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Greetings!
It's another busy week at Glen Echo Park! We hope to see you here riding the carousel, attending a children's theater show, showing off your moves on the dance floor, enjoying an exhibition, or taking a class or workshop. Whatever brings you to the Park, we're happy you're a part of our arts community!
The first Friday of the month is coming up this week, which means it's time for another Art Walk in the Park! Resident visual arts studios will open their doors to visitors for demos and art sales. Plus, we'll have several opening receptions with light refreshments to celebrate June exhibitions: the Art Glass Center's Visions and Voices 2026 in the Popcorn Gallery, Leonard Jewler's 1960s Washington: Turbulence and Community in the Stone Tower Gallery, Harry Pfohl's Phoenix Recumbent & Rising: Washington’s East End, 1983-2000 in the Park View Gallery, and J. Jordan Bruns' Babel in the Stone Tower Studio. In the Photoworks Gallery, Seeing in B&W will have a preview Friday night during Art Walk and an opening reception and gallery talk Saturday evening. You can also tune in to an ACO Artist Discussion with Shahin Talishkhan Saturday morning.
Once again, we're dancing all week long! Dance for PD® (Dance for Parkinson's Disease) continues, with free classes meeting each Wednesday. Saturdays, instructor Janee Murray of DC Rawhides teaches fun, beginner-friendly line dancing at DanceFit: Line Dancing classes. (This week, both DanceFit: Line Dancing classes will meet in the Spanish Ballroom.) And, of course, we have a wonderful line-up of social dances this week, including a Zouk Dance, a Beginner Zouk Bootcamp, a Viennese Waltz Workshop, a Ballroom Dance, and a Sarau de Samba!
On Saturday morning, take a journey through time with a Glen Echo Park Civil Rights and History Tour. Join a National Park Service ranger on a free 45-minute walking tour and hear stories from the Park's history, including the 1960 civil rights protests to desegregate Glen Echo Amusement Park. No registration required, just meet at the Dentzel carousel at 10:00am.
Enjoy the Puppet Co.'s production of The Little Prince, a touching adventure of a peculiar child from a tiny planet scarcely larger than himself! Stranded in the Sahara Desert, a plane-wrecked aviator meets a child that reminds us all how to see the world like a kid again. See why this beloved story is the most translated work of fiction in history.
On the first Sunday of each month during carousel season, the carousel building will open 30 minutes early to give visitors a chance to see the Park's Wurlitzer 165 Military Style band organ up close. This historic instrument was installed in 1926, so we're celebrating its 100th birthday this year! Join us for "Meet the Band Organ" this Sunday!
Sunday afternoon, do-si-do and swing your partner while celebrating Pride at a Bumper Car Squares dance—this time presented in the climate-controlled Ballroom Backroom! Let's have a grand old time at a rousing Pride square dance invigorated by music from the Bach Bui Trio with caller Katie Stahl. All are welcome!
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Washington Conservatory Orchestra with a milestone concert Sunday evening, OFFSITE at North Chevy Chase Christian Church This special concert honors three decades of musical excellence, community impact, and artistic growth in the Washington, DC region.
Read on for more details about these events plus other happenings this week, including upcoming classes, exhibitions, and social dances. We can't wait to see you at the Park soon, and as always, we appreciate your support!
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SPRING/SUMMER
CLASSES & CAMPS
Register Today!
Visit our website for information on registering. Learn more >>
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Sensory-Friendly Hours
at the Dentzel carousel
Weekly on Wednesdays | 10am - 11pm
Plus Select Weekend Dates | 11am - 1pm
No lights, recorded music at a lower volume, slower AND shorter rides, more time between rides, doors open 15 minutes early.
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PRIVATE RENTALS
at Glen Echo Park
Host your next corporate gathering, wedding, bar or bat mitzvah, birthday celebration, retirement party, or family reunion at Glen Echo Park!
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Our fun and affordable social dances are open to the public with no prior experience or partner required. When we say we offer something for everyone, we're not kidding! Styles range from folk, blues, and contra to waltz, swing, tango and ballroom ... and more!
New dancers are always welcome, and a pre-dance, introductory lesson is included with admission. Most dances feature live music by renowned local and national bands.
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ZOUK DANCE with District Zouk
June 6 | 6:00pm - 12:30am | Ballroom Back Room
Join us for a District Zouk social—this time with a community potluck beforehand! As usual, we'll have an open level beginner-friendly class followed by social dancing. We'll also have a lambada practica before the class so our lambada students and dancers can practice together. In the afternoon, we have two different workshops:
a Touch, Tone, Intention workshop (1pm - 3pm) and a Brazilian Zouk beginner bootcamp (3:30pm - 7pm) for those new to the dance to learn or reinforce the basics.
