artists, Material Witness represents their first exhibition in our nation’s capital or at the Rubell Museum.

For more info go here. 

Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms

Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Galleries 23 & 24, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Through July 26.

The tallest mountains on earth rise from the plains of northern India in a series of steep hills, snowy peaks, and narrow valleys. From the same Himalayan region arose some of the world’s most beautiful—yet least understood—works of art.

Discover the extraordinary beauty and unique history of paintings made for Hindu kings in India’s Pahari (hill) region between the 1620s and 1830s. Pahari artists worked in radically different styles ranging from lyrical and naturalistic to boldly colored and abstracted. Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms illuminates new scholarship on the collaborative artist communities in which most painters worked. Learn about the political, cultural, and religious contexts of these forty-eight exquisite works, and look closely to enter a world of fine detail that delights and astounds.

Of the Hills celebrates the remarkable collection of Pahari paintings the museum acquired from renowned art historian Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Ralph Benkaim. Some of these artworks have never been exhibited publicly before. We’ve brought these rare pieces into conversation with our historic collections and paintings on loan from the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Of the Hills is accompanied by the major publication Pahari Paintings: Art and Stories and runs concurrently with Pahari exhibitions at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Art Museum.

For more info go here. 

Janet Loren Hill | Andrew Casto

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, 12001 Market St. #103, Reston Va. Through July 25.

The exhibition will feature recent work by artists Janet Loren Hill and Andrew Casto. Hill’s shaped paintings present surreal characters moving through complex environments, tracing various global histories of coercion, labor, and the potential for rupture.

Casto’s recent work — whose formal language is based on a material study of geological processes translated into ceramic and mixed-media vessel forms — explores the connection between “macrocosmic” environmental change and interruptions in our often routine existence.

Visually, their work plays both against and with each other: painting vs. ceramic, large vs. small scale, use of texture, the absurd and the sublime, decadent color, and sometimes unnerving forms. Contextually, they share a use of humor and absurdity, varied references to the body, and commentary on our world.

For more info go here. 

Teen Portrait Competition, 2025

National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Second Floor, North Galleries. Through Aug. 30.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is proud to present the winners and finalists of the 2025 Teen Portrait Competition!

Matilda Myers of Maryland and Kate Stermer of California have been announced as winners of the 2025 Teen Portrait Competition, a triennial event inspired by the museum’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. The teen competition is open to students between the ages of 13 and 17 who reside in the United States and its territories. Ten finalists were selected from the 13 to 15 age group, and nine finalists were selected from the 16 to 17 age group. The selected works showcase the next wave of contemporary portraiture by teens. Myers received the top prize from the 13–15 age group, and Stermer from the 16–17 age group. The photographs by the 19 finalists will be on view in a video presentation on the second floor of the National Portrait Gallery through August 30, 2026.

Teens were invited to submit their photographic portraits through an anonymous open call. The museum received more than 1,100 entries from students in 48 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. The photographs were reviewed by the Teen Museum Council, a group of high school students from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia who aim to learn about museum careers while building a community for teens with interactive programs and events inspired by the Portrait Gallery’s collection. The council narrowed the submissions to 40 semi-finalists. Three members of the council, joined by artist Caitlin Teal Price, who is based in Washington, D.C., and New York, juried the competition’s final round to select the exhibiting artists and name the prizewinners.

Myers’ photograph, “Rest,” compares the masculine and feminine by showing a ballerina resting with a pickaxe. Stermer’s black-and-white portrait, titled “The Cost of Conformity,” depicts a teenage girl as a puppeteer manipulating the markers of success (cars) with marionette strings. Photographs by all 19 finalists prompt conversations about identity through the eyes of teens in the United States, and they address topical issues including tradition, mental health and sibling relationships. The photographs will be on view alongside the museum’s triennial “The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today” exhibition, featuring finalists of the 2025 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition by artists 18 and older.

For more info go here. 

Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean

Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, Arthur Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW, East Building. Through Sept. 7.

At the dawn of time, the Hindu god Vishnu slept on a coiled serpent floating in the primordial ocean. There, he dreamed the universe into existence. This magnificent story of creation comes to life through the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia, now on loan to us from the National Museum of Cambodia.

