National Gallery Nights are making a comeback for 2023 fall season

WASHINGTON – National Gallery Nights is returning this fall with outdoor activities and new themes. Here’s what to expect and how to secure tickets. 

The after-hours program will commence at the East Building from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays, September 14, October 12, and November 9. Visitors will enjoy live performances, music, arts and crafts activities, and access to different art exhibits. 

There will be three different themes for each date, the first being block party, the second Halloween, and the third exhibition The Land Carries our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans. 

Registration is required for National Gallery Nights indoor activities and will happen through a lottery system the week before each event.

Here is the schedule for this fall’s event:

Block Party: 

Registration opens Monday, September 4, and closes Thursday, September 7, at noon.

The block party celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Chalk Riot!, and other local artists will be creating street art and murals both inside and outside. Enjoy performances by the Ladies of Hip Hop Dance Collective, which is illuminating the strength, power, and diversity of women in hip-hop during its Kennedy Center Office Hours residency. DJ Bizzy and DJ Little Bacon Bear will be the official music curators for this museum dance party.

Nightmare at the Museum:

Registration opens Monday, October 2, and closes Thursday, October 5, at noon.

Things are getting spooky for one night of artsy haunts. Enjoy a screening of Ghostbusters (1984) with a live, remixed soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone, part of SHAOLIN JAZZ’s Can I Kick It? series. Take advantage of some fun face painting or a DIY mask station. Don’t forget to listen in on some spooky art stories from museum staff and local experts.

Indigenous Futures:

Registration opens Monday, October 30, and closes Thursday, November 2, at noon.

Come out and enjoy a look into the many ways Native people continue to influence and shape the future. There will be a special celebration of the exhibition The Land Carries our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans. Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit, Unangax̂)—an activist, musician, and visual artist—performs electro-soul as Ya Tseen. Hear pop-up talks in the galleries from curators and community members. Make your own art inspired by the land and environment. Dr. Elizabeth Rule, author of Indigenous DC, placed an extensive amount of time and detail designing this program.

Program performances and experiences are subject to change.