The DC Cherry Blossom Bus Tour with Tidal Basin Guided Walk…read more I've been a resident of the DMV for 15 years and welcome the opportunity to show the highlights of D.C. when members of my family come for a visit. My sister Mary lives in Delaware and had long wanted to experience the color and drama of the Cherry Blossom Festival. These visits can be frustrating - we never really know when the blossoms will be in full bloom, and how long they'll be pretty and photogenic. This year (2026) was no different. The DC Cherry Blossom Tour, hosted by USA Guided Tours, was our go-to provider for this outing. After I ordered our tickets for a mid-week 10 a.m. four-hour tour, I received a prompt acknowledgement from TripAdvisor that the reservations were ready. I made the reservation just a few days earlier, so it was great to see the email that acknowledged our tickets and told us where to go to join the tour. The logistics involved in getting to the correct bus were easy: my sister and I showed up at the Navy Memorial, across the street from the National Archives (which is on the Yellow line Metro). A tour representative was already there and did a great job of getting us into the proper queue for our tour (USA Tours had four different tours departing that morning). The tickets were scanned and we were on our way, right on time. Highlights of the tour included walking through the cherry trees with abundant blossoms, photographers everywhere, and really pretty expressions of an early summer day in the District. We could see across the tidal basin to the impressive carved statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., which we headed to after spending the first walking excursion in the tidal basin and then the FDR Memorial. Our guide did an outstanding job of providing backstories and context to the places we visited, including the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memoria. We had ample opportunities to stretch our legs, take free bottles of water, and use restroom facilities (as the bus did not have one on board). Both driver and guide handled their responsibilities very well, and we all had an excellent opportunity to see the blossoms. And, just as our guide had predicted, a severe thunderstorm rolled through the tidal basin later that day and wiped out 100 percent of the blossoms we enjoyed earlier that day. Luck of the draw!

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is absolutely a must-do--especially if you've never seen D.C…read more in peak bloom. There were so many cherry blossoms and, yes, a lot of people--but honestly, the crowds weren't too bad. Going on a Monday made a big difference, and visiting a few days after peak bloom was declared (plus slightly cooler weather) helped keep things manageable. Those warm, sunny peak bloom days are when it gets really packed. The most crowded area was near the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, where several trees have branches hanging low over the Tidal Basin--perfect for photos. That said, if you're planning to take pictures, don't expect to stage the perfect shot or linger too long. The crowds keep things moving. Honestly though, you can't really take a bad photo of the blossoms. We took the Metro to Smithsonian Station and walked to the Tidal Basin. Driving during peak bloom is a nightmare, so avoid that if you can. The main festival area near the Thomas Jefferson Memorial had gift shops, an info booth, food trucks, vendors, and picnic tables. The BloomFest stage had a nice variety of programming, from musicians to park ranger talks to dance performances. It's a perfect spot to grab a snack, relax, and take a break from walking the Basin. While you're there, it's also worth exploring the nearby Franklin Roosevelt and MLK Memorials as you stroll along the trees. Overall, this is one of those classic D.C. experiences that really lives up to the hype

Snally seems to have come a long way. I believe 13 years strong now! It sounds like post-pandemic…read morethey had some struggles returning to form, but I can affirm that the 2025 event was top notch and well attended by visitors and brewers. There were over 450 beers to choose from, with breweries from all over the world participating, and options came in every possible variety. I tried some new ones I have never heard of, from breweries I have never seen offered, and that is what a beer fest is all about. Despite tons of people and tons of offerings, there was plenty of space, a good amount of porta-potties, good food choices (my fave was Soko and their terrific double smash burger), easily accessible giant water jugs, and areas to sit or stand. Three stages, too with live music, DJs, and live podcast tapings throughout the day. Your ticket got you a complimentary tasting glass and as many free 4 oz pours you could handle. Food was extra but prices were reasonable. Regular tickets, which they call Kraken passes, were $85 this year (including fees and taxes), while VIP passes were double. Quite pricey for what you get, but for a once a year opportunity to explore some new beers with the Capitol Dome as a backdrop? I can dig it. For those curious, VIP gets you early entry, a dedicated tent/seating space, and your own porta-potties. I don't think that justifies the added price - I think they should lower the price slightly and offer some free merch, but many beers did run out before the end of the day, so if are a true beer fanatic, it's worth looking into. My favorite new discovery was Forager Brewing's imperial porter, the pudding goggles. Fun to say and even more fun to drink.