For the first time in centuries, you can experience this sculpture’s full monumental scale: a breathtaking six meters long (nearly twenty feet). Only the head and torso have been displayed since 1936, when the sculpture was found buried in a pit with dozens of loose bronze fragments. A team of international experts has recently conserved and reconnected the body’s remnants after decades of scientific research.

Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean presents this monumental masterpiece of Cambodian artistry and explores its rich context. Delve into the sculpture’s original island-like temple, the deep blue waters of the surrounding reservoir, and the ancient city of Angkor. Learn about water’s cultural importance as a mirror of the ocean of creation, and admire the exceptional bronze-casting and engineering skills of artists who lived a thousand years ago.

An exclusive film brings you to the present-day reservoir and its surrounding community. Cambodian American director praCh Ly shares a day in the life of a local fisherman, a merchant, and a young Buddhist monk. Titled Awkun (meaning “thank you” in Khmer), this film draws attention to the relationships that bridge sacred and urban spaces, from past to present.

For more info go here. 

Basil Kincaid: Spirit in the Gift

Rubell Museum DC, 65 i Street SW. Through Fall, 2026.

Basil Kincaid: Spirit in the Gift marks the first solo museum exhibition in Washington D.C. for Kincaid (b. 1986, St. Louis, MO). Four large-scale quilted artworks created during the artist’s residency at the Rubell Museum in Miami in 2023 will be presented in the D.C. museum’s largest gallery. Kincaid’s work pays homage to the long history of quilt-making while exploring the relationships between identity, ancestry, and place. Some themes are deeply personal and autobiographical, others are more universal, but all evoke the joy inherent in the artist’s love for and nurturing of community. The entailed and labor-intensive process of creating these monumental works is balanced by an improvisational, spontaneous, and fluid quality that runs throughout them. The result is as indebted to freehand drawing and jazz music as it is to patchwork quilt making and embroidery.

For more info go here. 

Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection

National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Through July 26. 

Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection brings together approximately 80 works by nearly 70 of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Magdalena Abakanowicz, Cecily Brown, Sheila Hicks, Jenny Holzer, Julie Mehretu, Joan Mitchell, Faith Ringgold, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sillman, Lorna Simpson, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Pat Steir, Sarah Sze, Kara Walker, and Zarina. Featuring a wide variety of artworks from the past eight decades, including painting, sculpture, installation, textile, beadwork, and ceramics, the exhibition emphasizes connections between intergenerational and international artists who circumvent and upend conventions in art-making, embracing craft techniques, inventive methods, and alternative materials.

The exhibition is organized within seven sections that illustrate key thematic threads: Gestural Abstraction, Luminous Abstraction, Pixelated Abstraction, Disobedient Bodies, Of Selves and Spirits, The Power of Form, and Craft is Art. Each section juxtaposes works by emerging artists with the pathbreaking contributions of their predecessors, demonstrating how earlier generations anticipated contemporary perspectives on representation, identity, and power. Making Their Mark envisions art history as an interconnected web of influences and affinities among artists who subvert traditional narratives and hierarchies in a historically patriarchal field.

Many of the works on view question rigid and gendered distinctions between art and craft, eroding arbitrary and increasingly obsolete categories and value systems. Making Their Mark assembles significant works by artists whose innovative explorations demonstrate expansive vocabularies of art-making, highlighting the importance of prioritizing diverse perspectives to change the way art histories are told.

For more info go here. 

Best Laid Plans: Unrealized Projects from the Archives of American Art

Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery, The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, 1st floor, 8th and F Streets, NW. Through Oct. 18.

Best Laid Plans examines unrealized projects preserved in the Archives of American Art. While centered on unfinished artworks, the exhibition also brings together proposals for publications, exhibitions, and other creative initiatives that, for various reasons, were never realized. Rarely exhibited or published, these materials often survive only in archival form. By foregrounding them, the exhibition reveals an essential dimension of the Archives’ holdings and introduces little-known — or entirely unknown — projects by influential artists and thinkers.

For more info go here. 

