|
Greetings!
This week, we're thrilled to invite you to join us for our fourth annual Echo Arts Festival: a fall celebration of the visual and performing arts at Glen Echo Park this Sunday, September 28, from 12pm to 5pm. This FREE event will include unique opportunities to delve into the arts. From hands-on art arts & crafts and a community art project, to musical performances – including Emma G and Grupo Fénix – to dance performances & workshops, Resident Artists' open studios & galleries, and the final carousel rides of the 2025 season, everyone is sure to find something fun to explore! We'll have food, too, so you can stay all day! Square Taco food truck, 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. This weekend is your only chance to view an exhibition by Helene Patterson and Margie Ingram in the Yellow Barn Gallery, open this Saturday and Sunday only. Plus, it's your last chance to catch the exhibitions on view in the Partnership Galleries! Mak Dehejia's Tranquil Vistas in the Park View Gallery closes on Satuday, while both The Art of the Art Clinic Online in the Popcorn Gallery and Dominie Nash's Once and Again in the Stone Tower Gallery close Sunday after the festival.
The arts celebration doesn't stop with Echo Arts Festival! Sunday evening, after the festival, The Glen Echo Park Partnership presents ECHO VISION: In the Pavilion, an evening of creativity and connection, featuring a curated blend of live DJ sets, live art, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverage experiences, and laser visuals! We invite guests to unwind, network, and immerse themselves in a multi-sensory journey.
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!
| |
|
|
Artwork from the Estate of Nancy Long at the Glen Echo Town-Wide Yard Sale
September 27 | 9:00am - 1:00pm | OFFSITE: Glen Echo Town Hall
Saturday morning, artwork from the estate of Nancy Long—including artwork purchased at the Labor Day Art Show at Glen Echo Park— will be sold in front of the Glen Echo Town Hall (6106 Harvard Avenue). A lifelong friend and steadfast advocate for the Park, Nancy passed away earlier this year at the age of 96. Approximately 50 pieces, primarily small scale paintings, will be for sale, with proceeds supporting Nancy's favorite cause: the Glen Echo Park Carousel. Learn More >>
Free parking is available our main parking lot at 5801 Oxford Road. Search "Glen Echo Park Parking" in Google Maps.
| | | |
|
|
Help us reach our goal! We only need $2,500 more in support of FREE programs at Glen Echo Park! | | | |
|
FALL/WINTER
CLASSES
Register Today!
| Visit our website for information on registering. Learn more >> | | | | |
|
|
|
PRIVATE RENTALS
at Glen Echo Park
| Special Discount for Select 2026 Dates! | Planning a wedding, corporate gathering, or birthday celebration in the Spring? Many great dates are still available! Book a private rental any date in March or April 2026 or on a Friday or Sunday in May 2026 and mention the code [Spring2026] to receive a 10% discount. View the Venue Availability Calendar >> | Venue must be booked by December 31, 2025 to receive the discount. | | | | | | |
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.
| | |
Swing Dance with Gottaswing
September 27 | 8:00pm - 11:30pm | Spanish Ballroom
Join Gottaswing for a fun and friendly swing dance featuring BIG SANDY AND HIS FLY-RITE BOYS with THE ROCK-A-SONICS. All ages welcome, and you never need a partner. Beginner swing dance lesson with Tom & Debra included with admission.
Learn More & Purchase Tickets >>
| |
West Coast Swing Dance with Late Night Early
September 28 | 5:30pm - 10:30pm | Arcade Building and Spanish Ballroom
Late Night Early is the only West Coast Swing party with late night vibes... but you can still call it a night at 10:30pm! Join us starting at 5:30pm for a multi-level lesson in the Arcade Building, then dance into the (not so late) evening with a social dance from 6:30pm - 10:30pm in the Spanish Ballroom. Plus, you can catch a free workshop with Late Night Early earlier Sunday afternoon, during Echo Arts Festival!
Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>
| | |
THIS WEEK: AT-A-GLANCE
International Folk Dance* with Dancing Planet | Blues Dance* with Capital Blues | Contra Dance and Occasional Squares* with Friday Night Dancers | DanceFit: Shake Your Soul | Swing Dance* with Gottaswing | West Coast Swing Dance* with Late Night Early | 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 | | | |
Elective: Not Your Average Flower Pix
Begins October 1 | Wednesdays @ 7:00pm - 9:30pm | Photoworks Studio
Never have flowers and plants received so much attention! We will learn how to make portraits of these subjects using studio lighting techniques and small flash units, learn how to create our own light, as well as to use shadows to emphasize the textures, columns and shapes of our subjects.
More info: fvanriper@gvrphoto.com. Min age 18. 4 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
| | | |
Basic: Digital Printing From Lightroom Classic Workshop
October 5 | Sunday @ 10:00am - 6:00pm (one day) | Photoworks Studio
This digital printing class introduces digital photographers to the essentials of digital printing. We will use two Epson printers in the Photoworks Digital Lab, but everything you learn will also apply to Canon printers. You will learn about file preparation, color management, paper choices, printer settings, printer maintenance, and making a high-quality print.
More info: christopher.gumm.photography@gmail.com. Min age 18. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
| | |
|
| Last chance to ride the Dentzel carousel in 2025! | This weekend is your last chance in 2025 to join us for a ride on one of the Washington area’s true treasures. It's a piece of art you can ride! This Sunday at Echo Arts Festival, take your last ride until the carousel opens again in Spring 2026. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the box office across from the carousel and online. | | | | |
Fashion Design (Ages 11-14)
Begins October 7 | Tuesdays @ 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Ballroom Café Classroom
In this 4-session class, students will dive into fashion design, starting with sketching their own outfits and exploring fabrics, colors, and proportions. As the class progresses, they’ll move on to creating a small mannequin and draping fabric to bring their designs to life. By the end, students will have a custom outfit displayed on their own mini mannequin, showcasing their creativity and design skills. All materials included.
More info: emma.p.stevenson@gmail.com. 4 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
| | | |
Storybook Art (Ages 5-8)
Begins October 8 | Wednesdays @ 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Ballroom Café Classroom
Young artists will create their own illustrated hard-cover books using drawing and collage techniques. Artists will start with simple drawing and then add texture and color using paper scraps, fabric, and more. This class will enhance your artists early writing skills while teaching storytelling through art. All materials included.
More info: emma.p.stevenson@gmail.com. 4 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
| | |
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. | | | | |
