Brian Cox, DJ Shadow, and a Street Festival: Nine Things to Do This Weekend

Published October 2, 2026 · 2 min read

The first weekend of October is refusing to ease into fall quietly—Brian Cox brings The Score to the Kennedy Center, DJ Shadow celebrates thirty years of Endtroducing at The Fillmore, Step Afrika takes the stage with The Fruits of Our Labor, and a Greek festival fills Silver Spring, all before Sunday hands you the DC Coffee Festival at 9 AM and the Takoma Park Street Festival at 10. Nine events, four days of runway, and one calendar that already did the sorting. Some are free to walk into, some need tickets in advance, and Sunday's street festival goes rain or shine—so check each listing, check the sky, and get out there.

9 things to do this weekend: Friday, Oct 2 - Sunday, Oct 4

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FEATURED EVENTS

The Score - Play With Brian Cox - Sat Oct 3 2:00 pm

Shakespeare Theatre Company – Harman Hall

An aging, deeply moral Johann Sebastian Bach will reluctantly travel to Potsdam, stepping directly into a psychological trap laid by Europe’s most dangerous monarch. As the intellectual trap snaps shut under the brilliant spotlight arrays of Harman Hall, the dialogue will lurch from witty philosophical debates to grim reflections on the true cost of absolute authority. Brian Cox will deliver a roaring, blunt performance, trading sharp blows with a menacing King Frederick.  [more details]

Other Events

Step Afrika's The Fruits of Our Labor - Sat Oct 3 2:00 pm

Fichandler Stage at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater

DC's Southwest Waterfront is where the world premiere of The Fruits of Our Labor by Step Afrika! landed. Its convincing percussive sequence shatters the standard theater routine. 
Under the lights of the Mead Center, fourteen company members will transform their bodies into literal percussion units, filling the room with complex polyrhythms and revolutionary poetry. Get your tickets to 80 unbroken minutes of exquisite sound and movement. Click "Details".
[more details]

Amharic Circle Time - Sat Oct 3 3:30 pm

Takoma Park Maryland Library

የአማርኛ መዝሙር እና ተረት ጊዜCircle Time in Amharic is officially launching as a key component of our Languages of Takoma Park Circle Time* series. The data load for this session includes high-yield songs, precision finger plays, and structured storytelling. Logistical directive: System capacity is capped, meaning registration is highly recommended to secure your spot in the perimeter. [more details]

Fall Paniyiri Greek Festival - Sat Oct 3 4:00 pm

The Urban Winery

The Fall Greek Paniyiri Festival (An all-ages celebration of Mediterranean music, wine, and gastronomy) Under the crisp October sky, the festival will hum with the rich aromas of traditional cooking and vintage wine pairings. On stage, the world-class musicians of APOLLONIA will take the platform, weaving an intricate acoustic tapestry that balances ancient regional folk sets with sharp modern arrangements.  [more details]

DJ Shadow Celebrates 30 Years of Endtroducing - Sat Oct 3 8:00 pm

The Fillmore Silver Spring

DJ Shadow brings his landmark Endtroducing..... 30th Anniversary Tour to The Fillmore. He will power up his Akai MPC sampler to weave together thousands of fragments of forgotten jazz, rock, and ambient recordings marking three decades of classic beats and immersive soundscapes. [more details]

Ya Tú S.A.B.E. Salsa and Bachata Evening - Sat Oct 3 10:00 pm

Silver Strings Restaurant

Inside the restaurant's ballroom floor, @djs.green will drop an unbroken wave of high-energy Salsa and deep Bachata grooves. Dancers will glide and spin through a fluid sequence of complex step combinations, transforming the elegant venue layout into a  active social  3-hour masterclass.  [more details]

4th Annual DC Coffee Festival - Sun Oct 4 9:00 am

Dock 5 at Union Market

The 4th Annual DC Coffee Festival® (An immersive coffee culture experience featuring curated specialty roasters and bean tastings) The event will feature hands-on espresso technique workshops alongside curated snack stations engineered to reset your palate. [more details]

Takoma Park Street Festival - Sun Oct 4 10:00 am

Takoma Urban Park

The 45th annual Takoma Park Street Festival returns for a massive single-day experience. Expect a complete transformation of Carroll Avenue in Maryland straight through to Carroll Street, NW in Washington, DC. 
On Sunday morning, the neighborhood's usual traffic lanes will vanish entirely, replaced by an expansive asphalt laboratory of art, commerce, and global soundscapes. 
Don't miss the 18 local bands reverberating off the brick storefronts, crowds of shoppers, nibblers and… [more details]

Family Chess - Sun Oct 4 12:00 pm

Takoma Park Maryland Library

At 12:00 PM sharp every week, the casual chess lab commences. The room will transform into a low-pressure battleground where kids and their adult handlers will test their openings, trade pieces, and analyze board states. Once a month, the system upgrades as a dedicated instructor takes the board to deliver high-yield tactical data. Participants of all experience levels will exit the session with their critical thinking centers thoroughly optimized for the week ahead. [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

• From D.C. Cafés to a Full-Band Rave: Kelela at the Fillmore Kelela genre-defying new avatar live tour comes to The Fillmore Silver Spring on October 13—a full-band rave built on the DMV indie roots that shaped her.
• The Guide to DMV Fall Festivals: What's Free, What's Worth Paying For From a month-long Oktoberfest with free entry to a 50th-season Renaissance festival and Maryland's largest corn maze, here's your guide to the DMV's fall festival season.