Art Walk in the Park
Art Walk in the Park is a recurring monthly event hosted by the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, taking place every first Friday from May through August 2026. From 6pm to 8pm, the Park's visual arts studios and galleries open their doors for self-guided exploration, featuring artist demonstrations, hands-on art projects, and new exhibition openings. Each month offers a different lineup of activities and participating artists, with the July 3 edition serving as a particularly vibrant example that also includes live music and community dances. The event is free to attend with a suggested donation, and all ages are welcome.
When: The event occurs on the first Friday of May (May 1), June (June 5), July (July 3), and August (August 7), 2026, from 6pm to 8pm for the core open-studio hours. Additional performances and dance events extend the evening until 12:30am on July 3.
Showtimes: Open studios and demonstrations run from 6pm to 8pm on each date. On July 3, a performance by the Washington Conservatory Jazz Players takes place from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Cuddle Up Pavilion, a Contra Dance with lesson at 7:30pm and dancing from 8pm to 11pm in the Spanish Ballroom, and a Zouk Dance social from 6:30pm to 12:30am in the Ballroom Back Room.
Tickets: No ticket is required for the Art Walk itself; RSVP is preferred but not required. A suggested donation of $10 per person helps support free programs. The Contra Dance uses a pay-what-you-can sliding scale with a minimum of $5, a break-even amount of $15, and any amount above that supports the dance community. The Zouk Dance requires a purchased ticket (price not specified on the page), and tickets can be obtained via a link on the Glen Echo Park website.
Lineup / Exhibitions (July 3 edition): The Partnership Galleries feature three opening receptions: the Popcorn Gallery presents "Power of Place: Art and the Semi-Quincentennial," the Stone Tower Gallery hosts "Confluence and Connections" by Bettina Ammann, Meg Dickerson, and Barbara Stauffer, and the Park View Gallery displays "Common Thread" by Joy Nutt. A public art installation called "Magic Staircase" by Lauri Hafvenstein is also on view. Resident artist studios and galleries open for sales and demonstrations include the Art Glass Center, Glen Echo Pottery (with featured potter Kathryn Bird), Photoworks (exhibition "Seeing in B&W" with curator Richard Batch and participating photographers), the Sculpture Studio (stone carvings in progress), SilverWorks (Studios 1 & 2), Stone Tower Studio (exhibition "In Bloom: The Work of Evelyn Johns"), and the Yellow Barn Studio & Gallery (artist demonstration). Additionally, the Washington Conservatory Jazz Players, led by saxophonist Marty Nau, perform at 7pm, and two dances occur simultaneously: Contra Dance with caller Colette Mrozek and band Are We There Yet? (Susan Brandt, Tina Chancey, Charlie Pilzer, Tom Wright), and Zouk Dance with District Zouk.
Ages: All ages are welcome for the Art Walk and the Contra Dance; the Zouk Dance likely welcomes adults and teens.
Venue: Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD 20812. Events take place in the Park's various studios, galleries, the Spanish Ballroom, the Ballroom Back Room, and the Cuddle Up Pavilion.
Parking: Free parking is available in the main lot at 5801 Oxford Road. Search "Glen Echo Park Parking" in Google Maps for navigation.
Note: Each month's Art Walk features different activities and participating artists; maps are provided for each date (e.g., a June 3 map is available for download). For more information, contact info@glenechopark.org or call 301.634.2222. Sponsorships starting at $1,000 are also available for those interested in supporting the series.