8 Unique Festivals and Quirky Events in Washington, DC

The streets of the nation’s capital are teeming with history, world-famous monuments, green parks brimming with activity, and some of the best museums in the country. And that’s without even mentioning the vibrant food scene. Any time you decide to visit the District, you’ll find something to enjoy, especially as the city ramps up to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026.

But in addition to its year-round attractions, DC is also home to a wide range of whimsical festivals and events that are worth a trip. There are delightful one-offs like a high heel race that started as a bet among drag queens and is now an official city event. There are even festivals celebrating everything from folk traditions to the annual blooming of DC’s cherry trees. And there’s one epic festival coming to the city for the first time ever: in 2025, Washington will host WorldPride.

If you’re looking to dance, eat, learn, and explore – or just to make lasting memories with your friends and family – here are eight festivities you should check out.

Let LGBTQ Freedom Ring

1. WorldPride

On the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations, Washington DC will be hosting Pride events not just for the city this year, but for the global community as host of 2025’s WorldPride.

Celebrations start off with a bang: Shakira will headline the Welcome Ceremony on May 31 at Nationals Park. The next day begins Pride Month, and a week of non-stop events, including a street festival on Pennsylvania Avenue, human rights conference, film festival, a sports festival, and a choral festival. Of course there will be a music festival as well, promising two days of 60+ performances across three stages.

The marquee WorldPride Parade will be held on June 7th, starting at Logan Circle and journeying down 14th Street. Highlighting DC’s diverse LGBTQ community, floats, performers, and marchers will form a raucous procession with the Capitol Building ever visible in the background.

WorldPride 2025 will come to a close on June 8th, with a final day of the street festival, a closing concert, and a passing of the torch to the next city to host.

A New Meaning To ‘Running Shoes’

2. The High Heel Race

While WorldPride brings people from all over the world together to celebrate the LGBTQ community in a different city each year, The 17th Street High Heel Race is a quirky, home-grown drag event unlike any other. Each year, on the Tuesday before Halloween, drag artists, and costumed community members race down 17th Street as thousands of spectators cheer from the sidelines.

The race began in 1986 when drag queens and bartenders bet each other to race a block and a half to a steakhouse and back while wearing high heels. As the years went on the race continued, and in 2018 it was declared an Official Mayoral Event. It has even inspired similar races in other cities.

In addition to the race itself, festivities include drag performances, musical performances, and a costume contest.

12 Blocks of Block Party

3. H Street Festival

Each year, the mile-long H Street Festival offers food, art, games, dance, kid’s activities, and contests to the thousands of people who show up to celebrate. Community organizations, restaurants, and local businesses come together to stage one of the biggest outdoor festivals the city has to offer. Hundreds of exhibitors and dozens of food vendors show up every year.

Music is a big part of the festival, with bands performing all day. There’s a lot of variety, from ska to jazz to gospel. For those who want to get in on the action, there’s a Karaoke stage as well.

The H Street Festival has been named one of the best festivals in DC by Washingtonian Magazine and Washington City Paper and what’s more: it’s totally free. All are welcome – including pets!

Folk for the Young Folks

4. Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Established in 1967 at the height of the American folk revival, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrates folk artists and honors living cultural traditions from across the country and around the world. Each summer the festival fills the National Mall with workshops, free performances, and demonstrations from artisans. It’s a chance for hands-on learning, as attendees are encouraged to try games, learn recipes, sing along, and ask questions. The festival seeks to ensure folk traditions are not forgotten.

This year’s festival, to be held from July 2-7, is themed “Looking Forward: Youth and the Future of Culture.” It will showcase the way young people around the globe are working to shape the world they wish to live in.

Art All Night

5. Artomatic

Artomatic is a populist art fest open to anyone who wants to display their work. Which means it’s weirder than most art festivals — and also more wonderful.

The first ever Artomatic was held in 1999 in a building that formerly served as a printing press and a laundry. Ever iconoclastic, the festival isn’t held every year, and it’s not held in the same place when it is. When Artomatic does happen, it takes an empty building, typically a large commercial space, and transforms it, temporarily, into a gallery. Artists fill the space with whatever they want, allowing the public to come, see, and potentially buy.

In addition to visual art, Artomatic includes music, dance, film, poetry, fashion, and performance art. Light snacks and drinks are offered at the gallery spaces, adding to the festive atmosphere. It’s a scrappy festival brimming with a creativity unique to DC.

No Passport Required

6. Around The World Embassy Tour

Once a year, embassies around the city throw their doors open to the public to share their country’s culture, food, and history. The Around the World Embassy Tour is part of Passport DC, a month-long celebration of international culture. It’s hugely popular. And it’s free.

The embassy buildings themselves are beautiful, and what they contain is even better. Each embassy approached the Around the World Embassy Tour differently, but most offer art, cultural activities, music, fashion, and/or distinctive food and beverages. (Past years have seen karate demonstrations and dance performances.) And in addition to getting to learn about each country, the Embassy Tour teaches visitors about diplomacy in our seat of government; it’s hard to think of a more “DC” festival. It’s absolutely not to be missed.

Embassies on Embassy Row are usually busier than those on International Drive and International Court, so make sure to hit up a variety of stops. A full roster of participating embassies will be announced on Events DC’s website.

A City In Bloom

7. National Cherry Blossom Festival

In 1912, the Mayor of Tokyo gifted 3,000 cherry trees to Washington. All of a sudden, the city was transformed, bursting with clouds of pink and white. Cherry trees flower in three National Park Service locations around the city: the Tidal Basin, on the Washington Monument grounds, and in East Potomac Park. The spectacle of their blooming draws visitors from around the country. The trees have thrived, and in fact DC was able to repay the gift by giving cuttings of DC cherry trees back to Japan following flooding in the 1980s.

The blooming of those trees – and the friendship between the United States and Japan – is now celebrated with a weeks-long festival attended by over one million people. In addition to simply visiting the cherry trees, the festival includes a parade, art exhibitions (Art in Bloom), live cultural performances at the Tidal Basin, a kite festival, a Blossom Tea Party, children’s activities including a NPS Bloomin’ Junior Ranger Badge, and a gala event called the Pink Tie Party. Homes and businesses across DC join in on the celebrations as part of City in Bloom, decorating their porches and facades to honor the cherry blossoms.

This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival will be held from March 20th through April 13th.

DC’s Longest-Running Street Fest

8. Adams Morgan Day

The festival honoring the beloved Adams Morgan neighborhood has been running for almost 50 years. It stays special because it’s free and planned entirely by volunteers. The Adams Morgan neighborhood is known as an arts hub, a culinary district, and a place for nightlife. It’s friendly to the LGBT community and the counterculture. So it makes sense that its street festival would be a blast. The Adams Morgan Day celebrations include family-friendly activities, music, and art. Dance troupes and drummers perform, and vendors from the neighborhood and from further afield sell books, jewelry, and clothing, and there’s delicious food to try.