Tag Archives: June 2026

June 29, 2026 · 2:41 pm

Five Things: June 29, 2026

1. Have (even more of) a blast at the National Air & Space Museum! Starting Wednesday, July 1, five new galleries will reopen, part of a multi-year renovation that included the redesign of 20 galleries, most of which are already accessible. This week’s launch, just in time for the nation’s 250th, also celebrates the museum’s 50th anniversary. The galleries opening are Living in the Space Age, Discovering Our Universe, World War II in the Air, Flight and the Arts Center (the museum’s art gallery), and the awesome, very interactive How Things Fly. You can once again see favorites like the Hubble Space Telescope, Skylab, a North American P-51D Mustang, and Lockheed U-2. I recently got a sneak peek, and it’s as fascinating and impressive as ever! Museum hours are 10am – 5:30pm, and admission is free with timed entry passes.

2. Another exciting opening this week: The Playground at the National Building Museum! The big summer installation will transform the Great Hall into a sculptural landscape that doesn’t just welcome, but encourages, visitors to play. Nine areas will offer different experiences — walls and platforms to climb, soft blocks to build, basketball hoops to shoot around, hammocks to relax in, slides to wiz down, and more. Designed by Snarkitecture, the same group that brought us the fantastic BEACH a bunch of years back, The Playground will have elements to delight all ages. It opens Friday, July 3, and will be there through August 30. Timed tickets are $19/adults; $16/kids, seniors, and students; free for children under 1 — and available for purchase now. Museum hours are Thursday – Monday, 10am – 5pm.

3. A super cool way to escape the heat this week, especially for hockey fans… The Capitals are holding their 2026 Development Camp from Tuesday, June 30, through Friday, July 3. Fans of all ages are invited to watch the organization’s top prospects, including the team’s 2026 draft class, take the ice and compete as they continue their development. Taking place at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, all on-ice sessions are free and open to the general public to spectate. Go here for the schedule.

4. And speaking of escaping the heat, this post will be a good one to have handy this week as temps rise to triple digits. It will lead you to all of the KFDC round-ups of indoor activities around the area, from museums and special programs for kids to play spaces and venues for indoor action to theaters presenting all kinds of entertainment to stores where you can shop secondhand.

5. A sneak peek at Taylor Swift’s wedding 😉

Five Things: June 16, 2026

1. It’s a Wild Race Against Time at CityCenterDC. The new, playful public art installation features 16 works scattered throughout the shopping area, all of them larger-than-life sculptures of endangered animals racing toward safety on bicycles, scooters, roller skates, and more. And before you tell the kids not to touch the art, know that it’s interactive! Guests aren’t just welcome, but encouraged to climb on, sit with, and pose alongside the sculptures — making for a fun, little play opportunity in the area along with some very cute photo ops!

2. The Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building reopens today for the summer, welcoming visitors daily from 10am – 6pm through September 7. On view (and well-timed with the DC Primary Election) is “Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America,” part of a traveling exhibition examining civic participation and representation. You can also enjoy displays highlighting handmade works from past Smithsonian Folklife Festivals and a seasonal Folklife Marketplace.

3. Tomorrow, June 17, horse around on the National Mall! From 11am- 1pm, there will be an Open at an Open House at the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center. Join a meet and greet with the majestic horses and officers of the mounted unit, take a tour of the Education Center and exhibits, enjoy free giveaways for America’s 250th, and more. Have you been to the stables? It’s easy to miss them, if you don’t know they’re there. They are located just south of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool near the Korean War Memorial, across Independence Avenue from the MLK Memorial.

4. If you’ve been wondering if Quince’s European linen bedding lives up to the hype, I can vouch that, indeed, it does! It’s so nice and very reasonably priced, like all of their products (their linen being especially great). We also got their bamboo sheets, which feel luxe and cool, perfect for summer sleeping.

5. DC peops: Vote! And bring the kids so they can see democracy in action.

Five Things: June 10, 2026

1. Just in time for hot summer days, a new ice cream shop has opened on Capitol Hill. Le Petit Scoop is located right across from Lincoln Park at 11th & North Carolina Ave. SE, serving organic ice cream cones, cups, and milkshakes. Yum! Enjoy it on the delightful patio (which is also one of the best people-watching spots on the Hill) or head to the park and find a nice place to sit there. It’s a perfect stop to add to a visit to the neighborhood, along with the Library of Congress, Folger Shakespeare Library, and Eastern Market.

2. Ahoy, mateys! This weekend, Friday to Sunday, four historic tall ships — the Gazela, Kalmar Nyckel, Providence, and Sultana — will be moored at the Alexandria Waterfront. Sails on the Potomac will celebrate America’s 250th with music, family activities, exhibits, free deck tours, public art, educational programs, and more! See a schedule here.

3. Juneteenth is June 19, marking the date that the last enslaved people learned of their freedom. But one of the area’s longtime celebrations is happening this Saturday, June 13, at Watkins Regional Park in Upper Marlboro, MD. All are welcome to the annual festival, a joyous day featuring live music, local artists and vendors, history exhibits, kids’ activities, food trucks, and much. It runs 12-5pm, and admission is free. Read more about the wonderful Watkins Park in this KFDC post.

4. Something to add to your summer essentials: A waterproof picnic blanket. Bring it to outdoor concerts, movie nights, festivals, beaches and other swim spots, and even just family hangs in the park.

5. Still resonates 20 years later..