Your D.C. Weekend: Oyster Festivals, "Sauna Village" pop-up
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Grilled oysters at the U.S. National Oyster Festival in St. Mary's County, Maryland. Photo: Edwin Remsberg / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Fall is peak oyster season — with a bunch of bivalve festivals this weekend and next.
Why it matters: Bright, chilly "R" months are meant for slurping fresh oysters and beer.
📅 All day, Sat-Sun
🎟️ Tickets: $15-$25 adults, $5-$8 kids, free 5 and under.
- The iconic St. Mary's County celebration returns for its 59th year with oyster shucking championships, live music, local food and family fun — all honoring Chesapeake Bay heritage at the Fairgrounds in Leonardtown, Maryland.
📅 Sat, 1-5pm
🎟️ Tickets: $75 (21+ only)
- Hit the Georgetown waterfront and Tony & Joe's for unlimited local oysters, bottomless brews and live music. Proceeds benefit the Oyster Recovery Partnership.
Old Town Oyster Week (closing celebration)
📅 Sun, 5-8pm
🎟️ Free
- Cap off Alexandria's week long oyster celebration at Murphy's Irish pub with oyster and drink specials, live music and the Oyster Passport raffle drawing. Visit participating spots for oyster and Guinness pairings all weekend.
Next weekend:
📅 Sat, Oct. 25
🎟️ Tickets: $22 adults, $9 kids, free 5 and under
- Hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, this fun waterfront festival features retriever demos, ticketed sailing, local beer and Chesapeake eats — including oysters every way.
More Weekend Fun:
🍄 Wild Food Pop-Up (Capitol Hill East): Hill East Burger hosts a wild ingredient takeover with food writer and forager Nevin Martell. Through Fri, prices vary
🔥 2Fifty BBQ at Amparo Fondita (Dupont Circle): 2Fifty pitmaster Fernando González and chef Christian Irabién unite Texas barbecue with Mexican flavors in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month at Amparo. Through Sun, prices vary
🤠 Boot 'N Scoot (Union Market): Hi-Lawn puts on an all-day country fest with live music, line dancing, barbecue eats and whiskey cocktails. Sat, tickets ($19)
🍷 DC Wine Fest (Union Market): The sip-fest returns to Dock5 with over 100 wines from 45+ wineries — plus live music, food vendors and on-site bottle sales. Sat, tickets start at $45
🎃 Fall Festival (Brookland): The historic Franciscan Monastery puts on a family-friendly festival with plants, pumpkins and homemade goods. Sat, free
🍎 12th Annual Apple Festival (Adams Morgan): Celebrate fall with cider tastings, a pie contest and baked goods at The Line DC. Sat, free
🧖 Bathe-ing DC (Anacostia): Therme Group brings a free "Sauna Village" to Sandlot Anacostia with mobile saunas, yoga, sound baths, wellness scans and local vendors. Sat-Sun, free registration
🇹🇷 Turkish Festival (Downtown): Pennsylvania Avenue transforms into a cultural fair with Turkish food, art and live performances. Sun, free