Your D.C. Weekend: Music festival with a side of activism

Mimi Montgomery

A gray-haired man in a dark jacket plays a sunburst acoustic guitar and sings into a microphone on a stage with purple lighting and a lattice backdrop. — Bruce Springsteen is one of several performers at this weekend's Power to the People festival. Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images

A stacked lineup of big-name performers and activists is coming to the D.C. area this weekend for a music festival with a community action bent.

Why it matters: Bruce Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine musician Tom Morello made headlines when they announced the event earlier this year during a Nats Park performance.

State of play: Power to the People is happening Saturday at Merriweather Post Pavilion, featuring musicians like the Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, Public Enemy, Jack Black, the Dropkick Murphys and Brittany Howard. (Plus: The Boss himself.)

Also: Head to the Freedom Village to hang out with activist groups and register to vote.

And some of the proceeds will be donated to voter advocacy groups VoteRiders and HeadCount.

Zoom in: Ticket prices vary, but start around $120 for general admission seats.

Gates open at noon, and the show kicks off at 1pm.
Can't make it? The event will be livestreamed on YouTube.

More fun stuff happening this weekend

🦟 Check out "Battling Bloodsuckers" at the National Geographic Museum of Exploration to hear epidemiologist Ryan Carney talk about bats, mosquitoes and all things bloodsuckers. Thursday | $30

🏈 Howard and Hampton meet at Audi Field for the 101st game in their historic HBCU football rivalry. Saturday, 3pm | Ticket prices vary

🎶 Head to Alethia Tanner Park for Home Rule Music Festival, a family-friendly gathering celebrating D.C.'s musical heritage with live performances, local artists, vendors and food trucks. Saturday, 12pm | Free

♻️ Get trading at a community swap for books, clothes and plants at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Saturday, 1:30pm | Free

🎤 Maria Bamford — a stand-up comedian who's the subject of an upcoming Netflix documentary — performs her deeply personal comedy at Warner Theatre. Saturday, 7:30pm | Tickets start at $30

☕ The D.C. Coffee Festival is pretty much as it sounds: A two-day fest featuring specialty coffee roasters, tastings, food trucks and music at Dock 5 in Union Market. Saturday and Sunday, 9am | Tickets start at $30

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Your D.C. Weekend: Music festival with a side of activism

More fun stuff happening this weekend

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