The 33 best things to do in D.C. this weekend and next week

This weekend brings a large number of Juneteenth festivals and concerts — you can find a longer list of Juneteenth events on this site — while Pride celebrations offer fun for all ages. Other highlights include the return of the Film in the Field and Films at the Stone outdoor movie festivals; Alexandria’s two-day outdoor Portside Festival; two Saturday festivals dedicated to rosé and craft beer; and a dance party filled with the music of Prince and Outkast.

1. Thursday, June 15

DC/DOX Film Festival

This new documentary film festival launches with more than 50 features and shorts screening at locations from the National Archives to Suns Cinema in Mount Pleasant. DC/DOX is the brainchild of film festival public relations pro Jamie Shor and Sky Sitney, director of the film and media studies program at Georgetown University. Political films are well represented, with docs tracing the modern history of the Supreme Court in “Supreme (w/t),” the legacy of a first lady in “The Lady Bird Diaries,” and an examination of the American health system in “Pay or Die.” But there is a huge range of topics explored during the DC/DOX fest, from saving baby puffins in “Puffling” to the famous New York City film store in “Kim’s Video” to the goings-on in a Parisian OB/GYN ward in “Our Body.” Through June 18. $15 per film. $175 for an all-access pass.

Film in the Field at Mitchell Park

A true gem of a park nestled among the embassies and mansions of Kalorama, Mitchell Park is notable for its playground and athletic fields, and its neighborly summer outdoor movie series, where free snacks, such as popcorn and snow cones, are available while they last. The first of the monthly screenings is “Top Gun: Maverick” this Thursday, followed by “Best in Show” on July 20 and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” on Aug. 17. Films begin at sundown. 8:30 p.m. Free.

Live! at the Library at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress’s weekly after-hours event has two programs to mark Juneteenth. Curators from the library’s photographs and prints division host Renata Cherlise, the founder of the Black Archives and author of “Black Archives: A Photographic Celebration of Black Life,” to delve into the library’s vast holdings, including Rosa Parks’s family photos. Storyteller and roots musician Robert B. Jones performs in the Coolidge Auditorium on the same evening, sharing tales of the blues and African American music. Free timed passes are required for entry. June 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. loc.gov. Free.

Summer Concerts at Glen Echo Park

The pavilion where bumper cars once crashed into one another is now home to much more graceful movements on summer evenings. The historic amusement park’s Summer Concerts series invites a wide variety of bands to take to the stage in the covered Bumper Car Pavilion each Thursday night, including the rumba and flamenco stylings of Trio Caliente (this week), honky tonk from Ruthie and the Wranglers (June 29) and the Hawaiian-accented blues and swing of the Hula Monsters (Aug. 17). The live music attracts a wide variety of friendly, social dancers. Through Aug. 24. 7:30 p.m. Free.

2. Friday, June 16

Alexandria Jazz Fest

The 45th annual ALX Jazz Fest once again merges with Old Town Alexandria’s newish Portside Festival, kicking off a weekend of festivities. Spend Friday evening on the waterfront listening to jazz performances, with readings by local poets between sets, and watch as artist Aniekan Udofia creates an on-site mural inspired by the musical lineup. Alexandria’s Port City Brewing Company is also in Waterfront Park if you need refreshments while enjoying the free entertainment. June 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. Free.

Re:Set at Merriweather Post Pavilion

Music fans who get FOMO about committing to a single stage at big outdoor music festivals might be on board with the format for this new concert series. Happening at cities across the country in June, each Re:Set show includes full-length sets from four acts all on the same stage. The D.C. region’s Re:Set venue is Merriweather, with indie supergroup Boygenius, Steve Lacy and LCD Soundsystem headlining Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively — along with supporting acts including Bartees Strange, James Blake and Jamie XX. Through Sunday. $45-$650.

Films at the Stone at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The only outdoor film series held among the memorials at the west end of the National Mall, Films at the Stone chooses “stories of individuals who, against all odds, fought for what was right.” Held in the grassy area next to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, this year’s programming starts with “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” Picnics, blankets and low lawn chairs are welcome, but parking is limited. Movies begin at 8 p.m. Free.

