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Best of luck with all that Labor Day weekend traffic, friends.
We’re dodging the Bay Bridge but support you trying to reach the beach. Many pools and splash parks will be open on Monday.
First4Traffic says the best time to hit the road is early (before 7 a.m.) or later (after 8 p.m.).
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. >Sign up here.
Storm Team4 says what's left of Hurricane Idalia won't be a problem for staycationers, but to stay hydrated as feels-like temperatures reach the triple digits. Summer heat isn’t quitting after Labor Day weekend.
Without further ado, here are great things to do on Labor Day weekend in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Greenbelt Labor Day Festival
The Scene
The most fun things to do and places to be in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
📅Fri. to Mon.
📍 Historic Roosevelt Center
💲 Free admission
🔗 Details
County fair-style fun, but make it Metro accessible!
Carnival rides, free concerts, a pie-eating contest and a local art showcase are just a shuttle bus ride away from the Greenbelt station (shuttles also run to parking zones).
Kensington Labor Day Parade and Festival
📅Mon.
📍 Kensington, Maryland (here's a map)
💲 Free
🔗 Details
Marching bands, equestrian show groups, dance units, floats and local leaders will kick off at 10 a.m. The fun will continue with a festival featuring food trucks, vendors and activities on Armory Avenue through 2 p.m.
More to do on Labor Day
- D.C.: Final weekend: “Look Here”: Through Mon., National Building Museum, $10 (adult)
- D.C.: “Moulin Rouge”: Through 9/24, Kennedy Center, $45-$199
- Maryland: Sunflower Festival at Summers Farm: Sat. to Mon., plus next weekend, Middletown, $20.50 per person age 3 and up
- Maryland: Labor Day Art Show: Sat. through Mon, noon to 6 p.m., Glen Echo Park, free
- Maryland: Maryland Renaissance Fair: Weekends from 8/26 to 10/22, Annapolis, $12 (children), $21 (senior) and $24 (adult) through 9/10
- Virginia: LoCo Kids Fest: Mon., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Segra Field in Leesburg
- Virginia: Fairfax City Restaurant Week: Starts Mon., Fairfax, deals for $10, $25 or $40
DC Jazz Festival
📅 Wed. to Sun.
📍 Multiple venues
🔗 Details
DC Jazz Festival kicks off Wed. with more than 100 concerts at 30 venues across all eight wards of the District.
“The most exciting thing is we’re five days, back citywide,” festival president and CEO Sunny Sumter said.
The Jazz Hop in Historic Anacostia will present free shows and spoken word across several venues on Friday. Local go-go favorites Black Alley and The JoGo Project will headline stages at two outdoor pop-up venues. Here’s the full schedule.
The DCJazzPrix and other free concerts are among more highlights.
The marquee event is DC JazzFest at The Wharf. Only VIP tickets ($350 before fees) were available as of Wednesday, but the jazz fest will reverberate across the District.
Restaurant Week
📅 Through Sun.
You still have some time to grab dining deals during D.C.'s Summer Restaurant Week.
If you're hungry for deals in the D.C. area, you can make reservations now at dozens of eateries.
Destino, Bar Ivy, Crazy Aunt Helen's, Lulu's Wine Garden, Tonari, Tiki on 18th, Pennyroyal Station (Mount Rainer) and Ruthie's All Day (Arlington) are just a handful of places we recommend for the best Restaurant Week dining deals around D.C.
DC Black Food and Wine Festival
📅 Sat.
📍 Gateway D.C. (Southeast)
💲 $52-$125
🔗 Details
The event is back on after lightning shut it down earlier this summer. Head over to sample wines from Black-owned brands, soak in the ‘90s/2000s R&B vibes and hear live music. Organizers say D.C.’s own Black Alley is set to perform. Bring lawn chairs and blankets.
FYI: If you had tickets to the previous event, you should be able to transfer them. Organizers said they sent info via email.
Virginia Scottish Games
📅Sat. and Sun.
📍 The Plains, Virginia
💲 One-day tickets $20 (adult)/$5 (ages 6-12)
🔗 Details
You don’t have to be Scottish to appreciate fiddle music, Scottish dogs or amateur hammer throwing. You could fly across the Atlantic to sample Scottish cuisine (it’s not just haggis!) or simply take a quick trip to Fauquier County.
Tommy got a preview last year and said it’s positively wild (in a family-friendly way).
More things to do in D.C.
- DC Festival of Magic: Fri. to Sun., Capital Hilton (Northwest D.C.), $99 for a weekend pass or $55 for most shows
- Comedy: The Friday Night Showcase: Fri., 8 p.m., Room 808 (Northwest), free
- Justin Trawick and the Common Good: Fri., 6:30-8:30 p.m., City Ridge (Northwest)
- Too Much Talent Band: Fri., 6-8 p.m., The Modern Art Place (Northeast)
- OOPS...I Did It Again!: 2000s dance party: Fri., 11 p.m., DC9, free (advance)/$5 (2nd release)
- Underground Comedy Presents: DC's Best Showcase: Fri. and Sat., Adams Morgan, $25
- Capital House Music Festival: Sat., 11 a.m. to 9 a.m., Franklin Park
- The D.C. Sing-Along in the Garden: Sat. 5-7 p.m., Temperance Alley Garden (Northwest), free
- Pub Choir singalong concert: Sun., Songbyrd, $38.63
- NSO Labor Day Concert: Sun., 8 p.m., West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol
- Final weekend: “Look Here”: Through Mon., National Building Museum, $10 (adult)
- “Moulin Rouge”: Through 9/24, Kennedy Center, $45-$199
More things to do in Maryland
- UniverSoul Circus: Through Mon., National Harbor, $25-$27.50
- Social Dance Showcase: Sat. and Sun., Glen Echo Park, free
- Dinosaur Park Open House: Sat., South Laurel, free
- U.S. Navy Band Concert Band: Sat., 7 p.m., National Harbor, free
- Sunflower Festival at Summers Farm: Sat. to Mon., plus next weekend, Middletown, $20.50 per person age 3 and up
- Labor Day Art Show: Sat. through Mon, noon to 6 p.m., Glen Echo Park, free
- Maryland Renaissance Fair: Weekends from 8/26 to 10/22, Annapolis, $12 (children), $21 (senior) and $24 (adult) through 9/10
More things to do in Virginia
- $5 Comedy Night: Fri., The State Theater in Falls Church, $5
- Fall Apple Harvest + Corn Maze: 9/1-9/30, Bluemont, weekend admission $19 (adult), $17 (children/senior)
- Mount Olive Labor Day Music & Arts Festival: Sat., Arlington, free
- LoCo Kids Fest: Mon., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Segra Field in Leesburg
- Fairfax City Restaurant Week: Starts Mon., Fairfax, deals for $10, $25 or $40
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