It’s a Food Lovers’ Weekend in the DMV
Summer may be unofficially over, but this is one of the busiest weekends of the year, and Saturday is jam packed. It will be hard to pick just what to do. And looking over the schedule, it’s a food lovers’ weekend with Truckeroo, the Maryland State Seafood Festival, Curbside Cookoff, Snallygaster, the Virginia Wine Festival, Columbia Heights Day and Adams Morgan Day. And when you get full, there are non-food events too.
There will be rail work on all six Metro lines this weekend, beginning at 10 p.m. Friday. Red, Orange, Silver, Blue and Yellow line trains will operate every 24 minutes. Green Line trains will run on a regular weekend schedule between College Park and Branch Avenue stations. The Greenbelt Station will be closed, and buses will replace trains on Saturday and Sunday.
D.C. Shorts Film Festival
Now in its 11th year, the annual D.C. Shorts film festival assembles one of the largest collections of short films in the country, with 125 films from 24 nations. D.C. Shorts is making the films available for purchase online during the festival, but you should make an effort to get out of the house for one of the 90-minute screenings, each of which features seven to nine short films. There are also parties ($20) including one Friday night from 9-11 p.m. at Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW to celebrate the nine films from Germany with German snacks, beers and specialty cocktails while dancing to G-Pop or watching selected shorts in the theater and the City View Party on Saturday from 9-11 p.m. at The Roof at Carroll Square, 975 F St. NW, celebrating opening weekend under the stars on the roof deck at Carroll Square. Dance to a guest band, Ocho de Bastos
Now through Sept. 20 at various time at Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW, and the U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. An all-access pass for all the movies, parties and other events is $100.
Truckeroo
If you have a favorite food truck, you’ll probably find it at the last
Truckeroo of the season. The final monthly summer gathering, with music, games, beverages and more, will feature 27 trucks including from Bonmi with banh mi sandwiches and Vietnamese dishes, Surfside tacos and quesadillas, Tapas with Spanish small plates, Capital Chicken & Waffles, D.C. Slices pizza, Feelin’ Crabby crab sandwiches and salads, Big Cheese grilled cheese, BBQ Bus barbecue, The Cheesecake Truck, Red Hook Lobster Pound lobster and shrimp rolls, and Curbside Cupcakes. See the whole list.
Sept. 11 from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. at the Fairgrounds, 1201 Half St. SE outside National’s Park. Admission is FREE! Food prices vary from truck to truck.
Prince George’s County Fair
The Prince George’s County Fair, which bills itself as the oldest such event in Maryland, opens this weekend. Expect some typical fair fare — pig races, petting farms, live music and DJs, cattle shows, ponies and carnival rides — as well as some other oddities, such as chainsaw art and a beautiful baby contest.
Sept. 13 from 5-10 p.m., Sept. 12 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sept. 13 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Rosecroft Raceway, 6336 Rosecroft Dr., Fort Washington, Md. Admission is $6 for those 12 and over, $5 for those 6-11 and free for those 5 and younger.
Free For All
The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s annual Free For All event closes this weekend. The company is staging A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of the Bard’s most popular romantic comedies. You can enter the online ticket lottery or line up at Sidney Harman Hall two hours before the curtain rises.
Sept. 11 at 8 p.m., Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
Maryland Seafood Festival
Celebrating its 48th year, the Maryland Seafood Festival returns to Sandy Point State Park. The festival features cooking classes, crab races, a corn-on-the-cob-eating contest, live music and the 25th annual Capital Crab Soup Cook-Off from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday ($10 extra). There will be life-size football, cornhole and ziplining on the beach as well as the Department of Natural Resources Maryland Fishing Challenge Angler Awards finale beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday. There will also be food and drink vendors, chef demos, beer and oyster tasting, local wineries, a craft show and kids activities.
Sept. 12 from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sept. 13 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. at Sandy Point State Park, 1100 East College Parkway, Annapolis. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and free for kids 12 and younger. Parking is available at the Anne Arundel Community College Lots A and B for $5 per car. Limited parking is available at Sandy Point with pre-purchased $10 parking permits.
Women in Aviation and Space
Celebrate the accomplishments of Women in Aviation and Space this Saturday at the Air and Space Museum. Meet former NASA astronaut Mary Cleave, talk with museum staff about the conservation of spacesuits, learn about Ruth Law, one of the earliest and most colorful female aviators and enjoy hand-on activities, story times and other family-friendly programs.
Sept. 12 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the National Air and Space Museum, Sixth Street and Independence Avenue Sw. Admission is FREE!
Curbside Cookoff
It’s a big weekend for food trucks, as the Curbside Cookoff comes to NoMa Junction at Storey Park on Saturday. There’s a little more flair involved in this event, which features chef battles throughout the day, including one that incorporates fans. The DMV Food Truck Association members are vying for a number of All Star Awards including Chef of the Year, Best New Food Truck, Outstanding Customer Service, Food Truck Design of the Year, Breakthrough Dish and more. There will also be fashion trucks, local beer, and artisans market and a kids zone.
