What to do in D.C. on any day of the week

Keeping track of all of the fun things going on in D.C. at any given time is no small feat – and I do it as part of my job. Editing The 51st’s weekly events roundup has really hammered home the fact that one of D.C.’s greatest strengths is its people, our multitude of planners and organizers who make sure there’s always something interesting happening around town.

Because we hate to miss out, some friends and I started keeping a list of our favorite events that occur regularly. But as soon as my colleagues learned about it, they asked me to publish it here as a public service. 

The uniting factor: These are recurring, free-or-inexpensive events, the kind that people often go to repeatedly. Whether you’re looking for something to do solo, hoping to become a regular someplace, trying to make IRL plans with the group chat, aiming to impress a Hinge match, or showing an out-of-town guest what it’s actually like to live here, this guide will help you find something to do on literally any day of the week.

Thanks to Zach and Julian for getting this started, The 51st team for sharing their recommendations, and to all of our readers who wrote in via social media! If you know about something great that we missed, send it our way here.

Events that happen almost every day

• Tuesday through Sunday at 7 p.m.: Karaoke at downtown bar Recessions
• Every night: There’s trivia in pretty much every corner of the city; here’s a pretty comprehensive guide from Washingtonian 
• Every day: In peak season, there is a farmers’ market pretty much every day of the week — here’s a map
• Every day: A group is running together somewhere. CityCast has a guide for beginners and Washingtonian published a guide organized by run-club vibe
• Every night: There’s a concert in D.C. — many are listed in Hometown Sounds, Steve Kiviat’s blog, DMV Gigwatch, 730DC’s Weekly Scheduler, DMV DIY, or Washington City Paper’s “City Lights"
• Most days: You can find slams, open mics, and other poetry events at various Busboys and Poets locations
• Many days: Eastern Market’s Labyrinth Games and Puzzles hosts game meetups
• Most days: Every comedy open mic needs a willing audience
• Monthly, especially Thursdays: We’re lucky to live in a city with a multitude of museums — many of which host after-hours events
• Monthly: The library has many book clubs, as do most local book stores

MONDAYS

Weekly

• 10 a.m.: Intergenerational conversations at the Anacostia Neighborhood Library 
• 2 p.m.: Pinball league at Lyman’s in Petworth
• 5 p.m.: Crochet club at the Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library in Hillcrest
• 6 p.m.: Monday night dance party currently at Wild Days downtown
• 6:30 p.m.: BYOBoard game meetup at Nanny O’Briens in Cleveland Park
• 7 p.m.: Social chess club at The Board Room in Dupont
• 7 p.m.: Live jazz at St. Vincent in Park View
• 7:30 p.m.: Trivia at Kramer’s in Dupont (alternates “literary” and “classic”)
• 8 p.m.: Free comedy at Room 808 in Petworth
• 8 p.m.: Bingo at Kingfisher on 14th Street NW

At least monthly

• First Mondays at 12:30 p.m.: Writing support group at the Dorothy I. Height/Benning Road Neighborhood Library
• Every other Monday at 6:30 p.m.: Creatives Club poetry workshop at MLK Library in Chinatown

TUESDAYS

Weekly

• 8:30 a.m.: Bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 
• 6 p.m.: Learn to play mahjong at the MLK Library in Chinatown
• 6:30 p.m.: Beginner ASL class at the Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library in Hillcrest
• 8 p.m.: Free comedy at Room 808 in Petworth
• 9 p.m.: Swing dancing in Columbia Heights
• 9:30 p.m.: Jazz jam at Marx Cafe in Mount Pleasant

At least monthly

• Third Tuesdays at 7 p.m.: Dyke Party at The Dew Drop Inn in Edgewood/Brookland
• Often but not always Tuesdays: Queer movies at Suns Cinema in Mount Pleasant

WEDNESDAY

Weekly

• 1:30 p.m.: Coffee and conversation at the Dorothy I Height / Benning Road Neighborhood Library
• 6:30 p.m.: Bike polo at Rush Rink in Capitol Hill
• 7 p.m.: Open piano at The Saloon on U Street
• 7 p.m.: Live jazz at St. Vincent in Park View
• 8 p.m.: Survivor watch party at DC9 near U Street (when the show is on)
• 8 p.m.: Free comedy at Room 808 in Petworth
• 8:30 p.m.: Comedy open mic at Haydee’s in Mount Pleasant 
• 9 p.m.: Dyke Night at Showtime in Bloomingdale
• 10 p.m.: Open mic and jam at Marx Cafe in Mount Pleasant
• 10:30 p.m.: Karaoke at DC9 near U Street NW

At least monthly

• First Wednesdays at 6 p.m.: Aperitivo hour at Sonny’s Pizza in Park View
• First Wednesdays at 7 p.m.: PowerPoint party at Grand Central in Adams Morgan
• Second Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.: Crochet circle at Phillips@THEARC in Congress Heights (hosted by one of our Community Connectors!)
• Last Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.: Silent Book Club at Sonny’s Pizza in Park View
• Second Wednesdays (usually) at 7:30 p.m.: DC Bike Party begins in Dupont Circle (arrive by 8 p.m.)

