Festivals

Check the CultureCapital.com Festival section for dates, times and information on the many film festivals, music and jazz festivals, literary and book festivals, theatre and fringe festivals held in Metro DC throughout the year.

1 special feature · 220 performances · 4 ongoing events

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Feature

Festivals in Metro DC

Performances

NGA: Cuba Compendium Film Series - I Am Cuba

 National Gallery of Art
Wed. Apr 24

Whitman 200: By the People Crowdsourcing Campaign

 Library of Congress
Wed. Apr 24

Gallery Voices at the National Arboretum

 U.S. National Arboretum
Sat. Apr 27

Montpelier Festival of Herbs, Tea, and the Arts

 Montpelier Arts Center
Sat. Apr 27

NGA: Cuba Compendium Film Series - The Translator

 National Gallery of Art
Sat. Apr 27

Revels at Fairfax History Day

 Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center
Sat. Apr 27

May Revels at National Cathedral Flower Mart

 Washington National Cathedral
Sat. May 4

May Revels at BlackRock Center for the Arts

 BlackRock Center for the Arts
Sun. May 5

Whitman 200: Lincoln & Whitman tour of President Lincoln’s Cottage

 President Lincoln's Cottage
Sun. May 5

JxJ: Redemption (JxJ Opening Night)

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Wed. May 8

JxJ: Back To Maracana

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Thu. May 9

JxJ: Black Honey: The Life And Poetry Of Avraham Sutzkever

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Thu. May 9

JxJ: The Mover

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Thu. May 9

JxJ: The State Against Mandela And The Others

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Thu. May 9

JxJ: American Psalmody – Workshop with Book of J

 IDB Headquarters
Fri. May 10

Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival

 The Kennedy Center
May. 10 & 11

Festival Argentino USA

 Kenmore Middle School
Sat. May 11

JxJ: Anna's War

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sat. May 11

JxJ: Dolce Fine Giornata

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 11

JxJ: From Cairo To The Cloud: The World Of The Cairo Geniza

Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sat. May 11

JxJ: My Polish Honeymoon

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 11

JxJ: Sustainable Nation

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sat. May 11

JxJ: The Dive

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sat. May 11

JxJ: The Einstein Of Sex

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 11

JxJ: The Passengers

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sat. May 11

JxJ: Unsettling

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sat. May 11

JxJ: Working Woman

Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sat. May 11

JxJ: Yidlive!

 GWU Black Box Theatre
Sat. May 11

Whitman 200: Walt Whitman in Washington

 Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro
Sat. May 11

JxJ: Autonomies

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Back To The Jewture

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Chewdaism: A Taste Of Jewish Montreal

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: City Of Joel

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Diverse Or Di-Tryin’

Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Fiddler: A Miracle Of Miracles

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Forgotten Soldier

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 12

JxJ: From Cairo To The Cloud: The World Of The Cairo Geniza

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Gili Yalo

 Pearl Street Warehouse
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Global Shtetl Live

 Penn Social
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Hasidistock (Episodes 1-3)

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Hidden Face

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Sefarad

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Set Apart

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Shooting Life

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: The Light of Hope

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Sun. May 12

JxJ: Back To The Jewture

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Mon. May 13

JxJ: Barbara Rubin And The Exploding New York Underground

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Mon. May 13

JxJ: Forgotten Soldier

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Mon. May 13

JxJ: King Bibi

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Mon. May 13

JxJ: Shut Up And Play The Piano

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Mon. May 13

JxJ: Brussels Transit

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Tue. May 14

JxJ: King Bibi

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Tue. May 14

JxJ: Leona

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Tue. May 14

JxJ: Set Apart

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Tue. May 14

JxJ: The Passengers

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Tue. May 14

JxJ: The Unorthodox

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Tue. May 14

JxJ: Chewdaism: A Taste of Jewish Montreal

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Wed. May 15

JxJ: Dudu Tassa & The Kuwaitis: Don't Be So Modest, You Aren't That Great!

