Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival
Annapolis Pride’s annual parade starts at the City Dock at noon, with floats, bands and Grand Marshal Christian Siriano proceeding up Main Street, heading for Maryland Hall and the Bates Athletic Complex. The post-parade festival includes multiple stages of entertainment, vendors, bars and a kid zone. Noon to 5 p.m. Free.
Arlington Pride Kick-Off Block Party
Arlington Pride’s month-long celebration begins Saturday at the Water Park in National Landing with a block party hosted by Miss Arlington Pride Amara Lee Dùpree. The day features live entertainment, karaoke, vendors and outdoor games. Upcoming events for your calendar include a “Cowboy Carter”-themed Ho-Down Party at Clarendon Ballroom (June 15) and the third Arlington Pride Festival in Long Bridge Park (June 29). 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free.
The seventh Alexandria Pride fills Old Town’s Market Square with DJs, live music, dance workshops, a mobile art lab, food trucks, and tents with vendors offering advice and health services on Saturday afternoon. Drag story hour takes place inside City Hall. 3 to 6 p.m. Free.
Pride comes to Fairfax’s Mosaic District on Saturday with a Mosaic Pride parade through the neighborhood, family story time with drag queen Tara Hoot, a DJ and drag performances, an aerialist, and dancing to a cover band. 3 to 9 p.m. Free.
The city of Fairfax and George Mason University team up to open Fairfax Pride Month at the Old Town Hall on Saturday, featuring the Mosaic Harmony community choir, family activities such as face painting and crafts, and a vendor fair. (5 to 7 p.m. Free.) Coyote Grille, located a block down Main Street, hosts a drag show with the Palace. (9 p.m. $10-$15.)
The annual Fiesta Asia shuts down Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Sixth streets NW to showcase more than 20 Asian cultures in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Look for live music and dance performances representing multiple countries, a parade, a karaoke stage, a cosplay contest, martial arts demonstrations, hands-on games and crafts for kids, a large vendor area, and a “food alley” featuring local and New York City restaurants that is apparently 50 percent larger than last year’s. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free.
New Kitchens on the Block at Mess Hall
At this long-running D.C. food festival, the restaurants serving up bites are so cutting-edge, they haven’t even opened yet. The 10th edition of New Kitchens on the Block at Mess Hall continues to introduce diners to what’s next on the scene, with a mix of new projects from stalwart Washington chefs. This June, try food from eight upcoming restaurants, including Moon Rabbit chef Kevin Tien and pastry chef Susan Bae’s still-unnamed Vietnamese bakery, Lucky Buns’ burger master Alex McCoy’s West Coast-style Monstera Burrito, and Maketto owner Erik Bruner-Yang’s upcoming H Street bar Providencia. VIP tickets include access to a private after-party at Right Proper’s nearby Brookland brewery. Noon to 2 p.m. for Round 1 or 3 to 5 p.m. for Round 2. $119-$159.
Festival Argentino at Kenmore Middle School
This 37-year-old festival, whose sponsors include Arlington County and the Embassy of Argentina, celebrates Argentine culture through tango, food, music and soccer. Throughout the day, the stage is filled with tango, ballet and folk dancers; rock, folk and tango bands, including the award-winning Argentine group Los Alonsitos; vendors selling traditional crafts; and stands with asado and other foods. D.C. United legend Marco Etcheverry will be honored with a special ceremony. 3:30 to 10:30 p.m. $15-$35; free for children 3 and younger.
Opera Italiana Is in the Air at the Lincoln Memorial
Opera Italiana Is in the Air began in 2017 as a free outdoor concert in New York’s Central Park — a way to take opera out of expensive concert halls and introduce it to younger, more diverse crowds. It arrived in D.C. in 2022, and founder Alvise Casellati returns again this year to conduct musicians in front of the Lincoln Memorial, under the patronage of the Embassy of Italy. The program is heavy on Puccini, to mark 100 years since the death of the Italian composer, and soprano Ewa Plonka, who recently sang the title role in the Washington National Opera’s production of “Turandot,” is a featured performer. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Free.
Champions League Final viewing parties
Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund face off Saturday at 3 p.m. for the right to call themselves the best soccer team in Europe. The Madridistas are watching at Elephant and Castle, while Across the Pond is the home of D.C.’s official Dortmund fan group. There are plenty of other options, too: Wunder Garten is teaming up with rec league District Sports for a viewing party at the NoMa beer garden, where sales of Atlas beers benefit the soccer nonprofit Open Goal Project. Franklin Hall is poised for a doubleheader: After the Champions League, it’s showing the U.S. women’s national team play South Korea at 5 p.m. Soccer specials include $4 pints of Narragansett and $5 shooters. Whitlow’s has been showing Champions League knockout rounds, and the streak continues with discounted buckets of Heineken ($20-$25) and bar snacks ($6-$12) during the final. The Midlands is showing the match with sounds indoors and on the patio while offering $5 drinks. The Brig might be home to Dortmund’s Klassiker rivals Bayern Munich, but it’s opening for the match with sound. Reminder: Wherever you are heading, get there early.
Day of Archaeology Festival at Dumbarton House
For the first time, D.C. is celebrating Archaeology Month this June. The start of the month brings together archaeologists from Washington, Maryland and Virginia to talk about local history and heritage. The day, organized by nonprofit Archaeology in the Community, includes activities for kids, artifact displays, music and crafts. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free.
Mr. Leesburg Pageant at Crooked Run Fermentation
To be crowned Mr. Leesburg, contestants have to complete an interview with judges (including the reigning Miss Arlington and Miss Loudoun County), strut in their summer formalwear, show off their talent and, of course, model beachwear. The competition, launched by bartenders at Crooked Run’s Leesburg location in 2023, has a more serious goal: raising money for charity. In fact, the pageant awards the title of “Mr. Generosity” to the contestant who collects the most for LAWS, a charity assisting victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. While there’s a wait list for competitors, watching the event is free and open to the public. Noon to 4 p.m. Free.
Sample beers from the DMV and beyond at the pop-up beer and cider festival in the TPSS Co-op parking lot. Breweries will include Silver Branch, Third Hill, 7 Locks, Anxo Cider, Aslin, Nighthawk and Denizens, and food will be available from Soko Butcher, Cielo Rojo, Catalyst Hot Dogs and Motorkat (for purchase separately). While the cheaper ticket (“beer fan”) includes six tasting tickets and the second tier (“beer lover”) includes 12 tickets, both ticket types will get you a souvenir glass. Noon to 5 p.m. $30-$55.
The Northwest neighborhood’s community day features a lineup of local musicians (who’ll play jazz, funk, country and more) and shopping from area vendors. Make your own friendship bracelets, explore watercolor paintings, learn about henna designs and shop for handmade pottery while enjoying eats from restaurants like Angelico La Pizzeria and Glover Park Grill. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.