Summer gets off to a star-spangled start with Memorial Day festivities, including wreath-layings, a parade and a free concert by the National Symphony Orchestra on the grounds of the Capitol.
There's no place to spend the Fourth of July like the nation's capital. DC celebrates the holiday with a parade, special events at the National Archives, Mount Vernon and other attractions, plus a breathtaking display of fireworks on the National Mall. Catch a patriotic concert by day at the National Cathedral or by night on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol (starring Huey Lewis & the News, Taylor Hicks and hosted by Jimmy Smits). You'll find a full list of Independence Day events here.
Theatre and performing arts lovers who visit DC during the summer can catch a free performance of one of the Bard’s classics in Rock Creek Park during the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Free for All. Open air performances of "Hamlet" are offered nightly, May 22-June 1 (except May 26). Running July 10-27, the Capital Fringe Festival spotlights edgy, alternative performance art at venues throughout downtown DC. More alternative performances take the stage during the annual Hip Hop Theater Fest, July 7-12. Summer also means evenings at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, an outdoor amphitheater in nearby Northern Virginia.
End your day on a patriotic note with a free military band concert. There’s at least one military band playing each weeknight at venues like the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Navy Memorial, the U.S. Air Force Memorial and the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. For an all-American treat, look for a military evening parade or the traditional Twilight Tattoo, a U.S. Army Band tradition, presented Wednesday evenings in May and June. Free evening concerts are also performed at the National Zoo, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden and other venues. Warm summer evenings are also perfect for moonlit monument tours, riverside happy hours, baseball games – even free movie screenings on the National Mall on Mondays (July 14-August 11).
Summer also means festival season, and you’ll find there’s something on tap nearly every week. Look for spectacular events like the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which turns the National Mall into a global showcase. This year's festival runs June 25-29 and July 2-6, celebrating the cultures of Bhutan, Texas in the Deep South and NASA, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Summer also brings fantastic cultural celebrations like the DC Caribbean Carnival, June 28-29, and DC Restaurant Week. Make it a long weekend and take advantage of great hotel rates with Destination DC's special "Staying Power" packages.
VISIT A MEMORIAL
Washington, DC's fantastic temples, structures and statues that grace the green expanses of the National Mall tell fascinating stories through their history and design. Read more...
SAVOR LOCAL FLAVOR
There's no better way to savor local flavor than browsing the area's open-air markets. Local markets offer fantastic fresh food, entertainment and atmosphere. Read more...
EXPLORE MUSEUMS
Fun and excitement coexist with the fancy and refined in Washington, DC; a morning browsing high-brow art at the elegant Phillips Collection or the hip design district on Seventh Street might be followed by an afternoon of casual fun exploring the International Spy Museum. Read more...
DISCOVER NEIGHBORHOODS
Savvy travelers know heading to the neighborhoods is the best way to get to know a city. From hip to historic, DC's neighborhoods are defined as much by distinct personalities as specific blocks or grids. Each is walkable, and easily accessible via Metro or DC's fun, new Circulator bus. Read more...
CATCH A PERFORMANCE
Think Washington's strictly a type-A town? Try us when the sun goes down. The city comes alive with exciting theatre-from the classics to the edgiest of the new. Discover one of the busiest theatre towns in the U.S.-with more than 10,000 theatre seats, there's one with your name on it. Read more...
CELEBRATE FESTIVALS
This city was built for people to congregate and celebrate. And DC’s summer line-up is packed with festivals with international flavor, beautiful music and powerful performances for all to enjoy.
STROLL PARKS AND GARDENS
When city designer Pierre Charles L'Enfant laid out his plans for the nation's capital, he envisioned a majestic Federal city situated among shady trees and ample green spaces. The cheery daffodils, tulips, roses and delicate cherry blossoms that frame the city's attractions provide a delightfully green environment for the city, as magnificent federal buildings dissolve into calming urban oases. Catch your breath in one of these wonderful parks and gardens, or in one of the many squares and circles throughout the city. Read more...
FOLLOW THE RIVER
The Potomac River is a centerpiece for the majesty of Washington, DC. Once an artery for trade it has since become a place of recreation and relaxation for visitors and locals alike. Whether you explore it on a kayak or tour boat a Washington, DC experience is not complete unless you follow the river. Read more...
