The DC Cherry Blossom Bus Tour with Tidal Basin Guided Walk…read more I've been a resident of the DMV for 15 years and welcome the opportunity to show the highlights of D.C. when members of my family come for a visit. My sister Mary lives in Delaware and had long wanted to experience the color and drama of the Cherry Blossom Festival. These visits can be frustrating - we never really know when the blossoms will be in full bloom, and how long they'll be pretty and photogenic. This year (2026) was no different. The DC Cherry Blossom Tour, hosted by USA Guided Tours, was our go-to provider for this outing. After I ordered our tickets for a mid-week 10 a.m. four-hour tour, I received a prompt acknowledgement from TripAdvisor that the reservations were ready. I made the reservation just a few days earlier, so it was great to see the email that acknowledged our tickets and told us where to go to join the tour. The logistics involved in getting to the correct bus were easy: my sister and I showed up at the Navy Memorial, across the street from the National Archives (which is on the Yellow line Metro). A tour representative was already there and did a great job of getting us into the proper queue for our tour (USA Tours had four different tours departing that morning). The tickets were scanned and we were on our way, right on time. Highlights of the tour included walking through the cherry trees with abundant blossoms, photographers everywhere, and really pretty expressions of an early summer day in the District. We could see across the tidal basin to the impressive carved statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., which we headed to after spending the first walking excursion in the tidal basin and then the FDR Memorial. Our guide did an outstanding job of providing backstories and context to the places we visited, including the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memoria. We had ample opportunities to stretch our legs, take free bottles of water, and use restroom facilities (as the bus did not have one on board). Both driver and guide handled their responsibilities very well, and we all had an excellent opportunity to see the blossoms. And, just as our guide had predicted, a severe thunderstorm rolled through the tidal basin later that day and wiped out 100 percent of the blossoms we enjoyed earlier that day. Luck of the draw!

It was pretty nice, fun and delightful. The costumes, foods,…read moremusics, colors, products, people, parade... all was really enjoyable! I can't wait for the next year! There is a band consist of Japanese Embassy stuff. They were good! I tried, kimono, hat,... There is a chopstick, origami, fan, anime characters, bowls,...all was from traditional Japan culture... Next year I will get ready with traditional Japan costume and make up!

Snally seems to have come a long way. I believe 13 years strong now! It sounds like post-pandemic…read morethey had some struggles returning to form, but I can affirm that the 2025 event was top notch and well attended by visitors and brewers. There were over 450 beers to choose from, with breweries from all over the world participating, and options came in every possible variety. I tried some new ones I have never heard of, from breweries I have never seen offered, and that is what a beer fest is all about. Despite tons of people and tons of offerings, there was plenty of space, a good amount of porta-potties, good food choices (my fave was Soko and their terrific double smash burger), easily accessible giant water jugs, and areas to sit or stand. Three stages, too with live music, DJs, and live podcast tapings throughout the day. Your ticket got you a complimentary tasting glass and as many free 4 oz pours you could handle. Food was extra but prices were reasonable. Regular tickets, which they call Kraken passes, were $85 this year (including fees and taxes), while VIP passes were double. Quite pricey for what you get, but for a once a year opportunity to explore some new beers with the Capitol Dome as a backdrop? I can dig it. For those curious, VIP gets you early entry, a dedicated tent/seating space, and your own porta-potties. I don't think that justifies the added price - I think they should lower the price slightly and offer some free merch, but many beers did run out before the end of the day, so if are a true beer fanatic, it's worth looking into. My favorite new discovery was Forager Brewing's imperial porter, the pudding goggles. Fun to say and even more fun to drink.

Came here with friends. Tickets were around $70 a piece. The line to get in was incredibly long,…read morebut went quickly. The lines inside the beer festival however did not go quickly. Crowds were massive so it was difficult getting to try different beers. They did hand out a few full sized at the beginning. A few beers were sold out by the time I got in for regular admission but the price for early entry didn't seem worth it to me. Overall, I would consider coming again but it isn't my favorite beer festival I've been to, it fell a bit short.

We came here on a Saturday afternoon soon after opening and was a bit disappointed at first. One,…read morethere was barely 10 people there and two, there seemed to be way more drink stands than food. All was not lost, however, when people started to pour in an hour later and we wandered around with an IPA in our hands. My boyfriend and I went to different trucks and shared our purchases. The best bite belonged to a pulled pork bahn mi sandwich from Due South that tasted as good as it looked. Meaty, rich but very well balanced. We also tried a meal from the satay truck and was also impressed. I would come back if I were in the area. It's a nice way to sample diff grub if you're with a group of people. We heard that it can get pretty rowdy after a game lets out. Maybe that's why there were 50 drink vendors.