Sept. 12 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at NoMa Junction at Storey Park, 1005 Firt St. NE. Admission is $8 for ages 13 and older.
Virginia Wine Festival
The Virginia Wine Festival takes over Great Meadow in The Plains this weekend to celebrate its 40th anniversary. In addition to the 50 Virginia wineries, the festival will feature wine seminars and music each day. Entertainment includes Erin & The Wildfire, Dalton Dash and Pump House Blues. There will also be a family tent with Becki the Balloon Lady and Dabbledy Doo Face Painting for the kids. Artisans will be selling their wares and food will be available, along with commercial vendors.
Sept 12 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sept. 13 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Great Meadow at the Plains, 5089 Old Tavern Road, The Plains, Va. Tickets, which include all-day samplings and a commemorative glass, are $30 in advance and $35 at the gate.
Columbia Heights Day
The family-friendly Columbia Heights Day gives you a chance to explore the Northwest Washington neighborhood during daylight hours, as the block party stretches along 11th Street NW between Kenyon Street and Park Road. Expect a beer garden, food vendors, art exhibitions, live music, contests and more. Local artisans will be selling their wares. There will be a health and wellness area and an adult warrior obstacle course, as well as a moon bounce.
Sept. 12 from noon-6 p.m. on 11th Street NW between Kenyon Street and Park Road and at the soccer field at Harriet Tubman Elementary School. Admission is FREE!
17th Street Festival
The sixth annual 17th Street Festival is a community event that celebrates the 17th Street corridor from R to P Streets. Activities include an art show, entertainment by Pitches by Crazy, Afrika Abney, The Penthouse Basements Improv, Feel Free, Rachel Levitin, Sub-Radio Standard and others, local vendors, a pet zone and business specials. A kids zone with activities will be set up at Stead Park.
Sept. 12 from noon-6 p.m. along 17th Street NW between Riggs Road and P Street. Admission is FREE!
D.C. State Fair
The District doesn’t have a traditional state fair with carnival rides, livestock and weird food on sticks. But it does have the D.C. State Fair, which awards ribbons for the best pies, heaviest vegetables, top homebrews and, new this year, the best bud.
Sept. 12 from noon-8 p.m. at Old City Farm and Guild, 925 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Rosslyn Jazz Festival
New Orleans’ Dirty Dozen Brass Band headlines the 25th annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival, which features food truck and a wine and beer garden in addition to the music. Afrobeat-loving locals the Funk Ark get the party underway. Other bands include Sonny Knight & the Lakers and Debo Band.
Sept. 12 from 1-7 p.m. at Gateway Park, 1300 Lee Highway, Arlington. Admission is FREE!
Snallygaster
Snallygaster is the beer festival to top them all, with a list of craft brews and ciders topping 300 curated by Greg Engert of Neighborhood Restaurant Group, the people behind Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, Bluejacket and others. The list will be loaded with rarities and treats: beers you’ve been craving and some you’ve never heard of but must have immediately. On top of that, there’s music from Rare Essence, White Ford Bronco, Kokayi, Brothers Brau, and food from 15 restaurants and food trucks including GBD, Red Apron, Pork Barrel BBQ and Rappahannock Oyster Co., among others. The event serves as the biggest fundraiser for Arcadia, a nonprofit group that promotes sustainable agriculture.
Sept. 12 from 1-6 p.m. at The Yards, First and N Streets SE. Tickets are $35 in advance, which includes 30 food and drink tickets and a Snallygaster mug or $10 at the door on the day of with food and beverage tickets sold separately.
Adams Morgan Day
The Adams Morgan Day that you remember, one of the city’s largest festivals, was canceled earlier this year because of financial issues. But neighborhood businesses and entrepreneurs have resurrected the event as a low-key, volunteer-run, community-oriented celebration. There are no street closings, but businesses will open their doors to artists, activities and visitors. Entertainment will be on the Spotluck Stage at the SunTrust Plaza including The Funk Art, Near Northeast and Batala Washington. There also will be live food and drink specials. A children’s ten at the Marie Reed playground will have games and activities for the kids and there will be gams in Unity Park. Click here for a full list of events.
Sept. 13 from noon-6 p.m. along 18th Street and Columbia Road NW. Admission is FREE!
Washington Redskins Opening Day
Whether you’re watching the Washington Redskins take on the Miami Dolphins at FedEx Field, or posting up at a bar to catch as many games at once as you can, the first Sunday of the NFL season is a big event. The Redskins, who limped through the preseason and made a big switch at quarterback, will be facing a Dolphins team that added defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, one of the most ferocious players in the NFL.
Sept. 13 starting at 1 p.m. at FedEx Field, 1600 FedEx Way, Landover, Md. Tickets range from $76-$83.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.