Washington, D.C

61 Things to Do in the DC Area This September

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 2024

61 Things to Do in the DC Area This September

Happy (almost) September, DC!

Kick off a festive fall with a family day at a local fair, see comedian Kevin Hart live, or party with fellow rock fans at the resurrected HFStival. There are a ton of community festivals around town, too: the H Street Festival, Adams Morgan Day, and Festival Boliviano, to name a few.

Things to do in September

Arts and culture:

Explore the origins of Impressionism at one of the season’s most anticipated exhibits: “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment” (September 8 through January 19, 2025, free, but expect long lines or virtual queues, National Gallery of Art).
A Night in Paris kicks off National Gallery Nights (September 12, free, but registration is required via a ticket lottery, National Gallery of Art).
Browse jury-selected creations including sculptures, paintings, jewelry, pottery, textiles, and more at Alexandria Old Town Art Festival (September 14-15, free, Alexandria).
Music and art come together at Jazz at SAAM with Stephen Arnold and Sea Change (September 19, free, but registration encouraged, Smithsonian American Art Museum).
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, actor/writer Anna Deavere Smith, Nancy Pelosi, and other high-profile speakers and panelists gather at The Atlantic Festival (September 19-20, $225+ for in-person, free for virtual, the Wharf).
Check out fiber art at “Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay” (opens September 20, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).
DC’s first solo exhibition of artist Suchitra Mattai opens at National Museum of Women in the Arts (September 20 through January 12, 2025, $16 for adults, free for ages 21 and under, Downtown).
Festival-goers can buy autumn produce and snacks from Freshfarm market vendors and shop for handmade items and vintage products from URBNmarket at Mosaic Fall Festival (September 24-25, free, Fairfax).
Experience art nearly round-the-clock—painting, photography, fashion, music, and more—during the District’s overnight Art All Night (September 27-28, free, multiple DC locations).
Shop jewelry, purses, scarves, clothing, and more finds at Smithsonian Craft2Wear Show (September 27-29, $20+, Penn Quarter).
There are snacks and art pieces for sale at Wheaton Arts Parade and Festival (September 29, free, Wheaton).
“OSGEMEOS: Endless Story” is the largest US exhibition of work from twin artists Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo (opens September 29, free, Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden).
Learn about some of the most celebrated Haitian artists of the 20th century at “Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti” (opens September 29, free, National Gallery of Art).
An immersive White House experience is coming to DC (opens September 30, free, but donations welcome, Downtown).

Community and heritage:

Traditional food, music, dance, and crafts will flood Prince William Fairgrounds for Festival Boliviano (September 1, $25, Manassas).
For more than 45 years, Adams Morgan Day has filled the DC neighborhood—on and around 18th Street and Columbia Road—with live music, family entertainment, and art (September 8, free, Adams Morgan).
Experience the colorful choreography of a Ukrainian dance troupe, traditional crafts, a beer garden, and concerts at Ukrainian Festival (September 13-15, free on Fri for ages 20 and under, $15+ for Sat-Sun, Silver Spring).
Browse arts and crafts, and graze on snacks at the Falls Church Festival (September 14, free, Falls Church).
Celebrate 25 years of Walking Town tours throughout the city (September 14-22, free, various locations).
Race go-karts and jam to local bands at Race the District (September 19-22, free, Union Market).
Kick off fall at Lovettsville Oktoberfest (September 20-22, free, Lovettsville).
Celebrate the life of salsa queen Celia Cruz (September 20, free, but registration encouraged, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Smithsonian American History Museum).
H Street Festival—spanning 11 blocks—showcases local eateries, vendors, and fashions, and offers kids’ activities and contests (September 21, free, H Street Corridor).
Fiesta DC includes a show of ancestral fashions, Latin music, folk dance, and a lively parade on Constitution Avenue (September 28-29, free, Downtown).

Theater:

Oh My Heart, Oh My Home opens at Studio Theatre this month (September 6-22 , $50, Logan Circle).
Broadway hit Jaja’s African Hair Braiding arrives at Arena Stage (September 6 through October 13, $45+, Southwest DC).
Don’t miss The Comeuppance—a new production set in Prince George’s County—at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (September 8 through October 6, $35+, Penn Quarter).
Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors is revived at Shakespeare Theatre Company (September 10 through October 6, $39+, Downtown).
Attend the DC premiere of Primary Trust at Signature Theatre (September 10 through October 20, $40+, Arlington).
Sojourners at Round House Theatre explores the Nigerian-American experience (September 11 through October 6, $50+, Bethesda).
Ford’s Theatre presents one-man show Mister Lincoln (September 20 through October 13, $31+, Penn Quarter).

