This article describes the most popular annual events held in Washington D.C. by month along with useful links to other articles for additional information.
January
Washington D.C. Restaurant Week
Washington D.C. restaurant week is actually longer than one week and takes place each winter and summer. It is a time when participating restaurants offer discounts or special menus to attract new customers. Typically over 100 restaurants in and around the city participate. Restaurant week is a great time to try the interesting and ethnically diverse restaurants that abound in the Washington D.C. area.
February
Washington Auto Show
The Washington Auto Show is usually held in early February in the Washington Convention Center. You can see special exhibits of exotic or custom vehicles in addition to a showcase of the current year’s vehicle lineup by automobile manufacturers.
March
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 17th is a Christian religious holiday dedicated to Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. Washington D.C. typically puts on a two and a half hour parade that begins at noon and runs along Constitution Ave. between 7th and 17th streets. You can purchase seats in the grandstand, which is located near the judge’s review stand. Viewing from the sidewalk is free. In the evening, all the bars, clubs and pubs in the city fill with folks wearing green articles of clothing signifying their Irish heritage. As the saying goes, “Everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day” so all are welcome to join the merriment especially those wearing a bit of green.
National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the transition from Spring to Winter with the stunning blossoming of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin. The original cherry trees arrived in 1912 as a gift from Japan, where the cherry blossom, or sakura, is the unofficial national flower. The blossoms are celebrated here in D.C. for 4 weeks from March 20th to April 13th. The actual blossoms usually don’t last that long and websites that ‘watch’ and show the peak bloom times in real time are many. In addition to enjoying the time honored tradition of a stroll around the Tidal Basin under the bowers of pink blossoms, enjoy some of the other events on offer during the festival. These include art, music, fireworks, a kite festival, distance runs, Japanese culture day and much more.
April
White House Easter Egg Roll
The annual White House Easter Egg Roll has been a Washington D.C. tradition since 1878 and continues to this day. This event also includes an Easter Egg hunt, drinks & snacks and a few other activities. Tickets for the general public are only available through a lottery that you can enter at this Recreation.gov website.
Filmfest DC
Filmfest DC is an international film festival that takes place over a week and a half across several venues in Washington D.C., showcasing world storytelling. Typically it includes over 35 films from shorts, to documentaries, to feature films in many genres. The film festival often showcases a feature film on a large outdoor screen at The Wharf. This is a great place to see films, focused on world storytelling, that rarely receive wide distribution.
May
Passport DC
Passport DC celebrates the city’s thriving international culture and takes place over the month of May, which is International Cultural Awareness month in the U.S. There are many events including the International City Food Festival, Fiesta Asia, the European Union Open House, and the Around the World Embassy Tour, where participating embassies open their doors to visitors and some even put on special exhibits or shows.
Rolling Thunder/Rolling to Remember Motorcycle Ride
The Rolling Thunder/Rolling to Remember motorcycle ride takes place every Memorial Day Weekend. Participants meet at the Pentagon north parking lot, which opens at 7:00 am EST and the ride starts at 12:00 pm EST. The memorial ride is not very long and riders are not permitted to stop anywhere along the route because they close off the streets. However, many motorcycle clubs and groups of riders organize rides to the Washington D.C. area and can be seen on the highways in the days leading up to Memorial Day.
Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremonies
There are five significant military memorial ceremonies around Washington D.C. The main one occurs at Arlington National Cemetery and additional ceremonies occur at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the U.S. Navy Memorial.
Memorial Day Parade
The Memorial Day Parade takes place on Memorial Day and starts at 2:00 pm EST. There are musical performances starting at 1:00 pm EST. This parade is broadcast nation wide on all of the major U.S. networks. The parade route starts at 7th St. NW, goes straight down Constitution Ave, NW and finishes at 17 St. NW.
June
Annual Barbecue Battle
The Annual Barbecue Battle occurs over a weekend in the middle of June. In addition to great BBQ there is live music, drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) interactive exhibits and various other fun and exciting activities. Come by and decide for yourself who has the best BBQ in the District.
