Swing Dance with Tuba Skinny

September 2 | 7:30pm | Bumper Car Pavilion

The Institute of Musical traditions presents a swing dance with Tuba Skinny in the Bumper Car Pavilion! For over a decade, jazz and American roots music band Tuba Skinny has grown steadily in popularity, releasing twelve albums and touring all over the world. A beginner swing lesson, taught by Janelle and Dabe Murphy of Gottaswing, will be included with the price of admission.

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Bumper Car Squares

September 4 | 7:00pm - 10:00pm | Bumper Car Pavilion

Join us for square dancing in the Bumper Car Pavilion! Choose from two lessons offered free with the price of admission: Intro to Square Dancing with the evening's caller, or Intro to Flatfoot Dancing taught by a member of Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble. After the lesson, caller Katie Stahl will lead a rousing square dance along with live music by Bach Bui, Rachel Eddy and Lucas Chohany.

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Glen Echo Park Civil Rights & History Tour

September 6 | 10:00am | Dentzel carousel

Who led the Civil Rights protests to desegregate Glen Echo Amusement Park in 1960? Which amusement park ride was a focal point of the protests? How did Glen Echo Park become part of the National Park System? Explore Glen Echo Park’s history on this 45-minute free walking tour and find out the answers to these questions and more! This 45-minute ranger-led tour that starts at the Carousel at 10:00 a.m. No registration required.

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Junior Ranger Program Swearing-In Event

September 6 | 11:00 am | Candy Corner Ranger Station

Have you completed a Clara Barton, Glen Echo Park or Theodore Roosevelt Island junior ranger booklet and would like to be sworn in by a ranger and receive a junior ranger badge? If so, you may meet a park ranger at the Candy Corner Ranger Station in Glen Echo Park on the first Saturday of each month at 11:00am. You may also pick up junior ranger books you would like to work on during this time. The junior ranger program offers people of all ages the opportunity to learn more about the parks. 

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ACO Artist Discussion with Gregory Ferrand

September 6 | 10:30am - 11:30am | ONLINE

Join us for an online discussion with painter Gregory Ferrand. Gregory pulls on wide ranging influences including comics, Mexican muralists, and 1950s fashion to create paintings that reveal the beauty of living. His paintings explore the disconnection and alienation we often feel despite (and sometimes because of) the close proximity in which we live to one and other.  

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Sarau de Samba/Brazilian Samba Gathering 

September 7 | 2:00pm - 5:00pm | Ballroom Back Room

Co-presented with EducArte, the Glen Echo Park Partnership presents Sarau de Samba, featuring a dynamic ensemble of skilled musicians and dancers. To commemorate Brazilian Independence Day, this month’s Sarau de Samba is FREE TO ENTER! Pre-registrations are full, but non-registered guests are still encouraged to attend. We recommend that all attendees arrive early to guarantee a spot. No experience needed and no partner necessary to join in the celebration!

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National Parks Along the Potomac

September 13 | 9:30am | Dentzel carousel

Join a Park Ranger for a four mile, guided circuit hike through Glen Echo Park, along the C&O Canal National Historical Park and MacArthur Boulevard to Clara Barton National Historic Site. Meeting at the Dentzel Carousel. Please note, this hike is for the physically fit walker, with some elevation changes and sections of uneven trail.

To register, email: kevin_patti@nps.gov

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DanceFit: Shake Your Soul

September 13 | 11:15am - 12:15pm | Ballroom Back Room

Experience the JOY of dance through Shake Your Soul, a dynamic movement practice that energizes your body, relaxes your nervous system, and awakens your soul through a dance repertoire set to world music. Absolutely no dance experience is needed to experience this body mind connection. This class is appropriate for all levels and welcomes all movers and music lovers.

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Echo Arts Festival

September 28 | 12:00pm - 5:00pm | Throughout the Park

The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture is pleased to present the fourth annual Echo Arts Festival: a fall celebration of the visual & performing arts! Join us for an interactive showcase of all the park's offerings across several disciplines of art, as well as the final day of the 2025 carousel season.

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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.

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Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre presents: The Selfish Giant's Garden

August 23 - September 14 | the Puppet Co.

Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre’s The Selfish Giant’s Garden is based on Oscar Wilde’s famous fairy tale about a giant who learns it’s never too late to share. The production features lathe-turned wooden marionettes. The puppet’s simple wooden surface is left so children can use their imagination. The hair is made of rope, the eyes of shiny brads. The string puppet children are round and smooth while the Giant is boxy and rough. The musical show contrasts selfishness and sharing. How does a Selfish Giant learn to share?

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Not Your Mother’s Goose!

October 3 - November 2 | Adventure Theatre MTC

A high-energy, laugh-out-loud romp through Gooseville, where nursery rhymes come to life—and fall apart in the most delightful way! Full of clever wordplay, wild schemes, magical mishaps, and heartwarming lessons about friendship and community, Not Your Mother’s Goose! is a fast-paced theatrical adventure that turns childhood classics upside down—and right-side up again. 

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