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Greetings!
This week, we're thrilled to invite you to join us for our fifth annual Echo Arts Festival: a fall celebration of the visual and performing arts at Glen Echo Park this Sunday, September 27, from 12pm to 5pm. This FREE event will include unique opportunities to delve into the arts. From hands-on arts & crafts and a community art project, to musical performances—including two-time GRAMMY® Award Winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer—to dance performances & workshops, Resident Artists' open studios & galleries, and the final carousel rides of the 2026 season, everyone is sure to find something fun to explore! We'll have food, too, so you can stay all day! Money Muscle BBQ & Timber Pizza food trucks, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and our own Praline Café.
Echo Arts Festival is also a great time to visit an exhibition or open studio! Be sure to stop by the Park's many Visual Art Studios & Galleries to see artwork on display, watch Resident Artists at work, and purchase works by local artists. Glen Echo Pottery will hold their annual outdoor "Seconds Sale." In the Yellow Barn Gallery, view Bethesda & Beyond, an exhibition of paintings by John Lom, open this Saturday and Sunday only, with an artist reception Saturday evening. Plus, it's your last chance to catch the exhibitions on view in the Partnership Galleries! Cecilia Ford's Yield 1 in the Park View Gallery closes on Saturday, while Leslie King and Pat Scull's In Search of Lost Time in the Stone Tower Gallery and Janet B. Waters, Nicole Fall & Blake M. Conroy's Natural Progressions in the Popcorn Gallery close Sunday after the festival. Swing by a closing reception for Natural Progressions Sunday afternoon, RSVPs preferred.
The festival will also feature FREE hands-on art activities in the Cuddle Up Pavilion. National Park Service will bring their Mobile Visitor Center and lead two 45-minute Glen Echo Park Civil Rights & History Tours at 11:00am and 2:00pm. Resident performing arts organizations will present activities, including an Open House and family-friendly Music and Movement Class at the Washington Conservatory of Music, puppet play & sidewalk chalk with the Puppet Co., and exclusive discounts and giveaways for ATMTC's fall show, Beatrice Likes the Dark, at Adventure Theatre MTC.
In addition to dance performances and workshops at Echo Arts Festival, social dance opportunities this week include a Sunday evening Ballroom Dance with Ballroom Time and a Saturday afternoon Cuban Dance with DC Casineros. If you've never tried Cuban dance, but you already love contra and/or square dancing to a caller, this style will feel like home to you. You'll be changing partners within a circle formation in response to a caller...but with a Cuban spin on it! Plus, Dance for PD® (Dance for Parkinson's Disease) continues, with free classes meeting each Wednesday in the Arcade Building, and DanceFit is back with Saturday morning drop-in Shake Your Soul classes, starting at a NEW time, 9:30am!
Unable to join us at the Park this weekend? You can still connect with your local arts community by tuning in to an ACO Artist Discussion with Dr. Pamela Harris Lawton. Presented by Stone Tower Studio, the Art Clinic Online creates dialogue, relationships, and community among artists working in the DMV area.
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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STEP RIGHT UP....
Help us reach our goal! We're looking for 1,000 fans of Glen Echo Park to donate $10 more in support of FREE programs at the Park.
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FALL/WINTER
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Register Today!
Visit our website for information on registering. Learn more >>
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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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BALLROOM DANCE with Ballroom Time
September 27 | 6:15pm - 9:30pm | Spanish Ballroom
Ballroom Time presents an evening ballroom dance in the Spanish Ballroom on Sunday, September 27, 2026. A beginner lesson in Foxtrot will take place at 6:15pm. Music by DJ Broomtime (our volunteers) from 7:00pm until 9:30pm.
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 | Cueva Flamenca de Glen Echo (An Intimate Flamenco Performance) | CUBAN DANCE* with DC Casineros | SWING DANCE* with Gottaswing | Dance & music performances at Echo Arts Festival | 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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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Interested in presenting your program at Glen Echo Park in 2027?
