Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
Things to do the week of Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2026
We've gathered up things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
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Monday
From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art
In its only U.S. stop, this exhibition comes to DC with 26 works from the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Some of the pieces, which showcase Islamic art from Spain to India, date back to the 7th century. The collection explores the evolution of artistic styles and reveals how art shaped cultural exchange, trade and diplomacy across centuries.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20004
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Much Here Is Beautiful: Photography Surveys of the U.S. Bicentennial
From the California coast to the Kansas heartland to the streets of New York City, the photographs in this exhibit (which takes its name from Robert Hayden’s poem “American Journal”) offer an expansive and evocative portrait of America in the 1970s and early 1980s. Explore selected images from photography surveys that document people and places in the United States from the 19th century to the years before and after the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Capital One Arena
Charli XCX
As far as we’re concerned, it’s always brat summer. Charli XCX is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, so move quickly to make sure you can see her show at Capital One Arena in late September. Her new album, Music, Fashion, Film has already generated tons of buzz, and you know Charli will pull out all the stops for a spectacular new show in support.
7:30 p.m. | Tickets
Capital One Arena, 601 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Tuesday
Library of Congress
Alive in Many Hands
The Library of Congress debuts a new exhibit that explores how the American Folklife Center has preserved and shared cultural traditions across generations. The Center's collections are the source for the in-depth display that includes more than 150 items; standout treasures include a performance by Go-Go legend Chuck Brown of "Bustin' Loose" at the 2002 American Folklife Center Homegrown concert, a Diné (Navajo) rug that blends traditional and contemporary imagery (pictured above) and a banjo signed by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and other folk music legends.
Hours & Admission (free; timed-entry required)
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Theatre Week
Theatre Week
Celebrate the theatre season in the Washington, DC region with a weeks-long promotion from TheatreWashington which includes $25, $45 and $65 tickets to highly anticipated productions at venues all over the DC area. There are musicals, dramas, comedies, theatre for young audiences and much more. In addition to discounted tickets, Theatre Week also includes special events (most of which are free) designed to entertain, educate and inspire, including the free Kickoff Fest.
Arena Stage
The Fruits of Our Labor
Legendary DC dance company Step Afrika! honors America’s 250th anniversary with a new show set to premiere at Arena Stage. The Fruits of Our Labor uses percussion, stepping, moving visual imagery and a bold red, white and blue color palette to explore the American experience.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Capital One Arena
Phoebe Bridgers
For the first time since early 2023, Phoebe Bridgers hits the road with a full band. The four-time GRAMMY Award winner has collaborated with artists such as Taylor Swift and SZA and in addition to her acclaimed solo work, has released two sensational LPs with the supergroup boygenius. Note that this is a phone-free show; visit Capital One Arena’s website for more details.
7:30 p.m. | Tickets
Capital One Arena, 601 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Wednesday
Art in Embassies
Passport to Patriotism
The Art Museum of the Americas hosts a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition thanks to Art in Embassies. Passport to Patriotism showcases the work of more than 30 American artists. The pieces reflect how the American story transcends boundaries and politics and how the country’s ideals and values have been formed. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Free Admission
Art Museum of the Americas, 201 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Capital Harvest on the Plaza
Located at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Capital Harvest on the Plaza is open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesdays from May through October. During your visit, you’ll find plenty of farm-fresh deliciousness and artisanal crafts, as well as recipes and tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Check out the full list of vendors to start planning your haul.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Wednesdays | Free Admission
Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California
The National Museum of Women in the Arts' new exhibit traces the flow and flourishing of quilts in the context of the Second Great Migration, a mass movement of approximately five million African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North and West between 1940 and 1970 in search of a more equitable life. Many of the hundreds of thousands of migrants who arrived in California carried quilts for warmth and protection, as containers for ancestral memory and as emblems of cultural survival. America itself has always been a quilt of many cultures; come celebrate the art form in the country’s 250th year.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Measure for Measure
Psalmayene 24, Helen Hayes Award winner, directs this rare staging of a Shakespeare comedy. The story of societal upheaval, which concerns a corrupt official and a young nun, will make the audience wonder whose voices are elevated and whose are silenced.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Thursday
Photo by Manuel Harlan, Shakespeare Theatre Company
The Score
Brian Cox, the iconic actor of stage and screen, visits Harman Hall in this production’s only American engagement. Acclaimed director Trevor Nunn is at the helm for this tale of Johann Sebastian Bach (Cox) and his visit to the court of the devious Frederick II, where he’s presented with a stirring challenge to his morality.
Tickets
Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Ford's Theatre
Come From Away
The Tony Award-winning masterpiece returns to Ford’s Theatre a decade after its debut at the historic venue. Come From Away concerns a small Canadian town that welcomed 6,579 airline passengers with open arms after their plane was stranded there on Sept. 11, 2001. The story of friendship and the bonds of community will warm your heart this fall.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Venus
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s new Artistic Director Reggie D. White is at the helm for this darkly comic play written by Steve Yockey. Nicole and Beth are opposites that attract until a midnight date under the stars pushes their romance to the brink, with a woman in a red raincoat emerging as their antagonist.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Broadway at The National
Dirty Dancing
National Theatre transforms into Kellerman’s for this limited engagement of the musical adaptation of one of the classic films of the 1980s. You’ll have the time of your life as you witness Baby refuse to be put in a corner as well as romance, unforgettable songs and of course, plenty of dancing.
Tickets
National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
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