Washington, D.C. festivals · Festivals in Washington, D.C.

Festivals in Washington, D.C.

With all the government money around, D.C. is awash in free public events all throughout the year, but especially in the summer, many of them right on the Mall. A few highlights include:

A Capitol Fourth, . 4 July. There is nowhere better to celebrate Independence Day than in the nation's capital. Fireworks over the Potomac River, the National Independence Day Parade , and a huge orchestral concert on Capitol Hill all make for a big time celebration. Expect enormous crowds. �

Monday Night at the National, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, ☎ +1 202 783-3372, . M 6PM,7:30PM, fall. You can see just about any type of big musical, dramatic, or dance performance right at the National Theatre in the East End for free in the fall! Tickets are required, and they start handing them out 30 minutes before the performance, so you'll have to stand in line. �

National Cherry Blossom Festival, . Late March–early April. Note that Washington's cherry blossoms do not necessarily bloom during the festival—the bloom varies every year, depending on the winter weather. When the blossoms are out (and they don't stay out for long—a good rain will wash them away), Washington is at its prettiest. The traditional cherry blossom promenade is around the Tidal Basin, although it is absurdly crowded down there. You will pay top dollar to stay at hotels during cherry blossom season. �

National Kite Festival, (at the Washington Monument), . March 2010. The main attraction is of course all the people showing up to fly their kites by the Washington Monument, but there are also a bunch of tent exhibits on topics from things like West Indian kitemaking to U.S. wind power projects. There are several kite flying competitions throughout the day, the most popular being the Rokkaku Kite Battle. �

Screen on the Green, (On the green between 4th & 7th St NW). M 7PM, July–August. Classic films, often with a political angle, are shown for free on the Mall. Watching 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' with the capital dome in the background is classic D.C. It's good to show up a little early to stake out a good spot, lay down the picnic blanket, and socialize. �

Shakespeare Free for All, 610 F St NW (Harman Hall), ☎ +1 202 547-1122, . 18 Aug–4 Sep. The locals' choice for best summer festival might be the free annual performances by the renowned Shakespeare Theatre Company in the new Harman Center for the Arts. No longer held at Carter Barron Theatre, the shows now are ticketed using an online lottery in addition to the same-day tickets available at the door (via queue) in the morning. �

Smithsonian Folklife Festival, . Late June–around 4 July. This annual festival normally has three topics: a country, a region of the U.S., and another subject, which varies from year to year. Previous festivals have featured the country of Oman, the ancient Silk Road, and music in Latino culture. �

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Washington, D.C. Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

Festivals in Washington, D.C.