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Hi Jenni,
Summer is a magical time at the Park! Looking for kid-friendly summer fun as the school year comes to a close? You can ride the carousel, grab tickets to a children's theater show, or book an aquarium visit. There's plenty of fun for the adults too, with weekly social dances, open studios & galleries. classes and workshops, and more!
This Thursday evening brings another FREE Summer Concert in the Bumper Car Pavilion. This week, we welcome The Rise Band and Show, a fun and lively band, performing Motown, R&B, Soul, Funk, Jazz, and more! Celebrate Juneteenth with this incredible band!
FREE Summer Concerts take place every Thursday night, rain or shine, in the open-air, covered 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! Dancing is always encouraged at Summer Concerts.
In honor of Juneteenth, Glen Echo Park resident organization Washington Revels is co-presenting a series of concerts, community events, and arts activities. This week, Washington Revels Jubilee Voices presents an outdoor concert in Alexandria, VA on Thursday (Juneteenth). On Saturday, Washington Revels Heritage Voices will be featured as part of Pushing Back: The Fight for Freedom is Not Over. Plus, you can join the celebration online with The Daily Antidote of Song throughout Juneteenth week. (OFFSITE)
Grab your dancing shoes this week! This Friday, it's time for a sizzling hot night of Salsa in the air-conditioned Ballroom Back Room with a monthly Back Room Salsa Night! Saturday evening, celebrate Pride with a DC Rawhides Country-Western dance, learning the line dance "Dem Jeans." Also on Saturday, join us for a Rebeto Swing Dance & Concert, an unforgettable evening of music and dancing in an original experience where Greek rebetiko meets swing! Ballroom Time closes out this weekend of dance with a Sunday ballroom dance featuring the Unforgettable Big Band, a 20-musician "two-time Central Pennsylvania Music Award-winning big swing/dance band!"
Saturday morning, tune in to an online artist discussion! Stone Tower Studio's Art Clinic Online (ACO) presents a virtual Artist Discussion with Schroeder Cherry, a Baltimore-based assemblage artist and puppeteer inspired by music, travel, literature, and contemporary and historic events, both real and imagined.
This weekend is your last chance to catch Timeless 2025, an exhibition of handmade photography on view in the Photoworks Gallery, highlighting the work of Photoworks' own Handmade Photo Group. This strong community of talented photographers uses historic and alternative photography processes to bring their artistic visions to life.
Next Tuesday, join Andrew Lee, executive director of the Washington Conservatory of Music for for Harmonies of Liberty—an inspiring evening that blends stirring chamber music with powerful conversation. Lee will lead a pre-concert discussion on the universal human themes carried through classical and contemporary works, followed by a chamber music performance of string works by Mozart, Florence Price, Duke Ellington, Antonín Dvořák, and James Weldon Johnson. (OFFSITE: at West End Neighborhood Library)
Summer Camps are in full swing this week. If you haven't already registered your Happy Camper, you still can! Each week from June 16 - August 22, we have new creative camps in visual arts, music, theater, puppetry, and nature & aquatic life. Most camps run 9am – 3pm, with After Camp available to extend your camper's day until 6pm. Browse the camps catalog to find the perfect fit!
Read on for more of this week's happenings, 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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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 >> | | |
Rebeto Swing Dance & Concert by Spyros Koliavasilis with Stavros Blicas & Nicholas Mitrione
June 21 | 8:00pm - 10:00pm | Ballroom Back Room
Join us for an unforgettable evening of music and dancing in an original experience where Greek rebetiko meets swing! Bring your dancing shoes, or just come and listen, and experience the exciting fusion of rebetiko music and the hasapiko dance with swing. Enjoy a social dance (no lesson) with live music by Spyros Koliavasilis with Stavros Blicas & Nicholas Mitrione. Admission is $25 per person at the door (cash, Venmo, Zelle only).
Learn More >>
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Ballroom Time Dance
June 22 | 2:45pm - 6:00pm | Spanish Ballroom
Ballroom Time is pleased to feature the Unforgettable Big Band! This 20-musician "two-time Central Pennsylvania Music Award-winning big swing/dance band" will provide music covering a wide range of ballroom dance styles including waltz, foxtrot, swing, rumba, cha-cha, tango, quickstep, hustle and more. Admission is $20 at the door (Cash /Check/Zelle/Credit Card) or $10 for full-time students (Cash only). Many singles attend Ballroom Time events. All are invited. Children under 18 should be accompanied by an adult.