Finally made it to Truckeroo this year (went once last summer), but it's just not the same for me…read more The first time I went, I had such a blast and couldn't wait to come back. I recently heard that they had to scale it down due to re-development in the area, but goodness, it was just way too congested and not enjoyable for me. A group of us came from Jazz in the gardens and we didn't get there until about 8:00. I'm not sure of the process of selecting which food trucks get to be at Truckeroo, but I wasn't personally impressed by any of the ones there. The lines for these trucks were super long! My friend was starving so we tried to look for a short line and decided to try capital chicken and waffle since their line didn't seem as long as some of the others. I've seen this truck around and figured I might as well give them a try. So after waiting almost 25 minutes (yes I was counting), we were able to place our orders. We both ordered the chicken and fries. My friend got a side of mac n cheese. Then began another lengthy waiting period! Sigh...finally we got our meal. Looked like regular ole chicken fingers and they pretty much were actually. Not impressed at all - was very bland and dry. Good thing I wasn't starving. OMG, the mac n cheese was disgusting - probably the worst I've ever tasted (not exaggerating). Forget trying to find a place to sit at this point. Nothing in sight!! We caught up with the others in our group and walked around. Some ventured off to get drinks. I ran into some folks I hadn't seen in awhile so that was good. Unless they find a different venue and a larger selection of food trucks, I'm in no hurry to go back to Truckeroo!

This two day event is jam packed with food, swag, prizes, drinks and all things BBQ. Follow the…read moresocial media to plan your day. Be prepared to stand in lines. Enter from 7th Street. There is a free bike valet. Archives metro is close by. Get a brochure from Giant and read about all the guests. Stay hydrated. Have fun!

Freeeebies, freeebies, and well...more freeeeebies!!!…read more What a time to be had at the bbq battle!!!! Only thing I didn't sample was the bbq....sheeesh!! I really didn't want to BUT of all the freebies and samples, one would think bbq would be at the top of the list but only stubbs had bbq samples. I was surprised that there were healthy options at the battle - non dairy, gluten free, cauliflower pizza, salad....What a time I had! I couldn't carry all my freebies - and live music - yessssss!! DJ Jazzy Jeff - ok DC! I am not a native DC'er but I was happy Backyard Band and the Chuck Brown Band was in the building (dare I say I am getting acclimated to go-go music). For $20ish bucks a ticket, I felt it was well worth it. As others have said - more seating would be better, I had to exit for a bit to have a sit down (I got a stamp and was let back in with no issue).

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian hosted a four-day Hawaiian cultural…read morefestival, Thursday, May 15, to Sunday, May 18, in commemoration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which included demonstrations, films, dance, food and more. The events surrounding the annual Hawai'i Festival. I was born in the Territory of Hawaii. Yeah, I'm that old. So any tributes to my state, especially far from the island is a good thing for me. Even if you're not from Hawaii, it's still a good thing to learn about the culture and educate yourself. Even with all the demonstrations of Hawaiian culture, it really only touch the surface. Hope to see more of this kind of events in the future.

Awesome festivities, creative lights on boats, and community engagement at its best! Amazing…read moremusics venues, Pendry Hotel tables nicely designed outdoors with a fire pit, and a Santa photo op. Various treats and freebies offered, great concert - live music. Talk about clubbing on the pier! This evening of Jack Daniels partnership on a pier at the wharf was a full on Techno, old school, pop dance party! They did not spare much...DJ sounds, free tastings of Jack Daniels apple whisky and Jack Daniels rum and coke lasted from 6-9pm. The Boat parade was demonstrated how great a community we have on the the wharf. Followed by fireworks, this 30 year celebration of the holiday boat parade could not have been a better welcoming of the holidays! Kudos to the wharf for putting on an amazing event!