The Art of Looking: Winslow Homer, Home, Sweet Home

National Gallery of Art, Virtual Session: Friday, July 17, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. No art or art history background required. Ages 18 and over.

Winslow Homer’s Home, Sweet Home is the inspiration for this interactive conversation. Join us for a one-hour virtual session and share your observations, interpretations, questions, and ideas about this work of art.

These conversations will encourage you to engage deeply with art, with others, and with the world around you as you hone skills in visual literacy and perspective-taking.

The program is free, open to the public, and is designed for everyone interested in talking about art.

To register go here. 

Subtle Connections: Works by David Carlson (Selected Works from 2016, 2020, and 2023)

McLean Project for the Arts, Sally & John Simms Gallery at MPA Berlage Arts & Education Center, 6910 Fleetwood Road, McLean. Through Aug. 15.

Note from the artist David Carlson: My art is an exploration of subtle connection, the unseen. I follow philosophies rooted in Taoism and Buddhism which practice connectedness in all things and particularly between humanity and the natural world. The experience of something is more important than the narratives I tell myself. Through the language of abstraction, I seek to express deeper themes of connection, perception, and the ineffable. The goal is an exploration into that which is and that which is ongoing. Within structured boundaries, I navigate the visual elements of balance and tension, obvious and surprise. Thick, tactile paint, translucent layers and diverse color intersect with veiling whites, and organic forms weaving through geometric shapes. This juxtaposition creates a visual dialogue that invites viewers to contemplate the interplay of opposites — structure and change, movement and stillness. In essence my work seeks to create spaces of pure experience where viewers can encounter something beyond words and narrative.

For more info go here. 

Shape Shifting by Cindy Grisdela

Contemporary Abstract Quilts

Reston Art Gallery, 11400 Washington Plaza West, Reston. Through July 26.

For more info go here. 

Pattern & Place:

Maryamm Abdullah & Gloria Ann Shows

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art at Signature, 11850 Freedom Dr, Reston. Through Sept. 26.

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) presents a two-person exhibition of work by artists Maryamm Abdullah and Gloria Ann Shows. The exhibition explores the use of pattern to evoke a sense of place across the distinct mediums of ceramics and printmaking.

Tephra ICA at Signature, located at the Signature apartment building (11850 Freedom Dr, Reston, Va.) is an innovative satellite gallery space that presents a year-round schedule of exhibitions featuring work by local and regional artists as selected by Tephra ICA curatorial staff. Visitors are welcome Wednesday–Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Maryamm Abdullah

In my work as a ceramic artist there is an Aesthetic I was hesitant to approach and it begins with the Flamenco Dress of all things. During the Barcelona, Spain Olympics I became infatuated with this country as a teenager. After high school I earned a degree in Fashion Design, and my love for the fashions of Spain had spurred my interest in this field. I only focused on the fashions, unaware of the stunning art and architecture of Spain. A PBS documentary later in my 30s was my introduction and I was astounded by the beauty of The Grand Mezquita Cordoba, and the Al-Hambra Palace. Fast forward to the Covid pandemic, I took an online pottery class, and revisited ceramics after a 20-year absence. My newfound skills needed a surface  treatment, and suddenly Spain beckoned me back. I began to approach the Moorish Aesthetic that was full of dazzling, mixed-patterned tiles, carved plaster, and archways. My approach couldn’t be precise like the traditional Moorish art, so I developed a Gestured Geometry to capture the essence of these exquisite places. Imagine freehand Geometry, how contradictory. I found my wings and my voice, as a Ceramic Artist.

Gloria Ann Shows

Gloria Ann Shows is a print-focused artist and educator who transforms fragments of memory and place into layered landscapes. Through the slow, tactile processes of printmaking and collage, she explores the porous border between the outer landscape and the inner world.

For more info go here. 

The Ascent of Rauschenberg:

Reinventing the Art of Flight

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Gallery 211, Flight and the Arts Center, 650 Jefferson Drive SW. Through Summer 2027.

Gain a richer understanding of Robert Rauschenberg’s innovative techniques, sustained legacy, and unique perspective on all things that fly.

