DC’s museums and theaters put on some of their most compelling exhibitions and performances in the fall. This year’s line-up brings an array of options:

The National Gallery of Art welcomes Warhol: Headlines (Sept. 25-Jan. 2), while The Phillips Collection hosts Degas’s Dancers at the Bar: Point and Counterpoint (Oct. 1-Jan. 8). The Corcoran Gallery (one of America’s oldest art galleries, predating even the Met in New York) hosts 30 Americans (Oct. 1-Feb. 12) and the National Portrait Gallery hosts Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories (Oct. 14-Jan. 22) and The Black List Photographs by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (National Portrait Gallery).

Fela! (Sept. 13-Oct. 9) comes to Shakespeare Theatre Company, Jersey Boys (Nov. 10-Jan. 7) returns to The National Theatre and the curtain goes up on Les Misérables (Sept. 28-Oct. 30) at The Kennedy Center. For something a bit more avant garde or cutting edge, check out local theaters such as Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company or Signature Theatre.


Autumn is an opportune time to take advantage of several of DC’s signature festivals, including the National Book Festival (Sept. 24-25), which features more than one hundred authors meeting and greeting fans on the National Mall. The DC Blues Festival (Sept. 3), and the Southwest Arts Festival (Sept. 23-25) are big hits every fall, while the DC Shorts Film Festival (Sept. 8-18) and the Kids Euro Festival (Oct. 14-Nov. 10) showcase artists from around the globe. Or venture into DC’s unique neighborhoods for Penn Quarter Arts on Foot (Sept. 10-11) and Adams Morgan Day (Sept. 12). For even more neighborhood itineraries click here.

With more than 230,000 acres of parkland in the region, DC is a great place to enjoy the colors of fall. Visitors can experience the fall colors and change of season in many public spaces, including the National Mall, Rock Creek Park, the National Arboretum, Theodore Roosevelt Island and the C&O Canal National Historic Park. The beautiful grounds and gardens at Hillwood Estates & Museum, Mount Vernon and Tudor Place are well worth the time to discover.

As the leaves begin to turn maroon and gold in Washington, so too do its sports fans. The red and gold Washington Redskins kick off the season on Sept. 11 against the New York Giants at FedEx Field.

FedEx Field also hosts Notre Dame vs. University of Maryland (Nov. 12) and the AT&T Army-Navy Game (Dec. 10), while RFK stadium hosts the AT&T Nation’s Football Classic™ (Sept. 10) and the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman (Dec. 28).

Professional sports abound in DC, but we also offer events for those who love to run, bike and swim. The Nation’s Triathlon kicks off the season on Sept. 11, followed by the 27th Army Ten-Miler (Oct. 9) and the Marine Corps Marathon (Oct. 30).

If four-legged events are more your style, check out the Washington International Horse Show at the Verizon Center (Oct. 23-30).

For more information on DC’s sports and recreation scene, click here.

Fall is a great time for foodies with the Taste of DC (Oct. 8-10) and the Taste of Georgetown (Oct. 15), both offering fare from some of DC’s hottest restaurants and chefs.

And there’s always a new restaurant to try, even if you visit DC frequently. Most recently, the city has seen America Eats Tavern, a “pop up” restaurant from local favorite José Andrés, open, as well as Hill Country Barbeque, featuring Texas-style barbeque and live bank karaoke on Wednesday nights.

For more information on DC’s hottest dining spots, check out our dedicated website at DCeats.org.