When the weather is warm enough to be outside even after sunset, you know you’ve finally reached summer. Luckily for Northern Virginia natives, the Smithsonian museums in DC will be staying open into the night this weekend to salute the beginning of the summer season.
On June 25, you can celebrate the first Saturday of summer by joining the Smithsonian’s “Solstice Saturday.” Select museums will stay open late while also hosting parties and performances throughout the day and night. There will also be a free concert hosted by the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall and a late-night garden dance party.
A diverse selection of Smithsonian museums to be open for extended hours. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, along with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will be open until 8 p.m. Meanwhile, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Asian Art, National Museum of African Art, the Smithsonian Institution Building, the Arts and Industries Building, and the Enid A. Haupt Garden will be welcoming guests until midnight.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy a number of programs and events throughout the day and into the evening. The Solstice Celebration will take place from 5:30 p.m. to midnight at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, where you can experience the art and cultures of Asia through an outdoor dance party featuring a local DJ. You can find the other nine main programs on their full schedule of events.
This will be the fourth annual Solstice Saturday, after being first launched in 2018. This will also be the first in-person event for the Smithsonian since 2019.
Feature image, Jiawangkun/stock.adobe.com
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