What To Do This Weekend in the DMV

Looking for things to do this weekend in the DMV? The first weekend of September is Labor Day weekend, and Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia are filled with festivals, live music, and waterfront events from Friday, September 4 through Sunday, September 6. The marquee draws are Afro Plus Fest in Landover, the free DC JazzFest finale at The Wharf, and the citywide DC State Fair. Here is your guide to the long weekend.

Friday, September 4

Friday opens the long weekend with the biggest festival of the three days. Afro Plus Fest kicks off at the Northwest Stadium Complex in Landover, Maryland, billed as the world's largest Afro-Caribbean hip-hop festival. The opening night is headlined by Nigerian superstar Davido, with Lil Baby, Latto, Sexyy Red, Tiwa Savage, and Alkaline among the artists spread across Afrobeats, hip-hop, dancehall, and amapiano stages. The festival continues all weekend, about a 20-minute drive from downtown DC off the Capital Beltway in Prince George's County.

In Virginia, the National Symphony Orchestra opens the weekend at Wolf Trap Filene Center in Vienna with the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration, conducted by Steven Reineke and featuring Melvin Seals, Tom Hamilton, and Grahame Lesh. The program honors Grateful Dead music in a lush orchestral setting under the stars. For tickets, check the Wolf Trap official site.

Downtown, Social Distortion brings its punk-rock classic sound to The Anthem on the Southwest Waterfront, with Descendents and The Chats opening. Across the river, Empire of the Sun plays Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland with Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation, and $uicideboy$ with Destroy Lonely headline Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia.

Saturday, September 5

Saturday is the crest of the weekend. Afro Plus Fest continues in Landover with Tems headlining the second night. And the DC JazzFest 2026 reaches its grand finale with DC JazzFest at The Wharf, a free outdoor celebration running from 2:00 to 10:00 PM on District Pier along the Potomac in the Southwest Waterfront area of DC. Headliners include Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joshua Redman, and Kurt Elling, with indoor sets at Arena Stage, Union Stage, and Pearl Street Warehouse nearby. For the full lineup, visit the DC JazzFest official site.

At Wolf Trap, the NSO performs Hook in Concert, screening the classic 1991 film with the score played live by the orchestra. At The Anthem, Ken Carson brings the xperimenting tour with Xaviersobased, Prettifun, and DJ Moon.

For a slower rhythm, head to the Eastern Market outdoor farmers market in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, open Saturday from 9:00 AM with produce and crafts from regional farms. The Columbia Heights FRESHFARM market runs Saturday mornings too. Fitness-minded visitors can take on the Amazfit HYROX indoor-outdoor racing competition, which runs Saturday and Sunday in the DC area. For a guide to the historic streets and dining around Eastern Market, explore Claude's Capitol Hill neighborhood guide.

Sunday, September 6

Sunday closes the weekend with the free DC State Fair at Anthem Row (800 K Street NW) downtown, running 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The homegrown festival celebrates DC food, music, and crafts with live performances, food contests, and maker and education stages, and it is free and open to the public. Details are on the DowntownDC event page.

The DC JazzFest at The Wharf returns for its second day of free jazz on District Pier, and Afro Plus Fest wraps with Wizkid headlining. Merriweather Post Pavilion hosts Durand Bernarr at 6:30 PM to round out the concert calendar.

Sunday is the best morning for markets. The FRESHFARM Dupont Circle Farmers Market runs from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and the FRESHFARM Union Market District market runs in the morning in Northeast DC, alongside the year-round Eastern Market on Capitol Hill. In the Dupont Circle neighborhood, the market and the surrounding cafes and bookstores make a relaxed weekend morning, a good introduction to one of DC's most walkable communities, covered in Claude's Dupont Circle neighborhood guide.

For a classic family outing, the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival in Greenbelt, Maryland offers a carnival, a parade, and Friday-evening fireworks, while the Virginia Scottish Games & Festival brings Highland athletic competitions, pipe bands, and clan tents to the Alexandria, Virginia area. The city of Alexandria is an easy trip down the George Washington Memorial Parkway and a great day trip this weekend.

Where to Eat This Weekend

The Southwest Waterfront around The Wharf is the dining center of the weekend. Del Mar serves Spanish seafood, Hank's Oyster Bar does New England classics, and Kirwan's on the Wharf is a lively Irish pub, all a short walk from the jazz stages. On Capitol Hill, the Barracks Row dining strip on 8th Street SE pairs well with a morning at Eastern Market. In Dupont Circle, Rasika on D Street NW and Le Diplomate on 14th Street NW are dependable options after an afternoon at the farmers market.

Make the Most of Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend is the unofficial close of summer in Washington, DC, and the calendar captures the region's love of live music, farmers markets, and community gathering. The neighborhoods you explore on a weekend like this often shape where you decide to live, from the waterfront energy of the Southwest and the brick streets of Capitol Hill to the walkable circles of Dupont. For a recap of last weekend's calendar, read Claude's previous weekend guide. And if a weekend like this has you thinking about making the DMV home, the buying guide is a good place to start.

Claude Labbe

REALTOR · Douglas Elliman · DC, MD, VA