July
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrates folk traditions from across the United States and around the world. It takes place on the National Mall during the two weeks bracketing the 4th of July. In addition to the many exhibits, visitors can take part in dances and songs, and talk with event speakers. More then one million people attend each year.
A Capitol Fourth
A Capitol Fourth consists of the National Independence Day Parade, a free concert on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, and a fireworks display on the National Mall. About 700,000 people attend this event every year, bringing folding chairs or blankets and picnics. Public access to the National Mall begins at 10:00 am EST. All visitors will be required to pass through metal detectors and all bags will be searched. No glass bottles or alcohol is allowed. A number of roads are closed for this event and parking is practically impossible so please plan ahead. There is a full dress rehearsal the day before so you can often see many of the same festivities with much smaller crowds if you want to go a day early! Booking a hotel with parking that is within easy walking distance of the National Mall is an option or you can park elsewhere and take public transportation.
The National Independence Day Parade starts at 11:45 am EST. It takes place on Constitution Ave. from 7th St. to 17th St. There are bands, fife and drum corps, floats, military units, giant balloons, equestrian, drill teams, and more taking part in the parade.
The concert starts at 8:00 pm EST and goes until 9:30 pm EST. Gates open at 3:00 pm EST. All visitors will be required to pass through metal detectors and all bags will be searched. The Capitol Fourth Fireworks Display usually begins shortly after 9:00 pm EST, but may be delayed or canceled due to significant inclement weather. The concert plays through the fireworks show, culminating in a resounding rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”, complete with cannon fire, in the background.
Mubadala Citi DC Open
The Mubadala Citi DC Open tennis tournament is the city’s signature professional tennis tournament and is one of the stops on the ATP and WTA tours. This event is held at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center and usually occurs in mid to late July.
August
DC JazzFest
The DC JazzFest is an annual, international Jazz Festival founded in 2005, that occurs over Labor Day weekend at the end of August. Past headliners include Dave Brubeck, Wayne Shorter, and Chico O’Farrill and in 2025, Branford Marsalis will top the bill. The main stages are located at The Wharf with additional performances taking place at other venues around town. Music at DC JazzFest at The Wharf runs from 12:00 pm EST to 10:00 pm EST on Saturdays and Sundays. The District Wharf is open early so you can experience the shops, restaurants, and entertainment at this waterfront destination. You do not need a ticket to watch performances from the Wharf Street promenade but to access the performances on District Pier or Transit Pier, a ticket is required.
September
National Symphony Orchestra’s Free Labor Day Concert takes place on September 1st on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This event is free to attend and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
DC Bike Ride is an organized, family friendly and fun bike ride that takes place in early September. The course takes riders through a scenic 20 miles of car-free roadways that are flat, easy to navigate and fun for all levels of riders. There will be rest stops along the way with drinks, snacks and portable restrooms as well as live music and entertainment throughout. Class 1, 2 and 3 electric bikes are welcome, but the maximum speed during the event cannot exceed 18 mph and the power rating of the motor cannot exceed 750 watts.
October
Marine Corps Marathon
The Marine Corps Marathon is one of the largest marathons in the world, is known as the best marathon for beginners and is the largest marathon that does not offer prize money, one of the reasons it is known as “the people’s marathon”. Runners come from all over the world to compete in this event, which takes runners through the streets of Washington D.C. and parts of Northern Virginia.
November
Veterans Day Ceremonies
There are four significant veteran memorial ceremonies around Washington D.C. The main one occurs at Arlington National Cemetery and additional ceremonies occur at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the U.S. Navy Memorial.
December
The National Christmas Tree Lighting
The National Christmas Tree Lighting, a US tradition since 1923, takes place every year on the Ellipse (15th St. NW & E St. NW) in front of the White House. The tree is decorated with thousands of lights and unique decorations. After the lighting, the tree is open to the public through January 1st. Typically, the lights are on from sunset to 10:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 pm Friday and Saturday.
New Years Eve
Although Washington D.C. does not offer a public fireworks display there are a number of venues that put on a great party.
Additional Resources
Washington.org is a great website with lots of useful information about visiting Washington D.C.
TheDistrict.com is another great website with lots of useful information about visiting Washington D.C.