14 things to do in D.C. this weekend

D.C. is caught in that liminal space between summer and fall, where the calendar reads autumn but the weather is going to do whatever it wants. This weekend, you can either catch those last rays of September or start hunkering down for cozy season. Snuggle up for a movie or craft night, get active at a yoga class or dance night, or escape outside for local music. 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24

Closing celebration: “I’ll meet you there”
📍 Eaton House (1203 K St. NW)
⏰ 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
💸 FREE
Throughout the summer, Hamiltonian Artists and the Nicholson Project, two artist residency and incubator programs, have deployed a video-screen van around the city, featuring projects from four local artists. The Eaton Hotel’s coworking space will screen all four films at this closing event along with tunes by DJ Geena Marie, and the van will also be on hand to play the movies once more on their mobile display.

Film Screening: The Motorcycle Diaries
📍 Bol Coop (716 Monroe St. NE Studio 11)
⏰ 7 p.m.
💸 FREE
In 1952, a biochemist and a young Che Guevara traveled South America on motorcycle, getting an up-close view of class struggle. In collaboration with the political organizers at the Claudia Jones Movie Club, the Brookland Arts Walk bookstore screens the 2004 movie version of this journey, starring Gael García Bernal as Guevara. Stick around after the movie for a discussion.  

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25

Mid-Autumn Festival Night Market
📍 Chinatown Park (I St. NW)
⏰ 6  - 10 p.m.
💸 FREE
Watch a live mooncake bake-off, explore the offerings of Chinatown’s small businesses, and peruse a market of vendors selected by the SAMASAMA art collective at this block party hosted by the mayor’s office. You could also be one of the first to see a new sculpture by architect My Ly — a few blocks away, in the same location as her memorable giant hanging mistletoe from last year.

Queer Craft Night
📍 Merry Pin (7350 Georgia Ave. NW)
⏰ 6 - 9 p.m.
💸 FREE
At this laid-back recurring series, folks can hang out and meet fellow LGBTQ+ makers, purchase drinks and bites, and make progress on their latest ideas. Bring your own project or select something that sparks inspiration from the crafting store’s shelves. 

Daft Punk is Playing at My House: 2000s Dance Parties [Indie Sleaze Version]
📍 DC9 (1940 9th St. NW)
⏰ 11 p.m.
💸 First 50 attendees free, $7.21 after
Whether you’re too young to remember the first go round of indie sleaze, or you automatically stick your finger guns in the air when you hear “Paper Planes,” you can get lucky one more time at this throwback night at D9.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

Home Ownership is a HOOT — DMV Homebuyer Brunch
📍 Spark Social (2009 14th St. NW)
⏰ 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
💸 FREE
If the thought of homeownership gives you a stress tummy ache, local drag icon Tara Hoot (recently seen at the Kennedy Center protest) can help you turn that dread into a belly laugh. She’ll moderate a panel of real estate experts over brunch at the gay coffee shop and cocktail bar to talk financing, first-time homebuyer programs, and more.  

Yoga Session: Purple Reign
📍 Anacostia Community Museum (1901 Fort Pl. SE)
⏰ 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
💸 FREE
Lean into the theme and wear purple workout gear to this trap yoga session with an emphasis on feeling your power. Building on an ongoing series of workshops, this event includes a “crown yourself” ceremony and a closing gratitude circle. Afterwards, if you haven’t yet, take a spin through their latest exhibit “We Make History.”

Ward 1 Mutual Aid Benefit Show on the National Mall
📍 Sylvan Theater (Independence Ave. and 15th St. SW)
⏰ 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
💸 FREE
Three decades ago, Fugazi brought hardcore to the National Mall when they took the stage at the Sylvan Theater, playing to a crowd of thousands. At a time when our city’s punk ethos is more urgent than ever, join local acts Glitterer, Posición Unida, and Somebody’s Daughter in the same spot.

1A Fest 2026: A Celebration of Freedom of Expression
📍 District Pier (101 District Square SW)
⏰ 4 - 6 p.m.
💸 FREE
Do you love Americans’ right to speak our minds — or the free press? (Of course you do, you’re reading local journalism right now!) At Freedom Forum’s 1A fest, you can learn about how the First Amendment freedoms show up in our lives, attend a reading of a children’s book about free speech, and partake in face painting and balloon animals. There will also be plenty of performers expressing themselves, like go-go/rock/trap band Black Alley and multiple local dance companies.

Album release show: Bryce Bowyn, Fever Dream
📍 The Pocket (1508 North Capitol St. NW)
⏰ 8 p.m.
💸 FREE
Local dance pop artist Bryce Bowyn, purveyor of mythology-inflected bops like “Adonis,” is releasing a new full-length album. His celebration show at The Pocket, the itty bitty music venue tucked inside 7DrumCity, will also feature local artists cosmic pop-rockers Shelley Star & The Galaxy and the ethereal yet extremely danceable Ari Voxx.  

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27

Violet Vibes: A Community Celebration
📍 District Pier (101 District Square SW)
⏰ 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.
💸 FREE
Celebrate a decade of the National Museum of African American History and Culture with this daylong extravaganza at the Wharf. Wear your best purple fits, and catch performers both outside on the District Pier stage (free and public) and inside The Anthem (free registration required). Highlights include country star Brittney Spencer, R&B maven Deborah Cox, and Noochie’s Front Porch Live.

WPFW’s 2nd Annual Jazz and Justice Festival
📍 Malcolm X Park (16th St. and W St. NW)
⏰ 12 - 7 p.m.
💸 FREE
Jazz and social justice have long gone hand in hand, and WPFW has always elevated that in their radio programming. At this daylong festival, catch performances from salsa orchestras, reggae, go-go, trumpeters, and others — interspersed with conversations and remarks from your favorite WPFW hosts and more. 

Octavia’s Brew’d Chats: Bloodchild and Other Stories
📍 Loyalty Bookstore (4203 9th St. NW)
⏰ 2 p.m.
💸 $27.72
Join Loyalty Bookstore owner Hannah Oliver Depp and bartender Chantal Tseng to discuss the only collection of Octavia Butler’s science fiction short stories and essays, including the cultural context the pieces were written in. Tickets include snacks and a cocktail inspired by the book. 

Domingos en Espanol with Mamá Elena 
📍 MILKCRATE (4722 14th St. NW)
⏰ 2 p.m.
💸 $15 suggested
Mamá Elena is a bilingual singer/songwriter and a Latin Grammy nominee who plays Latin folk music for grown-ups — and also captivates audiences of kiddos. This weekend, she’ll play for families, especially kids younger than 8, at a new-ish 16th Street Heights arts and community space. 

Black Women Make Movies
📍 Shanklin Hall (2325 18th St. NW)
⏰ 5 p.m.
💸 $22.99, includes drink
Catch screenings of five short films by Black women writers and directors at the Adams Morgan social club. Movies include a documentary about the Black-owned U Street fixture Lee’s Flower Shop; reflections on growing up Black American and Muslim; and the incredible true tale of Odessa Madre, D.C.’s own queer Black female gangster.