Take in a Festival This Fall Weekend
It is the first weekend of October and the weather will finally seem like fall with temperatures in the low- to mid-70s both days. There are many festivals going on around the DMV this weekend, including the Georgetown Fall Market, the Ft. Belvoir and Vienna Oktoberfests, Del Rey’s Art on the Avenue, the Prince George’s Fall Fest, the Takoma Park Street Festival and the Adams Morgan Porch Fest. On Sunday, the Washington Nationals begin their home playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 7:45 p.m. Metro will stay open until 30 minutes after the game.
The Wiehle-Reston East station will be closed this weekend for Silver Line phase 2 tie-in. Free buses will replace trains between Spring Hll and Wiehle-Reston East. Trains will operate on a regular weekend schedule between Spring Hill and New Carollton. Red Line trains single track between Van Ness/UDC and Dupont Circle with trains running every 16 minutes. Additional trains will run every 8 minutes between Farragut North and Glenmont from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Blue Line trains single track between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road with trains every 20 minutes. Orange, Yellow and Green Line trains operate on regular weekend schedules, every 12-15 minutes.
Ft. Belvoir Oktoberfest
Now that the calendar has flipped to October, Oktoberfest celebrations kick into gear. The Fort Belvoir Oktoberfest, which runs through Sunday, features a carnival midway on the base’s parade field with games, a Ferris wheel and other rides; a beer garden; German and American food and drink; and live German music. It’s open to the public with a state drivers’ license and their dependents.
Oct. 4 from 4-11 p.m., Oct. 5 from noon-11 p.m. and Oct. 6 from noon-8 p.m. at Freemont Field, 9500 Pohick Road, Fort Belvoir. All civilians must enter through the Tulley Gate Visitors Center. Admission is FREE!
Georgetown Fall Market
More than 30 Book Hill merchants in Georgetown will offer food, discounts and fun during the two-day Georgetown Fall Market. Locally owned cafes, boutiques, salons and galleries will celebrate the season with exclusive promotions, delicious treats and even live music, allowing you to shop, dine and relax your way through the weekend. Saturday includes entertainment by Laissez Foure quartet from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and face paining from noon-2 p.m.
Oct. 4 and 5 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at shops in the Book Hill section of Georgetown along Wisconsin Avenue from O Street to Reservoir Road NW. Admission is FREE!
The Touch of Color: Pastels at the National Gallery of Art
Featuring 64 pieces that use pastels to striking effect make up The Touch of Color: Pastels at the National Gallery of Art. The history of pastel, stretching from the Renaissance to today, accompany pieces that highlight the true potential and versatility of the medium. Artists featured include Edgar Degas, James McNeill Whistler, Henri Matisse, Roy Lichtensetein and Claude Monet, among many others.
Sept. 29 through Jan. 26 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Smithsonian Craft2Wear Show
The Smithsonian Craft2Wear Show is a curated show with limited edition clothing, jewelry and accessories. The wearable art sale includes 70 designers from all over the country
Oct. 4 from 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Oct. 5 from 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $13 oin advance or $15 at the door. Children 12 and younger are FREE!
Autumn Evenings
The Hirshhorn Museum knows that the best time for outdoor museum events is not the summer but the fall — even if the weather has not been sympathetic to autumn-admirers. The modern art museum extends hours this Friday and next for Autumn Evenings to highlight its latest exhibits. This week’s focus will be the Manifesto: Art x Agency exhibit, which runs through January and features more than 100 artist manifestos created over the past 100 years. Events include a drop-in sketching session, a kids storytime of Jackson Pollock’s Tiger through story and movement and the free screening of Making Manifesto. There will also be a cash bar.
Oct. 4 and 11 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Hirshhorn Museum, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Admission is FREE!
Cats
Cats, one of the most successful musicals of all-time, lights up the stage at the Kennedy Center for a three-week run that began Tuesday. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece, which won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, follows a tribe of cats for their annual ball to celebrate and determine which cat will be reborn. Along the way, you will hear songs that have touched multiple generations, take in breathtaking choreography and see at beautiful set design.