‘What’s Going On NOW’ at the Kennedy Center

D.C.-born soul superstar Marvin Gaye famously performed a live version of “What’s Going On” at the Kennedy Center on May 1, 1972, one of the rare times he played his classic album in its entirety. In honor of the album’s 50th anniversary, the Kennedy Center is inviting acclaimed singers from Broadway and beyond to perform Gaye’s greatest hits. Featured voices include Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, Joshua Henry of “Hamilton,” singer-songwriter Emily King and “The Chi” cast member Luke James. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. $39-$99.

Sumo + Sushi at WEG Studios

Learn about the art of sumo wrestling while enjoying bento boxes from Zeppelin or the new Love, Makoto during this traveling sumo show, which is stopping at WEG Studios — formerly the BET Networks studios — in Brentwood this weekend. The cheapest tickets offer a la carte food and drink, while better seats include bento boxes, sushi or an open bar. Note that “Sumo + Sushi is equal parts entertainment and education,” organizers say. “This will not operate as a traditional tournament with live sumo action the entire event.” Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; Sunday at 5 p.m. $95-$400.

3. Saturday, June 17

Juneteenth Community Day at National Museum of African American History and Culture

“Senses of Freedom: The Taste, Sound and Experience of an African American Celebration” is the theme of the day-long celebration on the National Mall. A bonus: Most of the happenings take place outside and do not require advance tickets, which can be a problem at the popular museum. Highlights include tours of the museum’s planting areas, learning about what’s growing there, with a focus on plants that were carried to America from Africa. Other activities include a guided tour focused on the architecture of the museum itself, storytelling and a drop-in drum circle, complete with lessons. Inside, local actor, musician and educator Rex Carnegie presents “The Sounds of Juneteenth” in the Heritage Hall, and visitors can craft Juneteenth-inspired fans and beaded bracelets. Important note: The indoor activities require free reservations, which are available from the museum’s website, with a maximum of two tickets per order. June 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. nmaahc.si.edu. Free.

View the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 at the National Archives

For three days, the Emancipation Proclamation, which decreed that enslaved people in the Confederate States of America “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free” as of Jan. 1, 1863, and General Order No. 3, which informed the enslaved of Texas about their freedom in June 1865, will be displayed together at the National Archives. The Emancipation Proclamation is so fragile that it’s on public view for only a few days each year, making this a rare chance to get a look at history. June 17-19. archivesfoundation.org. Free.

Annapolis Juneteenth Parade and Festival

The Annapolis Juneteenth celebrations begin at noon June 17 at the City Dock, before thousands of participants — marching bands, floats, horseback riders, dance troupes and civic groups — make their way past the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial and through downtown to the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. The adjacent Bates Athletic Complex hosts a festival from 1 to 9:15 p.m. with music from hip-hop legend Rakim, R&B vocalist Vivian Green, gospel singer Le’Andria Johnson, go-go band Be’la Dona and other local performers. The festival also includes Watoto, the children’s village, with interactive games and activities, and a marketplace full of vendors. Parking is available at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium ($5 per car) with a free shuttle to the festival grounds. The night before the festival, a VIP gala at the Crowne Plaza hotel includes tributes to Annapolis “difference makers” and live music and dancing. June 17. Parade at noon, festival at 1 p.m. theannapolisjuneteenth.org. Free.

‘Juneteenth: Journey to Freedom’ at BlackRock Center for the Arts

Montgomery County’s annual Juneteenth Celebration is a day full of activities for all ages: live music from artists including the Chuck Brown Band and jazz pianist Marcus Johnson; screenings including “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “King Richard” and the documentary “Slavery By Another Name”; family-friendly arts and crafts, such as mask making and paint-and-sip classes; dance performances and workshops; and a digital scavenger hunt. June 17 from noon to 10 p.m. blackrockcenter.org. Free.