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Wed. May 15

JxJ: Family in Transition

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Wed. May 15

JxJ: Leona

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Wed. May 15

JxJ: The Conductor (Episodes 1-2)

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Wed. May 15

JxJ: The Unorthodox

 Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
Wed. May 15

JxJ: A Fortunate Man

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Thu. May 16

JxJ: Autonomies

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Thu. May 16

JxJ: Different From The Others

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Thu. May 16

JxJ: Marianne & Leonard: Words Of Love

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Thu. May 16

JxJ: Skin

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Thu. May 16

JxJ: Yemen Blues | Nani

Union Stage
Thu. May 16

JxJ: Abe

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sat. May 18

JxJ: Carl Laemmle

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sat. May 18

JxJ: Eurovision Song Contest 2019

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 18

JxJ: Mack the Knife - Brecht's Threepenny Opera

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sat. May 18

JxJ: Paris Song

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sat. May 18

JxJ: Seder-Masochism

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sat. May 18

JxJ: The Dive

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 18

JxJ: The Guy Mendilow Ensemble | Beyond The Pale

 Cultural Arts Center at Montgomery College
Sat. May 18

JxJ: The Mamboniks

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sat. May 18

JxJ: The State Against Mandela and the Others

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sat. May 18

Hawaiian Cultural Festival

 Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
May. 18 & 19

JxJ: Back to Maracana

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Barbara Rubin and the Exploding New York Underground

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Black Honey: The Life And Poetry Of Avraham Sutzkever

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Brussels Transit

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 19

JxJ: City of Joel

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Dolce Fine Giornata

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Hasidistock

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sun. May 19

JxJ: My Polish Honeymoon

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Myths, Lies, And Truths Romanticizing Traditional Cultures

 GWU Black Box Theatre
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Seder Masochism

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 19

JxJ: The 21%: The Lives of Arab Citizens of Israel

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 19

JxJ: The Mover

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Tio Chroinho

 City Winery
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Toman

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 19

JxJ: Family in Transition

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Mon. May 20

JxJ: Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Mon. May 20

JxJ: From Slavery to Freedom

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Mon. May 20

JxJ: Sefarad

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Mon. May 20

JxJ: Unsettling

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Mon. May 20

JxJ: Yankl the Blacksmith

 Goethe-Institut
Mon. May 20

JxJ: Hidden Face

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Tue. May 21

JxJ: Redemption

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Tue. May 21

JxJ: Toman

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Tue. May 21

JxJ: Anna's War

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Wed. May 22

JxJ: From Slavery to Freedom

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Wed. May 22

JxJ: Isle of Klezbos | Beregovski Suite

 City Winery
Wed. May 22

JxJ: Shooting Life

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Wed. May 22

JxJ: Skin

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Wed. May 22

JxJ: Sustainable Nation

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Wed. May 22

JxJ: The Mamboniks

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Wed. May 22

JxJ: Music in Yiddish Cinema

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Thu. May 23

JxJ: Sacred Spaces

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Thu. May 23

JxJ: The Accountant of Auschwitz

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Thu. May 23

JxJ: The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova

 Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
Thu. May 23

Whitman 200: Song of Myself Marathon Reading

 Busboys and Poets @ 450 K St
Thu. May 23

Whitman 200: Whitman, Neruda, Ginsberg

 Politics and Prose
Fri. May 24

JxJ: Carl Laemmle

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 25

JxJ: Mack the Knife- Brecht's Threepenny Opera

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 25

JxJ: Paris Song

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 25

JxJ: The Light of Hope

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sat. May 25

Whitman 200: Lincoln & Whitman Tour of President Lincoln’s Cottage, led by Garrett Peck

 President Lincoln's Cottage
Sat. May 25

JxJ: Abe

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 26

JxJ: Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird

 City Winery
Sun. May 26

JxJ: Sacred Spaces

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 26

JxJ: The Accountant of Auschwitz

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 26

JxJ: The Conductor (Episodes 1-2)

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 26

JxJ: The Tobacconist - Closing Night

 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Sun. May 26

National Memorial Day Choral Festival

 The Kennedy Center
Sun. May 26

Honor Vets at the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally

 National Mall
Mon. May 27

National Memorial Day Concert

 West Lawn US Capitol
Mon. May 27

National Memorial Day Parade

 Constitution Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets
Tue. May 28

Whitman 200: District Lit’s Celebration of Nature and Walt Whitman

 Colony Club
Tue. May 28

Whitman 200: Yawp: A Leaves of Grass Read Aloud

 Loyalty Bookstore
Tue. May 28

Whitman 200: Civil War Medicine in Washington

 Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum
Thu. May 30

Whitman 200: Dearest Queerest Body Electric

 Smithsonian National Postal Museum
Thu. May 30

Whitman 200: Walt Whitman 200 Birthday Performance Showcase by Artists of Capturing Fire

 Busboys & Poets @ Takoma
Fri. May 31

Whitman 200: Walt Whitman-Themed Literary Cocktails

 Loyalty Bookstore
Fri. May 31

NGA Film Series: New Cinema from Romania - Alice T.

