Interactive Events in DC

SustainbleNOW

SustainbleNOW is a fun upcycling workshop, clothing swap, and thrift market focused on creativity, sustainability, and community.

Printmaking with the Hornbake Library Letterpress Studio

Explore the Hornbake Library Letterpress Studio and print a broadside on a nineteenth-century hand press.

Xerox Transfer Magnet Workshop

ACW Member/Torpedo Factory Artist Samantha Lee Shelton leads a 1.5-hour workshop where students create and take home four 2-by-2-inch mixed-media magnets.

WAA – Grand café de la rentrée

WAA’s back-to-school café is a free networking breakfast with coffee and croissants, open to members and non-members by required registration.

Hyattsville Figure Drawing Group Meetup

The Hyattsville Figure Drawing Group meets weekly on Tuesdays from 6:00–9:00 PM with a nude model and long poses for ages 18 and older.

NextNOW Fest

NextNOW Fest is a multi-day arts festival featuring live music, comedy, art, performances and other experiences by artists from around the country and the University of Maryland campus.

Drop-In Paper-Making Workshop

Join the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center for a drop-in papermaking workshop coinciding with the opening of the Bearing Witness exhibition by artist Marta Pérez García.

Exhibition Preview & Reception: LANDLINE

LANDLINE is a multimedia group exhibition featuring contemporary Muslim artists whose diasporic identities are shaped by memory, language, spirituality, and connections to the natural world.

LiteraryDJ: Remix the Page

Andrew W. Smith presents LiteraryDJ, an interactive creative research platform inspired by remix culture and DJing.

Environmental Collaging

Learn about environmental justice, explore how it relates to your ideal future, and create artwork representing your vision while enjoying relaxing music, warm tea, and light snacks in the CEDAR Gallery.

Takoma Park Old-Time Jam

An open old-time music jam for players of all skill levels and instruments. A slow jam begins the evening before the group moves into faster tunes.

Late Night Khaos Karaoke

DC9 presents Late Night Khaos Karaoke every Wednesday at 10:30 PM, turning on the karaoke machine and embracing chaos. Admission is for guests 21 and over.

Archival Media Research Bootcamp at the World's Best Facilities

Join this two-day in-person course exploring the motion picture and still image collections of the National Archives and the Library of Congress.

Make+Take: Trace Monotypes

Learn how to create prints using a low-tech trace monotype method that combines qualities of printmaking and drawing.

The Beltway Brawl VII

The Beltway Brawl VII is a 21+ boxing fundraiser presented by Haymakers for Hope to help KO cancer. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the show begins at 7:30 PM. Showtimes: Sep 16 at 6:30 PM & 7:30 PM.

Through the Griffin TOUR: Hosted by the Super Carlin Brothers

The Super Carlin Brothers host an interactive tour experience.

Make+Take: Simple Drum-Leaf Binding

Learn a fun new way to create handmade books using the glued structure of drum-leaf binding. Showtimes: Sep 10 at 7:00 PM · Sep 17 at 7:00 PM.

Make+Take: Flocked Patterns

Learn the mesmerizing process of flocking to create textured, velvety surfaces in screenprinted prints.

Honest to Goodness: A Teshuvah Workshop

Explore teshuva (return) as a framework for meaningful, lasting change through reflection, visioning, and concrete intention-setting.

Opening Reception: Landscapes in Black and White & Intersections

Join fellow art lovers for an opening reception celebrating the Landscapes in Black & White and Lusmerlin & Kelvin He Hao Low in Intersections exhibitions.

Garden Tots | Let's Move!

Let's move in the gardens! Children ages two to five and an accompanying adult will wiggle, squiggle, and spin through Hillwood's gardens, then make a toy paper ball to play with at home.

Sejong Culture Academy 2026

A global Korean cultural education program featuring six public workshops on traditional games, hanbok, and K-Beauty.

The Jury Experience – Death by AI: Will Washington DC Deliver Justice?

Showtimes: Sep 18 at 6:00 PM & 8:30 PM.

Hometown Treasures: Capital Region

Hometown Treasures: Capital Region brings the National Museum of African American History and Culture into the community for a free day of family history, cultural discovery, and hands-on preservation experiences.

Chevy Chase Day

Chevy Chase Day is a free, family-friendly community celebration featuring kids’ activities, entertainment, art, treats, community groups, and opportunities to connect with neighbors and local leaders.