Through Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $49-$149.
Art on the Avenue
On the first Saturday of October, thousands of locals descend upon the Alexandria community of Del Ray for Art on the Avenue. The diverse selection of 300 artists with works for sale includes the expected potters, woodworkers and photographers, but also silversmiths and sculptors. An array of neighborhood restaurants set up street service for the day, such as Del Ray Pizzeria and Evening Star Cafe — while visiting vendors set up shop in a food court field. As you stroll along the avenue, live music plays across four stages throughout the day. Kids can stuff a scarecrow, paint a pumpkin and more in the Kids Art Corner at the Mt. Vernon Community School field. A free trolley runs from the Braddock Road Metro station to the festival every half hour.
Oct. 5 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m in the Del Rey section of Alexandria along Mount Vernon Avenue between Bellefonte and Hume Avenues. Admission is FREE!
Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch
If you can’t make it out to a nice, scenic farm to pick up your pumpkin, head toward Ballston Quarter’s Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch for your gourd fix. For $5 (cash only, proceeds go to the Arlington Food Assistance Center), you can snag a pumpkin and decorate it at the recently renovated Arlington mall. There will be live music and refreshments, including hard cider, served throughout the day, but it is also a great excuse to check out the food hall that opened in the basement, which features spots such as Hot Lola’s and Sloppy Mama’s. Or for those without little ones to worry about, the massive Punch Bowl Social is worth a look for post-pumpkin picking drinks and games.
Oct. 5 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Ballston Quarter, 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Admission is FREE!
Prince George’s Fall Fest
The annual Prince George’s Fall Fest fills Bowie Town Center with vendors, free wine tastings, games and, more importantly, a pair of stages where a dozen local blues, funk and R&B bands perform throughout the day. It is not a surprise that music is the focus: The festival is organized by the same group that arranges Bowie’s free summer-long concert series, and proceeds from the event benefit a Concerts for Causes, a charity that supplies free instruments to students.
Oc. 5 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Bowie Town Center, 15606 Emerald Way, Bowie. Admission is FREE!
Vienna Oktoberfest
The Vienna Oktoberfest, which can draw more than 20,000 people, offers a beer and wine garden, live entertainment on three stages, a German auto show and a market with local makers. There will also be kids activities, games and entertainment on the town green. Free shuttle buses will run from 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. from the Vienna Metro Kiss and Ride and Maddison High School.
Oct. 5 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at 131 Church St. NE, Vienna. Admission is FREE!
Adams Morgan Porch Fest
The annual Adams Morgan Porch Fest turns the front porches and patios of historic homes and patios of local businesses into “stages for a day,” showcasing an eclectic range of music from Latin to jazz, folk to rock, soul to classical and everything in between. This year’s even features 58 performances on 17 porches. Click here to download the band lineup and map.
Oct. 5 from 2-6 p.m. in Adams Morgan. Admission is FREE!
Takoma Park Street Festival
The Takoma Park Street Festival is almost four decades old, and few large street festivals capture the spirit of a community as well. The half-mile of Carroll Avenue between the D.C. line and East-West Highway is filled with a quirky mix of hundreds of booths run by artists, gardeners, crafters, yoga studios, all-natural apothecaries, the Masons and the Boy Scouts. Reggae, blues and Afrobeat bands play from three stages all day. Kids can get their faces painted, make arts and crafts, and jump on bouncy castles while adults participating in “The Crawl” can duck into restaurants and bars, filling their eco-conscious reusable mugs with craft beer, wine, green tea or horchata. Vegan restaurants, art galleries and vintage stores are open.
Oct. 6 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. along Carroll Avenue between the D.C. line and East West Highway in Takoma Park. Admission is FREE, “The Crawl” mug is $10.
Ongoing events
1 Henry IV at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday through Oct. 13 at Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $20-$85.