Shows and performances:

Spend an elegant evening with the Washington Ballet at Wolf Trap (September 5, $34+, Vienna).
DC Originality pays homage to homegrown music heroes (September 10-11, $33+, Kennedy Center).
Watch an insect love story at Cirque du Soleil OVO (September 11-15, $49+, Capital One Arena).
Comedian Kevin Hart does stand-up at DAR Constitution Hall (September 13-15, $141+, Downtown).
Figure out whodunnit in Clue (September 17 through October 6, $29+ Kennedy Center).
Because They’re Funny Comedy Festival is headlined by the hilarious Leslie Jones (September 27-29, $39+, Wharf).

Music:

Attend the National Symphony Orchestra’s annual Labor Day Concert on the West Lawn (September 1, free, US Capitol).
Rock out with Stone Temple Pilots at Jiffy Lube Live (September 4, $32+, Bristow).
Bluegrass, country, folk, and Americana bands play at the Watermelon Pickers’ Fest (September 6-7, $60+, Berryville).
Rosslyn Jazz Fest will be filled with the smooth sounds of contemporary jazz, including performances by locals such as DC vocalist Cecily (September 7, free, Arlington).
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performs at Nationals Park (September 7, $149+, Nationals Park).
Neighbors can watch live music performances across six stages, by local talents like the Washington Balalaika Society Orchestra and folk guitarist Cody Summit, at Takoma Park Folk Festival (September 8, free, Takoma Park).
Lemonheads play songs from their best records at 9:30 Club (September 8, $40, Shaw).
Don’t miss indie rock act Built to Spill’s 30th anniversary tour (September 9, $40, Shaw).
Spend an evening with pop/rock/punk vocalist PJ Harvey at the Anthem (September 11, $55+, Wharf).
Dance DJ Kygo spins electronic tunes at Merriweather Post Pavilion (September 12, $31+, Columbia).
Listen to singer/songwriter James Taylor at Wolf Trap (September 12, 14-15, $65+, Vienna).
The first Weezer show at the Anthem is sold out, but there’s still time to snag a ticket to the group’s second show (September 15, $125+, Wharf).
Enjoy a night of DJ sets and electronic beats in celebration of Hast du Feuer’s second anniversary (September 20, $30+, Chinatown).
Country star Shaboozey sold out both of his shows at the 9:30 Club. Fans can find tickets at third-party sellers (September 21, $114+, Shaw).
After more than a 10-year hiatus, the alt-rock-driven HFStival returns to DC (September 21, $99+, Nationals Park).
The original members of Soul Coughing are playing a sold out show at 9:30 Club (September 28, $140, Shaw).
Gospel artist Kirk Franklin brings the Reunion Tour to DC (September 29, $37+, Capital One Arena).

Exercise and wellness:

Meditate surrounded by nature at Fort Slocum Park with Rock Creek Conservancy and forest therapy guide Sarah DeWitt (September 6, free, Rock Creek Park).
Cruise by landmarks and monuments on a DC Bike Ride (September 7, $85+, Downtown).

Things to do with kids:

Art, agriculture, and family fun is what you can look forward to at the DC State Fair (September 7, free, Downtown).
The 100th Charles County Fair features live music and carnival rides (September 12-15, $10 for adults, free for ages 10 and under, La Plata).
Kiddos can play on rope swings, visit farm animals, venture through a tractor museum, and ride an enormous slide at Cox Farms Festival (September 14 through November 5, $10+, Centreville).
Young children can see Winnie the Pooh live at Imagination Stage (September 18 through October 27, $12+, Bethesda).
Meet farm animals and ride amusement attractions at State Fair of Virginia (September 27 through October 6, $12+, Doswell).

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Washington, D.C

SEE IT: Ice cream truck catches fire in Southeast DC

Published

3 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Press Room

SEE IT: Ice cream truck catches fire in Southeast DC

WASHINGTON (7News) — An ice cream truck caught fire in Southeast D.C. on Thursday, the D.C. Fire and EMS Department said.

The commercial vehicle was reported fully engulfed when crews arrived in the 1700 block of Tobias Drive SE.

