|
Greetings!
Summer is in full swing at the Park! We can't wait to fill you in on all the fun to be had!
Thursday evening, we kick off our free 2026 Summer Concert Series with a performance celebrating Pride Month by DC’s Different Drummers (DCDD), DC's LGBTQ+ community music organization. DCDD will bring their Jazz Band, a 25 piece big band that plays in a variety of styles.
FREE Summer Concerts take place every Thursday night, from June 11 to August 20, 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.
Saturday morning brings family fun to the Park with Pride Family Day. All are welcome at this community celebration! Glen Echo Park is proud to collaborate with the office of Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass to present a family-friendly festival in the Spanish Ballroom. Enjoy face painting, carousel rides (sensory-friendly rides for the first two hours, FREE tickets while supplies last), aquarium visits (FREE tickets while supplies last!), hands-on arts & crafts, a family photo-op, and rainbow treats! Plus, puppet performances are discounted for the day (Use discount code "PRIDE26" at checkout for shows at the Puppet Co. Applies to June 13 shows only).
Stop by Glen Echo Pottery's Pots by the Pound sale on Saturday, just in time to grab a Father's Day gift! It's the perfect time to pick out a new mug or ice cream bowl for all the fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and father-figures in your life.
Saturday also brings a Paint Out event with the Friends of the Yellow Barn Studio. Join the Friends, join the fun! This event is open to all and new members of the Friends of the Yellow Barn Studio and Yellow Barn instructors. Spend the day painting at the Park, followed by a reception and art sale. This is a judged show with awesome prizes to be won!
Celebrate Juneteenth with the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices ensemble! Saturday, Jubilee Voices will perform OFFSITE at Kensington’s Fifth Annual Juneteenth Celebration, a family friendly event with activities for all ages, will bring together a multiracial coalition of organizers, historians, living history performers and portrayals, civic and faith leaders, local and Black-owned businesses, musicians, and supporters. The Partnership will also have a table at the event, so stop by and pick up a Summer Concerts hand fan! Plus, save the date for Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition's Annual Juneteenth Celebration on the day itself—June 19! This event will take place in the Bumper Car Pavilion, with African food, dance, music, history, poetry, and free ice cream.
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. And, of course, we have a wonderful line-up of social dances this week, including a Sunday-afternoon Waltz Dance!
This weekend, in addition to the weekly Wednesday morning sensory-friendly first hour, rides on the Dentzel carousel will be sensory-friendly from 11:00am to 1:00pm on both Satuday and Sunday. Learn more about Sensory-Friendly Hours and view future weekend dates on the Dentzel carousel page.
Don't miss your chance to submit your artwork! The call for artwork for Power of Place: Art and the Semi-Quincentennial, closes Monday, June 15. This exhibition, juried by Amy Kaslow, will be on view from July 3 - August 2, 2026 in the Popcorn Gallery.
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!
| |
|
|
SPRING/SUMMER
CLASSES & CAMPS
Register Today!
Visit our website for information on registering. Learn more >>
|
|
| | |
|
|
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.
|
| | | |
|
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.
| | |
WALTZ DANCE with Waltz Time
June 14 | 2:45pm - 6:00pm | Spanish Ballroom
Join Waltz Time for an afternoon of waltzing and more to live music! At 2:45 pm, we offer a beginner lesson in social waltz (included with admission) which provides the basics and confidence to join right in dancing. At 3:30 pm, REV IT UP with Larry Unger (guitar, banjo), Tory Horner (fiddle), and Ralph Gordon (bass) provide live music consisting of mostly waltzes interspersed with polka, schottishe, tango, swing and other favorite styles. No partner needed, all are welcome. The lesson is suitable for ages 12 and up.
Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>
| | |
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 | BALBOA DANCE* with Gottaswing | DANCEFIT: LINE DANCING | SWING DANCE* with Gottaswing | BARN DANCE* with Folklore Society of Greater Washington | Waltz DANCE* with Waltz 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 >>
| | | |
| |
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 >>
| | | |
|
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 | | |
|
Elective: Tricolor Gum Bichromate Printing Workshop
June 17 & 28 (two days) | Saturday & Sunday @ 9:00am - 6:00pm | Photoworks Studio
Learn to create richly layered, hand-coated photographic prints using the tricolor gum bichromate process. Explore how to prepare paper, mix and apply emulsions, make and use digital CMY separation negatives, and expose and develop multi-layered prints. Learn the full workflow of this expressive alternative photographic technique and take home your own unique prints. $50 lab fee at first class for individual pigment set payable to instructor. Minimum age 18.
Learn More & Register >>
| | | |
Dips, Drops & Fancy Footwork Workshop
June 29 (one day) | Monday @ 7:00pm - 9:00pm | Spanish Ballroom
Spice up your dancing with some show-stopping flair! In this fun, one-night workshop, you’ll learn how to safely and stylishly execute dips, drops, and eye-catching moves/footwork that add excitement to any dance. Perfect for couples looking to impress on the social floor or performers wanting extra polish. No prior experience with lifts required—just bring comfortable shoes and a playful attitude! Partner strongly recommended. For intermediate and advanced level dancers.
More info: 301.448.0066. Minimum age: 16. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
| | | CHILDREN & TEEN CLASSES & CAMPS | | |
|
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!
|
|
| | |
|
| |
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.
| | | | |
Let your child spark their creativity and develop their artistic skills in a fun, non-competitive environment!
Learn More About Camps >> | Learn More About Children's Classes >>
| |
Bay Buddies Camp (Ages 6-8)
Begins June 22 | Mon Tue Wed Th Fri @ 9:--am - 3:00pm | Glen Echo Park Aquarium
Wade into our Chesapeake Bay Watershed as we journey like a water drop from Glen Echo Park Aquarium all the way to the ocean. Slide into learning about the varied life and habitats water passes as you meet the animals of our Aquarium from creek to river to the Bay. Discover crabs, fish, and snails as well as the history of our Chesapeake Bay. Join us further on an epic tour of the Bay at the Aquarium as we showcase diverse Bay habitats from beach to marsh to brackish environments. This camp will incorporate games and crafts to bring your learning to life! Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable deposit.
More info: info@GEPAquarium.org or 301.955.6256. 5 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
| |
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 >>
| | |
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. | | | | |
