What's on tap this weekend:
- A wet and wild Pride Parade and festival. Grab a poncho for some dancing in the rain. Here’s the forecast.
- Whatever your Pride vibe is, WorldPride has something for you, but the biggest events are the Pride Parade, the 17th Street Block Party and the two-day festival featuring free concerts from Cynthia Erivo and Doechii.
- Free and family-friendly events include the WorldPride Family Fun Festival, Bowiefest, Occoquan's RiverFest & Craft Show and roller skating or fishing at Anacostia park.
- Subscribe to The Weekend Scene newsletter to get our weekend guide delivered straight to your inbox — every Wednesday.
If you usually attend Pride events in DC, WorldPride will be everything you know and love … but with J. Lo, tourist hot takes and maybe a million extra people. Plus or minus Dupont Circle Park.
Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.
WATCH HERELet’s not forget: Pride began as a protest led by people standing up for their right to exist – and there’s still work to do.
Can't-miss events on WorldPride's biggest weekend
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WorldPride 17th Street Block Party
Fri., 5-10 p.m., and Sat., noon to 10 p.m., historic 17th Street NW
🔗 Details
Welcome to the gayborhood! While the parade won’t go through Dupont this year, Pride is still on in the historic home of D.C.’s LGBTQIA+ community celebration.
Kick things off with the High Heel Party on Friday featuring drag performances on multiple stages, plus DJs on every corner.
The Scene
The most fun things to do and places to be in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
On Saturday, drop by for a funk band, fire performers, a mermaid tank, street murals and more drag.
Looking for something family-friendly? Try the Family Fun Festival at nearby Stead Park.
Free pick
WorldPride DC Parade
Sat., steps off at 2 p.m. from 14th and T streets NW
🔗 Details
D.C.’s Pride parade is always a spectacle of floats, dancers, music and community organizations, and this year promises to be bigger and more global than ever.
Pride pros: Remember that the parade route has changed. Dupont and Logan circles are out, but Thomas Circle is in. Here's a map.
- The best place to watch the parade? You’ll find good views all along the route, but show up early if you want to be super close. Grandstand seating is available starting at $42.59. If you need accessible seating, register here.
- Best Metro stations? Dupont, McPherson Square and U Street are among the closest stops.
Free pick
WorldPride Free Street Festival and Concerts
Sat. and Sun., noon to 10 p.m., Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 9th and 3rd Streets
🔗 Details
The heart of WorldPride’s big weekend is the free two-day street festival and concert (not to be confused with the other festival with J. Lo and Troye Sivan at RFK Stadium, which costs $170+).
Cynthia Erivo is holding space as headliner on day one, following David Archuleta, CeCe Peniston, Pangina Heals and more.
Doechii (the Grammys’ best new artist this year, hello!) will close out the festival on Sunday.
This festival has beverage gardens, food vendors, community tables and vendors (Make sure to stop by and say hi at NBC Washington’s booth). It’s also where you can take care of basic human needs for food, bathrooms and cool-down zones. It’s blocks from the end of the Pride Parade route.
More weekend highlights
Nats Postgame Summer Concert Series with Natasha Bedingfield
Fri., 6:45 p.m., Nats Park, $25+
🔗 Details
See Natasha Bedingfield for free after the Nats face the Rangers on Friday. Cue a “Pocket Full of Sunshine” sing-along!
The Nats are playing at home every day through Sunday, and Thursday is Pride night!
Free pick
Let’s Go Music Festival
Fri. and Sat., Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, $79+
🔗 Details
The homegrown music festival is pulled together by sibling duo Chris Hartman and Liz Rawlings returns with a lineup made for indie and alt rock lovers.
Third Eye Blind, Young the Giant and Milky Chance are performing along with some local acts.
There are also lawn games and the option to bring your own chair.
Free pick
Bowiefest
Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Allen Pond Park in Bowie
🔗 Details
Bowiefest has a little bit of everything, including R&B, jazz, karate demos, motivational rap and a kids’ dance party.
Shuttle buses will be available from parking lots at Mitchellville Soccer Fields, the Park & Ride Lot on Northview Drive and the side lot of United Furniture Warehouse.
Strawberry Festival
Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sandy Spring Museum, $12 (adult)/$8 (kids 2 to 17)
🔗 Details
The Sandy Spring Museum’s Strawberry Festival is back for a day of treats, live entertainment and plenty of fun for kids, including carnival games and a petting zoo. Snack on strawberry shortcakes or browse the plant sale while you’re there.
Free pick
Loudoun’s Appalachian Trail Festival
Fri. and Sat., Old Stone School grounds in Hillsboro
🔗 Details
Lace 'em up and hit the trail! Old Stone School Grounds in Hillsboro, Virginia, hosts this celebration of the Appalachian Trail.
