1. Kennedy Center Honors
#1 Art & Entertainment Event
The Kennedy Center Honors marked its 40-year anniversary in 2017, honoring Gloria Estefan, LL Cool J, Lionel Richie, Norman Lear, and Carmen de Lavallade. The ceremony took place on December 3 and the event’s PBS broadcast aired on December 26. The Kennedy Center does not publish its fund-raising number, but each year, this event raises between $6 million and $7 million for its artistic and education programs. President Trump and the first lady skipped out on the ceremony, with the White House issuing a statement that the decision would “allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction.” Several of the honorees had suggested they would boycott the event if Trump was there. It's the first time a sitting president hadn't attended in more than two decades, according to CNN. Next: December 2, 2018
The Kennedy Center Honors marked its 40-year anniversary in 2017, honoring Gloria Estefan, LL Cool J, Lionel Richie, Norman Lear, and Carmen de Lavallade. The ceremony took place on December 3 and the event’s PBS broadcast aired on December 26. The Kennedy Center does not publish its fund-raising number, but each year, this event raises between $6 million and $7 million for its artistic and education programs. President Trump and the first lady skipped out on the ceremony, with the White House issuing a statement that the decision would “allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction.” Several of the honorees had suggested they would boycott the event if Trump was there. It's the first time a sitting president hadn't attended in more than two decades, according to CNN. Next: December 2, 2018
Photo:Â Tracey Salazar Photgraphy
2. Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
#2 Art & Entertainment Event
More stars (and a full-house crowd) feted actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who received the 21st annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on October 21 in front of a sold-out house of 2,400 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The event raised $2.2 million for the center’s artistic and educational programs. Stars taking the stage in honor of Louis-Dreyfus included Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen Colbert, Bryan Cranston, Tina Fey, Ilana Glazer, Tony Hale, Abbi Jacobson, Jack Johnson, Keegan-Michael Key, Lisa Kudrow, and Kumail Nanjiani. The PBS broadcast aired on November 19. Next: Fall 2019
More stars (and a full-house crowd) feted actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who received the 21st annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on October 21 in front of a sold-out house of 2,400 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The event raised $2.2 million for the center’s artistic and educational programs. Stars taking the stage in honor of Louis-Dreyfus included Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen Colbert, Bryan Cranston, Tina Fey, Ilana Glazer, Tony Hale, Abbi Jacobson, Jack Johnson, Keegan-Michael Key, Lisa Kudrow, and Kumail Nanjiani. The PBS broadcast aired on November 19. Next: Fall 2019
Photo:Â Yassine El Mansouri/ El Man Studio LLC
3. Ford's Theatre Society Annual Gala
#3 Art & Entertainment Event
All 550 full-view seats were filled for the Ford's Theatre Society Annual Gala this year in June, which raised nearly $2 million to support the artistic and educational efforts of Ford’s Theatre. First lady Melania Trump gave remarks to conclude the gala. Guests headed to a post-performance dinner at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum, with catering and linens provided by Design Cuisine, flowers by Amaryllis, lighting by Atmosphere Lighting, and entertainment from the Crystal Strings, classical division of Sterling Artists. Next: Summer 2019
All 550 full-view seats were filled for the Ford's Theatre Society Annual Gala this year in June, which raised nearly $2 million to support the artistic and educational efforts of Ford’s Theatre. First lady Melania Trump gave remarks to conclude the gala. Guests headed to a post-performance dinner at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum, with catering and linens provided by Design Cuisine, flowers by Amaryllis, lighting by Atmosphere Lighting, and entertainment from the Crystal Strings, classical division of Sterling Artists. Next: Summer 2019
Photo:Â James R. Brantley Photography
4. DC JazzFest
#4 Art & Entertainment Event (up from #6)
D.C. JazzFest presented by Events DC bested its record-setting 2017 event by attracting even more jazz fans in 2019: Total attendance reached 82,359 patrons, with 165 events in all eight wards across 10 days in June. The festival's culminating weekend happened at the Wharf, where programming on multiple stages, educational opportunities, and pop-up performances drew in more than 28,000 attendees, a 159 percent increase from year to year. The festival kicked off with a bang when comedian Dave Chappelle joined Frédéric Yonnet on stage at City Winery during opening night. Meanwhile, original Hamilton cast member Leslie Odom Jr. filled one of D.C.’s largest music venues, The Anthem, with support from Robert Glasper’s new modern jazz supergroup (R+R=NOW) and jazz funk icon Maceo Parker. Next: June 7-16, 2019