Learn More >> | Zouk Dance Tickets >> | Beginner Bootcamp Tickets >>
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VIENNESE WALTZ WORKSHOP with DanceSport Endurance
June 6 | 2:30pm - 5:00pm | Spanish Ballroom
Learn the basics of social Viennese Waltz in this workshop with Todd and Migle of DanceSport Endurance which includes lessons and supervised and assisted dancing. Schedule: 2:30pm - 2:45pm Warm-up | 2:45pm - 4:15pm Lesson | 4:15pm - 5:00pm Social Viennese Waltz Dancing.
Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>
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SARAU DE SAMBA with EducArte
June 7 | 2:00pm - 5:00pm | Bumper Car Pavilion
Co-presented by the Glen Echo Park Partnership and EducArte, Sarau de Samba is an authentic samba de mesa or samba de roda (jam session). The event features a dynamic ensemble of musicians and dancers, showcasing everything from Golden Age samba classics and choro to modern pagode and high-energy carnival beats. We kick off with a beginner-friendly dance lesson, so everyone can join the fun—no partner nor experience required.
Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>
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BALLROOM DANCE with Ballroom Time
June 7 | 2:45pm - 6:00pm | Spanish Ballroom
Ballroom Time presents a ballroom dance in the Spanish Ballroom on Sunday afternoon, June 7, 2026. A beginner lesson in Tango will take place at 2:45pm. Live music by OLDE VIENNA with Alexander Mitchell (viola/violin), Elke Baker (viola/violin), Susan Brandt (flute), Dave Wiesler (piano), and Ralph Gordon (string bass) then plays from 3:30pm until 6:00pm. DJ Broomtime will play music during the intermission from 4:30pm until 5:00pm.
Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>
View upcoming Ballroom Workshops >>
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THIS WEEK: AT-A-GLANCE
DANCE FOR PD® | FOLK DANCE* with Dancing Planet | BLUES DANCE* with Capital Blues | CONTRA DANCE & OCCASIONAL SQUARES* with Friday Night Dancers | DANCEFIT: LINE DANCING | VIENNESE WALTZ WORKSHOP with DanceSport Endurance | SWING DANCE* & WORKSHOPS with New Columbia Swing | BRAZILIAN ZOUK BOOTCAMP with District Zouk | ZOUK DANCE* with District Zouk | SARAU DE SAMBA* with EducArte | SQUARE DANCE* (Bumper Car Squares) | BALLROOM DANCE* with Ballroom Time | TANGO DANCE* with Tango Brillante
*Includes beginner lesson & social dance
KEY:
bold = Partnership-presented social dance or class/workshop
italics = Dance class/workshop (no social dance)
underline= Free for all ages or free for kids
View the full dance calendar >>
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Want to dance for FREE?
Volunteer for Partnership Dances!
We need volunteers at many of our dances! Volunteer for one hour, to either help set up or break down for a dance or event, and gain free admission to the dance or event! To volunteer, please send an email to volunteer@glenechopark.org | Learn More >>
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Dancers are always welcome to get up out of their seats and move to the incredible music at our Thurday-night Summer Concert Series! Learn More >>
We are looking for volunteers to assist with set-up and break down of seating for each of our summer concerts. SSL hours available! Volunteer >>
| | | | | | Glen Echo Park is your go-to place for classes & camps in visual arts, dance, music, and more! We offer a wide array of classes and workshops for children, teens, and adults, as well as camps for children & teens. We also present nature & aquatic life programs for kids. | | FEATURED ADULT & TEEN CLASSES | | |
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Wild Animals in Colored Pencil
Begins June 10 | Wednesdays @ 5:00pm - 7:00pm | ONLINE
Get the look of Wildlife, drawing animals in colored pencil, using their habitats as composition. Achieve realistic fur using professional techniques, while improving your style in capturing animal eyes, features and structure. Critique & demos included. You will benefit whether beginner or advanced. Classes are recorded for you to re-watch.
More info: liszadravec@gmail.com. Minimum age 16. 3 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Introduction to Screenprinting Workshop
June 14 (one day) | Sunday @ 1:00pm - 4:30pm | Arcade Building Room 303
Learn the basics of screenprinting! Use a simple stencil-making process that allows you to start working quickly and experience the addictive fun of screen printing. You will learn how to prepare images by cutting a stencil and printing a single color (layer) with water-based inks on paper. Each student will leave with several prints of their design, along with their very own silkscreen to keep! A $60 materials fee payable to instructor in the classroom (Venmo/Zelle preferred). Beginners welcome.