SEE ALSO | Man, woman injured in Southeast DC double shooting

Firefighters quickly put out the flames and prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.

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No injuries were reported.

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Washington, D.C

Washington archbishop removes priest as exorcist after comments on UFOs and demons

Published

14 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Press Room

Washington archbishop removes priest as exorcist after comments on UFOs and demons

WASHINGTON (7News) — The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, on Wednesday removed a well-known priest as an exorcist of the archdiocese after he made public comments suggesting that UFO sightings were the work of demons.

McElroy said the archdiocese also was cutting ties with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by the priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.

The archbishop said Rossetti’s statements “linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.”

“There’s a danger here,” Rossetti said in a May 29 video posted on his Facebook page addressing UFO sightings and the existence of aliens. “As an exorcist I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide. … They don’t want us to know what they’re doing because they’re more effective when we don’t realize it.”

“They can kind of get into your head, you know, and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil.”

“It’s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons,” Rossetti added.

Rossetti also said that people can be good Catholics and believe there’s life on other planets, though he does not personally believe life exists elsewhere.

In a statement posted on the St. Michael Center website, Rossetti said he was saddened by the action of the archdiocese.

“I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on ‘aliens and the demonic,’” he said. “I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient.”

Rossetti, who has over 148,000 followers on Instagram, is a prominent psychologist as well as an exorcist. His center has specialized in offering spiritual healing for priests troubled by various difficulties.

In 2023, he told The Associated Press there was increasing and renewed appetite for information about demonic possession and exorcism.

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Washington, D.C

Nurses at Washington D.C.’s largest hospital call on leadership to reverse planned cuts to maternal health

Published

24 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

Nurses at Washington D.C.’s largest hospital call on leadership to reverse planned cuts to maternal health

RNs at MedStar Washington Hospital Center say closure of postpartum unit will disproportionately harm marginalized and underserved communities

Union nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) in Washington, D.C. are demanding that management stop the planned closure of an entire postpartum unit, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). The hospital notified the union on May 26, 2026 of its intention to eliminate 11 maternal health beds and displace eight nurses by July 26, 2026, leaving MWHC with one postpartum unit.

In a follow-up town hall with staff nurses, Chief Nursing Officer Ariam Yitbarek confirmed the closure. Other leaders have additionally informed staff that the hospital will strictly limit scheduled C-sections and inductions for patients from numerous D.C. maternal health organizations. The list of organizations includes many that primarily serve low-income patients, immigrants, and patients of color, all communities with significantly higher risks of maternal mortality. Additionally, staff were informed that Kaiser Permanente, which notably insures a large number of DC city employees and even many of MWHC’s own workers, will see a strict limit on scheduling inductions and C-sections for their patients as well.

“Closing postpartum unit 5F will gravely impact those most affected by health disparities,” said Stephanie Sims-Coates, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit. “Our low-income families and families of color will be most affected by this closure. Families trust the medical staff at MWHC and plan to come to us for their care. In a city where Black women make up 90 percent of pregnancy-related deaths despite being only half the population, the hospital’s decision to close this unit is a significant mistake.”

Community leaders and healthcare workers are joining the call for MedStar to put patients before profits and keep the unit open. This past weekend, nurses met with D.C. mayoral candidate and Ward 4 councilwoman Janeese Lewis George about the planned closure and the impact it would have on DC’s most vulnerable residents.

“Maternal mortality is a crisis for Washington, DC, and our healthcare system needs to address the crisis immediately, rather than exacerbate the challenges that birthing parents face,” said Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George. “Now is the time to invest in health care, rather than make cuts. I want to work with the hospital to identify solutions that work for patients and the provider.”

“In my time at Washington Hospital Center, I’ve seen the hospital tout its Safe Moms, Safe Babies program and host a community baby shower specifically designed to call attention to the maternal mortality crisis,” said Marcqueata “Tiya” Butler, RN in the Mother/Baby unit. “Their current plan to shut down 11 postpartum beds betrays the hospital’s stated commitments. They are aware of persistent inequities in access to care. We are calling on the hospital to consider the impacts on the community, safeguard the mothers and infants of DC and commit to addressing the maternal mortality rate.”

In 2024, MedStar Health, a registered non-profit, reported $9 billion in operating revenue.

NNOC/NNU represents more than 2,200 registered nurses at Washington Hospital Center.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.

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