The most prominent show of Pride is Saturday’s parade, which is keeping a similar route to 2022. Marching groups, floats, dancers and drummers set off from 14th and T streets NW at 3 p.m., passing through Shaw and Scott Circle and around Dupont Circle on their way to the finish line at 21st and P streets NW. Warning to those who want to watch the whole thing: It traditionally takes about four hours for all groups — there were more than 200 last year — to finish the 1½-mile route. The smart move is to find a restaurant or bar along the way, such as 14th Street’s Trade or Jane Jane, and arrive early to stake out a table on the patio, where you’ll have access to refreshments and, more importantly, bathrooms. There’s a dedicated family viewing zone at 17th and P streets NW, next to Stead Park, where the Playtime Project is sponsoring the Family Zone with games, crafts and drag story hour from noon to 5 p.m. 3 to 7 p.m. Free.
17th Street NW Block Party
The stretch of 17th Street NW near Dupont Circle has long been home to LGBTQ businesses and nightlife, including Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse, honored with a James Beard American Classics award for its 75 years of service, and the decades-old JR’s, which organized the first High Heel Races. On parade day, the stretch between P and Q streets is closed to cars and transformed into an outdoor party with multiple beer gardens, food trucks, games and patio seating, especially along Church Street near JR’s. DJs provide the vibes, while host Citrine and 16 drag kings and queens take the stage throughout the day. Pro tip: The parade comes right up to the corner of 17th and P, so try to find a space at that end of the block if you want to watch the world go by. Noon to 10 p.m. Free.
Pride on the Pier at the Wharf
Consider Pride on the Pier at the Wharf to be the alternative to the Capital Pride Parade. They take place almost simultaneously, and you can even watch the parade on a jumbo screen, with the Washington Channel as a backdrop. Pride on the Pier’s entertainment includes a drag show with Cake Pop, King Flirty Rico and Brooke N Hymen at 3 p.m. and DJs Juba and Honey turning the long District Pier into a dance party from 2 p.m. on. Entertainment spreads out along the Wharf, including a family zone and beer gardens, and restaurants and bars are open for food, drinks and a party vibe. The event is capped with a fireworks show, with lights shooting from a barge in the channel. Admission is free, and children and pets are welcome, though a paid “VIP experience” includes access to air-conditioned lounges, private bathrooms and front-row seats for the fireworks. 2 to 9 p.m. Free.
Pride Anthems at the Kennedy Center
This Pride concert, held on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, features Broadway and cabaret singers performing pop songs — think Donna Summer, George Michael, Madonna and Lady Gaga — to evoke and reflect on the journey the LGBTQ community has traveled since the Stonewall uprising. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. 6 p.m. Free.
Cafecito presents: ‘Munecos’ at As You Are
A special edition of the Cafecito drag king show celebrates Pride at As You Are, with performers including Rico Pico and Ricky Rosé, with music from DJ Kristy La Rat. Before the show, an optional Power Hour includes unlimited beers and mixed drinks from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. for $20. After the show, dancing continues until 2 a.m. Saturday at 9 p.m. asyouaredc.com. Free to $20.
False Witness at 618 Cocktail and Whiskey Lounge
As False Witness, Marco Gomez makes techno music that is punishing and pneumatic, full of relentless percussion, cavern-deep bass and sonic elements that could be screams or sirens, depending on what the moment calls for. While many DJ-producers see dance music as a form of escapism, False Witness keeps his tracks and sets rooted in the political reality of the moment. That approach makes him the perfect headliner for D.C. collective Noxeema Jackson’s Rage, a night that celebrates the riotous origins of Pride at a moment when, the collective says, “Black, brown and queer liberation” is under attack. 10 p.m. $40.
Bugapalooza at National Museum of Health and Medicine
Bring a budding entomologist, or an adult curious about bug-borne illnesses, to the National Museum of Health and Medicine’s all-ages Bugapalooza. If you are familiar with the Army’s Medical Department Museum, which counts fragments of Abraham Lincoln’s skull and James Garfield’s vertebrae among its collection, you know this will not be the usual boring science lecture, as educators from the museum and the Pentagon discuss “bizarre, beneficial or downright deadly” insects. Check out a live colony of bedbugs or Madagascar hissing cockroaches, learn how bugs spread Zika or dengue, and learn about the bugs that have a positive effect on human society. Even more enticing: “Bug costumes are encouraged.” 10 a.m. to noon. Free.