Explore 30 works by Robert Rauschenberg, many that have never been displayed before. Rauschenberg often returned to the theme of flight throughout his career, viewing it as a metaphor for human ambition, collaboration, and imagination. 

This one-year exhibition includes works on loan from the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. 

The Ascent of Rauschenberg is displayed on the second floor of the Flight and the Arts Center.

For more info go here. 

Explore The Art of Design!

Reset: Abstraction Embodied in Design

National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Level 4 (L4), The Rhimes Family Foundation Visual Arts Gallery. Ongoing.

Reset: Abstraction Embodied in Design features chairs, rugs, and lighting through which designers, much like visual artists, harness abstraction as both a technique and a source of inspiration. Each of their designs offers an opportunity to reset – to shift our bodies, our feelings, and our points of view. Their works transform everyday environments into spaces for reflection and renewal.

Reset features seating that is both serviceable and suggestive of a designer’s experimentation with form, line, gesture, and space. The geometric patterns and blocks of color on the rug and lamp in the exhibition speak to abstraction in surface design and the influence of African textiles.

Several of these designers look across the African diaspora for inspiration. Their works recognize traditional African art’s foundational role as a source for the clean lines and functional simplicity of modernism. In these contemporary offerings, from seating to lamps, design carries the imprints of ancestral memory and art movements influenced by African aesthetics.  

To register go here. 

GRAB BAG

Try a Civics Scavenger Hunt for the Kids!

Democracy Rocks! Civics Scavenger Hunt

To help commemorate the 250th anniversary of the country, the League of Women Voters of Falls Church presents the Democracy Rocks! Civics Scavenger Hunt. The scavenger hunt is designed to teach children facts about history and civics – and encourage adults to vote in the primary election on Tuesday, August 4. The event will launch on Sunday, July 19 and run through Aug. 4.

Kids get a copy of a map and log sheet, then use the map to find "Civics Stands with Democracy Rocks!" tags around the Falls Church City Town Center. On the back of each tag is a message about civics or history. They'll record the missing word from the back of the tag on their log sheet, then turn the completed sheet in for a chance to win a prize. 

For more info go here.

Enjoy a World Cup Watch Party!

Solace Outpost, 444 West Broad St. Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19.

Join Solace for every 2026 World Cup Game! All Solace locations will have the TV’s tuned to the games with the sound on.

Match day food and beverage specials. Wear the colors! Bring the noise!

Before You See Matt Damon as Odysseus….

'The Odyssey' at the Library

Tonight! ~ Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE, Thomas Jefferson Building, Great Hall, July 16, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Free, but tickets required.

Live! At the Library: "The Odyssey" at the Library

Live! At the Library will bring the world of “The Odyssey” and Homeric poetry to life during a special evening celebrating one of literature’s most enduring works. Visitors can explore the Library’s extensive collections from ancient texts to modern interpretations in the Whitall Pavilion starting at 5:00 p.m. The evening will also feature live readings from Homer’s poem in ancient Greek by Claire Catenaccio.

Part of Live at the Library

For more info go here. 

Dance on the Waterfront!

Summer Series:

Get Down in G'town!

Dancing on the Waterfront: Summer Series is a free weekly outdoor dance class with the Potomac as your backdrop! This event takes place in Georgetown Waterfront Park, where participants of all ages and skill levels gather to embrace the joy of dancing. The Georgetown BID is partnering with Dancing on the Waterfront to offer a special weeknight series on Tuesday evenings, through Aug. 4.

Every week, a DJ will spin a mix of music, blending various genres and beats. From salsa to square dancing, bachata, country line dancing and kizomba, you’ll get to try an array of dance styles. Some of your favorite Georgetown businesses are also offering special promotions during our summer series; scroll down for the full list!

This event may be photographed and/or video recorded. Please be advised that by entering this event site you agree to being filmed and/or photographed, and the resulting assets may be used for marketing or promotional purposes. 

Dance Schedule

*On Latin and African dance nights, salsa and bachata instruction is from 6:00-7:00 p.m., followed by unguided social dancing (salsa, bachata, kizombo, and zouk) from 7:00-9:00 p.m. All other nights, an instructor will be guiding the group from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

July 21: Latin and African Dancing (6:00-7:00 p.m.) + Square Dancing (7:00 - 9:00 p.m.)