Home Rule Festival at the Parks at Walter Reed

Co-presented by the foundation and D.C. jazz nonprofit CapitalBop, the two-year-old Home Rule Festival, which spans two weekends and several venues, brings together generations of acts specializing in jazz, go-go and beyond. Coincidentally timed to the weekend before Juneteenth, the festival — which grew out of HR Records owner Charvis Campbell’s work celebrating the legacy of ’70s D.C. label Black Fire Records — is an example of how music, identity and politics are intertwined. Those bonds between artists and community are apparent in the festival’s featured acts. This year’s bill includes influential jazz and soul musicians Doug Carn, returning to the festival and performing with a local band, and Brian Jackson, whose electric piano and flute accompaniments animated the works of Gil Scott-Heron — an artist forever linked to the D.C. community.

Interview: Home Rule Music Festival celebrates D.C.’s roots and rhythm

‘Curating Sound: The Art of Inner Ear’ at Lost Origins Gallery

When the legendary Inner Ear Studios — the recording studio used by bands from Fugazi and Rites of Spring to the Dismemberment Plan and Foo Fighters — closed in Arlington in late 2021, owner Don Zientara asked the creative team behind Mount Pleasant’s Lost Origins Gallery to host an exhibition of all the paintings, fliers and other art that had accumulated on Inner Ear’s walls over the years. Saturday’s opening runs from 7 to 10 p.m., and includes a book signing with Antonia Tricarico, the author of the new oral history of the studio, “The Inner Ear of Don Zientara.” On Sunday, a concert in Lamont Plaza, across from the gallery, features live music by Scream, Machetres and Bed Maker from 3 to 6 p.m. Exhibit through Sept. 10. Free.

Brewers Got Your Back festival at Nighthawk Pizza

Twenty breweries from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. are joining forces for this new beer festival in Pentagon City, which is donating all proceeds to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The afternoon promises outdoor games, live music and unlimited sample pours of at least 40 beers. VIP tickets include an extra hour of drinking, a T-shirt, lunch buffet, access to a VIP lounge. 3 to 8 p.m. $60-$90. Children and designated drivers free.

Rosé All Day at Yards Park

If you’re hosting a day dedicated to pink wine in the summer of 2023, you better have some sort of “Barbie” tie-in. The Yards’ annual garden party and celebration of rosé is split into three themed sections: “Preppy,” “Tropical” and “Barbie,” each with its own photo ops, lawn games, flowers and live music. Grab glasses of wine from the six pop-up bars run by Trouble Bird, Shilling Canning Company and other Yards restaurants (although not District Winery), as admission includes two drink tickets. 3 to 7 p.m. $35.

Portside Festival at Alexandria Waterfront Park

After Friday’s ALX Jazz Fest, the Portside Festival takes over Old Town’s Waterfront Park for an afternoon of music, games and family fun. The stage features performances by indie-soul group Oh He Dead, salsa by Hermanos Galvan y Orquesta and blues from the Linwood Taylor Band. Other activities include tours of the tall ship Providence, hands-on chocolate making with Historic Alexandria, lawn games, creating art from recycled items, and a beer and wine garden run by Port City Brewing, with local food trucks. Head to the first block of King Street to browse a market of Alexandria-based vendors, including Made in ALX. 1 to 9 p.m. Free.

Prince and Outkast Mixtape Dance Party at the Black Cat

Back in May 2006, DJ Dredd — one of the D.C.’s foremost party-rockers and the erstwhile host of the Prince-centric Lovesexy night — brought a new idea to the Black Cat’s dance floor: Prince vs. Outkast. “One song by His Royal Badness followed by one track by Big Boi and Andre 3000. Rinse and repeat,” was how The Post described it at the time. Almost two decades later, the fusion of two of pop’s greatest, funkiest artists still guarantees a night of nonstop dancing, especially when Dredd’s gifted hands are on the turntables. 9:30 p.m. $15.

Kehlani at Jiffy Lube Live

Kehlani Parrish has been making R&B songs on the edge of the genre since 2014. It started with two mixtapes that popped — particularly the second one, “You Should Be Here,” released in 2015. Parrish introduced herself as a skilled writer with an affecting voice who isn’t scared to mine the darker, more emotional parts of herself. But she also made a name for herself by possessing an irresistible hit-making touch. Still one of her biggest songs, “The Way,” featuring Chance the Rapper, was an effortless R&B/hip-hop/pop creation. In recent years, Parrish has found her way back to a more traditional R&B sound, including on 2022’s “Blue Water Road.” She’s still illuminating a dimmer side of love with her confidence. On “Altar,” she proclaims, “Keeping you alive and I do it ’cause I want to,” on a bouncy beat. 5 p.m. $47.