More info: clarewinslow1@gmail.com. Minimum age 16. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
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Ride the Dentzel carousel
$2.00 per ride | $5.00 for an all-day pass
Join us for a ride on one of the greater Washington area’s true treasures! Tickets are available for purchase in person at the box office across from the carousel and online. It's a piece of art you can ride!
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Deadline: Friday, June 5, 2026
Glen Echo Park Partnership Galleries requests exhibition proposals from artists and curators for the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery, and Park View Gallery for the calendar year 2027. Exhibition proposals must be submitted by June 5, 2026 at 11:59pm EST.
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CALL FOR ARTWORK
Submission Deadline: Monday, June 15, 2026
The Glen Echo Park Partnership Galleries is pleased to announce a call for artwork for Power of Place: Art and the Semi-Quincentennial, an exhibition juried by Amy Kaslow. The show will be on view from July 3 - August 2, 2026 in the Popcorn Gallery at Glen Echo Park.
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Budding Ballerinas (Ages 3 - 6)
Begins June 10 | Wednesdays @ 4:00pm - 4:45pm | Ballroom Back Room
This class introduces the basics of ballet to our youngest dancers. Stretches, ballet positions, and beginner ballet moves will be introduced with fun music and games. Developmentally, the children are learning body awareness and coordination as well as important social skills such as turn taking and social interactions. This class aims not to just teach children about ballet, but to be supportive of new parents as they journey through the first six years of their child’s life. Instructor prefers for parents to remain in the waiting area of the classroom.
More info: Amber.Dawn.Logan@gmail.com. 4 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Found Object Puppet Building (Ages 13-17)
Begins June 17 | Wednesdays @ 3:00pm - 5:00pm | the Puppet Co.
Anything can be a puppet! Learn how to create something from nothing in this 6-week course. Students will learn how to take a variety of unconventional materials to create a unique puppet. All materials will be provided by the Puppet Co. and students will get to take home their projects at the end of the course.
More info: box.office@thepuppetco.org. 6 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Amazing Alphabet Art Frolic Camp (Ages 5 – 8)
Begins June 22 | Mon Tue Wed Th Fri @ 9:00am - 3:00pm | Arcade Building Room 201
Artful adventures in calligraphy for the budding artist plus nature frolics throughout the park. Create impressive works of fantasy and folk arts combining letterforms and iconic motifs. 2D and 3D multimedia creations depict life through the eyes of a child and letterforms spanning millennia and the globe. Students take home their manuscripts in a handmade bag with a quill pen to keep. Supply fee of $50 payable to instructor per week. Bring comfortable and safe footwear for playground. Bring bag lunch and dress for mess over swimwear for waterplay. Tuition includes a non-refundable $50 deposit.
More info: inklinginstalana@yahoo.com. 5 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Digital Photography & Photoshop Camp (Ages 9-13)
Begins June 22 | Mon Tue Wed Th Fri @ 1:00pm - 3:30pm | Photoworks Studio
Get ready for a fun and impactful educational experience from behind the camera to in front of the computer! Using an iPhone, point and shoot, or DSLR, students will learn to create stunning digital photography and enhanced imagery in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. First learn the fundamentals of the medium, such as composition, exposure, light & shadow, and depth of field, then transition to developing their software and editing skills. By the end of the course, students will have tangible printed evidence of their newly honed talent. Bring your camera. Other materials included.
More info: soradevore@gmail.com. 5 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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2026 SUMMER CAMPS
Registration is open and ongoing!
Let your child spark their creativity and develop their artistic skills in a fun, non-competitive environment with classes in:
Aquatic Life & Nature | Arts & Media | Dance & Movement | Drawing, Painting & Crafts | Fused Glass | Music | Theater | & More!
| Check out this short video to see some Summer Camp fun! Watch the video >> | | | |
Praline Cafe
Monday - Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday - Friday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00am - midnight
*open for dances and special events beyond these hours*
Stop by Praline, located in the Spanish Ballroom wing closest to the playground, for sandwiches, pastries, snacks, and drinks! More Information >>
| | | The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and also by funding from the Montgomery County government and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (creativemoco.com). All programs are produced in cooperation with the National Park Service and Montgomery County, Maryland. | | | | |