Garden Party de la Rentrée at the Embassy of France

The Garden Party de la Rentrée is a rain-or-shine evening in the French Embassy’s gardens featuring French food and drinks, an open bar, live socializing, and a raffle.

Ford’s For Me

Ford’s For Me is a free sensory-friendly museum program designed to create a welcoming environment for families and individuals with sensory sensitivities, including those with autism.

Yoga in the Sculpture Garden

Join instructor Jeneen Piccuirro for a one-hour, all-levels yoga practice in the serene outdoor Sculpture Garden. Registration is $25, or $40 including museum admission.

Reston Multicultural Festival

The festival celebrates Reston’s global communities through traditions, heritage, stories, music, visual arts and performances.

Parks Ale Trail

The Parks Ale Trail takes place on Saturday, September 19, from 11 am to 3 pm, featuring live music, local craft beer, delicious food, and a bit of hiking adventure.

A Day of Belonging

Mission Belonging’s 4th Annual A Day of Belonging is a community gathering themed “Joy,” featuring expressive arts workshops, performances, and readings for Veterans, Active Duty Military, their spouses and caregivers, and community members.

Tea Culture Festival

The Tea Culture Festival features a tea education lecture, Song Dynasty-style matcha preparation experience, signature tea bar, gongfu tea brewing and tasting, and traditional Chinese calligraphy.

Freedmen’s Bureau Project Transcribe-a-Thon

Join NMAAHC's Freedmen's Bureau Project in celebrating 10 years of expanding access to Freedmen's Bureau records.

The Painterly Gel Print

A 2-day workshop for beginners and experienced gel printers that explores drawing and painting on the plate to create low-tech prints with specific results.

Capital One Center’s Celebration of the Arts

Death Cafe

Death Cafe is an opportunity to enjoy coffee, tea, and desserts while discussing death and dying in an open, facilitated conversation.

Community Sing

Join Choral Arts for a festive Oktoberfest Community Sing featuring German favorites, selections from the Beer Choir Hymnal, and choral works by Brahms and Choral Arts.

Eek! It's Art Time: Halloween Spackle Art

Start the spooky season with a beginner-friendly art workshop at Kentlands Mansion.

The Critical Musician: on thinking and writing like a music critic

A workshop led by violinist, journalist, and music critic Jennifer Gersten on thinking and writing like a music critic.

Storytime Station: "L" is for Librarian

Get ready for storytime fun with reading, singing, and dancing, and every child receives a special activity to take home.

Sillygander

Sillygander is a free, interactive improv experience for teens and adults ages 16+, featuring a beginner-friendly introductory workshop followed by a live improv comedy jam.

Hand-build A Clay Berry Basket

Adults and teens will have an artistic evening working with clay to build a berry basket using a rolling pin and a template. No experience is needed.

Make+Take: Simple Paper Casting

Learn basic techniques for casting paper pulp to create lightweight relief sculptures, experimenting with both sheet casting and pouring methods using everyday objects as molds.

Big Moments, Little Stories

Join us for storytime inspired by the exhibition We Make History, featuring storytelling and a hands-on art activity for young learners, families, and caregivers.

Garden Tots | Busy Birds

Garden Tots: Busy Birds invites children ages two to five and an accompanying adult to learn how Hillwood's gardens make birds happy, then create a bird kite to take home.

« Mieux Ensemble » – Café de la rentrée 2026/2027

Start your morning at the Café at the Embassy of France with women from the French-American business community for a networking breakfast featuring coffee, a croissant or another French pastry, and meaningful conversations.

The Meaning of Home: A Treasures Zine Project

Drop in for a hands-on zine-making experience for ages 8 and up, exploring what home and belonging mean through photographs, drawings, words, collage, and other creative materials.

September 2026 Exhibition Opening Reception

The Arts Club of Washington hosts an opening reception for an exhibition featuring works by Lucretia Dewey Tanner and Meme Austin.

Women Artists of the DMV: The Thank You Show [Reception & Artist Conversation]

This reception and artist conversation celebrates the exhibition 'Women Artists of the DMV: The Thank You Show' at BlackRock Center for the Arts on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Coffee & Creativity: A Faux Stained Glass Experience

Join Craft Cart at Coffee Republic Bethesda for a relaxing faux stained glass experience featuring a pre-etched acrylic design and more.

