Things to do the week of Nov. 17-20, 2025
We've gathered up things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
It's time to celebrate history in a whole new way! The Countdown to DC250 check-in challenge is here, a month-long adventure that takes you through historic landmarks, museums and hidden gems throughout DC in celebration of America's 250th.
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Monday
Visit reopened Smithsonian museums
On Friday, the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center will reopen to the public. The National Zoo, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of African Art, the National Museum of Asian Art reopen at normal times on Saturday, with the National Museum of Natural History slated to open at 12 p.m. All other museums and research centers will reopen on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17. Visit the Smithsonian's website for more information.
Visit the reopened National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its gorgeous Sculpture Garden (which features an ice rink in the winter time; check back for an opening date) will reopen on Friday. Through its East and West Buildings, the museum preserves, collects and exhibits works of art from numerous countries and historical eras. Its collection features roughly 141,000 paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and forms of new media that stretch all the way back to the Middle Ages.
DC Holiday Market at Dupont Circle
The 1500 block of 19th Street NW hosts 30-plus small businesses with artisanal goods, boutique brands, worldwide handcrafts and unique gift items, plus festive decor, local performers and beloved holiday treats.
Free Admission
1500 Block of 19th Street NW, Washington, DC
Tuesday
Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection
The Phillips Collection presents both well-known and understudied artists in a dynamic new exhibit meant to examine the complexity of American art as the country turns 250 years old. Visitors can experience how artists have depicted landscapes, cultures, stories and people from the early 20th century to the present.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Digable Planets
In honor of the 30th anniversary of their second and final LP’s release, Digable Planets embark on a tour that will feature Blowout Comb’s wholly original sound and tracks. Even though they only have two albums to their name, the trio are considered trailblazers in both jazz rap and alternative hip-hop.
8 p.m. | Tickets
Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
Hadestown
Winner of eight Tony Awards in 2019 (including Best Musical), Hadestown is a vibrant musical experience that blends two mythic tales into a hair-raising voyage into the underworld. Expect an energetic ensemble of dancers and singers as your imagination is swept up in the tales of Orpheus and Eurydice and King Hades and his wife, Persephone.
Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Wednesday
Tawny Chatmon: Sanctuaries of Truth, Dissolution of Lies
The photography-based work of Tawny Chatmon receives a glorious tribute at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The exhibition will debut pieces from Chatmon’s latest series, which also incorporate audio narrative, embroidery, film and assemblage. Selections from Chatmon’s acclaimed previous work will also be on display.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Ambe J. Photography
Fremont Ave.
A daring production at Arena Stage pits three generations of Black men against each other in a game of Spades. At the center is the family’s matriarch, who’s equal parts beloved and feared. Raw and emotional, what begins as a night at the card table turns into a powerful reckoning with masculinity, identity and family secrets.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
ho ho ho ha ha ha
Julia Masli’s award-winning show that changes literally every night returns to Woolly Mammoth Theatre with a special festive edition. The audience’s problems are invited to the stage and wow, does Masli have some surprising and hilarious solutions. Prepare to see a production unlike any you’ve ever seen.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Lizzie the Musical
Keegan Theatre unleashes a punk-rock musical that uncovers the fascinating legend of Lizzie Borden. An all-female rock score supports a reinterpretation of an infamous 1892 axe murder in a show that blends gothic horror, riot grrrl vibes and plenty of thrills. Unapologetic and bold, expect Lizzie to rattle the walls this fall.
Tickets
Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Thursday
Folger Shakespeare Library
Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking Storytelling in the Regency Era
For the first time since 1805, 14 paintings from the renowned Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London are on view together. Visit the Folger Shakespeare Library and capitalize on this rare chance to see the tremendous collection, which features depictions of scenes from the Bard’s plays as imagined by leading artists of the day.
Hours | Free Admission
Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Rik Freeman: Wade in the Waters
DC artist Rik Freeman’s work is showcased in-depth at this free exhibition displayed at Phillips@THEARC. For more than three decades, Freeman has engaged history, community, resilience and joy in his work. Wade in the Waters zooms in on waterways – from the beaches of Bahia to the Anacostia River – and how they connect to the diaspora over generations.
Wednesday & Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
Phillips@THEARC, 1801 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20020
A Christmas Carol
In this time-honored holiday tradition in the nation’s capital, acclaimed actor Craig Wallace assumes the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a lavish Victorian-style musical production of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic. Scrooge’s riveting journey alongside the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future is a joy even if you’ve experienced it a hundred times before – especially in one of the world’s most historic theaters.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Signature Theatre Company
Fiddler on the Roof
The welcoming environs of Signature Theatre are the perfect setting for a beautiful staging of this iconic musical. Fiddler on the Roof concerns Jewish milkman Tevye and his community in Czarist Russia as they deal with rising anti-Semitism and a world quickly changing around them. Legendary songs include “Sunrise, Sunset” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker”.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
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