WASHINGTON — Calling all night owls! The District's annual overnight arts festival, DC Art All Night, will be held Friday, Sept. 23 and Saturday, Sept 24. The festival will include a lineup of visual and performing arts exhibits, live music and activities for children and adults. The fun kicks off at 7 p.m. and ends at 3 a.m.
With 22 activations along Main Streets corridors, within four Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and at four DC public libraries - across all eight wards, Art All Night returns with its biggest, most collaborative program yet.
Art All Night was created in 2011 as an experimental, exploratory engagement event by the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). The purpose of this event is to support and elevate local artists who fuel and drive entertainment, business, and community throughout the District.
The festival will help create new revenue and economic streams for small businesses around activations sites. These partnerships will be the catalysts for corridor revitalization by highlighting music, visual, literary, and performing arts, activating public spaces, bringing new foot traffic to small and local businesses, and ultimately increasing business sales.
“We know that Washington, D.C. is the capital of creativity,” said Mayor Bowser in a press statement. “Artists and makers across D.C. help us celebrate the history and culture of our community, and this weekend, we celebrate and honor them. When we support our creatives and their businesses, we support the type of growth and innovation that help our corridors, neighborhoods, communities, and residents thrive. So, join us, bring a friend, and stay out all night!”
Art All Night went virtual for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, but is back in person in 2022. During last in person event in 2019, DC Art All Night generated over $2 million in revenue across all participating neighborhoods.
This year, Art All Night will continue to be celebrated across all eight wards, and there will be activations located in:
- Barracks Row
- Bladensburg Road
- Columbia Heights/ Mount Pleasant
- Congress Heights
- Deanwood
- Dupont Circle
- Eastern Market
- Georgetown
- Glover Park
- H Street
- Minnesota Ave
- Pennsylvania Ave
- Petworth
- Rhode Island Ave
- Shaw
- Tenleytown
- The Parks
- Upper Georgia Ave
- Uptown
- U Street
- Van Ness
For more information visit the Art All Night website here.