DC’s free overnight arts festival was this past weekend! On hiatus since Covid-19 pandemic, this was a very symbolic event, a D.C. grand reopening!
DC Art All Night took place from 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM —September 24 and 25. The festival was located across sixteen (16) neighborhoods with different activations on each night, bringing visual and performing arts, including painting, photography, sculpture, crafts, fashion, music, dance, theater, film, and poetry, to indoor and outdoor public and private spaces, including local businesses and restaurants.
The festival is presented by Mayor Muriel Bowser and in partnership with participating Main Streets and Business Improvement Districts, with support from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (DCCAH) and the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD).
Friday September 24
We kicked off Art All Night 2021 at the historic Eastern Market. There was so many things set up to visit; painting demonstrations, an outdoor artists’ market featuring various vendors, jewelry makers, and hand-crafted ceramics.
Around 7pm the Silent Disco at the C Street SE Plaza started, we were actually surprised how many people showed up to dance to music listened to on wireless headphones. It was actually really fun! Afterwards, Pennsylvania Avenue East had their first annual Art All Night events. We checked out the Soufside Market and DC Dream Center!
Saturday September 25
First on the list was, Art All Night and DC Beer Week combined event! A Right Proper Block Party, which featured live music, art vendors and the Black Beer Garden. The Black Beer Garden offered beers from black-owned DMV breweries, including the first release from Urban Beer Garden. Five local bands performed in front of the Howard Theatre, surrounded by several local artists and makers. You can grab dinner from Right Proper Shaw but for the unvaccinated can only stay outside.
For the rest of Saturday we hit up Franklin Park! We enjoyed DowntownDC’s largest green space for their grand opening block party! The event was free and fun a for all ages, during the day the party featured musicians, jugglers, a photo booth and other fun activities. At night from 6 – 11 PM, No Kings Collective hosted the festivities and we celebrated Art All Night with murals, food trucks, and live music!
Lastly, we wandered some more and end up at the 11:Eleven Art gallery which displayed exceptional artwork and we were able to meet some phenomenal artists! The Soka Tribe Convoy kept the party jamming and jumping all night long!
Overall Review:
We had a great time, and it was nice to see everyone out and about! Supporting small and local businesses is definitely a mission DC loves to highlight. I really felt connected to the culture in D.C., part of the reason why I fell in love with this city. The events had a lot of diversity and included activities for all types of people and ages. Majority of the events were free which is great for folks on a budget. I wish the events guide was a bit more comprehensive and easy to read. Where are the events? At what times? It was a bit confusing trying to find the different events across several different sites guide. Overall it was still very much so a VIBE!
Check out our TikToks events page and Youtube for recap of all the fun!