 National Gallery of Art
Sat. Jun 1

NGA Film Series: New Cinema from Romania - Infinite Football

 National Gallery of Art
Sat. Jun 1

Whitman 200: Pan-Naturism in Whitman and His Literary Descendants in the U.S. and Abroad

 Van Ness East Condominium Hall, Social Hall
Sat. Jun 1

Whitman 200: Walt Whitman and Congressional Cemetery

 Congressional Cemetery
Sat. Jun 1

Whitman 200: Walt Whitman-Themed Literary Cocktails

 Loyalty Bookstore
Sat. Jun 1

NGA Film Series: New Cinema from Romania - One Step Behind the Seraphim

 National Gallery of Art
Sun. Jun 2

Whitman 200: The Quick, Loud Word: A Poetry Workshop Inspired by Walt Whitman

 Shaw Neighborhood Library
Sun. Jun 2

Whitman 200: Book Discussion of Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham

 Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Mon. Jun 3

Whitman 200: Walt Whitman Open House

 Library of Congress
Mon. Jun 3

Whitman 200: What is your song? Self-expression Through Poetry Workshops for Seniors

 Georgia Avenue-Petworth Senior Wellness
Mon. Jun 3

DC JazzFest: Stefon Harris & Blackout

 Residence of the Denmark Ambassador
Thu. Jun 6

DC JazzFest: Anat Cohen Quartet

Hamilton Live
Fri. Jun 7

DC JazzFest: Anthony Nelson

 Twins Jazz
Fri. Jun 7

DC JazzFest: The Kent Miller Quartet

Busboy & Poets in Anacostia
Fri. Jun 7

DC JazzFest: Cécile McLorin Salvant

Hamilton Live
Sat. Jun 8

DC JazzFest: Georgia Anne Muldrow, Justin Brown's Nyeusi and Miles Okazaki

 The Sandlot
Sat. Jun 8

DC JazzFest: Herb Scott and El Jay'Em

 We Act Radio
Sat. Jun 8

DC JazzFest: Joe Morris (guitar) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums)

Rhizome
Sat. Jun 8

DC JazzFest: Nanny Assis

 Mr. Henry's
Sat. Jun 8

DC JazzFest: Celebrating Randy Weston

The Kennedy Center
Sun. Jun 9

DC JazzFest: DC Jazz Jam

The Brixton
Sun. Jun 9

DC JazzFest: Hailu Mergia

Hamilton Live
Sun. Jun 9

DC JazzFest: Kelly Green Trio

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Sun. Jun 9

DC JazzFest: Nag Champa Art Ensemble

Wild Days
Sun. Jun 9

DC JazzFest: Terrence Nicholson (Sub-Z)