Out of Chaos

This contemporary art exhibition, curated by Luis Del Valle, features artists whose careers began in graffiti and street art.

NMAAHC Kids Museum Birthday Party!

NMAAHC's 10th birthday party is a drop-in celebration for families with children ages 3-8, featuring activity stations on the fourth floor.

50 Forward Celebration

Celebrate The Washington Ballet’s 50th Anniversary with cocktails, music by DC Go-Go band Black Alley, interactive galleries, and an exclusive speakeasy after-party.

Intermediate Papermaking: Eastern Style

Intermediate Papermaking: Eastern Style is a classes and learning event at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center.

Introduction to Letterpress on the Vandercook

Learn the basics of letterpress printing using an original Vandercook proof press while creating a small edition of prints.

The Purple Ball: Echoes of the Pearl

The Purple Ball: Echoes of the Pearl is an evening honoring the 77 freedom seekers who boarded the schooner Pearl from the waterfront in 1848.

Freedom Forum 1A Fest at The Wharf

Freedom Forum’s free, family-friendly 1A Fest celebrates everyday freedoms and the First Amendment at The Wharf’s District Pier.

Crafternoon: Decorating the Sukkah with Hill Havurah

Join Hill Havurah for an afternoon craft workshop decorating the museum’s sukkah with paper fruits, garlands, and chains, along with hands-on holiday learning using the Judaica Education Collection.

Shuck, Taste, & Discover: The Legacy of Black Watermen

Join Gardner Douglas, founder of S.S. Shucking, for an interactive oyster shucking and tasting workshop exploring the historic maritime legacy of African American watermen.

Welcome Home: 10th Anniversary Community Weekend

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Museum of African American History and Culture with a weekend of music, dance, art, family activities, food, and community.

Violet Vibes: A Community Celebration

Wear your favorite shade of purple and join Violet Vibes, a family affair at The Wharf honoring a decade of the museum's guiding vision: A People's Journey, A Nation's Story.

AMERICAN APPARITIONS

AMERICAN APPARITIONS is a season-long immersive Psychogeographies experience running from May through September 2026.

Artist's Reception - Mijin Chun Presents: "Poetic Circus"

Join an artist’s reception for Mijin Chun, meet the artist, and view “Poetic Circus.”

CJM After Sunset: Party in the Sukkah

Celebrate the high holidays with an afterhours party in CJM’s sukkah, featuring etrog fizzes for sale, DIY vision boarding, a service project assembling fall care packages, and spotlight talks around the Museum.

FOODISH Story Circle

Join CJM and FOODISH in the sukkah to share family recipes, culinary memories, and personal stories connected to Jewish holidays and traditions.

October 2026 Exhibition Opening Reception

Opening reception for the October 2026 exhibition featuring Sheila Flanders and Samantha Lee Shelton.

Pyramid + Community Forklift: Horkus Forkus First Friday

Celebrate the Halloween season at Community Forklift’s Horkus Forkus First Friday, presented by Pyramid Atlantic Art Center and Community Forklift.

SHAPE In Motion: Art Benefit

SHAPE In Motion: Art Benefit is a cultural showcase celebrating African art, contemporary streetwear fashion, and global skate culture.

Indigo & Shibori 101 Workshop

Learn to make and dye with indigo, including the basics of shibori Japanese tie-dye techniques. Each participant receives a bandana to dye, with all other materials provided.

BlackLight Intensive: Beyond the Wilds

The BlackLight Intensive: Beyond the Wilds is a one-day intensive featuring movement workshops, embodied dialogue, and collisions between artistic practices.

Oktoberfest at The Wharf

Oktoberfest at The Wharf features Sam Adams Octoberfest beer, the 14th Annual Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash benefiting Rural Dog Rescue, a best-dressed contest, and a stein-hoisting championship.

Crab Feast 12

Join the DC Preservation League and Capital Pride Alliance for their annual outdoor Crab Feast at the historic Washington Canoe Club.

26/27 Season Kick-Off Celebration

IN Series’ 2026–2027 Season Kick-Off Celebration, “Land Ho!”, invites artists, friends, patrons, and supporters to the Capital Yacht Club for an evening of laughter, food, drinks, and live music.

2026 FSGW Getaway

A weekend folk-music retreat brings singers, players, and listeners together for workshops, sing-arounds, concerts, conversations, and shared meals.