D.C. JazzFest presented by Events DC bested its record-setting 2017 event by attracting even more jazz fans in 2019: Total attendance reached 82,359 patrons, with 165 events in all eight wards across 10 days in June. The festival's culminating weekend happened at the Wharf, where programming on multiple stages, educational opportunities, and pop-up performances drew in more than 28,000 attendees, a 159 percent increase from year to year. The festival kicked off with a bang when comedian Dave Chappelle joined Frédéric Yonnet on stage at City Winery during opening night. Meanwhile, original Hamilton cast member Leslie Odom Jr. filled one of D.C.’s largest music venues, The Anthem, with support from Robert Glasper’s new modern jazz supergroup (R+R=NOW) and jazz funk icon Maceo Parker. Next: June 7-16, 2019
Photo: Courtesy of DC JazzFest
5. Will on the Hill
#5 Art & Entertainment Event
Will on the Hill brings together professional actors and members of Congress and Washington influencers to the stage to perform an original production that combines Shakespeare and political comedy. June's edition of Shakespeare Theatre Company's sold-out event raised $500,000 for the theater's education and community outreach programs. This year, 600 guests at Sidney Harman Hall watched as bold-faced names like journalist Dana Bash and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke performed My Kingdom for a Farce by local playwright Michael Trottier, working alongside West Wing writers Jeff Nussbaum, Brian Agler, and Patrick Ross. The 2018 event brought the company’s artistic associate Craig Baldwin to the helm as director for the evening’s performance. Next: Summer 2019
Will on the Hill brings together professional actors and members of Congress and Washington influencers to the stage to perform an original production that combines Shakespeare and political comedy. June's edition of Shakespeare Theatre Company's sold-out event raised $500,000 for the theater's education and community outreach programs. This year, 600 guests at Sidney Harman Hall watched as bold-faced names like journalist Dana Bash and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke performed My Kingdom for a Farce by local playwright Michael Trottier, working alongside West Wing writers Jeff Nussbaum, Brian Agler, and Patrick Ross. The 2018 event brought the company’s artistic associate Craig Baldwin to the helm as director for the evening’s performance. Next: Summer 2019
Photo:Â Kevin Allen
6. Capital Fringe Festival
#6 Art & Entertainment Event (up from #7)
The 13th annual Capital Fringe Festival ran from July 7 to 29, featuring performances by local artists spanning the gamut from theater, music, performance art, dance, and more. This theatrical showcase took over the Southwest Waterfront area in 2018: Churches, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, and the arts club Blind Whino all hosted productions. This year, 17,284 guests attended 380 performances that involved 800 artists. For the first time, Capital Fringe commissioned three plays. Next: July 2019
The 13th annual Capital Fringe Festival ran from July 7 to 29, featuring performances by local artists spanning the gamut from theater, music, performance art, dance, and more. This theatrical showcase took over the Southwest Waterfront area in 2018: Churches, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, and the arts club Blind Whino all hosted productions. This year, 17,284 guests attended 380 performances that involved 800 artists. For the first time, Capital Fringe commissioned three plays. Next: July 2019
Photo: New Paradise Laboratories/Capital Fringe Festival
7. AFI Docs
#7 Art & Entertainment Event
This popular five-day documentary film festival in Washington and Silver Spring screened 92 films from 22 countries, supported by returning presenting sponsor AT&T. The documentaries always cover a wide range of topics, and in 2018, the Audience Award for Best Feature went to Mr. Soul!, directed by Melissa Haizlip and Sam Pollard. This year's Audience Award for Best Short went to Earthrise, directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee. Journalists from NBC News, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and more participated in panels with filmmakers, film subjects, and audience members. Next: June 19-23, 2019
This popular five-day documentary film festival in Washington and Silver Spring screened 92 films from 22 countries, supported by returning presenting sponsor AT&T. The documentaries always cover a wide range of topics, and in 2018, the Audience Award for Best Feature went to Mr. Soul!, directed by Melissa Haizlip and Sam Pollard. This year's Audience Award for Best Short went to Earthrise, directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee. Journalists from NBC News, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and more participated in panels with filmmakers, film subjects, and audience members. Next: June 19-23, 2019
Photo: Courtesy of AFI Docs
8. D.C. Shorts Film Festival
#8 Art & Entertainment Event
