Now in its ninth year, Art All Night will feature a variety of programs Saturday night in eight neighborhoods across the District. Past events have included fire jugglers in Dupont Circle. (Photo courtesy of DC government)

The DC Lineup for this weekend: Neighborhoods, nature and night owls

By Jennifer Anne Mitchell On Sep 13, 2019 Last updated Sep 23, 2019

Whether it’s planting an indigenous tree or heading to a neighborhood festival, DC is serving up plenty of ways to honor local heritage this weekend. A record fair, classical music concerts, Art All Night, a back-to-school festival and social issues are just some of the highlights from the wide range of community events that are taking place this weekend, Sept. 13 to 15.

This weekend also kicks off the nine-day WalkingTown DC event organized annually by CulturalTourism DC. For details, check our recent article on this year’s iteration, which includes over 50 free guided walking tours throughout the city. Registration is required; a donation of $10 for each tour is encouraged.

Clouds are in the weather forecast throughout the weekend, with temperatures ranging from 65 to 86 degrees.

Art All Night programs on Saturday will take place in a range of venues, including indoor, outdoor, public and private spaces. (Photo courtesy of DC government)

1. Art: Creativity takes over the District this weekend at Art All Night, an annual, free festival — now in its ninth year — that keeps the city up late with programs from 7 p.m. on Saturday until 3 a.m. on Sunday. Painting, photography, sculpture, crafts, fashion, music, dance, theater, film and poetry are featured in a range of venues, including indoor, outdoor, public and private spaces. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development are among the event’s supporters. Eight Main Street neighborhoods across the city are participating: Congress Heights, Deanwood Heights, Dupont Circle, H Street, Minnesota Avenue, North Capitol Street, Shaw and Tenleytown.

2. Music: Listen to free classical music during Sunday’s District Philharmonic Music Festival at the West End Neighborhood Library, 2301 L St. NW. There’s a family concert at 1:30 p.m., a lecture at 3 p.m. and a chamber music concert at 3:30 p.m. The District Philharmonic is a local group of professional musicians who aim to “demystify classical music,” according to the event description. … The National Symphony Orchestra offers more free musical programming as part of its NSO in Your Neighborhood community concert series. Continuing through Monday at various spots in Northeast and Southeast, the lineup includes a Marvin Gaye tribute and a salute to go-go. On Saturday, the NSO is hosting a Neighborhood Block Party and a full orchestra concert at the Kenilworth Recreation Center, 4321 Ord St. NE. The event commemorates the building’s renovation, which includes environmentally conscious design. Local vendors, snacks, the DC Public Library’s Go-Go Tech Truck and an “instrument petting zoo” are part of the party, which runs from noon to 2 p.m. in the parking lot. DC violinist and vocalist Chelsey Green and The Green Project are featured in the concert, which starts at 2 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Seating is first come, first served.

3. Nature: The pawpaw tree “produces the largest edible fruit that is native to North America,” according to the National Park Service. This Saturday, Casey Trees and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) host the first-ever Washington DC Pawpaw Party to honor this indigenous plant. The event includes opportunities to learn more about pawpaw trees and to sample the pawpaw fruit, which is now in season. Attendees can also plant pawpaw trees, listen to live music, take a tree tour with an arborist, and participate in a trash cleanup or family games. Those who feel especially inspired can sign up for DPR’s Green Hands Program, which provides information about urban agriculture and urban forestry. The party is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oxon Run Park, 1200 Mississippi Ave. SE. It is free to attend, with registration open online.

Celebrate Petworth will showcase neighborhood restaurants, artisans, businesses and more. (Photo courtesy of Celebrate Petworth)

4. Ward 4 Neighborhoods: Celebrate Petworth showcases the neighborhood’s businesses, restaurants, artisans and more. The free festival takes place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 800 block of Upshur Street NW and includes a dog show, Taste of Petworth, and history talks and storytelling by local residents and historian C.R. Gibbs, who will discuss change along Georgia Avenue NW. The American Pops Orchestra, local jazz group the Keith Butler Trio, DJ Unown (featuring Flex Matthews), and Two’s (featuring Joe Herrera and Tetsuya Ueda) are on the schedule for the main stage. The annual festival is organized by residents of Petworth. This year, they also partnered with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation to produce a pre-festival co-ed youth basketball clinic “Stop the Violence” from 9 to 11 a.m. on the Petworth Recreation Center’s basketball court, 801 Taylor St. NW. The clinic is geared toward ages 8 to 14, and the first 100 young people to arrive at the clinic will receive free T-shirts.