LAST CHANCE! 6.13.89: The Cancelling of the Mapplethorpe Exhibition from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 9 at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, 500 17th St. NW. Admission is FREE!
All Work, No Pay from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through February at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
American Myths & Memory: David Levinthal Photographs from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Oct. 14 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Animals, Collected from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.6 p.m. Sunday through Spring 2020 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $7-$10.
Americans from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2022 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
By the Light of the Silvery Moon: A Century of Lunar Photographs from the 1850s to Apollo 11 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 5 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Capital Harvest on the Plaza from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays through Nov. 22 at the Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Celebrating New American Gardens from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Oct. 15 at the U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
EXTENDED! Doubt: A Parable at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 20 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$104.
Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice across Asia from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 29, 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
The End: A Mediation on Death and Extinction from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 20 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older and students older than 18, and FREE for children 18 and younger.
The Eye of the Sun: Nineteenth-Century Photographs from the National Gallery of Art from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 1 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Feel the Sun in Your Mouth: Recent Acquisitions from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through February at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street NW. Admission is FREE!
Flickering Treasures from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 14 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors ages 60 and older, youth ages 3-17 and students. Children 2 and younger are FREE!
Game Change: Elephants from Prey to Preservation from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Feb. 1, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 5 at the Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW. Admission is FREE!
Hoops from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 5 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for youth ages 3-17, students with ID and seniors ages 60 and older.
I Am . . . Contemporary Women Artists of Africa from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through July 5 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
In Mid-Sentence from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Mar. 8 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
It’s Hip to Be Square: The Mint Family from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Nov. 31 at the U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
EXTENDED! Jitney at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday through Oct. 27 and noon on Oct.9 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. ickets are $56-$115.
Live Dangerously from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 20 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older and students older than 18, and FREE for children 18 and younger.
Manifesto: Art x Agency from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Jan. 5 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Admission is FREE!
Maryland Renaissance Festival from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. weekends through Oct. 20 at 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis. Tickets are $27 for adults, $23 for seniors 62 and older and $12 for children ages 7-15. Children 6 and younger are FREE!
Michael Sherrill Retrospective from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 5 at the Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW. Admission is FREE!
Mid-Century Master: The Photography of Alfred Eisentaedt from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday through Jan. 12 at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for college students, $5 for children ages 6-18 and children younger than 6 are FREE!
One Life: Marian Anderson from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through May 17 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Outbreak from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2021 at the National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Picture Books of the Past: Reading an Old Master Painting from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Sept. 30 at the Museum of the Bible, 400 Fourth St. SW. Advance tickets are $19.99 for adults, $9.99 for children 7-17 and children and younger are FREE. Tickets at the door at $24.99 for adults, $19.99 for seniors, military, first responders and students, $14.99 for children 7-17 and children 6 and younger are FREE!
Portraits of the World: Korea from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 17 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Recent Acquisitions from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 3 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Jan. 3, 2021, at the National Archives, 701 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 31 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $12.71-$21.21 online or $14.95-$24.95 at the door.
Sacred Dedication: A Korean Buddhist Masterpiece from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Mar. 22 at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Sculpture Down to Scale: Models for Public Art at Federal Buildings, 1974-1985 from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through June 6 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Sea Monsters Unearthed, Life in Angola’s Ancient Seas from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through 2020 at the National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Section 14: The Other Palm Springs, California from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through January at the National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Seriously Funny: From the Desk of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 31 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is $12.71-$21.21 in online or $14.95-$24.95 at the door.
Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday through September 2020 at the Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Striking Iron: The Art of African Blacksmiths from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Oct. 20 at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Shaping Clay in Ancient Iran from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through September at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Subodh Gupta: Terminal from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Verrocchio: Sculptor and Painter of Renaissance Florence from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 12 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
The Way of the Kami from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Nov. 1 at the Freer Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
What Absence Is Made Of from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through March at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! Whistler in Watercolor from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Oct. 6 at Freer Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Women of Progress: Early Camera Portraits from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through May 31 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
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.