D.C. Shorts Film Festival opened its 15th annual event in September with a rooftop soiree, going on to screen 125 films at venues located around the city. Downtown's the Landmark E Street Cinema served as the primary screening location for the 10-day festival. Each film ran from 2 minutes to 30 minutes in length. This year’s films were selected from more than 1,300 submissions: the final official selections represented 30 countries, and nine shorts debuted as world premieres. Next: September 19-28, 2019
D.C. Shorts Film Festival opened its 15th annual event in September with a rooftop soiree, going on to screen 125 films at venues located around the city. Downtown's the Landmark E Street Cinema served as the primary screening location for the 10-day festival. Each film ran from 2 minutes to 30 minutes in length. This year’s films were selected from more than 1,300 submissions: the final official selections represented 30 countries, and nine shorts debuted as world premieres. Next: September 19-28, 2019
Photo: Courtesy of D.C. Shorts
9. A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts
#9 Art & Entertainment Event (new to the list)
Established in 1949, the founding goal of the A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts was to make the best contemporary scholarship available to the public. In its 67th annual talks in 2018, professor of art and archaeology at Princeton University Hal Foster gave the six-part lecture series, entitled Positive Barbarism: Brutal Aesthetics in the Postwar Period. Held in the East Building Auditorium at the National Gallery of Art, the lectures attracted 1,000 listeners. Foster focused on the work of artists like Claes Oldenburg and Eduardo Paolozzi and how these artists picked up again after the trauma of World War II, the Holocaust, and the atomic bomb. Next: March 31-May 12, 2019
Established in 1949, the founding goal of the A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts was to make the best contemporary scholarship available to the public. In its 67th annual talks in 2018, professor of art and archaeology at Princeton University Hal Foster gave the six-part lecture series, entitled Positive Barbarism: Brutal Aesthetics in the Postwar Period. Held in the East Building Auditorium at the National Gallery of Art, the lectures attracted 1,000 listeners. Foster focused on the work of artists like Claes Oldenburg and Eduardo Paolozzi and how these artists picked up again after the trauma of World War II, the Holocaust, and the atomic bomb. Next: March 31-May 12, 2019
Photo: Courtesy of A.W. Mellon Lectures
10. Shamrock Fest
#10 Art & Entertainment Event
Billed as one of the nation’s largest Saint Patrick’s Day festivals, thousands of rock fans (and Saint Patrick's Day fans) bought tickets for a show that spanned multiple stages at the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds on March 17. Headliners at the 19th annual gathering included Sum41, Shaggy, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Carbon Leaf, EPX, and Pat Premier. Beyond the music, Shamrock Fest puts holiday-specific entertainment like an Irish Village with shops, Irish dancers, bagpipes, and Irish food. V.I.P. ticket-holders indulged in perks that included bottomless beer. Next: March 16-17, 2019
Billed as one of the nation’s largest Saint Patrick’s Day festivals, thousands of rock fans (and Saint Patrick's Day fans) bought tickets for a show that spanned multiple stages at the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds on March 17. Headliners at the 19th annual gathering included Sum41, Shaggy, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Carbon Leaf, EPX, and Pat Premier. Beyond the music, Shamrock Fest puts holiday-specific entertainment like an Irish Village with shops, Irish dancers, bagpipes, and Irish food. V.I.P. ticket-holders indulged in perks that included bottomless beer. Next: March 16-17, 2019
Photo: Danilo Lewis
11. All Things Go Fall Classic
#11 Art & Entertainment Event (new to the list)
The fifth annual All Things Go Fall Classic was bigger than ever in 2018, with more than 10,000 fans turning out to Union Market for this music and food festival. The kickoff featured an all-female lineup of indie musicians, with Maggie Rogers headlining along with Ravyn Lenae, Jessie Reyez, Billie Eilish, LPX, Kaye, Oshun, and Alma. The next day’s lineup was headlined by singer Carly Rae Jepsen, capping off performances by Betty Who, MisterWives, Two Feet, The Aces, and Cautious Clay. The festival continued partnering with buzzy local restaurants, bringing in snacks for fans from the likes of Sweetgreen, Timber Pizza, Pinstripes, Bun’d Up, Rocklands, Vice Cream, Shake Shack, JRINK, and Compass Coffee. Next: October 11-13, 2019
The fifth annual All Things Go Fall Classic was bigger than ever in 2018, with more than 10,000 fans turning out to Union Market for this music and food festival. The kickoff featured an all-female lineup of indie musicians, with Maggie Rogers headlining along with Ravyn Lenae, Jessie Reyez, Billie Eilish, LPX, Kaye, Oshun, and Alma. The next day’s lineup was headlined by singer Carly Rae Jepsen, capping off performances by Betty Who, MisterWives, Two Feet, The Aces, and Cautious Clay. The festival continued partnering with buzzy local restaurants, bringing in snacks for fans from the likes of Sweetgreen, Timber Pizza, Pinstripes, Bun’d Up, Rocklands, Vice Cream, Shake Shack, JRINK, and Compass Coffee. Next: October 11-13, 2019
Photo: Doug Van Sant