5. Social Issues: Everyone Home DC is a nonprofit that grew from a grassroots collective of Capitol Hill churches that addressed community challenges in the 1960s, such as youth social development and the struggle for racial and economic justice. Now in its fourth year, the group’s annual fundraising event Sip and Savor takes place on Saturday from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Eastern Market’s North Hall, 225 7th St. SE. Along with food and drinks from more than 20 local establishments, the night will include live music from Sciatic Verve; yard games like bean bag toss, jenga and oversized checkers; a silent auction; and a photo booth. Tickets have sold out all three years, and this year looks to be no different. Although nonalcoholic tickets are all taken, there are general admission tickets available for $85. All proceeds go toward Everyone Home DC’s homelessness prevention and support services for DC residents.

Blagden Alley will host a curated pop-up marketplace on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Streetsense)

6. Ward 2 Neighborhoods: Celebrate Logan is a tour of restaurants and retailers along 14th Street NW that benefits N Street Village, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering homeless and low-income women throughout the District. Participating establishments include DC classics like Miss Pixie’s and Le Diplomate along with new additions such as Chicken + Whiskey and Sephora. The celebration takes place from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets cost $37 for general admission and $60 for VIP tasting. … Enjoy a curated pop-up marketplace of local vendors in the historic Blagden Alley at Street Market, presented by the creative place-making and branding company Streetsense. Loyalty Books, Dolcezza, artist Marcella Kriebel and GoodWood are just some of the participating vendors from the Washington area. The market runs Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to attend. Blagden Alley is located with the block bounded by 9th, 10th, M and N streets NW.

7. Ward 5 Neighborhoods: More than 25 organizations and local businesses will be on site at Ward 5 Day on Saturday. The celebration includes food, a performance by Capoeira martial arts studio, music from DJ Analyze and a special guest band along with games like a spades tournament and a bounce house. Guests are encouraged to bring donations for Ward 5 teachers, such as school supplies, board games and cleaning supplies. The free event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the baseball field at Langdon Park along Mills Avenue between Girard and Hamlin places NE. The event is presented by Ward 5 DC Council member Kenyan McDuffie.

8. Education: DC Public Schools hosts a Back to School Block Party on Saturday for students, families, staff and neighbors. Organized by the school system’s Office of Family and Public Engagement, the celebration will include free food, music, student performances and activities like a moon bounce, mini-golf course and parkour course. Local organizations and government agencies will have information available on topics like health and wellness, food access, and college and career readiness. The free event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Roosevelt High School, 4301 13th St. NW.

9. Music: DC Beer Week winds down after a busy slate of a dozen or so events on Friday and Saturday, but don’t miss the concluding event: the third annual DC Beer Week Record Fair on Sunday. Participating District music vendors include Songbyrd Music House & Record Cafe, Joe’s Record Paradise and Joint Custody. Attendees can enjoy food from Smoke and Ember, Eat 170 and Bri’s Brookland Creamery as well as live music by the group Evan and Ross and Stuart; there will also be a chance to tie-dye your own Right Proper Brewing Co. T-shirt. The event takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Right Proper Brookland Production House, 920 Girard St. NE. It is free to attend.

10. Ward 7 Neighborhoods: The Ward 7 Day Community Festival on Saturday celebrates local arts and culture with special guests such as East of the River Steel Band, the Northeast Performing Arts Group, the Side By Side Band, and Chelly the MC. Presented by Ward 7 DC Council member Vincent Gray, the event runs from noon to 5 p.m. at the IDEA Public Charter School, 1027 45th St. NE. Backpacks, school supplies and uniforms will be given away while supplies last.

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