Pride Family Day at Glen Echo Park

In its third annual event, Glen Echo Park offers families a day of arts and crafts, free carousel tickets, rainbow desserts and a kid-centered dance party. There are also discounted tickets available to dinosaur-themed Puppet Co. performances at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The playground, picnic areas and art galleries throughout the park are open during Pride Family Day, too. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free.

Pride Picnic in the Park at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, June 17

Rainbow Families, a support group for LGBTQ+ community members and families, knows June is prime time for a picnic. The organization hosts a park picnic at the Arlington museum featuring crafts, a live DJ and other performances, plus more activities to be announced. Local children’s author Vicki Johnson reads her book “Molly’s Tuxedo,” based on her experiences growing up as queer. Make sure you pack a blanket and your picnic lunch, and keep in mind that while free parking is available at the museum, taking the Metro to Virginia Square is recommended. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free.

World Heritage Festival in Frederick

Performances showcasing countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, India and Japan lead Frederick’s cultural festival in Carroll Creek Park. Besides the live entertainment, there are more than 60 vendors selling jewelry, fine art, ceramics and other crafts, plus area nonprofits and businesses. Food vendors are culturally varied, but expect crepes available for dessert. Plus, pets are welcome. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

4. Sunday, June 18

Celebrate Juneteenth at Brookland Arts Walk

The second edition of this festival puts the spotlight on D.C. artists and makers, with vendors selling clothing, homewares, accessories, jewelry and other goods. While browsing, take in music and dance performances, story time for kids, arts activities, and discussions with Jabari Exum, who served as a movement coach and drummer in the Black Panther films. June 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. celebratejuneteenthdc.com. Free.

Meshell Ndegeocello at the Kennedy Center

Meshell Ndegeocello takes a song you probably know, deconstructs it and then reconstructs it inside your ears. Ndegeocello — who grew up in D.C. and started her career as a bass player for local go-go bands — has a distinct bluesy voice packaged in folksy delivery. That, combined with her ability to find a hanging thread on a song and fearlessly pull it, has allowed her to give well-known, mostly R&B songs of the last few decades a new life. One of Ndegeocello’s biggest hits is a cover of Bill Withers’s “Who Is He (And What Is He To You)” that she released in 1996. Ndegeocello’s magic is felt on every track of her 2018 project “Ventriloquism.” When she covers TLC’s “Waterfalls,” one of the biggest songs ever is unrecognizable. There’s a squeaky and bright acoustic guitar undercurrent, and Ndegeocello’s ethereal voice sometimes reaches a near-whisper. Add in some slight lyric changes, and the song becomes introspective and filled with a new sense of despair. Janet Jackson’s dreamy and sexy “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” gets somber strings and bass. Ndegeocello gets close to whisper-singing again — not dissimilar to Jackson’s style — but brings in some lower-register vocals, too. A sexy R&B jam becomes a brooding rock song. 7 and 9 p.m. $45-$85.

Dragathon Extrava-GAY-za at the Hill Center

Despite last weekend’s all-encompassing parade and festivals, outdoor Pride events aren’t quite over yet. This drag-centered evening features eight performers, MC’ed and co-curated by Hennessey, while queer vendors sell art and products. Food truck Trini Vybez offers Trinidadian cuisine, and wine, beer, a specialty cocktail and nonalcoholic options are available. Tickets are required, but sold on a pay-what-you-can scale. 4 to 7 p.m. Free to $15.

