July has just started, and the DMV is doing it right with this weekend’s feature of cookouts, art exhibits and festivals.
Check out a handful of the many events happening and dive into the Washington Informer Calendar for more.
Thursday, July 16
Gather on the Green: The Cookout
5 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Free
Concord Historic Site, 8000 Walker Mill Road, Capitol Heights, MD 20743
Come out to the Concord Historic Site on the third Thursday of each month for Black joy, celebration, and gathering – set to the tune of classic cookout songs and line dances.
This free summer concert series is guaranteed fun for the whole family, featuring spades, games, and a double-dutch workshop led by the Bowie branch of the 40+ Double Dutch Club. Folks can also enjoy an outdoor exhibit on the history of African American family reunions, while experiencing the DMV’s hot new mobile party series, Groove Haul.
Celebrate community, Black history, and have a good time!
July in the Galleries with Curator Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Free
Artists & Makers Studios, 11810 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852
Artists & Makers Studios is pleased to host curator Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell for the month of July.
Following a First Friday opening on July 10, the exhibit will run through the 30th, placing narratives that are often separated in exhibitions in direct conversation.
Curated by Terell, featured D.C.-area artists include: Quaran Ahmad, Tiya Ayele, D’Mia Yaa Bonner, Neysa Wellington, and many more.
Friday, July 17
2026 DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival
6 p.m. – 10 p.m. | $15 – $20
Alamo Drafthouse DC Bryant Street, 630 Rhode Island Avenue NE, Washington, D.C., 20002
The 24th edition of the DC Asian Pacific Film Festival (DCAPAFF) explores the intersection of Indigenous and AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) communities, and features new and repertory films, some of which rarely screen for the public.
The festival will highlight works created in solidarity between Native American and Asian American filmmakers.
All screenings will be followed by Q&As.
Food and Farm Fridays at THEARC
Noon – 2 p.m. | Free
THEARC Farm, 1901 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, D.C., 20020
Building Bridges aims to increase the quality of life in Ward 8 through this free food event happening every Friday. Thanks to THEARC Farmers, residents can enjoy harvested vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers from their network of farms in Southeast D.C. Join the Capital Area Food Bank as they donate thousands of pounds of fresh produce, while D.C. Central Kitchen hands out prepared meals.
Saturday, July 18
3rd Annual Summers in White Oak Block Party
Noon- 3 p.m | Free with registration required
White Oak Garden Apartments, 11600 Lockwood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20904
Join Infinite Legacy for an afternoon of fun, community and wellness. Infinite Legacy, an organization that saves lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation in the D.C. metropolitan area, and District 5 Montgomery County Councilmember Kristen Mink invite parents, children and community members to the Third Annual Summers in White Oak Block Party.
Get access to free health screenings, food and backpacks, while supplies last.
Sunday, July 19
”Convergence” by The Black Art Today Foundation
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.| Free
Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue Suite E, Bethesda, MD 20814
Gallery B is pleased to present “Convergence” by The Black Art Today Foundation.
Convergence is an exploration of the creative intersections that occur when distinct artistic voices, styles, and mediums collide. Rather than viewing art through the lens of solitary creation, this exhibition celebrates the dynamic dialogue of collaboration and the striking contrasts of deliberate juxtaposition.
It is a testament to the idea that the whole can be radically different — and profoundly more complex — than the sum of its parts.