My husband and I love boats and sailing (and one of the things that drew us to each other). So it…read morewas pretty humorous that we had consistently missed the Parade of Lights for the entirety of our relationship...but quite honestly, isn't that the way it seems to always go? Well, this year, we put it on our calendars well in advance, and made a point to head down for the Parade of Lights. So, first of all - if you haven't heard of it before, the Parade of Lights is on the Potomac...as in, it's a parade of *boats*. The parade starts off in Old Town Alexandria (down by the Torpedo Factory), and ends up on the DC Wharf on Water Street, where all the boats dock, and there is a big awesome after party. We opted to watch from Alexandria, as we weren't really in the mood to deal with drunken revelers (I know, so unusual for me!), and I think we were ultimately glad we did. Although the docks were crowded (seriously, get there early and stake a spot!), the view was perfect. The boats were all decked out in lights, each boat with a different theme (although there should be a drinking game...whenever a boat's theme is "Christmas", you do a shot. You'll be drunk 15 minutes into this thing). So the good: The event started right on time. The kick off was supposed to be at 5:30, and the first boat pulled into view at 5:35. Awesome. Some of the boats are decked out incredibly creatively It's not your usual parade There was a professional radio DJ (I didn't catch which one...Tommy something?) that provided the commentary and filled up the time when the boats lagged behind The not so good: The DJ that was providing the commentary ran out of material about 1/3 of the way through and he started to read off tweets...which I pretty much loathe (even though I'm a huge fan of twitter) Some of the boats really lagged, so there were periods where you would just stand there in the cold waiting for another boat to pull into view It is COLD. It's the beginning of December, on the water, at night. OMG. SO. COLD. All that being said, it's a quirky, off the wall little event, and I love the creativity that the captains put into their boats. Definitely fun and weird.

The 2022 H Street Festival executed on every street festival/block party need: Good food, good…read moremusic & entertainment, good vendors, a little dancing with a whole lot of celebration.. and Mother Nature brought the good weather! Not only was there diversity within the items listed above but it brought out a diverse crowd--I'm sure every identity was present at the festival making for good vibes. Food wise, there was a range of vendors that included food from across the Black diaspora (Jamaican, Haitian, Southern soul food), American cuisine, Bar food from H Street bars & restaurants, sushi & other Asian cuisine , among other fun food trucks. The music I experienced spread across multiple genres (African, r&b, reggae, hip hop, country, and pop) and was put forth by live musicians, DJs, and drag queens. Street formers were also off stage entertaining us with their percussion and brass instruments.

H Street Festival is the largest neighborhood festival in Washington, D.C. It started out 12+ years…read moreas a block party. Now it spans 11 blocks and attracts 150,000 people in one day, always a Saturday in September. It usually starts at noon and goes into the evening. Since it's a massive festival almost every business along the H Street corridor is involved (except for Whole Foods and Starbucks). In addition, almost every food vendor and truck sets up shop at the festival. They have all kinds of food and there are many vendors selling arts and crafts (usually around 4th Street). There are also several staging areas, booths giving out water, and even a few stalls from churches. It's always a great time and you'll get a taste for all types of culture in the city. It's AWESOME!

First time attending 420 festival, I enjoyed music by action Bronson and my boy ludacris, I brought…read moretickets online, I heard people looking for tickets outside venue, because they were sold out, that happened to me last year, so I was prepared for this year. They could have done better with traffic, no officers directing traffic, so that was a nightmare getting into event, not to mention ncf, could have done a better job putting information on map what lot parking was going to be in, trying to find the lot to park in was hell , as well as parking was $20, overall I had a good experience, can't wait to see what headliners are for next year.

Small carnival located in parking lot 6 of RFK. $5 entry fee. No charge for parking, and there's…read moreplenty of it. Standard fair games. Standard carnival food like deep fried Oreos, corn dogs. They have an icee place which is nice, also a smoothie stand. A few rides, mostly for smaller children. This year there was one that went upside down like the pirate ship ride.

In order to appreciate this festival, one ought to know the history of the region and be aware of…read morelarge influence of Asians, African and Latino immigration to this region. The food is a reflection of that mix. Although it is hard to define a "national food" the region offers a variety of food that includes Asian and African influence food. The festival favorite appeared to be jerk chicken with rice as there were 4 vendors offering that. The portions are generous, taste is just right and cost within reality. The music was a bit loud but very engaging - I could just see the love birds dancing and enjoying the rhythm from DJ's. There is a lot of smoke going on as many grills were fired up but there is a lot of space where one can sit and enjoy food in shade of trees. There are vendors offering the region products and the location is very convenient as it can be easily reached by metro. The museums are close so one can enjoy morning museum, take a short walk and enjoy a bit more engaging atmosphere afterwards.