Enjoy live music, talk to hiking experts and check out nature-inspired art.
Free pick
RiverFest & Craft Show
Sat. and Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Occoquan
🔗 Details
More than 250 artisans will be bringing their work to the craft show at this historic riverfront town. Make a day of it with boat tours, beer gardens and food trucks.
Concerts this weekend
Daughter of Swords, 7 p.m. Thursday, Songbyrd, $16 (advance)/$18 (day of)
Alex Sauser-Monnig artfully moves between sparse folk, electropop and cool indie rock. Details.
American Aquarium, 7 p.m. Friday, Union Stage, $33.17 (advance)/$38.71 (day of)
Wistful and earnest alt-country. Frontman B.J. Barham's got wit, but more likely will make you cry -- thus a band name lifted from Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” Details.
J. Roddy Walston, 7 p.m. Saturday, DC9, $25.75 (advance)/$28.23 (day of)
Piano-pounding wildman fronted the best live rock and roll act around (remember when rock and roll was a genre?) when he was backed by The Business several years ago. He just released a new LP with Palm Palm last month, and seeing him back in a smaller club should make for a raucous, fun and sweaty show. Details.
Perfume Genius - A WorldPride 2025 Event, 6 p.m. Saturday, 9:30 Club, $52.35
Mike Hadreas’ calls new LP "Glory" his “most directly confessional.” His art-pop/glam-rock aptly feels bolder. Details.
Things to do in D.C.
Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion free skate rentals: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1500 Anacostia Drive SE, free
Pride Plays: Tues. to Fri., Woolly Mammoth, free
Nationals Night OUT: Thurs., 6:45 p.m., Nats Park, $27+
Grace Jones & Janelle Monáe: Thurs., The Anthem, $170+
Phillips after 5 - Party with Pride: Thurs., 5-8:30 p.m., The Phillips Collection,
Pride on the Pier boat parade and fireworks: Fri., 3-11 p.m., The Wharf, free
Nats Postgame Summer Concert Series with Natasha Bedingfield: Fri., 6:45 p.m., Nats Park, $25+
We Are Them: A WorldPride Drag Race Party: Fri., 8 p.m., The Anthem, $84.95+
Music Festival: Global Dance Party: Fri. and Sat., RFK Festival Grounds, $139+ for a one-day pass
WorldPride 17th Street Block Party: Fri., 5-10 p.m., and Sat., noon to 10 p.m., historic 17th Street NW, free
Community fishing with Friends of Anacostia Park: Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Anacostia Park, free
WorldPride Family Fun Festival: Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Stead Park, free
WorldPride DC Parade: Sat., steps off at 2 p.m. from 14th and T streets NW, free
WorldPride Free Street Festival plus post-parade and closing concerts: Sat. and Sun., noon to 10 p.m., Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 9th and 3rd Streets
National Trans Visibility March: Sun., assembly at 7:30 a.m. at Human Rights Campaign headquarters, free
Things to do in Maryland
Summer Concert Series – Don’t Back Down: Fri., 6-9 p.m., The Square in Rockville, free
Mount Rainier Pride: Sat., 10 a.m. to noon, parade goes from Mount Rainier Elementary School to the Gateway Farmers Market, free
Strawberry Festival: Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sandy Spring Museum, $12 (adult)/$8 (kids 2 to 17)
Bowiefest: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Allen Pond Park in Bowie, free
3rd Annual Pride Walk: Sat., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., National Harbor, free
The Purple Mixtape: A Prince Celebration: Sat., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, $15.65+
Movies on the Potomac - “Mufasa”: Sun., 6 p.m., National Harbor, free
Voices of Fairwood - Celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month: Sun., 4-6 p.m., Fairwood Park in Bowie, free
Things to do in Virginia
Loudoun’s Appalachian Trail Festival: Fri. and Sat., Old Stone School grounds in Hillsboro, free
Saint Katherine Spring Greek Festival: Fri. and Sat., Falls Church, free entry
RiverFest & Craft Show: Sat. and Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Occoquan, free entry
The Fairfax Pride Launch Event: Sat., 9:30-11:30 a.m., Old Town Hall in Fairfax, free
Petpalooza: Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Reston Town Center, free
Old Town Alexandria Arts & Crafts Fair: Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Waterfront Park, free
Taste of Springfield Festival: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Springfield Town Center parking lot near JCPenney & Dick's Sporting Goods
Mount Vernon District Summer Palooza: Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mount Vernon Governmental Center, free
Stargazing at the Udvar-Hazy Center: Sat., 8:30 to 10:30 p.m., Chantilly, free
‘90s Yoga: Sun., 5 p.m., Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria, $30
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