National Book Festival attendees will have a chance Saturday to peruse hundreds of titles in the book sales area at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. (Photo by Shawn Miller for the Library of Congress)

The DC Lineup for Labor Day Weekend: National Book Festival, Anacostia Park’s centennial celebration and more

By Jennifer Anne Mitchell On Aug 31, 2018 Last updated Aug 31, 2018

Whether it’s watching local playwrights debut their work on stage or enjoying a good old-fashioned summer barbecue, there is something for everyone to enjoy this holiday weekend.

Note the weather report — heavy rain at times with scattered thunderstorms — along with some of the best things to do in DC over the next four days (Aug. 31 through Sept. 3):

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is one of the authors featured at this year’s National Book Festival. (Photo by Elena Seibert)

Literature: Meet authors from all genres — including Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, novelist E. Annie Proulx and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin — at the 2018 National Book Festival. Presented by the Library of Congress, the 18th annual festival will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Politics: Watch former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush speak at Saturday’s memorial service for the late Sen. John McCain. The service at the Washington National Cathedral is invitation-only, but a livestream will be available via McCain’s website. A procession from the U.S. Capitol to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m., with the public invited to line the motorcade route along Constitution Avenue to pay their respects. After a wreath-laying at the memorial, the procession will head to the Cathedral. Burial at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., will take place Sunday afternoon. Details on the memorials and services as well as tributes and biographical information are available on the website listed above.
Culture: Enjoy food, music, art and dance at the second annual Syria Fest on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Pennsylvania Avenue between 12th and 14th streets NW. Learn about how to contribute to Syrian refugee aid and bridge the Arab-Western cultural gap, too. Free tickets are available on the event’s website.
Local Music: Listen to free local music at the 2018 Labor Day Weekend Music Festival hosted by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for Latin Flavor Night on Saturday and GoGo Fusion Night on Sunday. No tickets are required, and admission is first-come, first-served.
National Music: For classical music, head to National Symphony Orchestra’s Labor Day Capitol Concert 2018. This annual event is free and kicks off Sunday at 8 p.m. on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Featured music includes “Hooray for Hollywood” and “America, the Beautiful.”
Theater: Support over 60 local theater groups at the Kennedy Center’s 17th annual Page-to-Stage festival. Free readings and open rehearsals of brand-new plays will be showcased at venues throughout the building on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Monday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Highlights will include a hip-hop variation on “The Prince and the Pauper” and a look at life after prison, with many of the shows focusing on migration, identity and discovery.
Anacostia Park is celebrating its 100th birthday this weekend, with family-friendly activities among the offerings. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

Neighborhoods: Celebrate Anacostia Park’s 100th birthday party presented by the National Park Service on Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Activities at the Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion — all of them free — will kick off Friday with a go-go concert (with the Chuck Brown Band as headliner) and continue on Saturday with yoga classes, boat tours, family activities and a disco skate party. The park is located at 1500 Anacostia Drive SE.
Sports: Cheer on the Nationals as the last month of the regular season kicks off. There are multiple games to choose from: the Milwaukee Brewers visit Nationals Park on Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday at 1:35 p.m. On Labor Day, see the home team play the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. Tickets start at $12 (with a limited number of $5 grandstand seats available at the Main Box Office starting two hours before the first pitch), with promotional giveaways on Friday, Sunday and Monday. Nationals Park is located at 1500 South Capitol St. SE.
The National Building Museum’s popular summer Fun House exhibit closes Monday. (Photo by Joy Asico/Asico Photo)

Museums: Labor Day weekend is the last chance to check out the National Building Museum’s Summer Block Party series, which includes the popular Fun House exhibit. Tickets for the Fun House range from $10 to $16. The museum at 401 F St. NW is open Friday, Saturday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Food: Mark the unofficial end of summer with another event in the National Building Museum’s Summer Block Party series, the Backyard Barbecue — a pop-up on the museum’s West Lawn organized by Hill Country Barbecue Market. Food and drinks are available for purchase on Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

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