Honfleur Gallery
Sun. Jun 9

DC JazzFest: The Kristin Callahan Band

Twins Jazz
Sun. Jun 9

DC JazzFest: Amy K. Bormet

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Mon. Jun 10

DC JazzFest: Elliott Hughes and Brad Linde’s BIG OL’ Ensemble

Atlas Performing Arts Center
Mon. Jun 10

DC JazzFest: Jordon Dixon

University of the District of Columbia
Mon. Jun 10

DC JazzFest: The Peter Brown Project

 Anacostia Playhouse
Mon. Jun 10

DC JazzFest: Alex Parchment & AP Chemistry

Twins Jazz
Tue. Jun 11

DC JazzFest: Future Band

Ivy City Smokehouse
Tue. Jun 11

DC JazzFest: Trent Cokley: Heal Our Hearts

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Tue. Jun 11

DC JazzFest: Joe Herrera feat. James Zimmerman

Wild Days
Wed. Jun 12

DC JazzFest: SPAGA

 City Winery
Wed. Jun 12

DC JazzFest: The Noa Fort Quartet

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Wed. Jun 12

DC JazzFest: Dante Pope After Five Experience

Franklin Park at Greenbelt Station
Thu. Jun 13

DC JazzFest: Etienne Charles Creole Soul

City Winery
Thu. Jun 13

DC JazzFest: Nicole Saphos Trio

 Tudor Place Historic House and Garden
Thu. Jun 13

DC JazzFest: The Barry Gurley Trio

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Thu. Jun 13

DC JazzFest: Kevin Cordt Quartet

Mr. Henry's
Fri. Jun 14

DC JazzFest: Snarky Puppy

 The Anthem
Fri. Jun 14

DC JazzFest: The King and Mic featuring Micah Smith

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Fri. Jun 14

DC JazzFest: The William Hooker Trio

Rhizome
Fri. Jun 14

DC JazzFest: Alison Crockett

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Allyn Johnson & Sonic Sanctuary

 Transit Pier at The Wharf
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Coniece Washington Trio

The Phillips Collection
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: John Lamkin III

Twins Jazz
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Jon Batiste & Stay Human

 The Anthem
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Jose Montaño Trio

Transit Pier at The Wharf
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Joshua Redman Quartet

 District Pier
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Julia Nixon

Mr. Henry's
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Mark G. Meadows and the Movement

Atlas Performing Arts Center
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Michael Franks

 District Pier
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Sasha Berliner and Band

 The Wharf
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: String Queens

 Transit Pier at The Wharf
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Tarus Mateen & Beyond Genre

District Pier
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra

 The Wharf
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Yannick Rieu

District Pier
Sat. Jun 15

NGA Film Series: New Cinema from Romania - Charleston

 National Gallery of Art
Sat. Jun 15

The 11th Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival

 Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza
Sat. Jun 15

DC JazzFest: Cinema Italia

 Transit Pier at The Wharf
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: El Violin Latino

 Pearl Street Warehouse
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Evan Harris

 The Wharf
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Great Masters of Jazz

 The Kennedy Center
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Joey Alexander

 The Wharf
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Nommo

 Market Stage
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Olli Soikkeli Trio

 Transit Pier at The Wharf
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Ralph Peterson & Gen-Next Big Band

 District Pier
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Sean Jones: Dizzy Spellz

 The Wharf
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science

 The Wharf
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: The Cornerstore

District Pier
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: The Eric Byrd Trio and the Jazz Ambassadors

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Sun. Jun 16

DC JazzFest: Witness Matlou Trio

 Pearl Street Warehouse
Sun. Jun 16

NGA Film Series: New Cinema from Romania - Moromete Family: On the Edge of Time

 National Gallery of Art
Sun. Jun 16

NGA Film Series: New Cinema from Romania - Marita

 National Gallery of Art
Tue. Jun 18

NGA Film Series: New Cinema from Romania - Pororoca

National Gallery of Art
Wed. Jun 19

The Eurasia Festival

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
Tue. Jun 25

A Capital Fourth Fireworks

 West Lawn US Capitol
Thu. Jul 4

Lake Arbor Jazz Festival: Pre-Festival Jam Session

 Olde Town Inn
Thu. Jul 11

Lake Arbor Jazz Festival: White Affair

 Martins Camelot
Fri. Jul 12

Lake Arbor Jazz Festival

 Lake Arbor Community Center Grounds
Sat. Jul 13

Lake Arbor Jazz Festival: Sunday Inspirational Jazz Experience

 Bowie Center for the Performing Arts
Sun. Jul 14

Lake Arbor Jazz Finale: Grand Finale All Star Jam

 Bowie Center for the Performing Arts
Sun. Jul 14

Ongoing Events

Observe the Flag-In during Memorial Day Weekend

 Arlington National Cemetery
May. 24 – 27

DanceAfrica, DC Festival

 Dance Place
May. 28 – Jun. 2

Whitman 200: Whitman Bicentennial Display

 Library of Congress
May. 15 – Aug. 15

Whitman 200: Remembering Our Veterans: A Memorial Day Remembrance

 Howard University
May. 20 – Aug. 31
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