Your guide to Martin Luther King Weekend in D.C.
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The Martin Luther King Jr. monument on the National Mall. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
It's MLK Weekend, and there are plenty of ways to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — from service projects to celebrations.
The big picture: Both in person and spirit, King left a lasting legacy in D.C.
Events happening this weekend:
1. Prayer Breakfast (Saturday)
- Join Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde and DMV faith leaders at Covenant Baptist UCC in Southwest D.C. for the annual gathering, which the Anacostia community has organized since 1977. This year's theme: "The Struggle Is Real, The Fight Is Still." Tickets ($55)
2. Peace Walk & Parade (Monday)
- The 21st annual community celebration in Southeast D.C. starts at 9:30am with a peace rally, followed by a wellness fair and parade. Free registration
3. MLK Library Events (Monday)
- The downtown library hosts a day of celebrations, including a clay class for kids, musical performances and a celebration of DC Home Rule. Free
4. National Museum of African American History & Culture (Friday-Monday)
- The Smithsonian museum hosts "Remember the Dream" on Monday, honoring Dr. King (11am-2pm) with activities and family-friendly happenings. Free, timed tickets required.
- On Friday, the museum launches a new exhibit, "At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs," which showcases artifacts from five historically Black colleges and brings lesser-known stories to the National Mall (through July 19).
5. Service Projects (Friday-Monday)
- In the spirit of Dr. King, many days of service. The Rock Creek Conservancy has over a dozen cleanup volunteer opportunities over the weekend. The Potomac Conservancy is running one in Anacostia Park on Saturday.
- Martha's Table has volunteer opportunities on their MLK Day of Service, as well as a pop-up market by the parade.
6. Ben's does brunch (Saturday-Monday)
- Several D.C. restaurants are open for Monday brunch, but only one has close ties to Dr. King: Ben's Next Door, the Ali family's restaurant neighboring Ben's Chili Bowl. Brunch means soul food and bottomless mimosas.
More weekend events
🇷🇸 Serbian New Year (Friday): Ring in the Orthodox New Year at the Serbian Ambassador's Residence with a culture-packed party featuring Serbian music, dancing and food/drink. Tickets ($74)
🏳️🌈 Caps Pride Night (Saturday): Festivities kick off at 5pm with a free pre-game Block Party at District E, plus in-game activations and a special ticket offer with a Pride jersey.
🎶 The Hip Hop R&B Bar Crawl (Saturday): Bounce between U Street bars with DJs spinning throwback and current hip-hop and R&B tunes. Tickets ($17)
🌍 Travel & Adventure Show (Saturday–Sunday): Dream big with travel deals, destination experts and gear galore at the Washington Convention Center — plus a chance to hear from Rick Steves, Samantha Brown and more. Tickets (starting at $16)
🦉Birding 101 Workshop (Sunday): Learn the basics of birdwatching and photography with experts at the National Arboretum. Free.
🍽️ D.C. Winter Restaurant Week (starts Monday): The region's largest winter restaurant week launches with special prix-fixe menus for lunch and brunch ($25-$35) and dinner ($40, $55, $65). Check out my guide for the best deals, splurges and hacks.
🎂 Paint & Sip Night (Tuesday): Northside Social locations in Arlington and Falls Church each host an artsy evening with fluffy white cake as the "canvas," a winter frosting palette and choice of wine, beer or N/A drink. Tickets ($40)
🖼️ Closing soon: Two timely exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington explore memory, migration and identity — one a retrospective by Iranian-American artist Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi, the other featuring Venezuelan and Cuban diaspora artists. Both end Jan. 25. Free.