Dark & Stormy: Live Improvised Murder Mystery at Capital One Hall

Dark & Stormy is an interactive live murder mystery experience featuring a brand-new crime invented and solved in real time, with audience participation and local comedy opening acts.

Garden Tots | Patterns

Garden Tots | Patterns invites children ages two to five and an accompanying adult to hunt for colors, shapes, and patterns in Hillwood’s gardens, then decorate a patterned garden lantern.

October Song Circle

An informal group singing gathering featuring songs that may be humorous, serious, topical, or timeless. Participants may sing in person or join through Zoom, and any attendee may lead a song.

Basic Relief Printmaking

This four-session series introduces the fundamentals of relief printmaking, including designing, carving, inking, and printing an edition of original hand-pulled prints.

Civil War Washington Forts: An Interpretive Hike of Civil War Defenses of Washington

This outdoor, 2-mile interpretive hike explores Washington’s Civil War defenses, traveling from Fort DeRussy to Fort Stevens over paved and unpaved paths.

FSGW Picnic 2026

FSGW’s annual community picnic features a potluck, membership meeting, barn dancing, open singing, and an afternoon jam. Activities take place under cover and are open to all ages.

Gospel Sing

A free, fun-spirited Barn Dance at Glen Echo Park featuring live music by Gina Faber and Liz Donaldson and calling by Penelope Weinberger.

Rhizome Writers’ Retreat

The Rhizome Writers’ Retreat is a two-day gathering for writers seeking time, space, and fewer distractions to focus on their projects.

Elmo's Got the Moves

Sesame Street's Elmo and friends star in an interactive stage show filled with dancing, singing, and educational fun for preschoolers.

Painting Workshop w/ Pattee Hipschen, Session 1

This six-week painting workshop with Pattee Hipschen accommodates beginner to intermediate artists and focuses on composition, color, and technique using all mediums, including oil and acrylic.

Can I Get a Yes And" Improv Jam

An improv jam hosted by MC Slimm Slappy, open to improvisers seeking stage time and a chance to play short-form and mid-form games with other performers.

ICONS AND FLOW: Exhibition PRIDE Celebration Rooftop at The LINE

ICONS AND FLOW: Exhibition PRIDE Celebration Rooftop at The LINE takes place on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

Icons & Flow: PRIDE Celebration

Transformer presents Baltimore-based artist Rachel A Sale’s interconnected photographic series Icons and Flow at The LINE DC, exploring identity, perception, beauty, gender, and resilience.

Handle With Care

Handle With Care is an immersive, participatory theatre experience by Ontroerend Goed, presented as a show in a box with no actors or technicians.

WATERCOLOR (FOR ALL LEVELS), WITH INSTRUCTOR VIAN BORCHERT

This six-week watercolor painting course for all levels, led by Vian Borchert, explores traditional and experimental watercolor techniques with an emphasis on color theory and composition.

Ball Mitzvah Party Kickoff

Join the co-ed Ball Mitzvah kickball team to play kickball, show off your skills, and make new friends.

Studio Saturday with Aliana Grace Bailey

Experience the first Art-Play-Practice installation, inspired by Sam Gilliam’s Broad Cape, with interdisciplinary fiber artist Aliana Grace Bailey.

Guided Bird Walks

Join a birding expert from the DC Bird Alliance for a guided walk through Hillwood’s gardens, learning about local bird species, wildlife, and the Hillwood ecosystem.

What Remains/The Vietnam War and its Reckoning

What Remains/The Vietnam War and its Reckoning features work by intercultural artists who served during the Vietnam War, exploring moral injury, coloniality of space, and resilience through sculpture, painting, and repurposed materials.

Gumby and the Ghosts

A collaborative exhibition by Tony Coleman and Andrew Jeffrey Wright, opening with a reception that includes live music by Luis Fernandez de Cordoba and a chance to meet the artists.

Instrument Petting Zoos with BreezeWood Strings

Bring your child to an Instrument Petting Zoo session for a hands-on musical instrument adventure, presented by Capital Youth Outreach Club BreezeWood Strings.

Lincoln’s Life, Death and Legacy Tours

Lincoln’s Life, Death and Legacy Tours is an exclusive full-day experience exploring Abraham Lincoln’s life, presidency, death, and legacy through visits to President Lincoln’s Cottage, Ford’s Theatre, and the Lincoln Memorial.

Jewish Welcome Workshop

This 38-week course is designed for people interested in learning more about Judaism and/or converting.