Came here with friends. Tickets were around $70 a piece. The line to get in was incredibly long,…read morebut went quickly. The lines inside the beer festival however did not go quickly. Crowds were massive so it was difficult getting to try different beers. They did hand out a few full sized at the beginning. A few beers were sold out by the time I got in for regular admission but the price for early entry didn't seem worth it to me. Overall, I would consider coming again but it isn't my favorite beer festival I've been to, it fell a bit short.

It's a hybrid, a cross between a fun-park and a road. It's "Half Fairground, Half Street." Hence…read morethe name. But not really. These fairgrounds are actually multiple-use grounds with tons of spots to buy beer (The Bullpen) right across from the Baseball stadium near downtown DC. It's a really fantastic concept and one which more cities should be taking notice of. I've been here for concerts and for Truckeroo food festivals, and it's also fantastic before and after Nationals games. It's just a really great space and if it weren't for the masses of overpriced beer and the fact that they sell tobacco (and even have Cigar Trucks here ew) I'd give them a 5, but it always smells so bad and is so dirty here due to the presence of so much alcohol and tobacco. It's not fair. But it is fair grounds.

My husband and I stopped here before a National game to grab a couple of beers and people watch…read more There was a lot of people watching going on and would recommend that for sure. The beer prices were crazy but cheaper than inside the stadium. This was a free area to get in and they had a band playing live music. The port a potties were still in decent shape when I got there too so that was a bonus. Would I come here again? Yeah probably but only if I was going to another national's game.

This two day event is jam packed with food, swag, prizes, drinks and all things BBQ. Follow the…read moresocial media to plan your day. Be prepared to stand in lines. Enter from 7th Street. There is a free bike valet. Archives metro is close by. Get a brochure from Giant and read about all the guests & vendors. Stay hydrated. The shopping bags that Giant handed out were appreciated and filled quickly with swag. Some guests brought wagons to hold all of their items. There were so many drink & food give a ways. The prizes were varied and fun. IKEA medium sized bags or Costco bags are perfect for hauling items. Bring a sweat towel. Wear comfy shoes. Have fun!

Freeeebies, freeebies, and well...more freeeeebies!!!…read more What a time to be had at the bbq battle!!!! Only thing I didn't sample was the bbq....sheeesh!! I really didn't want to BUT of all the freebies and samples, one would think bbq would be at the top of the list but only stubbs had bbq samples. I was surprised that there were healthy options at the battle - non dairy, gluten free, cauliflower pizza, salad....What a time I had! I couldn't carry all my freebies - and live music - yessssss!! DJ Jazzy Jeff - ok DC! I am not a native DC'er but I was happy Backyard Band and the Chuck Brown Band was in the building (dare I say I am getting acclimated to go-go music). For $20ish bucks a ticket, I felt it was well worth it. As others have said - more seating would be better, I had to exit for a bit to have a sit down (I got a stamp and was let back in with no issue).

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian hosted a four-day Hawaiian cultural…read morefestival, Thursday, May 15, to Sunday, May 18, in commemoration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which included demonstrations, films, dance, food and more. The events surrounding the annual Hawai'i Festival. I was born in the Territory of Hawaii. Yeah, I'm that old. So any tributes to my state, especially far from the island is a good thing for me. Even if you're not from Hawaii, it's still a good thing to learn about the culture and educate yourself. Even with all the demonstrations of Hawaiian culture, it really only touch the surface. Hope to see more of this kind of events in the future.

Awesome festivities, creative lights on boats, and community engagement at its best! Amazing…read moremusics venues, Pendry Hotel tables nicely designed outdoors with a fire pit, and a Santa photo op. Various treats and freebies offered, great concert - live music. Talk about clubbing on the pier! This evening of Jack Daniels partnership on a pier at the wharf was a full on Techno, old school, pop dance party! They did not spare much...DJ sounds, free tastings of Jack Daniels apple whisky and Jack Daniels rum and coke lasted from 6-9pm. The Boat parade was demonstrated how great a community we have on the the wharf. Followed by fireworks, this 30 year celebration of the holiday boat parade could not have been a better welcoming of the holidays! Kudos to the wharf for putting on an amazing event!

