🌸 The month you've all been waiting for

Good morning, DC. September in DC means two things: tourists asking you for directions to monuments, and locals finally reclaiming their favorite coffee shops from the summer intern invasion. Consider this newsletter your survival guide, minus the part where we tell you which Metro escalator is actually working.

In today’s District Download:

Let’s get to it.

WalkingTown DC is back for its 26th year, proving that the best way to truly know a city is to walk through it with someone who loves telling its secrets, and this September 13-20, more than 60 free guided walking and biking tours across all eight wards await those clever enough to register before the masses descend. This year's delightfully eclectic program features tours for every taste, from an Arabic-language exploration of Penn Quarter (because culture, like good wine, improves with translation) to a birding-meets-architecture walk from Union Station to the Capitol, where one can spot both real and sculpted birds in equal measure. The two-wheeled among us can pedal along DC's historic canals connecting the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, while those preferring terra firma might discover how Blagden Alley once sheltered escaped enslaved people or why NoMa has crowned itself the district's mural capital with characteristic immodesty. Events DC President Angie Gates calls it "an extraordinary initiative that invites everyone to discover the heart and soul of our nation's capital", though one suspects the soul reveals itself best to those willing to walk for it. Registration is required and fills faster than a Kennedy Center parking lot, with volunteer opportunities available for those charitable souls who prefer giving tours to taking them.

September brings two theatrical love letters to Black excellence, with DC's stages spotlighting the history that shaped our city and nation. Signature Theatre transforms into the Cotton Club for "Play On!" (through October 5), where Shakespeare's Twelfth Night collides with Duke Ellington's songbook in a production that has reviewers exhausting their superlatives while audiences wonder why this gem sits gathering dust in most theater vaults. The delicious irony of staging this celebration of Black artistry in a recreated Cotton Club, complete with nightclub seating that lets modern patrons experience what was once a whites-only venue, adds layers to an already rich confection of tap-dancing, jazz standards, and gender-bending romance. Meanwhile, Ford's Theatre opens "The American Five" on September 19, taking audiences backstage at the 1963 March on Washington with a debut play by Chess Jakobs that poses uncomfortable questions about courage and conviction. Both productions land at a moment when American history feels particularly contested, though the casts' powerhouse performances and the stories' universal truths transcend any contemporary debates about whose stories deserve telling.

Hell's Kitchen winner Rock Harper transforms Hill Prince into Hush Harbor this Friday, where your phone gets locked in a Yondr pouch at the door and stays there until you leave, making it DC's first bar to actually enforce what others merely suggest. The Southern comfort menu (think Cajun red beans with smoked turkey and "Southern charcuterie" with green tomato jam) pairs with cocktails designed for conversation rather than Instagram, while the name itself nods to the historical safe spaces where enslaved African Americans gathered to speak freely. Harper, who spent the summer using a flip phone as part of a "Month Offline" experiment, insists the forced digital detox isn't preachy but practical: early phone-free comedy nights at the venue saw strangers actually talking to each other, which in 2025 counts as revolutionary.

The Popal Group and chef Matt Conroy transform a three-story historic rowhouse into Maison Bar à Vins, opening September 13 with wood-burning fireplaces, lamb tartare, and martini service designed for lingering over French wines from small producers. The team behind Georgetown's perpetually packed Lutèce sees Maison anchoring a revival of Columbia Road's dining scene, which once hosted Clinton-era hotspots like Cashion's and José Andrés's original Café Atlantico. With a first-floor bar and dining room, second-floor lounge for live music, and private dining up top, the venue offers multiple escapes for those tired of fighting for reservations at its Georgetown sibling.

Here’s what’s going on around DC this week:

Explore Planet Word's puzzles, games, and galleries after hours with the world's first voice-activated museum staying open late for wordplay challenges and karaoke on the first Wednesday of each month.

📍 Planet Word (Downtown) | 🕐 5-8 PM

Local artist Jahnel Daliya performs folk, pop, and soul music at Milian Park, bringing her acoustic melodies and rich vocals to the neighborhood's free outdoor concert series.

📍 Milian Park | 🕐 6-7:30 PM

See a juried showcase of short film and video from local filmmakers at Rhizome DC, the DIY arts venue that's been championing experimental cinema and unconventional art in Takoma since 2015.

📍 Rhizome DC | 🕐 7 PM

Upgrade your baking recipes with cookbook author Sally McKenney at Sixth & I, where the beloved blogger behind Sally's Baking Addiction shares foolproof techniques from her new cookbook with NPR's Meghan Keane.

📍 Sixth & I | 🕐 7 PM

Wednesday

82 🌡 62 | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 1 mph

Thursday

85 🌡 67 | 🌧️ 25% | 💨 13 mph

Filene Center at Wolf Trap | John Legend | 8 PM

The Howard Theatre | Boulet Brothers | 8 PM

The Atlantis | Mystery Skulls | 6:30 PM

9:30 Club | The Waterboys with Anna Tivel | 7 PM

Arlington Drafthouse | Aaron Cohen | 7 PM

The Anthem | Men I Trust | 8 PM

Soundcheck | Ape Drums | 10 PM

The Nats look to complete their sweep of the division-rival Marlins this afternoon at Nationals Park, riding high after snapping an eight-game losing streak Monday behind rookie Andrew Alvarez's impressive debut (five scoreless innings, one hit allowed). The Mystics, meanwhile, have dropped six straight to tumble into fourth place in their division and desperately need a home win against Phoenix on Thursday to stop the bleeding. On the brighter side, the NFL returns this week with the Commanders hosting the Giants for their home opener Sunday at Northwest Stadium, where optimism runs high after an offseason of roster moves and Terry McLaurin's contract extension keeping the star receiver in burgundy and gold.Retry

Did You Know? The National Cathedral has a Darth Vader gargoyle carved into its northwest tower, placed there after a children's decorative sculpture competition in the 1980s (bring binoculars if you want to spot it).

Till next time,