Thursday, July 23, 2026
This Saturday morning, tour the National Museum of Asian Art’s Himalayan paintings show with curator Debra Diamond. Then, on Sunday, create your own paintings inspired by Persian miniatures at Washington Printmakers Gallery in Georgetown. This weekend’s other topics: Thai culture, Capitol Hill architecture and Italian cheese. If you can, catch that Zimmerman fella at Wolf Trap.
Only the Best Will Do
Washingtonian magazine’s 2026 Best of Washington, a celebration of top local restaurants with unlimited tastings and an open bar, takes place at the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW, tonight, Thursday, July 23, from 7 to 10 p.m. Proceeds benefit World Central Kitchen. Tickets are $230.10 on Ticketmaster or, to bypass fees, in person at the Anthem box office.
Country-Western Virginia
The Loudoun County Fair continues at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds, 17558 Dry Mill Road in Leesburg, Virginia, through Saturday, July 25. Hours are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. High Carbon Steel performs tonight, Mountain Highway tomorrow night and the Brothers Young on Saturday night. Single-day fair admission (not including carnival rides and games) is $16.50 for age 13 and up, $5.75 for ages 6 to 12 and free for age 5 and under.
Thailand on the Potomac
On Friday, July 24, from 6 to 9 p.m., We Will Survive Cancer, which has established a relationship with Nakornping Cancer Hospital in Chiang Mai, hosts a Thai Culture & Food Event at Hyatt Place National Harbor, 123 Waterfront St. in Oxon Hill, Maryland. This International Polo Tour event features Thai cuisine, cultural presentations and entertainment, luxury jewelry shopping opportunities and networking with community and business leaders. Tickets are $44.52 on Eventbrite.
A Sax Supreme
The Jackson Dunkin Quartet — with Dunkin on electric guitar, Ellis Hollingsworth on tenor sax, Kevin Kearney on drums and Steve Arnold on bass — performs A Tribute to John Coltrane, marking the centennial of the pathbreaking saxophonist — on Friday, July 24, from 8 to 10:30 p.m. at Haven DC, 1378 H St. NE. Tickets are $17.85 on Eventbrite.
Don’t Think Twice
Bob Dylan, who turned 85 on May 24, will take the stage at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road in Vienna, Virginia, on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25. Each concert begins at 7 p.m. with sets by Lucinda Williams and her band, performing songs from her new album “World’s Gone Wrong,” and by Texas blues guitarist Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-A-Whirl Band. Tickets start at $65.
Get Inline
On Saturday, July 25 from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m., Skate Instruction LLC offers a free Learn-to-Skate Clinic for inline and roller skaters at Petworth Recreation Center, 801 Taylor St. NW. Protective gear is required. Gear and skates (submit your shoe size in advance) may be borrowed at no charge. Meet at the outdoor skate hockey court next to the tennis court behind the recreation center building.
From the Mountains
The National Museum of Asian Art’s Debra Diamond leads a Curator Tour of the exhibition “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms” on Saturday, July 25, from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Focusing on exhibition highlights, Dr. Diamond will provide insights into Pahari paintings, made for Hindu kings between the 1620s and the 1830s. Meet at Gallery 23 in the East Building. The tour is free, with advance registration recommended.
30th Birthday Party
The Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW, kicks off its 30th anniversary season with an Open House — with games and activities for all ages and refreshments — on Saturday, July 25, from noon to 4 p.m. The event will showcase the different “eras” of Keegan’s first 30 years. Admission is free but reservations are recommended.
Roman Roamin’
A three-hour Architectural Walking Tour covering Daniel Burnham’s 1908 Union Station and Cass Gilbert’s 1935 Supreme Court Building on the way to the tour’s main focus — the Library of Congress, primarily designed by Paul J. Pelz and completed in 1897 — departs from Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE, at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. Meet inside Union Station at the entrance to the East Hall. Tickets for this International Club of DC event are $28.72 on Eventbrite.
Can You Say Formaggio?
Italian Cheese 101, a class held on Saturday, July 25, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Ama, 885 New Jersey Ave. SE in Navy Yard, will explore a curated selection of five distinct cheese styles from Bella Italia. Tickets are $60.77, including “a welcome spritz,” on Eventbrite.
Just Do It
Also on Saturday, July 25, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Washington Improv Theater presents a high-fun, low-stress Improv for All! workshop at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Designed to reignite participants’ sense of play, the workshop is free but registration via Eventbrite is required.
Think Persian
Artist, curator and educator Sarah Barzmehri leads a workshop, “Modern Persian Miniature Painting,” at Washington Printmakers Gallery, 1675 Wisconsin Ave. NW, on Sunday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Working with acrylic paint and gold leaf, participants will create their own modern interpretations of Persian miniatures through storytelling, symbolism, pattern, color and composition. Tuition is $100 plus a $30 materials fee.