On Sept. 14, “Celebrate Van Ness Main Street” with an artisans market, Taylor Swift and Latin dance parties, and so much more

Crush Funk, seen here performing at Calvert Woodley in 2022, is one of Celebrate Van Ness Main Street’s musical guests. (photo by E. David Luria)

On Saturday, September 14th, we recommend letting a neighborhood restaurant do the cooking. We say this for two reasons: You’re going to be busy checking out Celebrate Van Ness Main Street events. And supporting local businesses is in keeping with the spirit of the occasion.

Van Ness Main Street is partnering with Friends of Peirce Mill and Forest Hills of DC for the day-long community celebration, which incorporates Children’s Day at Peirce Mill and a temporary public art installation at Forest Hills of DC Inclusive Senior Living. Shuttle buses will ferry attendees to these events and more, including:

• An artisans market pop-up outside 4340 Connecticut Avenue and in the Days Inn parking lot at 4400.
• A Taylor Swift dance party, followed by a Latin music dance party at the UDC Amphitheater.
• Musical performances at restaurants along the Van Ness Main Street corridor.
• The final Movie Night in the Park of the season at the UDC Amphitheater. (RSVP here)

There’s also a community service element. VNMS is hosting an all-ages Forest Hills Park cleanup from 10 a.m. to noon, and the organization is seeking volunteers to aid in keeping the rest of the day’s events running smoothly.

Below are all activities and events that were listed on the celebration’s Eventbrite page as of this writing. You can RSVP at the link to be notified of further updates.

10 AM-12 PM / Family-friendly clean-up at Forest Hills Park. (3220 Chesapeake)
10 AM-4 PM / Children’s Day at Peirce Mill with Teatro La Bolsa.
10 AM-7 PM / Free shuttle bus between Peirce Mill, Van Ness, and Forest Hills DC.
10 AM-7 PM / Forest Hills of DC Public Art Initiative Celebration.
2-4 PM / Taylor Swift Dance Party with DJ Justin at the UDC Amphitheater (Behind 4300 Conn Ave)
2-4:30 PM / Andrew G Guitarist performs at Il Supremo. (4400 Conn Ave)
2-7 PM / Van Ness Main Street Registration Table. (4340 Conn Ave)
2-7 PM /Artisan Pop-Up outside at 4340 Conn Ave and at the Days Inn parking lot at 4400 Conn Ave – 2 locations featuring 50+ local makers!!
2-7 PM / Bread Furst BBQ Pop-Up in the Days Inn parking lot.
4-6 PM / Latin Dance Party with DJ Justin at the UDC Amphitheater. (Behind 4300 Conn Ave)
5-8 PM / Ken Matthews Jazz performs outside of Rosemary Bistro Cafe, EM Nails and I’m Eddie Cano in Wakefield. (5012 Conn Ave)
5-8 PM / Andrew G Guitarist performs outside at Chevy Chase Art Gallery. (5039 Conn Ave)
6-8 PM / Crush Funk Brass Band at the Park Van Ness rotunda. (4465 Conn Archway)
6-8 PM / Allyn Johnson & the UDC JAZZAlive Trio at Il Supremo Restaurant’s outdoor patio. (4400 Conn Ave)
7:30-9:30 PM / Movie Night in the Park with Spy Kids. RSVP here. (Behind 4300 Conn Ave)

Plus – Shop the Carpe Librum sale, free shuttle between Van Ness, Forest Hills, Wakefield and Peirce Mill, enjoy small biz specials, activities at Politics and Prose, & much more!

Forest Hills Connection is an editorially independent program of Van Ness Main Street.