My husband and I love boats and sailing (and one of the things that drew us to each other). So it…read morewas pretty humorous that we had consistently missed the Parade of Lights for the entirety of our relationship...but quite honestly, isn't that the way it seems to always go? Well, this year, we put it on our calendars well in advance, and made a point to head down for the Parade of Lights. So, first of all - if you haven't heard of it before, the Parade of Lights is on the Potomac...as in, it's a parade of *boats*. The parade starts off in Old Town Alexandria (down by the Torpedo Factory), and ends up on the DC Wharf on Water Street, where all the boats dock, and there is a big awesome after party. We opted to watch from Alexandria, as we weren't really in the mood to deal with drunken revelers (I know, so unusual for me!), and I think we were ultimately glad we did. Although the docks were crowded (seriously, get there early and stake a spot!), the view was perfect. The boats were all decked out in lights, each boat with a different theme (although there should be a drinking game...whenever a boat's theme is "Christmas", you do a shot. You'll be drunk 15 minutes into this thing). So the good: The event started right on time. The kick off was supposed to be at 5:30, and the first boat pulled into view at 5:35. Awesome. Some of the boats are decked out incredibly creatively It's not your usual parade There was a professional radio DJ (I didn't catch which one...Tommy something?) that provided the commentary and filled up the time when the boats lagged behind The not so good: The DJ that was providing the commentary ran out of material about 1/3 of the way through and he started to read off tweets...which I pretty much loathe (even though I'm a huge fan of twitter) Some of the boats really lagged, so there were periods where you would just stand there in the cold waiting for another boat to pull into view It is COLD. It's the beginning of December, on the water, at night. OMG. SO. COLD. All that being said, it's a quirky, off the wall little event, and I love the creativity that the captains put into their boats. Definitely fun and weird.

The H Street festival celebrated 21 years of supporting local businesses. This year the celebration…read morewas Saturday, September 19, from 12noon -7pm on H Street, NE (3rd St to 12th Street. If you are driving, you might find a space in the neighborhood (a few streets over). Union Station isn't far - a few blocks from 3rd street, NE. There were dozens and dozens of vendors, lots of free swag and three entertainment stages and a play area for kids. The entertainment stages had DJs, artists and bands. The department of recreation had a bouncy house, lots of games, toys, free popcorn, cotton candy, icees and frozen custard. There were lots of local organizations with "spin the wheel" games and prizes. The city has a lot of companies that offer assistance in many areas. The vendors were amazing. H Street was "one stop shopping" in hand made goods (soap, candles, perfume, jewelry, fashion, t-shirts, handbags, ball caps and art. Food and beverage stations were attracting guests. It wasn't as crowded as Giant's Battle of the BBQ. The community came together and enjoyed the day. Follow H Street festival on social media to stay updated on future events.

The 2022 H Street Festival executed on every street festival/block party need: Good food, good…read moremusic & entertainment, good vendors, a little dancing with a whole lot of celebration.. and Mother Nature brought the good weather! Not only was there diversity within the items listed above but it brought out a diverse crowd--I'm sure every identity was present at the festival making for good vibes. Food wise, there was a range of vendors that included food from across the Black diaspora (Jamaican, Haitian, Southern soul food), American cuisine, Bar food from H Street bars & restaurants, sushi & other Asian cuisine , among other fun food trucks. The music I experienced spread across multiple genres (African, r&b, reggae, hip hop, country, and pop) and was put forth by live musicians, DJs, and drag queens. Street formers were also off stage entertaining us with their percussion and brass instruments.

First time attending 420 festival, I enjoyed music by action Bronson and my boy ludacris, I brought…read moretickets online, I heard people looking for tickets outside venue, because they were sold out, that happened to me last year, so I was prepared for this year. They could have done better with traffic, no officers directing traffic, so that was a nightmare getting into event, not to mention ncf, could have done a better job putting information on map what lot parking was going to be in, trying to find the lot to park in was hell , as well as parking was $20, overall I had a good experience, can't wait to see what headliners are for next year.

Small carnival located in parking lot 6 of RFK. $5 entry fee. No charge for parking, and there's…read moreplenty of it. Standard fair games. Standard carnival food like deep fried Oreos, corn dogs. They have an icee place which is nice, also a smoothie stand. A few rides, mostly for smaller children. This year there was one that went upside down like the pirate ship ride.

In order to appreciate this festival, one ought to know the history of the region and be aware of…read morelarge influence of Asians, African and Latino immigration to this region. The food is a reflection of that mix. Although it is hard to define a "national food" the region offers a variety of food that includes Asian and African influence food. The festival favorite appeared to be jerk chicken with rice as there were 4 vendors offering that. The portions are generous, taste is just right and cost within reality. The music was a bit loud but very engaging - I could just see the love birds dancing and enjoying the rhythm from DJ's. There is a lot of smoke going on as many grills were fired up but there is a lot of space where one can sit and enjoy food in shade of trees. There are vendors offering the region products and the location is very convenient as it can be easily reached by metro. The museums are close so one can enjoy morning museum, take a short walk and enjoy a bit more engaging atmosphere afterwards.