Our end-of-the-week picks for Jan. 23-25, 2026
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.
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Friday
The Washington, DC Auto Show
Cars have always held a special allure, captivating the American imagination from the early days of the Model T. Witness the evolution of the vehicle firsthand by attending the Washington, DC Auto Show, which takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Even if you don't consider yourself a devoted car enthusiast, there are still plenty of reasons to check out the city's largest annual indoor event. The show opens Friday and runs through Feb. 1.
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, DC 20001
The Reading Room Festival
Make 2026 your Shakespeare year, starting with the Folger Theatre's Fourth Annual Reading Room Festival. The four-day event celebrates the ways Shakespeare's works are adapted, translated and reimagined for the modern stage. This year's festival features a focus on music, with the free kick-off highlighting the Bard's connection to American musicals. Come engage with the man, the myth, the legend (and there will be some myth busting!). All-access and individual event tickets available.
Tickets
Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Bar Japonais © Nina Palazzolo
Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week
Washington, DC's Winter Restaurant Week returns every January with the promise of high-quality dining, excellent deals and relief to the winter blues. Savor every last bite while taking advantage of special menus and pricing, including to-go options and cocktail and wine pairings, courtesy of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and 200+ participating eateries.
Ice skate in DC
Lace up some skates and triple axel 'round the District at popular ice skating rinks at the National Building Museum, the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden, Washington Harbour in Georgetown, Canal Park in Capitol Riverfront and The Wharf. Make sure to read our detailed breakdown of each spot.
Studio Theatre
Octet
How does an a cappella chamber musical featuring eight people who have stashed away their phones while trapped in a church basement sound? Octet at Studio Theare will be just that, as total strangers battle their digital dependency and make attempts at true connection through the power of their voices. Escape your screen with this theater-in-the-round performance.
Tickets
Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Saturday
National Children's Museum
The Pigeon Comes to Washington, DC! A Mo Willems Exhibit
The National Children’s Museum tips its cap to Mo Willems with a special exhibit that features a phone booth that makes you sound like the famous Piggie, a hot-dog-launching catapult, a fashion runway, art inspired by popular Willems characters and much, much more, all in the Visiting Exhibit Hall.
Hours & Admission
National Children’s Museum, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today
Drawing from more than 3,300 entries and contributions from 14 states, DC and Puerto Rico, the National Portrait Gallery displays 35 portraits by 36 artists. Curated by a panel of experts, the seventh triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition informs this showcase of emerging talent each year.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
National Museum of African American History and Culture
At the Vanguard
The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s new exhibit features more than 100 objects from the collections of five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Clark Atlanta, Florida A&M, Jackson State, Texas Southern, Tuskegee) in a stunning display of how these institutions have shaped American education and culture through innovation, ingenuity, resistance and activism.
Free Admission | Hours & Information
National Museum of African American History & Culture, 1400 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
The Phillips Collection
peter campus: there somewhere
The Phillips Collection showcases one of the leading figures in new media art with there somewhere. peter campus’ breakthrough videos from the early 1970s are displayed alongside four new, serene landscape works, which the artist has named “the phillips quartets”.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Photo by Kate Capshaw
Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees
In honor of recent recipients of the Portrait of a Nation Award, the National Portrait Gallery showcases an exhibit dedicated to stunning work. The award elevates “extraordinary individuals who have made transformative contributions to the United States and its people.” This year’s group of honorees includes Jamie Dimon, business leader, by photographer Jason Alden; Temple Grandin, professor, inventor and groundbreaking researcher of animal science, by artist David Lenz; Joy Harjo, renowned poet, performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and 23rd U.S. poet laureate, by artist Joel Daniel Phillips; and Steven Spielberg, Academy Award-winning director, producer and writer, by artist Kate Capshaw.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
National Museum of Asian Art
Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings
Japanese artists Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi and their different visualizations of water – each hypnotic and transfixing in their own way – form the basis of this new exhibit at the National Museum of Asian Art. Senju’s abstract approach and Bingy’s traditional methods along with each painter’s influences and ethos are examined in detail.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20004
Sunday
National Museum of American History
How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories
A new exhibit at the National Museum of American History, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, explores California’s “Little Manila,” a community of Filipinos that thrived from the 1910s to the 1970s. Through more than 50 artifacts found in preserved steamer trunks (three of which are on display in the gallery), visitors can gain insight into what was once the largest population of Filipinos living outside of their home country.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
National Building Museum
Winter Skate Spectacular
Don’t fret! The National Building Museum will bring back its indoor ice-skating rink this year. Sponsored by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District and Events DC, the Winter Skate Spectacular will offer daytime and after-hours skate sessions this year. Visitors can also enjoy The Wave, a 55-by-180-foot recycled aluminum space frame suspended in the Great Hall.
Tickets & More Information
National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Grandma Moses: A Good Day's Work
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, who was dubbed “Grandma Moses” by the press, lived through the American Civil War, two world wars and the civil rights era. In the 1940s, she emerged as a central figure thanks to her unique tapestries of American life. The Smithsonian American Art Museum introduces her essential work to new generations with an in-depth exhibit.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
NSO Music for Young Audiences: Musical Tails
The Kennedy Center welcomes the entire family for a wondrous performance that pulls together stories, animals and music for an enriching musical experience. A National Symphony Orchestra piano quintet masterfully plays the Mother Goose Suite and selections from Camille Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
9:30 Club
Sudan Archives
Immensely talented and versatile both in her instrumentation and songwriting approach, Sudan Archives (the stage name of Brittney Denise Parks) coming to 9:30 Club is a major highlight of DC’s January concert lineup. Her stunningly unique take on pop and R&B is rooted in her virtuoso violin-playing; she learned to play the instrument by ear while growing up in Cincinnati.
7 p.m. | Tickets
9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
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.
