Early Look at the Weekend Ahead: Friday, September 25 – Saturday, September 26

Published September. 24, 3 min read

A short weekend preview and the early look—your Thursday-night cheat sheet for planners who like to have the answer ready before anyone asks. Music, cocktails, wine, a 5K, and a mutual aid benefit. Pick your lane, or don't, and see you out there.

8 things to do this weekend: Friday, Sep 25 - Saturday, Sep 26

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FEATURED EVENTS

All Things Go Music Festival (3-Day Pass Initial Launch) - Fri Sep 25 3:00 pm

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Details.
If you miss the indie-pop event of the century at Merriweather, you’ve officially lost it. Fans have already manifested their perfect barrier spots, and thought through the entire 3-day event, and physically cannot wait until the gates open. Consider this the official formal notice that the entire weekend of the 25th is now this festival. [more details]

Other Events

Happy Hour Cocktail Tasting - Spirits & Spice D.C.
- Fri Sep 25 5:00 pm

Spirits & Spice Washington D.C

Unwind after a relentless shift and inject some premium warmth into your mid-week routine at Spirits & Spice Washington D.C.! Slip past the standard happy hour spots and report directly to the tasting room for a beautifully relaxed, high-utility evening of curated bourbon and whiskey cocktail tastings. It is the ultimate local blueprint to expand your flavor profile, decode complex barrel-aged mash bills, and sample expertly balanced spirits packed with signature spice signatures in an… [more details]

Distillery Cocktails - Foundations of Mixology
- Fri Sep 25 6:00 pm

Shmidt Spirits

Step behind the bar and master the fluid dynamics of a perfect pour at this high-utility Distillery Cocktail Masterclass! Arrive early at 6:00 PM to tour the stills, scout your workstation, and lounge around the distillery floor before the main presentation launches at 6:30 PM with a deep dive into the absolute foundations of mixology. From 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM, you will put your new technical blueprints to the test, executing and sipping a legendary structural gauntlet of classic… [more details]

Wines of the Ancient World: a wine tasting and class
- Fri Sep 25 6:00 pm

Planet Wine

Join a dive deep into ancient viticulture as wine expert Erin Dudley hosts a beautifully laid-back, casual seated wine class. This high-utility tasting workshop focuses entirely on the legendary, time-tested bottles produced in regions that have been perfecting the art of winemaking for millennia.  [more details]

2026 Wolf Trap Ball: The Rhythm of New Orleans - Fri Sep 25 6:00 pm

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

Friday, September 25th, The Filene Center stage morphs into a brass-soaked, late-night French Quarter dreamscape that you absolutely have no business skipping. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, paired with a heavy-hitting New Orleans menu by Chef David Guas together create a night of sonic and culinary alignment so perfect it borderlines on a religious experience. To actively choose to miss a full-throttle jazz experience for your seasonal boredom is a level of cultural self-sabotage… [more details]

Earlybirds Club - Fri Sep 25 6:00 pm

9:30 Club

 Earlybirds Club is the ultimate high-energy dance party explicitly built for women, trans, and non-binary folks who have serious responsibilities in the morning. This movement completely shatters the standard nightlife timeline, serving up four straight hours of nonstop throwback bangers from the '80s, '90s, and 2000s during a highly reasonable window from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. It is a safe, judgment-free twilight oasis where you can sweat, scream lyrics at the top of your lungs with… [more details]

Run 4 Recovery, Live for Sobriety - Sat Sep 26 12:00 pm

Lake Needwood, Rock Creek Regional Park

Lace up those sneakers and flaunt your fiercest purple fit for an ultra-energizing, high vibe 5K celebrating ultimate sobriety, peak health, and absolute community power!
Walk, jog, or sprint as one unstoppable force to honor loved ones, vigorously back recovery warriors, and unlock fabulous free perks with every single ticket tier.
Nab a "Living Sober" t-shirt or drop an optional donation to fuel the mission—just bring your brightest energy to the starting line and let's make every… [more details]

Ward 1 Mutual Aid Benefit Show at the Sylvan Theater
- Sat Sep 26 4:00 pm

Sylvan Theater

Punk rock officially reclaims the historic Sylvan Theater after a three-decade hiatus for a high-octane benefit gig on September 26th from 4:00 to 7:00 PM! Turn up to catch raw, live sets from Glitterer, Posición Unida, and Somebody’s Daughter while standing in direct solidarity with Ward 1 Mutual Aid. While entry is 100% free with no ticket barriers, navigating the RSVP channel and dropping a donation is highly recommended to fuel the community grid. [more details]

You're in the loop! For more things to do, or to post your own event, visit our Community Calendar.

More News from Takoma Park

• Jacob Collier's The Light For Days Tour at Strathmore Jacob Collier brings his stripped-down, guitar-and-vocal Light For Days Tour to Strathmore on September 28. And yes: audience choir. You're in it.
• Catching Autumn: Late September and Early October Festivals in the DC Area Late September through early October is the DMV's densest festival stretch—street fairs, Oktoberfests, wine tastings, and corn mazes from DC to Bluemont. Here's the shortlist.