Beer, Bulls & Big Wins

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Good morning, DC. The humidity’s high, but so is the fun meter, and we’ve rounded up everything from steel-drum sunsets to surprise sports victories to keep your week buzzing.

In today’s District Download:

• DC Summer Stage lineup

• Belgian Beer Bash on Barracks Row

• Wizards rookie’s Vegas breakout

Let’s get to it.

THE DIGEST

🍽️ DC Black Restaurant Week Highlights Local Businesses

Your taste buds are in for a treat! DC Black Restaurant Week is serving up good vibes through July 27, spotlighting dozens of minority-owned restaurants across the District and nearby Maryland and Virginia. Think of it as your excuse to finally try that spot you've been walking past for months. Places like FishScale on Florida Avenue are rolling out special deals, and the best part? The campaign doesn't take a cut from sales - it's all about lifting up small businesses that are the backbone of our neighborhoods.

⭐ Flashband Takes Over The Atlantis

Ever wondered what happens when musicians meet just one month before a sold-out show? That's the magic of Flashband, which recently took over The Atlantis for a night of 2000s remixed hits. Eight all-new bands formed specifically for the event delivered mashups, medleys, and genre-bending arrangements that had the crowd singing along to their favorite early-aughts anthems. It's like musical speed dating, but way cooler and with better results.

🎭 Curtain Up on DC’s Summer Stage

Why hop on I-95 when Wolf Trap’s lawn is dishing up David Sedaris’s snark, Pink Martini’s global grooves, and a Sutton Foster + Kelli O’Hara Broadway sing-fest? Closer to your Metro stop, Studio Theatre’s feel-good Wipeout sends three retirees after surf glory, while Olney’s breezy outdoor slate stacks Tituss Burgess, a one-night To Wong Foo concert, and a drag extravaganza with Latrice Royale. Need kid points? Imagination Stage’s Dory Fantasmagory and Adventure Theatre’s Lightning Thief keep the little ones busy before you treat yourself to Opera-in-the-Outfield at Nats Park or the Broadway-buzzed revival of Parade at the Kennedy Center.

LOCAL BUSINESS

🎶 Hot Joe’s Summer: Steel Drums & Street-Market Energy

Joe’s Movement Emporium is flipping its Mount Rainier courtyard into a mini-Caribbean on Sat, Aug 16. Expect the Pan Masters Steel Orchestra jamming from 5–8:30 p.m., flanked by local artists, craft vendors, and a pay-what-you-wish ticket that leaves room for extra jerk chicken. Toss a lawn chair in your tote, bike over (parking’s scarce), and let the steel pans soundtrack an easygoing summer night.

⚽ Fresh Turf, Fresh Start at Truesdell

Ward 4’s Truesdell Education Campus is polishing off a glossy modernization—think brand-new playgrounds and a turf soccer field that’ll have neighborhood kids bending it like Beckham before the first bell rings. The city’s DGS crew says ribbon-cutting day is “right around the corner,” so keep your cleats handy and expect the schoolyard to double as a community hang-out once those gates swing open.

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WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

Here’s what’s going on around DC today and tomorrow:

Monday

🍻 Belgian National Day Beer Bash

It’s Belgium’s turn to party, and you don’t need a passport—just an empty pint glass. Belga Café is slinging $7 drafts and three-course feasts, The Sovereign’s tapping 15 Belgian beauties for a fiver each, and Granville Moore’s hints at free Duvel if you time it right. Grab a buddy, shout “Santé!” and turn a Monday into a mini-Brussels bar crawl.

📍 Capitol Hill, Georgetown & H St NE | 🕔 5 PM – close

Tuesday

🎡 Loudoun County Fair

County-fair classics make their triumphant return—think bull riding, carnival rides, blue-ribbon pies and, yes, a demolition derby big enough to rattle your FitBit. Roll in for 4-H livestock shows by day and stick around for magicians, cloggers and monster-truck rides after dusk. Funnel cake for dinner is basically required.

📍 17558 Dry Mill Rd | 🕔 9 AM – 10 PM

🪄 Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern

Choose-your-own-adventure hits the Kennedy Center: the audience decides the heroes’ quests, so your boo might end up casting spells while you cheer from the “tavern” seats. No D20 expertise needed—just bring your sense of humor (and maybe a cloak for flair).

📍 The Kennedy Center | 🕢 7:30 PM

🍹 Prosper Pop-Up at Fountain Inn

Cocktail wizard Al Thompson is test-driving drinks “like mom used to make”—if mom spiked the chocolate-milk punch with bourbon. Drop in for cotch-and-yuzu piña coladas or a zero-proof mango lassi kissed with saffron. No tickets, no fuss—just wander in and toast to Tuesday.

📍 Fountain Inn | 🕔 5 – 10 PM

WEATHER

Monday

85 🌡 67 | 🌧️ 20% | 💨 7 mph

Tuesday

81 🌡 68 | 🌧️ 5% | 💨 7 mph

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

Tuesday

The Anthem | The Symposium with John Myrtle | 6:30 PM

The Wolf Trap | Weird Al Yankovic | 8 PM

DC SPORTS

🏅 District Scoreboard: Wins, Woes & What’s Next

The Wizards closed out Summer League with a splash — rookie Dillon Jones torched the Knicks for 25 pts and 11 boards, giving fans a taste of what’s to come once the real lights flip on at Capital One. Over at Nats Park, the Nationals finally snapped their five-game slide, topping the Padres 4-2. It wasn’t all W’s: D.C. United fell 2-1 to Columbus but circled September 6 for a glamour friendly versus Club América, while new Spirit boss Adrián González starts plotting a playoff push. The Commanders’ preseason dance card is set (Patriots 8/8, Bengals 8/18, Ravens 8/23), the Mystics’ All-Stars used their Vegas spotlight to demand “Pay us what you owe us,” and Venus Williams served up a comeback at the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

Did You Know? The Washington National Cathedral in D.C. features a gargoyle sculpted to resemble Darth Vader from the Star Wars films.

Till next time,

District Download