July 28: Line Dancing

August 4: TBA

For more info go here. 

Take a (Commemorative) Hike!

Commemorative Hikes

for Great Falls Park's 60th Anniversary

Great Falls Park Visitor Center, Virginia side, 9200 Old Dominion Dr., McLean, 11:00 a.m. Next hike: Friday, July 17. Hike is free. But, must pay entrance fee for Great Falls Park.

Join a Ranger on a special commemorative hike celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 60th anniversary of Great Falls Park. This guided 1.5‑mile walk invites visitors to explore the powerful landscape and learn about George Washington's vision of the canal project at Great Falls and the enslaved labor used to improve transportation and commerce.   

Duration: One hour. Hike may last longer depending on participants' abilities

Contact: Franice Sewell.

For more info go here.

Take Your Kids to a Snarkitectural Playground!

THE PLAYGROUND, A MONUMENTAL NEW SUMMER INSTALLATION BY SNARKITECTURE

National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW. Open Thursday-Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Through Aug. 30.

Tickets: $18.95/Adult; $15.95/Youth & Seniors. Free access to the Great Hall and Museum Shop.

THE PLAYGROUND is now open at the National Building Museum. The 14,000-square-foot installation, developed with New York-based design practice Snarkitecture – and design collaborator Gluten – is the largest indoor installation in the Museum’s history. Through August 30, visitors can experience the Museum’s iconic Great Hall as an expansive landscape for climbing, building, gathering, relaxing, and open-ended play. 

Using materials more commonly associated with construction than recreation, THE PLAYGROUND reimagines the familiar playground through inventive design and extraordinary scale. Scaffolding, birch plywood, cork, rope, and other materials drawn from the built environment take on unexpected new purposes throughout nine distinct activity zones. Rather than prescribing how visitors should move through the space, the installation encourages each person to chart their own course, revealing how thoughtful design can transform ordinary materials into extraordinary experiences. 

“Snarkitecture has always been interested in the familiar made unfamiliar – environments that invite people to see and experience the world differently. The Playground reimagines the familiar experience of a playground into something unexpected: an invitation for people of all ages to rediscover the joy, creativity, and wonder of open-ended play,” said Alex Mustonen, co-founder of Snarkitecture. 

Explore the Roots of Salsa!

¡Puro Ritmo!

National Museum of American History, First Floor East, Molina Family Latino Gallery, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Free. No passes required. 

Discover the rhythm that moved the world!

Rooted in Afro-Cuban rhythms and traditions, salsa is more than music — it’s a story of migration, identity, and innovation. This online exhibition traces how these rhythms crossed borders, shaped American culture, and became a shared expression of Latino identity — through the people, moments, and beats that made it all possible.

Turn up the volume and follow the rhythm — one beat at a time.

The Journey of Salsa

¡Puro Ritmo! is your introduction to the people, cultures, and events that have shaped the global journey of salsa and its family of rhythms

Meet the People, Past & Present

Behind every beat is a person. Meet the bandleaders, vocalists, and songwriters who built salsa and other related clave rhythms from the ground up and carried it around the world.

Celebrate America's 250th at the Smithsonian Castle!

American Aspirations

Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle), The National Mall, 1000 Jefferson Drive SW. Through July 26.

For nearly 250 years, Americans have been inspired by the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence. American Aspirations brings together for the first time more than 30 of Smithsonian’s most treasured objects to commemorate this founding document. The exhibition invites visitors to consider how the founding ideals of 1776 have been interpreted and how each generation has reached towards new understandings of freedom, opportunity, and a shared future.

For more info go here. 

Can One Resist 'Watermania'? No Way!

Water Mania - Recreation and Parks Month

Cherry Hill Park, 302 Park Ave. July 18, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Water Mania - Recreation and Parks Month

Saturday, July 18, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Join us in Cherry Hill Park for a splash-filled afternoon of water games and fun challenges. All are welcome but come prepared to get wet! 

For more info go here.

Compiled by Christopher Jones