Learn More >>
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Also Check Out this Week ...
International Folk Dance* with Dancing Planet | Blues Dance*with Capital Blues | Contra Dance and Occasional Squares* with Friday Night Dancers | Back Room Salsa Night* | Contra Dance*with Dancing Planet | West Coast Swing Dance*with Late Night Early | Tango/Milonga Dance*with Tango Brillante
*Includes beginner lesson & social dance
View the full dance calendar >>
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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!
UPCOMING DATES: June 20 Back Room Salsa Night, June 28 Bachata y más
To volunteer, please send an email to volunteer@glenechopark.org.
| | | | | 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 | | | |
Mastering the Art of Color Mixing Week
Begins June 23 | Mon Tue Wed Th Fri @ 9:30am - 12:00pm | Yellow Barn Studio
Have your mind blown by the astonishing properties of color in this life-changing and practical oil painting class! Gain a new understanding of color interactions and learn about specific paint colors through color studies of master paintings and still lifes. All experience levels.
More info: m.taber.thomas@gmail.com. Minimum age 13. 5 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Focus Class: Darkness + Time
Begins June 29 | Sundays @ 10:00am - 12:30pm | Online
Explores the possibilities and implications of photography in near darkness and/or with long exposures. Look at historical and contemporary artists for ideas and share creative work in group critiques. Students should already be familiar with Shutter, Aperture, ISO, and EV compensation, and have a tripod.
More info: pagecarr@gmail.com. 4 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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CALL FOR ENTRIES
54th Annual Labor Day Art Show
Deadline for entry is August 4, 2025
We are now inviting artists to submit entries for the 54th Annual Labor Day Art Show, a Glen Echo Park tradition that features a wide range of local artists and brings thousands of art enthusiasts to the Park every year.
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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!
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Tiny Tots
Ongoing | the Puppet Co.
Designed for children 18 months to 4 years old, ongoing Tiny Tots shows offer a viewing atmosphere especially suited for young theatre patrons. All Tiny Tots shows feature: 30 minute runtime, no dark room, no loud noises, and open theater doors.
Purchase Tickets >>
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Twisted Tales: The Three Goldilocks Gruff
June 7 - June 29 | the Puppet Co.
This summer, dive into a whirlwind of imagination with Twisted Tales—a magical, mischievous play where sibling rivalry meets fairy tale mayhem! When siblings Bailey and Frank spend the summer at the theater with their eccentric Aunt Ingrid, they must learn to work together to bring their hilariously twisted versions of classic tales to life. From grumpy goats to plucky pigs, nothing goes according to the storybooks in this laugh-out-loud adventure full of heart, humor, and handmade chaos brought to you by the creative team at the Puppet Co.!
Purchase Tickets >>
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The Lightning Thief
June 27 – August 17 | Adventure Theatre MTC
This dynamic musical adaptation of Rick Riordan’s bestselling book opened on Broadway in 2019. When teenager Percy Jackson discovers he’s a demigod, he and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus’ missing lightning bolt and prevent a war among the gods.
Purchase Tickets >>
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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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Prehistoric Oceans 4th of July Week Mini Camp (Ages 6-8) 6/30
June 30 | Monday @ 9:00am - 3:00pm (one day) | Glen Echo Park Aquarium
Discover what the Ocean looked like millions of years ago. We will explore through a variety of fossils and attempt to understand how the area where the Bay is currently located might have looked during the time of dinosaurs. Tuition includes a $15 non-refundable deposit.
More info: info@GEPAquarium.org or 301.955.6256. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
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The Darkroom Diaries: Introduction to Film Photography for Teens Camp (Ages 14-17)
Begins June 30 | Mon Tue Wed Th @ 9:00am - 3:00pm | Photoworks Studio
A comprehensive introduction to traditional black-and-white photography. Students will shoot film and develop film, create darkroom prints, and learn other photo techniques. By week’s end, they’ll have mastered the basics and presented their work. Ideal for beginners, this course fosters both technical skill-building and creative exploration.
More info: vivian_wingard@mcpsmd.org. 4 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Praline Cafe
Monday - Friday: Closed
Saturday & Sunday: 11am - 7pm
*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. | | | | |
