Happy May, DC! Hear great music at Adams Morgan PorchFest, Jazz in the Garden, and M3 Rock Festival. You can also visit embassies during Around the World Embassy Tour and EU Open House.   10 Best Things to Do in DC by Pat Padua   Theater Purlie Victorious May 6–June 14 location_on Studio The atre language Website Photograph by Anthony Barboza/Getty Images. The 1961 comedy by Ossie Davis about a preacher trying to buy back his hometown church earned multiple Tony nods for its 2023 revival. Playwright/actor Psalmayene 24, who directed Studio’s The Colored Museum, stages this production.   Music Dry Cleaning March 6 location_on Howard Theatre language Website Photograph by Max Miechowski. The UK post-punk quartet performs songs from its acclaimed new album, Secret Love. While the band’s sound nods to forebears like Wire and Joy Division, Florence Shaw’s deadpan, conversational vocals give it a distinctly 21st-century voice.   Books Michael Auslin May 9 location_on Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue) language Website In his new book, National Treasure, the historian examines the origins of the nation’s founding principles, tracing how the Declaration of Independence shaped American ideals, along with the threats that its ideas–and the document itself–have faced over the years.   Theater West Side Story May 14–15 location_on Strathmore language Website Photograph by Todd Rosenberg/Washington National Opera. Washington National Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello presents a stripped-down version of the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical. Broadway actors Ryan McCartan and Shereen Pimentel star as Tony and Maria.   Museums “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness” May 14–Dec. 31 location_on National Museum of American History language Website Photograph of “Farmworkers’ Papier-Mâché Statue of Liberty” courtesy of National Museum of American History. Part of the Smithsonian’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, this exhibit includes artifacts such as the desk on which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence and the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.”   Books J. Hunter Bennett May 16 location_on Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue) language Website With the new book More Punk Than the Public Library, this DC musician, critic, and lawyer recounts the story of the Little Free Library he installed by his house in Chevy Chase DC that became an unlikely hub for local music fans.   Books Wesley Brown May 17 location_on Politics and Prose (Connecticut Avenue) language Website The novelist, playwright, and former Black Panther has written a book, Looking for Frank Willis, that revisits 1970s Washington through the eyes of a security guard assigned to the Watergate Hotel in 1972.   Theater Othello May 19–June 28 location_on Shakespeare Theatre Company language Website Photograph by Patric Shaw/Courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company. The Wire’s Wendell Pierce (above) stars as Shakespeare’s tragic figure of jealousy and obsession, with British Iranian actor Ben Turner as the manipulative Iago.   Museums “Beneath the Surface” May 23–August 23 location_on National Gallery of Art language Website “Portrait of a California gold miner with pick and shovel” courtesy of National Gallery of Art. Mining is a crucial yet largely unseen American industry. This intriguing exhibit gathers roughly 150 photographs spanning two centuries that document the people and labor behind the nation’s mining history.   Music Ari Lennox May 30–31 location_on MGM National Harbor language Website Photograph by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images. The jazz-tinged RB singer–who grew up in our area–performs songs from her sultry new album, Vacancy, featuring the hometown homage “Mobbin’ in DC.”   Want More Things to Do? by Briana Thomas Arts and culture: There’s carnival rides, choral and dance performances, and a chance to shop flowers and plants at Flower Mart (May 1-2, free, Cathedral Heights). Browse clothing, taste chocolates, and make jewelry at Alexandria Spring Fling (May 2, free, Alexandria). If you’re looking to shop repurposed items, you can stop by the Takoma Flea Market for vintage clothing, records, jewelry, and furniture (May 9, free, Takoma Park). Browse 120 booths full of fine arts from local and traveling makers at the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival (May 9-10, free, Bethesda). Shop new and vintage heirlooms at Fine Day Fair (May 9-10, $40, Chevy Chase). Go on a shopping spree for chic garden gems, painted furniture, architectural salvage, rustic antiques, and more at Lucketts Spring Vintage Market (May 15-17, $20 general admission, $50 for early-buyer weekend pass, Berryville). See more than 50 Native works as part of “Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting” (opens May 15, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian). NMWA Nights features an after-hours art gathering with music, drinks, and the new “Burnished” pottery exhibit (May 20, $25, Downtown). Chef José Andrés discusses the recipes in his latest cookbook Spain My Way at Lincoln Theatre (May 28, $56+, U Street Corridor). Bookworms can discover antique manuscripts, historic documents, and unique maps at Capital Rare Book Fair (May 29-31, $15 general admission, free for ages 16 and younger, $60 for opening night, Downtown) Find community histories and personal narratives at “We Make History,” an exhibit for the United States semiquincentennial (opens May 30, free, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum).   