How DCist Helps You Find Things to Do Around D.C. This Weekend

Updated

DCist publishes recurring weekend roundups under its Events section, such as "11 Things To Do Around D.C. This Weekend" and a Presidents' Day week edition listing "12 Things To Do Around D.C." These posts are the site's main tool for planning a weekend: you get a single curated list of local happenings instead of searching across multiple sources. They suit both D.C. residents and visitors who want a ready-made shortlist, though the roundups are editorial picks rather than a complete events calendar.

What the weekend roundups actually give you

Each roundup is a numbered list of activities happening around the city in the coming days. From the site's own headlines and section labels, the coverage includes:

  • Seasonal and holiday programming — for example, a dedicated roundup for the Presidents' Day week.
  • Cultural celebrations — such as "7 Ways To Celebrate Black History Month Around D.C." and coverage of "Keep The Beat Week" for go-go history and culture.
  • Arts and entertainment — the roundups sit in DCist's Arts & Entertainment section alongside theater and music coverage, such as Howard students working on Woolly Mammoth Theatre's show about HBCU dance team culture.

The practical value is curation: someone at DCist has already filtered the options and grouped them by theme, so you can scan one page and pick two or three things that fit your schedule.

How to use it to plan a weekend

  1. Go to the Events section. The roundups are labeled "Events" and appear in the site's main navigation areas alongside News, Food, and Arts & Entertainment.
  2. Open the current weekend's list. Look for the headline with this weekend's date framing ("This Weekend") rather than an older holiday edition.
  3. Scan the numbered items and short descriptions. Each entry tells you what the event is; use that to shortlist by interest — food, arts, family, or history.
  4. Cross-check against the Food and Arts sections if you want a fuller picture. DCist also covers restaurant news (for example, Call Your Mother getting into the coffee business) and arts stories that may point to related events.
  5. Verify details with the venue. The roundup tells you what's happening; confirm times, tickets, and any weather-dependent changes at the organizer's own page before you go.

Expected result: a shortlist of a handful of D.C. activities for the weekend, drawn from a source that updates the list weekly.

What it won't do for you

  • It is not a searchable events database. You can't filter by date, neighborhood, or price — you read the editor's list.
  • Coverage is selective. The roundups highlight a curated set of events, not everything happening in the region, so niche or hyperlocal happenings may not appear.
  • Details live elsewhere. The site's excerpts show headlines and framing, not full event logistics; treat the roundup as a starting point and confirm with the venue.

Who it's best for

You are… How DCist helps
A D.C. resident with a free weekend A weekly shortlist of cultural and seasonal events you might otherwise miss
A visitor planning around a holiday Holiday-specific roundups (e.g., Presidents' Day week) that cluster themed activities
Someone interested in local culture Pointers to Black History Month programming and go-go heritage events
Looking for a specific type of event Less useful — browse the Food and Arts sections or the venue directly instead

If your goal is simply "what should we do this weekend," start with the latest "Things To Do Around D.C. This Weekend" post, pick your shortlist, and confirm the logistics with each venue.