Weekend Round Up August 20, 2026
By • August 20, 2026 0 510
The stars come out this weekend: Ledisi, paying tribute to Dinah Washington, at Strathmore and Josh Groban, backed by the NSO, at Wolf Trap. Wet your palate with rosé at the Ritz-Carlton on Friday and South African wines at the Roost on Sunday. In between, hit the books at the Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Thursday Is the New Friday
Tonight, Aug. 20, is Third Thursday at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, with free admission from 5 to 8 p.m. and spotlight talks at 6 and 7 p.m. Visitors can order off the full menu — including aperitifs, wine and beer — in the museum’s Bread Furst café. Also open are five Third Thursday partners: IA&A at Hillyer, 9 Hillyer Court; Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW; Washington Studio School, 2129 S St. NW; the Korean Cultural Center, 2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW; and ADA Art Gallery, 1627 21st St. NW.
Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed
The National Children’s Museum at Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, is presenting Back-to-School Pop Ups on Friday, Aug. 21, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and on Saturday, Aug. 22, and Sunday, Aug. 23, at 10 and 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Session titles are: Pinwheel Breathing, Shape Builders, Storytime, Microscopic Observation and Get Ready Relay. Register online when purchasing timed-entry museum admission: $18.95 per person (except persons who haven’t had their first birthday, who get in free).
You Call That Iambic Pentameter?
On Friday, Aug. 21, Poetry Kickoff with María Fernanda at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE, comes in two parts: a 3 p.m. workshop and a 5:30 p.m. reading. Inspired by the Folger’s bounty of Shakespeare’s First Folios, workshop participants will compose poems using Fernanda’s writing prompts, then bind their own three-sheet folios. That evening, Fernanda will present poems from the workshop and read her own poems and poems by poets who influenced her, such as Nikki Giovanni and Robin Coste Lewis. Both events are free, but registration is required.
In the Pink
The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, 3100 South St. NW, hosts Rosé, Art & Conversation on Friday, Aug. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. At this get-together on the terrace, attendees will take part in a curated tasting of exceptional rosé wines while Calloway Fine Art presents a selection of contemporary works.
The Best of the Best of the Best, Sir!
The Washington Harbour’s Waterfront Movie Nights series continues on Friday, Aug. 21, at Georgetown Waterfront Park, K Street and Wisconsin Avenue NW, with the 1997 sci-fi comedy “Men in Black.” The free screening starts at sunset, on or about 7 p.m. Blankets and lawn chairs are welcome; no Noisy Crickets.
Is There Anyone Finah?
On Friday, Aug. 21, and Saturday, Aug. 22, at 8 p.m., Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, Maryland, presents “Ledisi: For Dinah,” the Grammy-winning vocalist’s tribute to legendary jazz singer Dinah Washington, “balancing the spirit of the hip-hop generation with the elegance of R&B history.” Tickets are $29 to $139, including a $1 contribution to the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans.
Author, Author
Featured authors at this year’s Library of Congress National Book Festival, on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., include Kate McKinnon, Tia Williams, Martin Scorsese, Cynthia Erivo and Ann Patchett. Genres highlighted at the festival, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW, range from Adventure, America250 and Animals to Theater, Thriller and Young Adult. Free tickets are required.
When Was Iced Tea Invented, Anyhow?
On Saturday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m., Georgetown’s Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, 1644 31st St. NW, is offering a History on Iced Tea & Tour. Iced tea, tea sandwiches, cakes and other treats will be served on the dining terrace (rain location: Dower House). A guided garden tour, with a dash of Peter family history, will follow. Tickets are $65 ($55 for members).
D.C. in Flames
At 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, two days before the anniversary of what “may have been the worst day in the history of Washington, D.C., and perhaps of America,” author and ex-White House speechwriter Ed Moser will lead his annual British Conquest and Burning of Washington Tour. Participants are to meet outside the National Theater, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, for the doleful two-hour jaunt. Tickets are $31.46 on Eventbrite.
Calling All Grobanites
Multi-platinum recording artist and Broadway, film and TV star Josh Groban will appear with the National Symphony Orchestra in Stage, Screen, and Symphony on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 8 p.m. at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road in Vienna, Virginia. Sean O’Loughlin will conduct the NSO, accompanying the singer’s performance of classic covers and original songs. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $61.
Can You Say Stellenbosch?
On Sunday, Aug. 23, at noon, the Roost, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (Potomac Avenue Metro), will host a South African Wine Fest. The event is a walk-around tasting and bottle sale of 30 ultra-fine, sustainably produced wines — sparkling, white, rosé and red — from the Rainbow Nation. Tickets are $52.86 on Eventbrite.
Northeast Quadrant Farming
Celebrate DC Plant Week at an Urban Garden Open House on Sunday, Aug. 23, from noon to 2 p.m. Visitors to Cultivate the City’s new urban farm at 2806 Channing St. NE will tour the site’s raised beds, fruits, houseplants and vertical gardens. On hand: DC Water’s Bloom, distributing free soil amendment (bring a container) and cool-weather seedlings; the Department of Energy and Environment’s Riversmart Homes program, installing a rain barrel and sharing info on stormwater runoff mitigation; Southern Maryland Tropicals, selling houseplants; and Apogee Farms, handing out produce from its new urban farm in Northeast D.C. Light snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. Registration is free on Eventbrite.
