Weekend Guide

What To Do This Weekend in the DMV

September 9, 2026 · by Claude Labbe, REALTOR | Douglas Elliman

An early-autumn arts and crafts market set up along the National Mall in Washington DC, with white canopy tents holding pottery, textiles, and artisan wares while the Washington Monument rises in golden afternoon light

Key Takeaways

  • Sara Bareilles brings The Good Grief Tour to The Anthem on the Southwest Waterfront on Saturday and Sunday night, with Aldous Harding at The Howard Theatre on Friday
  • Rosslyn Jazz Festival returns to Gateway Park in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia on Saturday, a free afternoon of live music a short walk from the Metro
  • The free Art All Night festival lights up Barracks Row on 8th Street SE in the Capitol Hill neighborhood Friday evening with music, galleries, and open studios
  • The Los Angeles Angels play the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Navy Yard all three days, and Iron Maiden with Megadeth rock Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia on Friday
  • A weekend-long pop-up arts market runs along the National Mall near the Washington Monument from Friday through Sunday, and the Annapolis Songwriters Festival plays out in Annapolis, Maryland from Thursday through Sunday

Looking for things to do this weekend in the DMV? The weekend of September 11 through 13 ticks off concerts, jazz, baseball, and open-air markets across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Sara Bareilles plays The Anthem on two nights, Rosslyn Jazz Festival fills Gateway Park in Arlington, the free Art All Night festival covers Capitol Hill on Friday, and the Los Angeles Angels face the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park all weekend. Here is your guide to the weekend.

Friday, September 11

Friday opens with the free Art All Night 2026 festival, anchored this year on Barracks Row on 8th Street SE in the Capitol Hill neighborhood starting at 5:00 PM. The open-after-dark event features live music, galleries, open studios, and street performances across the city. It is an easy walk from the Eastern Market Metro station, and a great excuse to explore one of DC's most walkable communities, profiled in Claude's Capitol Hill neighborhood guide.

Dusk concert at a waterfront park with a jazz band on an outdoor wooden stage, a relaxed lawn audience, warm string lights, and the Potomac River reflecting the violet-orange sky with the Rosslyn skyline of Arlington, Virginia across the water

For rock fans, Iron Maiden brings its world tour to Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia on Friday night, with metal legends Megadeth opening. Tickets are on the Jiffy Lube Live official site. Closer to downtown, indie artist Aldous Harding plays The Howard Theatre on 7th Street NW in the Shaw neighborhood at 8:00 PM.

Saturday, September 12

Saturday afternoon belongs to Rosslyn Jazz Festival at Gateway Park in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. The free concert series runs into the evening along the Potomac with a view of the Georgetown skyline, just a short walk from the Rosslyn Metro station on the Orange, Silver, and Blue lines. Arlington is a city made up of more than thirty neighborhoods, including Rosslyn, Ballston, Clarendon, and Courthouse, and this event is one of the best reasons to come across the river. For more on living in the area, see Claude's Arlington neighborhood guide. Details are on the Rosslyn Business Improvement District site.

Over on the Southwest Waterfront, Sara Bareilles performs the first of two nights of The Good Grief Tour at The Anthem at 8:00 PM. Tickets are at the Anthem official site.

In the afternoon, the Los Angeles Angels take on the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Navy Yard. Nationals Park sits steps from the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro Station, and Navy Yard is its own riverside entertainment district along the Anacostia. For the schedule and tickets, check MLB.com/Nationals.

Sunday, September 13

Sunday is a slow, family-friendly close. The Washington DC Art & Craft Pop-up Market runs along the National Mall near the Washington Monument from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Friday through Sunday, a relaxed way to browse regional makers among the city's museums and monuments.

The weekend's music finale is Sara Bareilles again at The Anthem on Sunday at 8:00 PM, a second night for The Good Grief Tour. In Maryland, the Annapolis Songwriters Festival wraps its four-day run in the historic port city on Sunday, with performances across downtown Annapolis venues. And at Nationals Park, the Nationals close their series against the Angels with a Sunday afternoon game in Navy Yard.

Wherever you land, the neighborhoods you explore on a weekend like this often shape where you decide to live, from the bricks of Capitol Hill and the waterfront of the Southwest to the walkable urban villages of Rosslyn and the shoreline of Annapolis. For a recap of the region's recent event calendar, read Claude's previous weekend guide. And if a weekend like this has you thinking about making the DMV home, Claude's buying guide is a good place to start.

Claude Labbe

Claude Labbe

REALTOR · Douglas Elliman · DC, MD, VA

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What's happening this weekend in DC?
The weekend of September 11 through 13 mixes concerts, jazz, baseball, and markets. Sara Bareilles plays The Anthem on the Southwest Waterfront on Saturday and Sunday night, Rosslyn Jazz Festival fills Gateway Park in Arlington, Virginia on Saturday, and the free Art All Night festival covers Barracks Row in Capitol Hill on Friday evening. The Los Angeles Angels take on the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Navy Yard all weekend, and a pop-up arts market runs along the National Mall near the Washington Monument all three days.
What free things to do this weekend in DC are there?
The standouts are free. Art All Night on Friday opens the broad citywide arts festival with live music and open studios across Barracks Row and Capitol Hill. Rosslyn Jazz Festival at Gateway Park in Arlington is free all afternoon Saturday. The arts and craft pop-up on the National Mall is free to browse, and the Smithsonian museums are always free admission. Baseball and the concerts are paid events.
What concerts are in DC the weekend of September 11?
Sara Bareilles brings The Good Grief Tour to The Anthem for two shows, Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 PM. Aldous Harding plays The Howard Theatre downtown on Friday. Across the river in Arlington, Rosslyn Jazz Festival headlines a free live afternoon at Gateway Park on Saturday. And in Bristow, Virginia, Iron Maiden with Megadeth plays Jiffy Lube Live on Friday night.
Is there a baseball game in DC this weekend?
Yes. The Los Angeles Angels visit the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in the Navy Yard district. Games are scheduled Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with the Sunday game in the afternoon. The ballpark sits right at the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro Station and is surrounded by riverfront dining.
What family-friendly activities are happening in the DMV this weekend?
The Washington DC Art & Craft pop-up market on the National Mall is family-friendly all weekend and easy around the museums and monuments, which are free. Rosslyn Jazz Festival at Gateway Park in Arlington is a relaxed outdoor afternoon with the river and parks. Nationals games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon are kid-friendly, with the Navy Yard district's restaurants and waterfront a short walk from the stadium.

Looking to make the DMV home?

Claude Labbe helps buyers, sellers, and investors make clear real estate decisions across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Call 703-868-7774 or visit the contact page to schedule a consultation.

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