Community and heritage: Passport DC is a month-long event that highlights the rich traditions of diplomacy in Washington. There are embassy open houses, workshops, exhibitions, and more (May 1-31, free, various participating locations). Immerse yourself in international art, culture, food, and fashion at non-European Union embassies during Around the World Embassy Tour (May 2, free, various participating locations). Watch adorable chihuahuas race across a 60-foot track in support of Rural Dog Rescue. There’s a pet parade and beer garden, too (May 2, free, Wharf). May is Bike Month. You can participate by going on a social ride with neighbors through National Landing (May 7, free, Arlington). History tours of Union Station are back this month (begin May 7, $25, Union Station). Check out Czech fashion, taste Belgium waffles, sip Danish beer, and more cultural fun at the EU Open House (May 9, free, various participating locations). There’s Asian street food, lion and dragon dancing, and more at Spring Night Market (May 14, $5, Union Market). Artisans, performers, and foodies honor Pan-Asian heritage at Fiesta Asia Street Fair (May 16, free, Downtown). The Annapolis Irish Festival is two days of Ireland-inspired fun with live music, vendors, and food (May 29-30, $30+; kids under 12 free, Crownsville).   Theater and shows: Four scholars explore humanity in The Motion at Arena Stage (May 6 through June 14, $49+, Southwest DC). See the glitzy and provocative coming-of-age production Pippin at Signature Theatre (May 12 through July 26, $47+, Arlington). F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby comes to life on stage at National Theatre (May 12-24, $67+, Downtown). Enjoy this comedic reimagining of America’s founding at Ford’s Theatre’s 1776 the Musical (through May 16, $38+, Penn Quarter). Local artist Justin Weaks invites audiences to help him create a new record (May 30-31, pay-what-you-will, Penn Quarter). Music: Rock out at M3 Rock Festival with music legends Tom Keifer, Buckcherry, and more artists at Merriweather Post Pavilion (May 1-2, $50+, Columbia). The spring edition of Adams Morgan PorchFest turns up the volume across 25 neighborhood stages (May 2, free, $5 suggested donation, Adams Morgan). Swamp Dogg headlines Lincoln Cottage’s Bourbon and Bluegrass music festival (May 2-3, $50+ for adults, $35+ for children ages 6-20, free for children ages 5 and younger, Northwest DC). Bruno Mars will have audiences two-stepping to his new hip-swaying album The Romantic at his DC concerts (May 2-3, $145+, Northwest Stadium). Punk band The Flatliners arrive in DC to promote their upcoming album Cold World (May 5, $34, Wharf). Composer Kali Malone performs at the International Conference on Music and Minimalism (May 6-10, free+, University of Maryland). Wolf Eyes hums otherworldly tunes at Rhizome (May  8, $15+, Takoma). The Honest Politix and DC’s Hue perform at Go-Go Moshpit (May 21, $20, H Street Corridor). Fiddler Alison Krauss, rock ensemble Toy Factory Project, and several others perform at Del Fest (May 21-24,$29+ for kids, $195 for teens, $83+ for adult single day passes, Cumberland). Rock-and-roll icon Sting is live in concert alongside bandmates Dominic Miller and Chris Maas for three nights at Wolf Trap (May 21-23, $66+, Vienna). Jazz in the Garden returns this month to the Sculpture Garden (Fridays May 22-August 14,  free, but lottery registration required, National Gallery of Art). Dance to cumbia melodies outdoors at Block Fest (May 23, free, Mount Pleasant). Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band play at Nats Park (May 27, $184+, Nationals Park). Project Glow’s three stages will feature heart-thumping performances from more than 50 artists, DJs, and producers over a span of two days (May 30-31, $89+ for single-day passes, $111+ for block party).   Things to do with kids: Families can attend the opening of Glen Echo Park’s historic carousel and make crafts at Carousel Day (May 2, free to attend, $2+ for carousel rides, Glen Echo). Kiddos can pick strawberries, and take a tractor ride at Lincoln Strawberry Festival (May 15-17, $16, Hamilton). A version of this article appears in the May 2025 issue of Washingtonian.  The post May Culture Guide: 51 Things to Do in the DC Area first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less