Broadway Performances

(08/01/2009; The Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts; 1551 Trap Rd.; Tickets: $20-$48)

Performances by the National Symphony Orchestra include classic musicals from the likes of Hairspray, Jekyll and Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, Rent, Tommy and many, many more. The City Choir of Washington will also be part of the performances. Tickets prices start at just $20.

Free Admission into National Parks

Although entrance into all D.C. National Parks is always free, on July 18-19 and August 15-16, a total of 391 national parks will be offering completely free admission also. Below is a list of parks in Maryland and Virginia. Enjoy!

Maryland
Antietam National Battlefield
Assateague Island National Seashore
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Fort McHenry NM and Historic Shrine National Monument
Fort Washington Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Virginia
Appomattox Court House
Arlington House
Assateague Island National Seashore
Colonial National Historical Park
Great Falls Park
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Petersburg National Battlefield
Prince William Forest Park
Shenandoah National Park

Celebrating Bastille Day

(July 14, 2009; Whitemore House, 1526 New Hampshire Ave.)

In celebration of the Bastille Day Rosé Festival, the GiraMondo Wine Team is offering a 6:30p.m. class which helps visitors explore rose wines, their origin and how they were made. Participants will taste over 15 delicious Rosé wines, 7 Rosés are from France (Tavel, Cotes de Provence, Bandol, Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Costieres de Nimes) and 8 Rosés conjured from all over the world (Napa, Sonoma, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, Spain, Austria). Happy Bastille Day!

Artscape

July 17- July 19; Maryland Institute College of Art Mount Vernon; 1300 Mount Royal Ave.; Baltimore, MD 21217; http://www.artscape.org/

Swing by the Maryland Institute College of Art for one of Baltimore’s largest and finest free art festivals. This year visitors can expect arts and crafts, live musical performances and visual arts events. The Charles Theatre will also be showing free short performances and the Baltimore bus shuttle is offering their services free of charge as well. And they say nothing in life is free…

Free Theatre Performances

(The Kennedy Center; 2700 F. St. N.W.; Monday-Friday; 6 p.m.)

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is staging free daily performances on the Millennium Stage which will feature a various collection of artists and groups from all over the country. The center hopes to introduce some of its fantastic programs to a wider audience through the free or low cost. Half priced food and drinks only add to a perfect performance.

Girls Night Out Presented By Metromix

Shopping, cocktails, sushi and…did we mention shopping? Join D.C.’s Metromix on Wednesday, July 15th for an evening of fun for the girls at the Lotus Lounge. A number of vendors will be displaying merchandise at discounted prices while you peruse and sip on those half priced specialty cocktails including $4 beer and glasses of wine, $5 champagne and $5 sushi rolls. Don’t worry about a pricy admission fee since it happens to be completely free!

Artomatic

(55 M St. SE Washington, D.C.; Wed. & Thurs., 5-10p.m.; Fri.-Sat., noon-1 a.m.; Sun., noon-10 p.m.; www.artomatic.org)
The Capitol Riverfront neighborhood will be flooded with hundreds of artists who are strutting their talent in areas of music, theater, sculpture, poetry, dance, photography and much more.