DC Jazz Fest
June 7-16
The annual DC JazzFest returns for another year of wall-to-wall performances with an all-star lineup and gigs all over DC. The 11-day festival features an array of venues, including performances for the first time at The Wharf (June 14-16) // The Wharf DC: 735 Walter St. SW, Washington, DC; $152-$950
David H. Koch Hall of Fossils – Deep Time
Opening June 8
For dino fans, it’s been a long wait. In 2014, The National Museum of Natural History closed its popular dinosaur exhibit for renovation. Five years later and a new and improved, 31,000-square-foot space is set to open on June 8, featuring more than 700 fossils of dinosaurs, plants, animals and insects. The towering Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton is reason enough to brace the summer crowds at the Smithsonian. // National Museum of Natural History: 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC; free
Pups in the Park
June 13, 7:05 p.m.
Let Fido in on the baseball fun! For one game only, Nats fans can bring their pooches to the park. Tickets are available for a pet-friendly outfield section so you and your dog can enjoy the game with fellow dog lovers. // Nationals Park: 1500 S Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC; $43
27th Annual Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle
June 22 & 23
Come hungry and eat your way down Pennsylvania Avenue at this annual all-you-can-try affair. Plenty of barbecue and live entertainment – plus the actual barbecue battle among some of the country’s best pit masters – make for a gut-busting day. Proceeds benefit USO Metro and Capital Area Food Bank. // Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between Third and Seventh St., Washington, DC; $12-$155
NSO Pops: 50 Years Over the Rainbow: A Judy Garland Celebration
June 28 & 29, 8 p.m.
Judy Garland immortalized the ruby red slippers as a young ingénue in The Wizard of Oz. The NSO Pops celebrates her life – half a century after the world lost the entertainer – with a two-night engagement featuring songs from her star turns in Oz, Easter Parade, Meet Me in St. Louis and A Star Is Born, among others. // The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: 2700 F St., NW, Washington, DC; $24-$99
This article originally appeared in our June 2019 issue. Want to know about all the best things to do this summer? Subscribe to our semiweekly Things to Do newsletter.
