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Community Resources & Things to Do · Performing arts venues · 10 resources
Vienna
Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods at Wolf Trap
Wolf Trap's outdoor children's performance series in a wooded amphitheater — the one paid item here, but with free extras. Interactive concerts, puppet shows and live performances in the woods; free games, toys and kid-friendly activities in the Meadow; post-show outdoor adventure with a Park Ranger where kids can earn a Junior Ranger Badge; free parking on "Gil's Hill."
Cost
Low-cost/ticketed: "Buy tickets to 3 or more Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods shows and get $2 off every ticket"; parking is free; ticket prices not stated on the page.
Best fit
kids, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Baltimore City
Friday Nights Live at Center Plaza
A free downtown outdoor concert series. Free live music downtown; food and artisan vendors; plaza seating; recurring Friday-night rhythm.
Cost
Free — described as a "free outdoor concert."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Runs weekly, year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Friday Nights Live at Center Plaza
Fairfax
Funday Monday at Old Town Hall
A weekly free family arts program run by the City of Fairfax. Every Monday at 10:30 a.m. year-round rhythm; music, movement, storytelling; live performances and crafts; historic Old Town Hall setting.
Cost
Free — "free family programming every Monday."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Runs weekly, year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Free — "free family programming every Monday."
Washington
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
The Kennedy Center's long-running free daily performance series, plus free weekly film screenings. Free performances in the Grand Foyer Wednesday–Saturday at 6 p.m.; free film screenings Sundays at 3 p.m. in the Justice Forum or outdoors on the REACH Plaza; livestreams; an emerging-artist showcase explicitly aimed at young dance makers.
Cost
Free — "Tickets are always FREE, and are first come, first served."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Washington
Shakespeare Theatre Company "Free For All"
An annual full production of a Shakespeare play given away free to the public. A professional Shakespeare production at no cost; online ticket lottery; at least 200 tickets released to the general public per performance on the day-of Ticket Line; a genuinely accessible first-Shakespeare experience for teens.
Cost
Free — "Completely 100% FREE. Tickets cost nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Once a year. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
An annual full production of a Shakespeare play given away free to the public
Ages
Ages 5 and up
Washington
"The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band at the Sylvan Theater
Outdoor summer concerts by the U.S. Marine Band on the National Mall grounds. The nation's oldest professional music organization for free; Wednesday and Thursday evening performances at venues throughout the DMV; full concert band plus small ensembles; open-lawn seating.
Cost
FREE, no tickets required.
Best fit
Students
Before you go
Seasonal. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Outdoor summer concerts by the U.S
Alexandria
Torpedo Factory Second Fridays
A converted WWII munitions plant that is now a public art center, open late one Friday a month. Three floors of working artists' studios you can walk into; second-Friday late nights (7–10 p.m.) through October with crafts and acoustic music; the immersive 40×40 exhibit; free Alexandria Archaeology Museum on the 3rd floor and Art League Gallery below.
Cost
Free — "Open and free to the public since 1974"; second-Friday events are "FREE and open to the public."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Runs monthly, year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
second-Friday events are "FREE and open to the public."
Alexandria
City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums Summer Concerts
Free outdoor bagpipe-and-drum concerts in Old Town (Waterfront Park in 2026 while Market Square/City Hall is under construction). Precision marching plus Scottish musical arrangements; meet the band members after each performance; learn how to join the corps (a hook for teen musicians); Old Town Market Square setting.
Cost
Free — "This event is free and open to all ages."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Seasonal. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Summer: two Friday evenings (2026: Jul 17 and Aug 21, ~7:45pm)
Fairfax County
Fairfax County Summer Entertainment Series / Arts in the Parks
The Park Authority's countywide free summer performance program — concerts, kids' shows, cultural showcases and outdoor movies. Free performances at 20 venues across the county; cultural heritage nights featuring Korea, Peru, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Taiwan and West Africa; children's shows and outdoor movies; picnic-friendly park settings.
Cost
Free — "Experience FREE live performances."
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Seasonal. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Summer series, 2026: Jun 24 - Aug 29 (Arts in the Parks mornings Wed/Sat/Sun 10am; Cultural Heritage Nights Sat 7:30pm)
Warrenton
Fauquier County Fair
Annual county fair: farm animals, 4-H exhibits, carnival, live entertainment. Annual county fair: farm animals, 4-H exhibits, carnival, live entertainment.
Cost
Adults $10; children 2-11 $5; seniors 65+ $5.
Best fit
families, kids, teens
Before you go
Jul 15, 2026 (+1 more) · check dates. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
mid-July
Ages
Ages 2 and up