There's lots to do in Washington during July. You can catch the tail end of the Folklife Festival or see a U.S. Open tennis match toward the end of the month. And the good news is many of the events are free.
1. Smithsonian Folklife Festival
This annual free festival on the National Mall ends July 7, so there are still a few days to catch outdoor exhibits, performances, hands-on demonstrations and food from other countries.
2. Museum Tours
National Air & Space Museum
The Smithsonian museums have a calendar chock full of hourly free tours. Check out the schedule.
3. Capital Fringe Festival
This annual festival is July 7 through July 24 and it allows artists, whether new or established, to have a venue for their performance. Several performances will take place over the city. Tickets and schedules are online.
4. Brew at the Zoo
On July 14 from 6 PM to 9 PM, the National Zoo will hold a fundraising event where you can sample 30 microbrewed beers and listen to live music. Proceeds support animal care, conservation science, education and sustainability. Tickets, which are $65 for nonmembers, will go on sale closer to the event date.
5. Dalai Lama Visits
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet is visiting Washington in July. He will participate in the Kalachakra from July 6 through July 16, which will include rituals and prayers. He will also give several teachings. There will also be a public celebration of his 76th birthday on July 6 at the Verizon Center. Arun Ghandi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King III, son of Martin Luther King Jr., will participate in the celebration. The Dalai Lama will also give “A Talk for World Peace” on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol on July 9. Admission is free to the public.
6. Civil War Anniversary
C. John Chavis released to public domain through Wikipedia.com
Lots of conspiracies swirl around President Lincoln’s assassination. A panel of experts will discuss new information about those conspiracies at Ford’s Theatre, the scene of the crime, on July 19 at 7 PM. Tickets are $25.
7. French Festival Celebration
The Hillwood Museum is organizing a Bastille Day Celebration on July 16 with children’s activities, opera performances and dances from the New York Baroque Company during the day. The celebration continues to the Alliance Francaise in the evening with a live auction and French cuisine.
8. African American Civil War Memorial and Museum
The new museum gets dedicated on July 16 through July 18 with a keynote address from civil rights hero John Lewis, a Democratic congressman from Georgia, on Saturday. An all-day film festival on Sunday features Eyes on the Prize, Gone With The Wind and The Freedom Riders.
9. Mars Day
Smithsonian
The Air and Space Museum in Washington will celebrate the Red Planet with educational talks by museum scientists and experts from the Museum of Natural History and NASA. You’ll see a real Mars meteorite, learn about Mars missions, see detailed images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, views of Mars’ surface in 3-D and learn about Mars geology. The July 22 event is free and runs from 10 AM to 3 PM.
10. Legg Mason Tennis Classic
This U.S. Open men’s tournament features 48 singles and 16 doubles at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center at Rock Creek Park. The event starts July 30 and goes to August 7. Tickets can be purchased online.
