Our end-of-the-week picks for Oct. 3-5, 2025
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. A reminder that DC is Open during the government shutdown.
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Friday
Together We Dine – Oct. 1-31
Whatever culinary customs tickle your tastebuds, something special happens when people gather to eat. RAMW invites you to share excellent meals with friends, family and neighbors at extraordinary DC restaurants all October long. Together We Dine includes special events at eateries as well.
Corazón y vida: Lowrider Culture
A new exhibit at the National Museum of American History reveals the 80-year history of lowriding culture and community-building through a display of photographs, posters, car club clothing, trophies, a pinstripe tool kit and much more. The unique, vibrant and bilingual exhibition dives deep into how the Lowrider tradition has become a source of pride in Mexican American communities and a way of combating discrimination.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Theatre Week
Theatre Week – Final Weekend
Celebrate the theater season in the Washington, DC region with a weeks-long promotion from TheatreWashington which includes $25, $45 and $65 tickets to highly anticipated productions at venues all over the DC area. There are musicals, dramas, comedies, theater for young audiences and much more. In addition to discounted tickets, Theatre Week also includes special events (most of which are free) designed to entertain, educate and inspire, including the free Kickoff Fest. Plan your stay: Book a hotel today.
Ford's Theatre
The American Five
Ford’s Theatre treats audiences to a stage production that depicts five civil rights icons – including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – in the process of planning the March on Washington and crafting King’s legendary “I Have A Dream” speech. In the face of intimidation, life threats, surveillance and immense public pressure, the group forms a coalition and creates a defining moment in American history.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Saturday
The U.S. Constitution on Display in Its Entirety
For the first time in years, National Archives visitors can view every piece of the U.S. Constitution all at once (barring a visit from Nicholas Cage's Ben Gates.) What you'll see: all four original pages, the rarely seen fifth page signed by George Washington, the Bill of Rights and the 17 subsequent amendments. The display is part of nationwide America 250th celebrations leading up to 2026. This event adds to the many experiences that make DC the ultimate destination for celebrating the semiquincentennial.
Free timed tickets
National Archives Museum, 701 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408
With Passion and Purpose: Gifts from the Collection of Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson – Final Weekend
A collection that spans 100 years of Black creativity comes to the National Gallery of Art’s East Building Mezzanine thanks to Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson. The largest group of objects by Black artists to enter the museum’s collection at one time includes 175 works. These range from lyrical abstractions to intricate sculptures to well-known paintings. Featured artists include Jacob Lawrence, Archibald Motley, Vivian Browne, Mildred Thompson, Alison Saar and many others.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
National Gallery of Art, 4th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20565
The Wharf
Oktoberfest at The Wharf
Don a dirndi or lederhosen and make your way to The Wharf for its free annual Oktoberfest celebration. The Wiener 500 Dachschund Dash kicks off the festivities, followed by a stein-hoisting championship and Polka on the Pier, which includes a free polka dance class, live music and a best-dressed contest.
2-7 p.m. | Free Admission
The Wharf, 760 Maine Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024
Play On! – Final Weekend
Does a musical based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night set to the music of Duke Ellington sound like a good time to you? Us too. Signature Theatre’s latest production follows Vy, who discovers that the doors of opportunity in 1930s Harlem are closed to her. She then disguises herself as a man to sing her songs for the Duke himself. A tale packed with intrigue, mistaken identity and incredible jazz tunes ensues.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Studio Theatre
The Heart Sellers
Studio Theatre dives deep into the immigrant experience with this new play from writer Lloyd Suh and director Danilo Gambini. It’s Thanksgiving Day in 1973 when Filipino immigrant Luna meets the South Korean Jane in a near-empty grocery store. The two decide to celebrate the holiday together, eventually discussing their homesickness, their pursuit of the American dream, Soul Train and much more in this intimate production.
Tickets
Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Sunday
Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, 1600-1750
More than 40 Dutch and Flemish women artists are showcased in a new exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Pieces include paintings, lace, prints, paper cuttings, embroidery and sculpture, all of which deepens understanding of the Dutch and Flemish visual culture of the period. Artists displayed include Gesina ter Borch, Maria Faydherbe, Anna Maria de Koker, Judith Leyster and Magdalena van de Passe.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
The Great Privation
Timelines jump and collide in this innovative production at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The Great Privation shows a mother and daughter guarding the grave of their husband and father to prevent resurrectionists from tampering with it, circa 1832. On the same grounds in the present, another mother and daughter are summer camp counselors. The two stories intersect in fascinating ways.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Signature Theatre Company
Strategic Love Play
Signature Theatre Company delivers a biting new satire from Succession writer Miriam Battye that skewers the world of online dating. When a man and a woman meet for a date after matching, a first date never to be forgotten quickly ensues.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Julius X
Renaissance man Al Letson reimagines one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies through the story of civil rights leader Malcolm X. Letson – an award-winning writer, journalist and podcast host – teams with director Nicole Brewer for a production that reflects the timelessness of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and examines the fascinating life of a revolutionary.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
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.
