Things to do the week of Sept. 14-17, 2026
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
Homelands
Discover how people and places relate to each other in a new exhibit at the National Gallery of Art’s East Building. Across 20 pieces, see the ways in which artists consider ancestral links, pressures that caused them to move from one place to the next and the larger histories to be found all across the United States.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
National Gallery of Art, 4th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20565
National Museum of Asian Art
Saodat Ismailova: Melted Into the Sun
The first major solo museum presentation in the U.S. by film and installation artist Saodat Ismailova highlights her ongoing interest in Central Asia’s traditions, oral histories and landscapes. A unique blend of images, sounds and textures, Ismailova’s work creates a space between dream and reality.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20004
National Portrait Gallery
The Spirit of Invention: Patent Office and Patentees
Timed with the U.S. semiquincentennial, the National Portrait Gallery commemorates the founding of its historic home with The Spirit of Invention: Patent Office and Patentees. The exhibition sketches the early history of the Patent Office – the third oldest building in DC – through works in the museum’s collection.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
National Portrait Gallery, First Floor, East Galleries, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
Tuesday
Smithsonian Institution
From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage
As part of Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250 programming, the National Museum of Natural History displays more than 600 artifacts that represent all 50 U.S. states, DC and an additional five U.S. territories. Items range from significant scientific discoveries to cultural keepsakes to ancient fossils like an American mastodon tooth.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Art in Embassies
Passport to Patriotism
The Art Museum of the Americas hosts a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition thanks to Art in Embassies. Passport to Patriotism showcases the work of more than 30 American artists. The pieces reflect how the American story transcends boundaries and politics and how the country’s ideals and values have been formed. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Free Admission
Art Museum of the Americas, 201 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
Photo by Manuel Harlan, Shakespeare Theatre Company
The Score
Brian Cox, the iconic actor of stage and screen, visits Harman Hall in this production’s only American engagement. Acclaimed director Trevor Nunn is at the helm for this tale of Johann Sebastian Bach (Cox) and his visit to the court of the devious Frederick II, where he’s presented with a stirring challenge to his morality.
Tickets
Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Wednesday
Capital Harvest on the Plaza
Located at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Capital Harvest on the Plaza is open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesdays from May through October. During your visit, you’ll find plenty of farm-fresh deliciousness and artisanal crafts, as well as recipes and tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Check out the full list of vendors to start planning your haul.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Wednesdays | Free Admission
Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Signature Theatre
Merrily We Roll Along
Stephen Sondheim and George Furth collaborated on this beloved play that turns the traditional musical on its ear. Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va. stages the duo’s brilliant rumination on friendship, compromise and the cost of success. The audience follows a trio of close friends across 20 years, tracing the narrative backwards in time from their lowest moment to their highest, with the journey marked by incredible songs and routines.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Venus
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s new Artistic Director Reggie D. White is at the helm for this darkly comic play written by Steve Yockey. Nicole and Beth are opposites that attract until a midnight date under the stars pushes their romance to the brink, with a woman in a red raincoat emerging as their antagonist.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
9:30 Club
Whitney
With five acclaimed albums under their belt, Whitney have mastered their craft. The group turns the dial back to 1970s AM-radio with sepia-toned songs that suit quiet introspection or a peaceful drive through the countryside. Note that this show will honor tickets for an April 14 show that was postponed.
7 p.m. | Tickets
9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Thursday
Library of Congress
Alive in Many Hands
The Library of Congress debuts a new exhibit that explores how the American Folklife Center has preserved and shared cultural traditions across generations. The Center's collections are the source for the in-depth display that includes more than 150 items; standout treasures include a performance by Go-Go legend Chuck Brown of "Bustin' Loose" at the 2002 American Folklife Center Homegrown concert, a Diné (Navajo) rug that blends traditional and contemporary imagery (pictured above) and a banjo signed by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and other folk music legends.
Hours & Admission (free; timed-entry required)
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
The Phillips Collection
Tomorrow the Sun Will Rise
The Phillips Collection maintains its commitment to DMV artists with this juried exhibition that will showcase 48 local creatives. The intergenerational group of artists was culled from 1,500 applications. Their pieces reflect a wrestling with the contemporary world as well as themes of beauty, resilience and persistence.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Ford's Theatre
Come From Away
The Tony Award-winning masterpiece returns to Ford’s Theatre a decade after its debut at the historic venue. Come From Away concerns a small Canadian town that welcomed 6,579 airline passengers with open arms after their plane was stranded there on Sept. 11, 2001. The story of friendship and the bonds of community will warm your heart this fall.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Arena Stage
The Fruits of Our Labor
Legendary DC dance company Step Afrika! honors America’s 250th anniversary with a new show set to premiere at Arena Stage. The Fruits of Our Labor uses percussion, stepping, moving visual imagery and a bold red, white and blue color palette to explore the American experience.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
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