Things to do the week of July 7-10, 2025
We've gathered up things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
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Monday
Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi and Miné Okubo
The Smithsonian American Art Museum honors three of the most important female American artists of Japanese descent in the years leading up to World War II. Across eight decades, the careers of Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi and Miné Okubo helped shape modern American art. This new exhibit examines the three trailblazers like never before, tracing their artistic evolution before, during and after the internment and displacement of Japanese Americans during World War II.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The free festival salutes different international cultures every year on the National Mall with craft exhibits, live music and cooking demos. The 2025 edition focuses on "Youth and the Future of Culture."
More Info | Free Admission
You’ve Got A Friend: Women Pop Songwriters
Contemporary pop music features a staggering array of brilliant women who sing and write their own compositions. Signature Theatre Company celebrates icons like Adele, Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Carole King, Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell with performances of their classic songs. The setlist will include “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “Rolling in the Deep,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “You’re So Vain” and “Cactus Tree,” among many others.
Tickets
Signature Theatre Company, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Tuesday
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The Harry Potter franchise continues to offer spellbinding entertainment. The record-breaking play that won six Tony Awards, including Best Play, comes to The National Theatre. Harry’s son, Albus, befriends Draco Malfoy’s son, leading to a riveting adventure that can alter the past and future.
Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Shahzia Sikander: The Last Post
The Smithsonian American Art Museum showcases a groundbreaking work that deeply examines the legacy of British colonialism in Asia. Shahzia Sikander’s signature approach is evident in the way The Last Post blends Indo-Persian miniature paintings with contemporary flavor: see the score by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Du Yun and the way images form and dissolve around the piece’s central figure.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
LIVE! Concert Series on the Plaza
From salsa to strings, and blues to swing, Live! Concert Series on the Plaza features hot entertainment for the downtown DC community. Head to Wilson Plaza between 12 and 1 p.m. and take in free lunchtime performances showcasing the area's most talented entertainers.
12-1 p.m. | Free Admission | More Information
Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Summer Evenings at the U.S. National Arboretum
Thanks to the nonprofit Friends of the National Arboretum, the 451-acre park will stay open until 8 p.m. (three hours past regular closing time) giving visitors the chance to experience one of DC’s most picturesque destinations in a new light. This limited-time opportunity invites you to picnic, walk or bike after hours, catch golden-hour views of the Capitol Columns and enjoy special events throughout the summer.
More Info | Excludes June 7, 14 & 21
3501 New York Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002
Wednesday
Vivian Browne: My Kind of Protest
The Phillips Collection uncovers previously unknown pieces and archival findings to showcase the depth of three decades of work by Vivian Browne. The exhibition features paintings, prints, works on paper and additional ephemera, highlighting Browne’s incredible career as an artist, activist, teacher and founder of one of the first women’s art cooperatives in Manhattan. Her approach to color and form continues to challenge concepts of figuration and abstraction.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Dead Inside
Ali Wong and Bill Hader present this one-woman show from actress, comedian and songwriter Riki Lindhome. Woolly Mammoth Theatre hosts this part musical, part stand-up special that details Lindhome’s real-life fertility journey through humor, humility and original songs.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture
The Smithsonian American Museum’s new exhibit examines sculpture’s role in understanding and constructing race in the United States. Across 82 sculptures created between 1792 and 2023 by 70 different artists, visitors can observe historical and modern works that inspire conversation and reflections on how power, identity and race are intertwined.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Thursday
Duel Reality
Shakespeare Theatre Company stages The Bard’s most beloved tale in a way you’ve never seen before. Duel Reality combines theatre, dance, circus acrobatics and stunts in pitting the two families of Romeo and Juliet against each other. You need to see Shakespeare told through acrobatics, trust us. The show is suitable for all ages.
Tickets
Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Arena Stage
A Wrinkle in Time
With music and lyrics by Heather Christian, a book by Lauren Yee (the mind behind Cambodian Rock Band) and direction by Lee Sunday Evans, this highly anticipated production comes to Arena Stage next summer. Join main character Meg on an epic quest in an adventurous new musical adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's Newbery Medal-winning novel. Prepare for a spellbinding journey through space and time.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Delighting Krishna: Paintings of the Child-God
A new exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art puts the Pushtimarg tradition front-and-center and showcases 14 “pichwais,” which are monumental paintings of Krishna on cotton cloth. The pieces have not been displayed to the public since the 1970s. Museum visitors can encounter the larger-than-life creations and learn about how the Hindu Pushtimarg community engages with the spiritual.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560
Sesame Street the Musical
A can’t-miss slice of family entertainment comes to the Kennedy Center for an extended run this summer. Cookie Monster, Elmo, Abby Cadabby and many more of your Sesame Street friends will be live onstage to perform iconic songs and stir up plenty of furry fun that all ages can enjoy.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
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