What’s missing from our list? Tell us here!

THURSDAY

Weekly

• 6 p.m.: Free board game night at Labyrinth Games in Eastern Market
• 6 p.m.: Creatives Club meetup, location varies
• 7 p.m.: Live jazz at St. Vincent in Park View
• 7 p.m.: District Karaoke competitive league at The Craft on U Street (disclosure: hosted by one of our Community Connectors!)
• 7:30 p.m.: The Re-Run rewatch series at the D.C. Haven on H Street NE
• 7:30 p.m.: Pinball league at Lyman’s in Petworth
• 8 p.m.: Kostume Karaoke at Solly's on U Street 

At least monthly

• Every other Thursday at 7 p.m.: Salsa at La Cosecha near Union Market
• Second Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.: Story District at Penn Social downtown
• Second Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.: Ska and reggae night at The Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights
• Third Thursdays at 5 p.m.: Dupont galleries and museums collectively host arts and culture events
• Third Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.: Film photographers happy hour, location varies
• Fourth Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.: Queer social bike ride from Fort Totten Metro station to Union Market
• Last Thursdays at 7 p.m.: Lyric spoken word at Shanklin Hall in Adams Morgan
• One Thursday a month at 6 p.m.: YIMBYs happy hour at Metrobar
• One Thursday a month at 7 p.m.: Readings from local writers at Shaw’s Tavern
• Rotating Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.: Queer Reading Night at As You Are. in Eastern Market

FRIDAY

Weekly

• 6:30 a.m.: Walk, dance, and prance in neon at Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill
• 12 p.m.: Free vegetables and lunch at THEARC Farm in Congress Heights
• 5 p.m.: $10 wine tasting at Nido in Mount Pleasant 
• 6:30 p.m.: r/washingtondc subreddit happy hour, location varies

At least monthly

• First Fridays at 6 p.m.: Art walk at more than two dozen spaces in Dupont
• First Fridays at 6 p.m.: D.C. native plant garden demonstration in Brightwood
• Last Fridays at 11 a.m.: Coffee cupping at Doubles in Park View
• Last Fridays at 9 p.m.: ASL poetry open mic at Busboys and Poets near Mt. Vernon

SATURDAY

Weekly

• 9 a.m.: Eastern Market flea market
• 10:30 a.m.: Volunteer to sell merch and used books with the Mt. Pleasant Library Friends at the Mount Pleasant farmer’s market
• 7 p.m.: Kostume Karaoke at Solly's on U Street NW

At least monthly

• First Saturdays at 8:30 a.m.: Bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 
• First Saturdays at 10 p.m.: Live salsa and dancing at Haydees in Mount Pleasant
• Every other Saturday at 7 p.m.: Queer line dancing at Eastern Market (check their schedule, which can vary)
• Second Saturdays at 12 p.m.: Queer social bike ride, meeting spot and route vary
• One Saturday a month: Flower potluck at Sonny’s Pizza in Park View (Disclosure: hosted by one of our co-founders!)
• Rotating Saturdays: District Cleanups trash-pickup meetups (locations vary)
• Rotating Saturdays: DC Square Dance Collective at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church in Columbia Heights
• Rotating Saturdays when the weather is nice: Trans+ picnics at Alethia Tanner Park in Eckington

SUNDAY

Weekly

• 8 a.m.: Georgetown Flea in Georgetown
• 10 a.m.: Dupont Little Flea in Dupont
• 2 p.m.: Free wine tasting at Domestique in Bloomingdale/Eckington
• 2:45 p.m.: Redelicious food distribution at Edgewood Community Farm
• 3 p.m.: Drum circle at Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park
• 3 p.m.: Live jazz at St. Vincent in Park View
• 6:30 p.m.: Jazz jam at Haydee's in Mount Pleasant
• 7 p.m.: Karaoke at As You Are near Eastern Market
• 7:30 p.m.: Pinball league at Lyman’s in Petworth

At least monthly

• First Sundays at 8:30 a.m.: Bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 
• First Sundays at 5 p.m.: DC Dyke Night party at DC9
• First Sundays at 7 p.m.: Spanish-language poetry open mic at BloomBars in Columbia Heights.
• Second and fourth Sundays at 10 a.m.: Artisan and farmer’s market featuring all Black vendors in Langdon
• About one Sunday per month at 7:30 p.m.: Granny and the Boys at Showtime in Bloomingdale
• Rotating Sundays: Church on Sunday Black house music and EDM collective, dates and locations vary
• Every other Sunday at 3 p.m.: Tea Time drag comedy podcast taping at Spark Social near U Street NW

What’s missing from our list? Tell us here!