Fall Festival Season Begins

Funnel cakes, sausage and gyros...the balanced festival diet. uploaded to flickr.com by tbridge

September has arrived, and with the comes nicer weather and the desire to be outside enjoying the crisp breezes and perhaps a deep-fried Oreo or three. Fortunately, those desires and many more can be satiated by the many street festivals coming our way in the next few weeks. Many of these special events are planned for right here on the Hill. There are a number of others around the city as well. Here are some highlights so you can start filling your coming weekends.

This weekend brings back the H Street Festival on Saturday, September 17. From noon to 7:00 p.m. enjoy live music, food, beer gardens, food trucks, and much more on the 800 through 1300 blocks of H Street NE. Remember the Baltimore Rock Opera Society from last year? Yeah, they’re coming back.

If you feel the need to dance for ten hours, with or without glow sticks, head over to the Yards Park on Sunday, September 18 for the Wanamaker Wet Party. From noon to 10:00 p.m. enjoy music from several international DJs and take a plunge into a giant foam pit. You know you want to…

Hill Fest ends on September 24 with the Barracks Row Fall Festival on 8th Street SE. This annual event brings back favorites like the petting zoo, performances by the Trapeze School of New York and the Redskins cheerleaders, a military cooking contest, and great food and drink from Barracks Row vendors. When you are done taking in the neighborhood wares, kick the party into high gear at Blocktoberfest at the Yards Park from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m. Live music acts, food and drinks will be available. Tickets are currently available for $15, but the price can go up any time (according to the website).

That same weekend get your read on at the National Book Festival on the National Mall. Readings by prominent authors along with storytelling and other performances are available for free September 24 & 25. Also that weekend venture to the first annual SW Arts Fest. An array of visual, audio, and video arts will be on display at various venues along the Southwest Waterfront.

On October 2, venture off the Hill to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of Turkey at the annual Turkish Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 12th and 14th Streets. Dancing, delicious foods, and crafts can be expected.

Enjoy the fall festival season and if you have any time left on the weekends between events, consider scheduling a little exercise to work off all those drinks and tasty treats.