ART WALK IN THE PARK
The Art Walk in the Park returns on Friday, July 3, 2026, from 6pm to 8pm at Glen Echo Park, offering open studios, artist demonstrations, and gallery receptions across the park’s visual arts studios and galleries. This monthly First Friday event, hosted by the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, features a rotating lineup of activities each month; July’s edition includes special opening receptions in three partnership galleries, a public art installation, and resident artist studios open for browsing and conversation. Throughout the evening, visitors can explore working spaces, meet artists, and engage with hands-on projects, all free of charge. Additional performances and dances run concurrently, making for a lively arts-filled evening.
When: Friday, July 3, 2026, from 6pm to 8pm for the Art Walk open studios and gallery receptions; additional performances and dances continue later (see below).
Showtimes: The Art Walk itself runs 6pm–8pm. A performance by the Washington Conservatory Jazz Players takes place from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Cuddle Up Pavilion. Contra dance with Friday Night Dancers runs from 7:30pm lesson to 11pm dancing in the Spanish Ballroom. Zouk dance with District Zouk starts with a class at 6:30pm and social dancing until 12:30am in the Ballroom Back Room.
Lineup / Open Studios & Galleries: Partnership Galleries include Popcorn Gallery with an opening reception for “Power of Place: Art and the Semi-Quincentennial”; Stone Tower Gallery with an opening reception for “Confluence and Connections” featuring Bettina Ammann, Meg Dickerson, and Barbara Stauffer; and Park View Gallery with an opening reception for “Common Thread” by Joy Nutt. A public art installation, “Magic Staircase” by Lauri Hafvenstein, is also on view. Resident Artist Studios & Galleries open include Art Glass Center (art sales and open studio), Glen Echo Pottery (open gallery with featured potter Kathryn Bird), Photoworks (exhibition “Seeing in B&W” with curator Richard Batch and participating photographers available for questions), Sculpture Studio (open studio, stone carvings in progress), SilverWorks (TBA), Stone Tower Studio (exhibition “In Bloom: The Work of Evelyn Johns”), and Yellow Barn Studio & Gallery (TBA).
Also Happening: Free jazz performance by the Washington Conservatory Jazz Players led by saxophonist Marty Nau, 7pm–8:30pm at the Cuddle Up Pavilion. Contra dance from 7:30pm (lesson) to 11pm in the Spanish Ballroom, featuring caller Colette Mrozek and band Are We There Yet? (Susan Brandt, flute; Tina Chancey, violin; Charlie Pilzer, piano; Tom Wright, mandolin). Zouk dance with District Zouk from 6:30pm to 12:30am in the Ballroom Back Room, including an open-level beginner-friendly class, social dancing, and a lambada practica before the class.
Tickets / Admission: Art Walk open studios, gallery receptions, and the jazz performance are free. Contra dance uses a pay-what-you-can sliding scale (minimum $5, break-even $15, higher amounts support the dance). Zouk dance admission is $ (price not further specified). RSVP is preferred but not required for the Art Walk.
Ages: Contra dance is all ages, all genders, all body types, and no experience needed. Other Art Walk activities are family-friendly; no specific age restrictions mentioned.
Parking: Free parking in the main lot at 5801 Oxford Road. Search “Glen Echo Park Parking” in Google Maps. Park map available online.
Venue: Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD 20812. Phone: (301)634-2222; closings: (301)320-2330; email: info@glenechopark.org.
Note: A suggested donation of $10 supports free festivals and park maintenance. Sponsorships for Art Walk are available starting at $1,000; contact development@glenechopark.org. The park is supported by the Maryland State Arts Council, Montgomery County government, and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.