|
Greetings!
This week at Glen Echo Park, while we've still got plenty of upcoming Summer events & activities, we're also looking ahead to the Fall & Winter months! Registration for Fall & Winter 2025- 2026 classes opens TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 6 at 10am. Browse the digital catalog to find classes & workshops for all ages that spark creativity and nourish lifelong passions.
There's still lots to do at the Park before the Summer is over! Tomorrow night brings another Introduction to Contra Dance class with Penelope Weinberger in the Ballroom Back Room. Drop in to one or more of our Wednesday night classes to get ready for a social dance.
Music lovers! Join us Thursday evening for a FREE Summer Concert with Kiti Gartner & the Drifting Valentines. This DC-based band plays western swing, rockabilly, old country and some jump blues. The Summer Concert series runs Thursday nights, through August 21, rain or shine in the Bumper Car Pavilion. Beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks will be for sale, courtesy of Praline; bringing your own alcohol is not permitted. Limited seating is available, so feel free to bring folding chairs, or get up on your feet and dance!
We've got two events for the art enthusiasts! Saturday morning, check out an online Artist Discussion with Mary Early, a DC-based artist who creates site-specific installations using cast beeswax, presented by Stone Tower Studio's Art Clinic Online (ACO). On Saturday evening, we hope you'll join us for the opening reception of Summer School, a Photoworks Student Exhibition. Celebrate the photography of 21 talented Photoworks students and community members!
Beat the heat with a puppet show that takes you to Antarctica! It's your last week to catch New Squid on the Block at the Puppet Co., closing this Sunday. Check out this recent review by Debbie Minter Jackson in DC Theater Arts to learn more about this "fun-filled accomplishment by the touring company Barefoot Puppet Theater."
There are still a few more weeks of Summer Camp fun! Check out our new Camps video to get a sense of the creative camps offered each week and register your Happy Camper today.
Read on for more about these and 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!
| |
|
SPRING/SUMMER
CLASSES & CAMPS
Register Today!
| Visit our website for information on registering. Learn more >> | | | | |
|
|
|
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! | | | | | | |
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.
| | We were thrilled to have our social dance program featured in a wonderful piece about dancing in the DMV by WAMU's Matt Blitz, and we heartily agree that "[Glen Echo Park is] a haven for the performing arts." (and visual arts, too!) Listen to it here >> | | |
Contra Dance & Occasional Squares* with Friday Night Dancers
August 8 | 7:30pm - 11:00pm | Spanish Ballroom
Contra is a fun and easy dance, and darn it, you need more dancing in your life! No experience needed, come alone or with friends. The beginner lesson starts at 7:30pm, followed by social dancing from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. Michael Karcher will call to Unbowed, featuring Henry Koretzky (guitar, mandolin), Aaron Blouin (bass), and Mike Henry (guitar), with special guest Todd Clewell (fiddle).
Purchase Tickets >>
| | | |
Balboa DJ Dance* with Gottaswing
August 8 | 8:30pm - 11:30pm | Ballroom Back Room
Dabe and Janelle’s popular monthly Balboa dance series continues! You’ll find this casual and friendly atmosphere is a great way to be introduced to this smooth style that’s perfect for dancing to fast music, but also great for playing with slower tempos. New and experienced dancers alike are welcome. A beginner-friendly Balboa lesson starts at 8:30pm, followed by a DJ dance from 9:00pm - 11:30pm.
Learn More >>
| | |
Also Check Out this Week ...
Introduction to Contra Dance with Penelope Weinberger | International Folk Dance* with Dancing Planet | Blues Dance* with Capital Blues | Swing Dance* with Gottaswing | Ballroom Dance* with Ballroom Time | Tango/Milonga Dance* with Tango Brillante
*Includes beginner lesson & social dance
Partnership-presented social dance or class
Dance class (no social dance)
View the full dance calendar >>
| |
| | | 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 | | | |
Dips, Drops & Fancy Footwork Workshop
August 11 | Monday @ 7:00pm - 9:00pm (one day) | Ballroom Back Room
Add some extra pizzazz to your swing dancing! We will offer step-by-step instruction and proper technique, so you can safely execute those moves that make people say "Wow!". Partner recommended. For intermediate level dancers and above.
More info: 301.448.0066. Minimum age: 13. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
| | | |
*NEW DATE* Encaustic & Mixed Media Painting Workshop
August 16 | Saturday @ 12:00pm - 5:00pm (one day) | Arcade Building Rooms 202 & 203
Workshop includes painting and collage with wax, fusing, carving, and experimenting with techniques. Bring wood support (cut to size; max 14”). Option: Up-cycle art (drawings, prints, photos). Supply fee ($35) payable to instructor. All skill levels.
More info: marcieplusart@gmail.com. Minimum age 16. 1 session.
*NEW WORKSHOP DATE* This workshop was originally scheduled for Sunday, July 27, but will now meet on Saturday, August 16.
Learn More & Register >>
| | | |
Plein Air at Rock Creek Park Workshop
August 23 & 24 | Saturday & Sunday @ 10:00am - 2:00pm (two days) | OFFSITE
Come draw and paint at this workshop in beautiful Rock Creek Park. We will work in pencil, pastel, and/or oil paint, according to student preferences. Enjoy the outdoors while depicting trees, rocks, bridges, creek.
More info & supplies: modernamericanartist@gmail.com. Minimum age 18. 2 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
| | | |
Observational Drawing & Painting - An Abstract Workshop
August 26 & 27 | Tuesday & Wednesday @ 1:00pm - 3:30pm (two days) | Yellow Barn Studio
Learn to create abstract art based on observational drawings. We will explore various subjects and a variety of drawing techniques to inspire paintings. We will draw and paint but experience is not required. Beginner to intermediate students. Supply list will be made available to registered students.
More info: nancyaramsey@gmail.com. Minimum age 14. 2 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
| | | CHILDREN & TEEN CLASSES & CAMPS | | |
|
| |
54th Annual
Labor Day Art Show
August 30 - September 1, 2025
Join us for one of the largest art shows in the Washington D.C. area, featuring the work of more than 300 artists from the mid-Atlantic region. For more than half a century the Labor Day Art Show has been enjoyed by thousands, from art collectors to casual viewers. Don't miss this amazing show!
| | | |
|
|
2025 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!
| | | | |
|
| 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!
| | | | CHILDREN & TEEN CLASSES & CAMPS | | | Save the date! Registration for Fall & Winter 2025-2026 classes will open on August 6 at 10am. | |
Praline Cafe
Monday - Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday - Friday: 10am - 4pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am - 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. | | | | |