‘We Have Always Been Here’ film series at National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art centers the work of three LGBTQ+ artists in a live film series that includes a screening of avant-garde film director Su Friedrich’s recent releases: one, an examination of aging and familial responsibility and the other, an observation of everyday happiness and heartache, on June 18. It is followed by a June 24 showing of three recently restored and digitized episodes from the 1990s television series “The Brenda and Glennda Show,” featuring social critic Camille Paglia. “MURDER and murder,” the recently restored final feature film from dancer and choreographer Yvonne Rainer, plays June 25. A romantic comedy with two women love interests, the intellectual but personal film was inspired by Rainer’s breast cancer diagnosis. 2 p.m. Free.

Juneteenth party at Metrobar

The Jaybeez, billed as D.C.’s only husband and wife DJ duo, are bringing a soul-centered set (“radio-free” hip-hop included) to the northeast bar’s Unapologetic Emancipation event. Local Black-owned food truck Dogs on the Curb provides eats while Metrobar mixes drink specials. And if you want an early jump on Juneteenth celebrations, check out Metrobar’s Chocolate City Art Market (noon to 5 p.m.) on Saturday. 5 to 11 p.m. Free.

5. Monday, June 19

Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at the Anacostia Community Museum

There’s a distinctly local flavor to the Anacostia Community Museum’s celebrations. The music, curated with the Southeast edition of Porchfest DC, includes performances by the Too Much Talent Band and the Experience Band and Show. Other activities include a double Dutch contest, East of the River trivia and a workshop on urban gardening. The museum’s new exhibit, “To Live and Breathe: Women and Environmental Justice in Washington, D.C.,” will be open for self-guided tours. June 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. anacostia.si.edu/juneteenth. Free.

Step Afrika! ‘Step Xplosion’ at the Music Center at Strathmore

The Step Afrika! dance troupe is well-known in the D.C. area, but this new work, inspired by Black Lives Matter and the activism of 2020 and choreographed by the troupe’s Conrad Kelly II, has only been performed in New York. In keeping with the company’s mandate to foster the growth of the dance known as stepping, this performance also features appearances by five step teams from across the region, including Blue MaDness Stroll Team from Bowie State University and the high school girls of Baltimore’s Fatal Attraction Step Squad. Tickets include a 30-minute step workshop for all levels, but RSVPs are required. June 19 at 7 p.m. strathmore.org. $35-$75.

6. Tuesday, June 20

Conversation: Sexuality and the Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance sparked an explosion of Black arts in culture in New York and beyond, but this virtual discussion looks at the less obvious way the early 1900s movement was uniquely influential: a fluid expression of gender and sexuality among its leaders and philosophies. Hosted by the National Portrait Gallery, the discussion between professors Jacoby Carter, who teaches philosophy at Howard University, and Benjamin Kahan, who teaches sexuality studies at Louisiana State University, is part of the museum’s conversation series in LGBTQ+ portraiture. 7 p.m. Free.

7. Wednesday, June 21

Saleka Shyamalan at Songbyrd

Saleka Shyamalan’s R&B world is sultry and shadowy. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Philadelphia has the perfect voice for the moody, sometimes gloomy songs she’s crafting. Shyamalan’s plushy voice never sounds like it’s reaching some sort of limit — instead it’s propelled by her signature laid-back delivery. On “Seance,” released in May, she ruminates on heartbreak — elegantly wading through the shallow while also fearlessly diving into the darker deep stuff. On the opener, “Disillusion,” Shyamalan sings mostly in the third person as she tries to talk herself out of an illusion of love she’s already fallen for. The song starts with a sinister-sounding piano, a sort of warning to listeners. On “Graffiti,” Shyamalan’s voice feels more delicate; she’s singing higher notes, and the production is stripped back. Here she’s at the disaster site of an intense romance and therefore unable to fully commit to whomever she’s singing to. “We crescendo into the blur of our nightly chase / But something heavy flickers in the negative space / His graffiti all over me,” she sings, the last line getting caught in her breath. 8 p.m. $15-$18.

Summer Solstice party at Dew Drop Inn

For astrology fans, the summer solstice tends to mean intense emotions, growth and reflection (depending on your chart, of course). For Dew Drop Inn, the summer solstice means it’s high time for a witch-inspired party, featuring astrology and tarot readings. There’s also a raffle, plus themed drinks. Witchy attire is encouraged. 7 p.m. Free.