‘The Duke Ellington Orchestra: A Centennial Celebration’ at the National Museum of Natural History
Duke Ellington was born and raised in D.C. and got his start playing in clubs around U Street, but it wasn’t until he moved to New York City in 1923 that he began leading orchestras of his own. The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra honors the centennial of the Duke Ellington Orchestra with an all-Ellington program featuring works from across the broad spectrum of his output, from the early days in Harlem to his later “Sacred Concerts.” 7 p.m. $25.
Tinner Hill Heritage Music Festival at Cherry Hill Park
New Orleans funk band Dumpstaphunk headlines this 29th annual festival dedicated to celebrating Black history in the Falls Church neighborhood of Tinner Hill. In addition to a full day of music, there’s a “relaxation village” with yoga and hammocks, a beer garden, and works by local artists. Families shouldn’t miss entertainment like a set from kids’ band Rocknoceros and a “puppy petting party” by Lost Dog and Cat Rescue. Snacks are available from local restaurants, including Northside Social and Clare & Don’s Beach Shack. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Adults $30, students age 12-22 $10, children 11 and younger free; VIP $55.
Silver Spring’s Woodmoor neighborhood is bringing back Woodmoorstock, a free music festival that turns driveways and porches into stages for 55 bands playing throughout the afternoon. An open-to-all drum circle kicks off the party at Woodmoor Circle at noon, before crowds traverse the neighborhood to visit 11 stages, hearing a wide range of musical stylings and hitting up food trucks along the way. Organizers report more than 2,000 music lovers attended the first festival in 2022. Noon to 6 p.m. Free.
‘Frank Stewart’s Nexus’ at the Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection’s “Frank Stewart’s Nexus: An American Photographer’s Journey, 1960s to the Present” is an exhibit divided into thematic groupings of the photographer’s varied subjects, like images of jazz legends Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis or travels through Cuba and Africa. More than 100 photographs from Stewart’s six-decade career are on view in a retrospective that reveals his special connection to D.C., the city where he began taking photographs as a teenager at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Through Sept. 3. $10-$16 for adults and free for those 18 and under or Phillips members; advance reservations recommended.
Jazz in the Parks at Walter Reed
The monthly outdoor concert series returns with a performance by D.C.-based bassist Corcoran Holt and West African percussion orchestra Farafina Kan. Bring your own picnic and blanket, and expect local food vendors and giveaways. The evening begins with a children’s performer followed by the headliners at 6 p.m. 5 to 8 p.m. Free.
Jump Up Records 30th anniversary party at Songbyrd
The Chicago-based record label celebrates three decades of repping ska-tinged Jamaican music with a record release from Eastern Standard Time, the local jazz and Caribbean-laced outfit that’s been in business since the late ’90s. The openers include 1960s-inspired ska group the Fuss and punk/reggae rockers the Scotch Bonnets. After the birthday party, Songbyrd hosts a $7 dance night with R&B throwbacks and live DJs until 3 a.m. 6 to 11 p.m. $20-$25.
Champions League Final viewing parties
Manchester City and Internazionale Milano face off for the bigger trophy in European soccer. The Capital City Blues supporters group will be watching at the Ugly Mug on Barracks Row, while the Inter Club DC hosts a viewing party at Bar Bao in Clarendon. Neither charges a cover, so you’ll want to arrive early to avoid lines: The Ugly Mug opens at 11 a.m., and Bar Bao at 2:30 p.m. Kickoff at 3 p.m. Free.
‘Tomorrow Isn’t Promised’ art show opening at DC Brau
The Northeast brewery debuts a show with works from seven local artists, curated under the theme “tomorrow isn’t promised,” as DJ Vico Vibez spins an all-vinyl set. 7 p.m. Free.