You don’t have to travel far this summer in order to have a fun—and frugal—time. Here are a few free cultural events happening in the DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia area, plus cool hotel picks for each city.
Alexandria, Virginia
Kick off your summer with a weekend getaway to this historic old port city (this year marks Alexandria’s 275th anniversary) full of colonial charm and cobblestoned streets at the Portside in Old Town Summer Festival (June 21-22), a free festival featuring an eclectic mix of live music, local craft beer from Port City Brewing Company, and family fun on the Alexandria waterfront. On Friday evening, don’t miss jazz performances by the Lovejoy Group, Brandon Woody’s Upendo, and Kokayi at the ALX Jazz Fest @Portside (https://www.alexandriava.gov/arts/alexandria-jazz-fest). The festivities continue on Saturday with more music, local food, and interactive arts and history activities.
While in town, take a walk along the waterfront and discover the African American Heritage Trail, peruse the shops and eateries on King Street (every August there’s an annual summer sidewalk sale), and check out artist studios at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
Where to Stay: Centrally located in Old Town, the pet-friendly Hotel Indigo is Alexandria’s only waterfront hotel. Get a cozy room with a view of the Potomac River and dine at the rustic, Hamptons-reminiscent Hummingbird Bar + Kitchen.
Baltimore, MD
If you love arts and culture festivals, then you have two reasons to visit Charm City. First up is the annual AFRAM (June 22-23), one of the largest African American festivals on the East Coast. The two-day event in the city’s Druid Hill Park draws thousands of attendees who come for the soul food, fashion, and music performances. (Fun fact: this public park inspired the name of hometown R&B group Dru Hill.) A few of this year’s scheduled headliners are Busta Rhymes, Morris Day, Big Daddy Kane, and Karen Clark-Sheard.
Later in the summer, there’s Artscape (Aug. 2-4, https://www.artscape.org/about-artscape/), one of America’s largest free outdoor arts festivals, with local food and crafts vendors, public art displays, and performances from local and world-renowned recording artists.
Where to Stay: Hotel Revival Baltimore is a new boutique hotel that boasts 107 beautifully restored guest rooms in the city’s historic Mount Vernon neighborhood. The handsome hotel is accented by local art and features the popular rooftop restaurant, Topside, and a spirit-forward speakeasy with karaoke rooms.
The hotel overlooks the landmark 178 foot-tall Washington Monument at Mount Vernon Place, the first monument to George Washington in the U.S. Inside the monument’s restored white marble interior, climb the tower stairs to the top for a breathtaking 360 view of Baltimore City. During your stay, walk to the Walters Art Museum and check out the nearby eclectic shops and ethnically diverse restaurants.
Washington, D.C.
The District of Columbia comes alive in the summertime. An annual calendar highlight is the free Smithsonian Folklife Festival (June 26-July 1), which celebrates Indigenous and international cultures on the National Mall with craft exhibits, live music and cooking demos, and coincides with the 20th anniversary of the National Museum of the American Indian. For the July 4th holiday, pack a picnic, arrive early, and secure a spot to watch the fireworks against DC’s iconic skyline of monuments and memorials on the National Mall. Then over Labor Day weekend, don’t miss the DC JazzFest (Aug. 28-Sept. 1), celebrating its 20th anniversary with performances by D-Nice, Samara Joy, Chuck Brown Band, Dianne Reeves, and more at the Wharf and across the city.Where to Stay: Eaton DC, in the District’s downtown corridor, is a whole vibe. Enjoy live music and tasty sips and bites at the rooftop bar and lounge Wild Days, savor artisanal cocktails and sway to DJ sets at the artsy speakeasy Allegory, and take an R&B yoga or sound meditation class at Eaton Wellness. Then get your beauty rest in one of the hotel’s modern rooms accented with niche amenities like a record player with a curated vinyl selection.
