The Washington Post - 06.09.2019

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THE WASHINGTON POST

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

Plan Ahead The best things to see, drink and do in September

MARLENA SLOSS/THE WASHINGTON POST

After being closed for more than five of the past eight years, the Washington Monument is set to

reopen with same-day tickets being given out on a first-come, first-served basis for the first month.

Street festival season, Sept. 8-23

The festivities go on for 11 blocks

during the H Street Festival, one of

D.C.’s most popular neighborhood

celebrations. The Sept. 21 event is

expected to draw a crowd of

150,000 to the H Street Corridor in

Northeast for performances from

local musicians, artists and

dancers on 14 stages. But it’s not

the only neighborhood street party

this month: Adams Morgan Day

(Sept. 8), Clarendon Day (Sept. 21),

Hyattsville Arts and Ales Festival

(Sept. 21) and Barracks Row Fall

Festival (Sept. 28) also will draw

crowds from around the area. Free.

— Adele Chapin

Art All Night, Sept. 14

With the District’s annual Art All

Night event taking place in eight

neighborhoods, from Tenleytown

and Dupont Circle to Congress

Heights and Minnesota Avenue,

and featuring hundreds of artists,

it’s hard — make that impossible —

to experience everything. The

multisite extravaganza includes

visual and performing art at indoor

and outdoor venues, on public and

private sites. So don’t even try to

see it all. Pick a neighborhood

that’s convenient and explore it,

fully. You’ve got eight hours. (Or

maybe pick two: Shaw, for example,

and Dupont Circle aren’t terribly far

apart by bike). 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. at

various locations. Free. — Michael

O’Sullivan

‘What the Constitution Means to

Me’, Sept. 11-22

Playwright Heidi Schreck spent

part of her high school years at

constitutional debate

competitions, earning money for

college tuition. Schreck’s “What the

Constitution Means to Me” re-

creates those childhood

monologues and weaves in her

family history and her take on the

triumphs and failings of the

Constitution. The funny and

affecting play arrives at the

Kennedy Center after a hit New

York run: The District’s Woolly

Mammoth originally planned to

produce it this past spring, but the

buzz surrounding Schreck’s work

ushered it to Broadway. Various

times at the Kennedy Center. $49-

$169. — Adele Chapin

WalkingTown D.C., Sept. 14-22

Whether you were born at the Columbia Hospital for Women or moved to

Washington over the summer, the annual WalkingTown D.C. can unlock

secrets and hidden histories of the city. More than 50 walking tours over

nine days uncover the stories behind Washington’s most magnificent

cemetery, the experiences of Jewish and German immigrants, and sites

important to the struggles for African American and LGBTQ civil rights. Go

inside the U.S. Botanic Garden’s collection, or learn about gentrification

while exploring H Street NE. Whether you take a short, midweek,

lunchtime stroll around downtown or an extended weekend bike tour, you

won’t look at the city the same way again. For a full schedule, go to

culturaltourismdc.org. Tours are free, but space is limited. — Fritz Hahn

Wiener 500, Sept. 21

If most Oktoberfest celebrations blur together in a haze of lederhosen,

pretzels and oompah bands, let us introduce you to the Wiener 500, the

most singular Oktoberfest celebration in Washington. Dozens of

dachshunds race to determine the speediest wiener dog while crowds

roar them on, and all the action is shown on a 17-foot screen. (Yes, it’s as

hilarious as it sounds.) Outside the sprinting pups, there’s a beer garden,

stein-holding competitions, DJs and a doggy costume contest that’s open

to all breeds. Proceeds from the event benefit the Humane Rescue

Alliance. 1 to 5 p.m. at the Wharf. Free. — Fritz Hahn

‘Lee Ufan: Open

Dimension,’ opens Sept. 27

For the first time in its 45-

year history, the Hirshhorn

Museum and Sculpture

Garden is turning over all

4.4 acres of its outdoor

plaza to a single artist. Lee

Ufan — an 83-year-old

Korean artist who is known

for installations that call

attention to empty space as

much as to themselves —

will showcase 10 site-

responsive sculptural

works. Using a combination

of natural objects (e.g.,

stone) and man-made

materials (e.g., steel), the

show will be Ufan’s largest

single outdoor installation

in the United States to date.

Through Sept. 3, 2020, at

the Hirshhorn Museum and

Sculpture Garden. Free. —

Michael O’Sullivan

Washington Monument reopens, Sept. 19

The Washington Monument is D.C.’s most visible landmark, but earthquake damage,

problems with the elevator and construction of a new security screening area have meant

that it has been closed for more than five of the past eight years. However, the monument is

set to reopen to visitors on Sept. 19, and this time, the Park Service promises it will actually

stay open. For the first month, same-day tickets will be given away on a first-come, first-

served basis daily at 8:30 a.m., and the monument will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets

for dates after Oct. 19 will be available on recreation.gov. Free. — Fritz Hahn

FABRICE SEIXAS/COURTESY OF LEE UFAN

30th Annual Kunta Kinte

Heritage Festival, Sept. 28

In October 1767, a ship called the

Lord Ligonier arrived in Annapolis

bearing “a cargo of choice,

healthy slaves.” Among them,

according to author Alex Haley,

was his ancestor Kunta Kinte.

Every year, not far from a statue of

Haley at City Dock, the Kunta

Kinte Heritage Festival celebrates

African American culture with

multiple stages of gospel, soul

and funk music, storytelling, food

and tents of arts and craft

vendors. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at

Annapolis City Dock. Free. — Fritz

Hahn

Blisspop Disco Fest, Sept. 27-29

In recent years, EDM has reigned

supreme on mainstream radio.

But disco has had a quiet but

steady resurgence thanks to a

new generation of musicians.

These key players — plus other

notable names in dance music —

will come together for the second

installation of Blisspop Disco Fest.

Among the buzzy headliners set to

perform at 9:30 Club and U Street

Music Hall are Kentucky producer

and activist the Black Madonna

and electro-funk duo Chromeo

(who will play a DJ set). There’s

also a good reason to get to the

shows early — the schedule is

brimming with superb local talent.

Catch Sam “The Man” Burns, Eau

Claire and more regional acts

while you’re dancing the night

away. Various times at 9:30 Club

and U Street Music Hall. $20-$60.

— Stephanie Williams

CHRIS SORENSEN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Playwright and star Heidi

Schreck brings her show to D.C.

after a hit New York run.