- Social Dance
- Live Music Events
- Educational Dance or Movement Programs
- Health and Wellness Activities
- Pop-up Events
Due Friday, October 2, 2026 at 5pm EST
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| | | | | | 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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Discover Glassblowing: DIY Pumpkin Workshop
October 2 (one day) | Friday @ 1:00pm - 5:00pm | Glassworks Studio
This exciting 1-day workshop will give you the hands-on experience of creating your own pair of blown glass pumpkins. Each student will work with the instructor to create their pumpkins using colors of their choice, including demonstrations by the instructor, color choices, discussions of studio equipment, techniques and safety. Wear cotton clothing & closed-toed shoes. Supplies and safety equipment included. More info: paul@glenechoglassworks.com. Minimum age 15. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
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Screenprinting on Fabric Workshop
October 4 (one day) | Sunday @ 1:00pm - 4:00pm | Arcade Building Room 303
Turn a t-shirt, tote bag, or fabric square into a one-of-a-kind printed piece! Using screen filler, you'll paint your design directly onto a screen and pull it onto fabric with water-based inks. A fluid, painterly process with satisfying results. Students bring their own fabric items to print on and will take their screen to keep using at home. Inks, squeegees, screens, and tools are provided. $60 materials fee payable to instructor. Beginners welcome. Minimum age 14.
More info: clarewinslow1@gmail.com. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
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Foxtrot
Begins October 5 | Mondays @ 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Ballroom Back Room
This two-week Foxtrot series is the perfect introduction to smooth, stylish partner dancing, designed both for absolute beginners and for those looking to build confidence on the dance floor or to integrate foxtrot steps with the swing steps they already know. With 2 hours each evening, each class combines clear, easy-to-follow instruction and guided practice time so you can comfortably absorb and cement what you learn. You’ll explore foundational steps, timing, and technique, while working with both standard and alternate rhythms to add variety and expand your dance vocabulary. Emphasis is placed on connection through leading and following, helping you move with ease and confidence in any social setting. No partner or prior experience is required—just come ready to learn, move, and have fun!
More info: 301.448.0066. Minimum age 13. 2 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Let Watercolor Paint Itself
Begins October 7 | Wednesday @ 9:30am - 12:00pm | ONLINE
Let’s let watercolor be watercolor. This tricky medium is at its best when we partner with, not fight against, it. Leaning in to its fluidity instead of trying to constrain it can actually bring us closer to our desired outcome. Focus will be on washes, wet-into-wet, edges, and layering. All levels.
More info: apwert@yahoo.com. Minimum age 16. 4 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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See Children’s Programs section below for Featured Children & Teen Classes and Workshops.
Children's Classes >>
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FINAL WEEKEND! 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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Let your child spark their creativity and develop their artistic skills in a fun, non-competitive environment!
Learn More About Children's Classes >>
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Paint, Plant & Grow: Parent & Child Garden Art Workshop (Ages 5-10)
September 28 (one day) | Monday @ 4:30pm - 6:00pm | Arcade Building Room 201
Celebrate the fall harvest season with a fun, hands-on art and nature experience. This workshop begins with a short, engaging story introducing the themes of the harvest season, inspired by the festival of Sukkot. Participants will then paint their own flower pots and plant flowers to take home, combining creativity with nature and seasonal growth. We’ll wrap up with a light group activity to bring everyone together. All materials included. Tuition covers one pair.
More info: Devoraberlin@gmail.com. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
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Fine Art Drawing (Ages 7-12)
Begins October 1 | Thursdays @ 4:30pm - 6:00pm | Crystal Pool Studio
Create expressive drawings using pencil and charcoal then move on to the use of color with chalk pastels. Draw different subjects each week from perception and imagination. Learn new techniques and improve your drawing skills. $20 supply fee payable to instructor.
More info: 301.980.1538; andrle@youngcreativespirit.org. 4 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Praline Cafe
Monday - Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday - Friday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00am - 7:00pm
*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. | | | | |
