Our end-of-the-week picks for Oct. 10-12, 2025
We've gathered up some fun things to do in DC this weekend. You can also read what else is going on during the week and throughout the month. A reminder that DC is Open during the government shutdown.
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Friday
Race the District: Go-Karting and Louis the Child at Union Market
Union Market District brings back its electric outdoor go-kart racetrack, this time with the backdrop of a full festival weekend of live entertainment, food and family activities daily. Races are ticketed and 15 minutes each, open to all skill levels (58" or taller) and just as fun to watch. On Saturday, electronic duo Louis The Child headlines a block party on 5th Street, presented by Nü Androids. Ticket holders are invited to access F1 Arcade’s sim racing for free, and all are welcome to Songbyrd’s 10th-anniversary block party on Sunday.
More Info | Track Hours: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
1309 5th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Together We Dine
Whatever culinary customs tickle your tastebuds, something special happens when people gather to eat. RAMW invites you to share excellent meals with friends, family and neighbors at extraordinary DC restaurants all October long. Together We Dine includes special events at eateries as well.
Queer Black Broadway Walking Tour
In honor of LGBTQ History Month, the Rainbow History Project and Off the Mall Tours have partnered to present a new Queer Black Broadway walking tour this Friday at 6 p.m. DC's U Street Corridor was once known as “Black Broadway” in its early 20th century heyday. From the Prohibition Era to the Civil Rights Movement, the neighborhood was also the center for social justice and fringe movements that aimed to bring additional opportunities for marginalized groups, including an active Queer community associated with the Harlem Renaissance, the Pansy Craze, underground crime worlds and the fight for equal rights. The two-hour walking tour begins at Howard Theatre and concludes at Thurst Lounge, DC’s only Black Queer-owned bar (it's also the former location of queer crime boss Odessa Madre’s “Club Madre"). The excursion is approximately one mile and costs $30 per person. A portion of ticket sales support the mission of the Rainbow History Project.
More Info | Tickets
Photo by Roman Novitsky
The Stuttgart Ballet: Onegin
For the first time in decades, The Stuttgart Ballet returns to the Kennedy Center with a bold and beautiful production of Onegin. Based on an Alexander Pushkin narrative poem from 1825, the ballet deals in an unrequited love between the reserved Tatiana and the globe-trotting Onegin. Expect soaring duets, sky-high emotions and plenty of technical mastery in this timeless classic.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Because They're Funny Comedy Festival
Join NICECROWD®, the producers of the American Black Film Festival, in partnership with Events DC, for the Because They're Funny Comedy Festival. Expect a fun-filled weekend showcasing BIPOC comedians throughout the Wharf, including the Anthem, one of the most vibrant destinations in the nation's capital. Curated for anyone who likes to laugh, the lineup includes headline shows, new comic showcases, comedy classes, panels, podcasts, screenings and live music.
Saturday
Neighborhood Restaurant Group
Snallygaster
Beast out with craft brews and ciders on Pennsylvania Avenue thanks to Snallygaster. Named after a mythical creature, the festival roars with a hefty lineup of 450 brews selected by Greg Engert, one of the city’s leading beer connoisseurs, including countless new breweries and rare beers. Festivalgoers can also expect two stages with live music, a makers' market by Shop Made in DC, a kids' zone and a selection of ciders, wines and cocktails. Attendees must be 21 or older.
12-6 p.m. | Tickets
Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th Streets NW, Washington, DC
Corazón y vida: Lowrider Culture
A new exhibit at the National Museum of American History reveals the 80-year history of lowriding culture and community-building through a display of photographs, posters, car club clothing, trophies, a pinstripe tool kit and much more. The unique, vibrant and bilingual exhibition dives deep into how the Lowrider tradition has become a source of pride in Mexican American communities and a way of combating discrimination.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour
Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival and Sunset Tour
George Washington’s Mount Vernon is at its scenic best when fall rolls around, so it’s fitting that the historic estate hosts this special celebration of wine followed by a sunset tour of the property. Bring along a blanket, chill out on the east lawn and sample Virginia wines with views of the Potomac River. Fruit and cheese boxes to accompany your wine are available for purchase in advance.
Tickets
George Washington's Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA 2212
Ford's Theatre
The American Five
Ford’s Theatre treats audiences to a stage production that depicts five civil rights icons – including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – in the process of planning the March on Washington and crafting King’s legendary “I Have A Dream” speech. In the face of intimidation, life threats, surveillance and immense public pressure, the group forms a coalition and creates a defining moment in American history.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Studio Theatre
The Heart Sellers
Studio Theatre dives deep into the immigrant experience with this new play from writer Lloyd Suh and director Danilo Gambini. It’s Thanksgiving Day in 1973 when Filipino immigrant Luna meets the South Korean Jane in a near-empty grocery store. The two decide to celebrate the holiday together, eventually discussing their homesickness, their pursuit of the American dream, Soul Train and much more in this intimate production.
Tickets
Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Fremont Ave.
A daring production at Arena Stage pits three generations of Black men against each other in a game of Spades. At the center is the family’s matriarch, who’s equal parts beloved and feared. Raw and emotional, what begins as a night at the card table turns into a powerful reckoning with masculinity, identity and family secrets.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Sunday
Army Ten-Miler
Army Ten-Miler
Now in its 40th year, the Army’s annual Army Ten-Mile Race and Expo attracts over 35,000 runners and 900 teams from around the world to celebrate the spirit of sport. Military, civilians, wheel chair athletes and wounded warrior athletes are able to participate and all are encouraged to cheer them on.
Register
850 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA and 955 15th Street South, Arlington, VA
Photo by Robin Groulx
Oyster Wars
Co-hosted by The Salt Line and Other Half Brewing, the 7th Annual Oyster Wars gathers more than 30 local chefs, breweries and oyster farms up and down the Eastern Seaboard to pack an afternoon with eating, drinking and live music. The 21-and-over event is ticketed with admission that provides access to food from every chef and oyster farm.
2-6 p.m. | Tickets
The Salt Line, 79 Potomac Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003
Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, 1600-1750
More than 40 Dutch and Flemish women artists are showcased in a new exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Pieces include paintings, lace, prints, paper cuttings, embroidery and sculpture, all of which deepens understanding of the Dutch and Flemish visual culture of the period. Artists displayed include Gesina ter Borch, Maria Faydherbe, Anna Maria de Koker, Judith Leyster and Magdalena van de Passe.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
The Great Privation – Final Weekend
Timelines jump and collide in this innovative production at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The Great Privation shows a mother and daughter guarding the grave of their husband and father to prevent resurrectionists from tampering with it, circa 1832. On the same grounds in the present, another mother and daughter are summer camp counselors. The two stories intersect in fascinating ways.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Julius X
Renaissance man Al Letson reimagines one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies through the story of civil rights leader Malcolm X. Letson – an award-winning writer, journalist and podcast host – teams with director Nicole Brewer for a production that reflects the timelessness of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and examines the fascinating life of a revolutionary.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Places to Stay
Need some inspiration for a place to stay in between events? Washington, DC is filled with a multitude of hotels to fit your needs. Whether you are looking for that specialty boutique hotel or booking at your favorite hotel brand, Washington, DC's booking engine has it all. Find your stay today!
Do you know where you’ll be dining pre- or post-event? From pop-up restaurants to award-winning hot spots to laid-back food halls, our DC food guide is perfect for helping you plan a more memorable experience.
