Things to Do in August in The DMV

 

Celebrate food and fairs and big-time Broadway this August in the DMV area. Events abound in your town or a short drive away. Here are some tourism highlights so you can experience all the nightlife, nature, music, and culture that our region offers.

 

Fredericksburg Restaurant Week
Downtown Fredericksburg, Va.

 

Sample unique flavors while taking in the rich history Fredericksburg showcases. If you’re a foodie AND a history buff, make sure you also visit the James Monroe Museum, the Rising Sun Tavern, the Hugh Mercer Apothecary, the Mary Washington House, and more.

 

Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition
Tysons Corner Center
7871L Tysons Corner Center
Tysons, Va.

 

Explore the life of Princess Diana through the lens of Diana’s favorite Royal photographer and trusted companion, Anwar Hussein.

 

 

Summer of Sunflowers
Burnside Farms
11008 Kettle Run Rd.

Nokesville, Va.

 

Immerse yourself in more than 50 acres of glorious sunflowers during the Summer of Sunflowers. Find your way through sunflower mazes during the day. In the evening, celebrate Sunflower Sunsets: pack a picnic and enjoy the scenery as the bright yellows of the day turn golden in the late afternoon as the sun begins to set on a sea of sunflowers.

 

 

 

Hamilton
The Kennedy Center
2700 F St., NW
Washington, D.C.

 

Enjoy American history through jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and Broadway. Hamilton, the musical, has won Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. Experience this historic event in Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

Movies on the Potomac
National Harbor
165 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, Md.

 

Bring a chair or a blanket, grab some food from one of the many nearby dining establishments, and meet on the Plaza to watch movies (for free) on the big screen. August offers a musical theme: Yesterday, Newsies, Singin’ in the Rain, Nanny McPhee, In the Heights, Annie, Hairspray, and The Jungle Book.

 

 

Dinner Train
Walkersville Southern Railroad
34 West Pennsylvania Ave.
Walkersville, Md.

 

Enjoy fine dining while taking a leisurely two-hour train ride on a richly restored dining car.

 

 

Summer Spirit Festival 
Merriweather Post Pavilion
10475 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, Md.

 

A Soul, R&B, Jazz, Hip Hop, and GO GO music festival features Erykah Badu, Anthony Hamilton, Method Man & Red Man, Marsha Ambrosius, Junkyard Band, J Brown, and DJ Rico.

 

 

Frederick Restaurant Week
Downtown Frederick, Md.

 

Enjoy seven days of dining in downtown Frederick, Md. Participating restaurants will serve up unique multi-course meals at amazing prices.

 

 

TASTE Leesburg
Downtown Leesburg, Va.

 

Eat, drink, shop, enjoy. Admission is free. Food can be purchased directly from food vendors. Pre-purchase your unlimited drink-tasting wristbands for a reduced price. Two separate stages will be set up for musical entertainment, cooking demos, and more. Strolling entertainers will include a magician, a mime, and “Goddesses” of beer and wine.

 

Silver Spring International Food & Craft Festival
Veterans Plaza
1 Veterans Place
Silver Spring, Md.

 

For a celebration of the nations, enjoy international food, crafts, and music. More than 60 artisans, crafters, and small businesses will offer their creations for purchase, and a DJ will play a variety of music.

 

Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week
Washington, D.C.

 

“Dine out. Take out. Eat up.” During Restaurant Week in Washington, dozens of participating restaurants will offer multi-course brunch, lunch, and dinner menus for between $25 and $55 per person.

 

 

Asia Collective Night Market
Howard County Fairgrounds
2210 Fairgrounds Rd.
West Friendship, Md.

 

More than 40 local vendors will present their best Asian cuisine. This Asian-themed day also features music and performances, family-friendly activities, and handcrafted artistic goods offered for sale.

 

 

 

Flying Circus Hot Air Balloon Festival
The Flying Circus Aerodrome
5114 Ritchie Road
Bealeton, Va.

 

They’re beautiful and magical – and if you’ve ever dreamed of taking in the countryside from a hot air balloon, this is your chance. Reservations must be made in advance with balloon pilots. If you’re afraid of heights, tethered balloon rides are an option, or just enjoy the colorful splendor of the balloons from the ground. You’ll also be treated to an airshow with airplane acrobatics. Both open and closed cockpit biplane rides are available to purchase.

 

 

Around the World Cultural Festival
Oronoco Bay Park
100 Madison St.
Alexandria, Va.

 

From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Admission is free, and plenty of national dishes and beverages will be available for purchase.

 

 

Wine and Food Festival
Bull Run Park Events Center
Centreville, Va.

 

More than 100 different international and local wines, beer, and spirits will be available to sample. Also enjoy live music, restaurant and food trucks, and a family-friendly setting with kids activities, including moon bounces.

 

 

 

Carnival rides, animal exhibits, entertainment, fair food! Enjoy the nostalgia of a good old agricultural fair. The DMV has several during the month of August. Where else can you enter your best homemade baked goods with the hope of winning a blue ribbon – and also see monster trucks, demolition derbies, drag racing, and more?

 

Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival
Frying Pan Farm Park
2709 West Ox Road
Herndon, Va.

 

 

Howard County Fair
2210 Fairgrounds Road
West Friendship, Md.

 

 

Prince William County Fair
Expo & Event Center
10624 Dumfries Road
Manassas, Va.

 

 

Montgomery County Ag Fair
501 Perry Parkway
Gaithersburg, Md.

 

 

Arlington County Fair
Thomas Jefferson Community Center
3501 Second Street South
Arlington, Va.