Want to get ready to enjoy two days of music at the 40th Washington Folk Festival on June 4 & 5? Join us for this “teaser” concert before the festival with Cheik Hamala Diabate and The Backroads Band in the Bumper Car Pavilion!

In its 40th year, the Washington Folk Festival returns to Glen Echo Park, MD on June 4 and 5 from 12 noon to 7 pm each day with music of all kinds, participatory dancing, a fine crafts market, and storytelling. Hosting more than 450 performers on 7 stages, the festival celebrates the diverse American and international music and styles to be found throughout the Washington area among the local and talented performers. Jam in the picnic area! Ride the carousel! Revel in the joy of folk traditions, old and new. It’s FREE and takes place rain or shine. Find out more at www.washingtonfolkfestival.org. Complementary transportation and parking from the Geico lot located at 5260 Western Ave in Chevy Chase, MD is recommended; it’s just two blocks from the Friendship Heights Metro stop on the red line. The Washington Folk Festival is co-produced by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington and the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the National Park Service and Montgomery County, MD.

In its 40th year, the Washington Folk Festival returns to Glen Echo Park, MD on June 4 and 5 from 12 noon to 7 pm each day with music of all kinds, participatory dancing, a fine crafts market, and storytelling. Hosting more than 450 performers on 7 stages, the festival celebrates the diverse American and international music and styles to be found throughout the Washington area among the local and talented performers. Jam in the picnic area! Ride the carousel! Revel in the joy of folk traditions, old and new. It’s FREE and takes place rain or shine. Find out more at www.washingtonfolkfestival.org. Complementary transportation and parking from the Geico lot located at 5260 Western Ave in Chevy Chase, MD is recommended; it’s just two blocks from the Friendship Heights Metro stop on the red line. The Washington Folk Festival is co-produced by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington and the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the National Park Service and Montgomery County, MD.

For more than a decade, summer at Glen Echo Park has been synonymous with our weekly Summer Concert Series, where we present and support local musicians and performers who represent a diverse range of styles, influences, and cultures.

Learn More >> | Park Map >>

June 12 - August 21, 2025 | Every Thursday at 7:30 pm 

Bumper Car Pavilion

RSVP preferred, not required

Limited seating available — feel free to bring folding chairs

ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE | DANCERS ARE WELCOME | FREE PARKING | RAIN OR SHINE

August 21 |  James Bazen Big Band

James Bazen Big Band is an 18-piece big band that plays a wide variety of energetic jazz. In addition to originals, the orchestra plays innovative compositions from Stan Kenton, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Gordon Goodwin, Bob Mintzer, Buddy Rich and more.

For more than a decade, summer at Glen Echo Park has been synonymous with our weekly Summer Concert Series, where we present and support local musicians and performers who represent a diverse range of styles, influences, and cultures.

Learn More >> | Park Map >>

June 12 - August 21, 2025 | Every Thursday at 7:30 pm 

Bumper Car Pavilion

RSVP preferred, not required

Limited seating available — feel free to bring folding chairs

ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE | DANCERS ARE WELCOME | FREE PARKING | RAIN OR SHINE

August 14 | Kiti Gartner & the Drifting Valentines

Kiti Gartner & the Drifting Valentines is a band out of Washington DC who play western swing, rockabilly, old country and some jump blues. Their influences include music from the 1940s and on, including almost everything that came out of The Quonset Hut and RCA Studio B in Nashville, Sun Records and Bakersfield. Kiti Gartner (vocals and rhythm guitar), Zachary Sweeney (lead guitar), Steve Wolf (upright bass), Brian Alpert (drums).

For more than a decade, summer at Glen Echo Park has been synonymous with our weekly Summer Concert Series, where we present and support local musicians and performers who represent a diverse range of styles, influences, and cultures.

Learn More >> | Park Map >>

June 12 - August 21, 2025 | Every Thursday at 7:30 pm 

Bumper Car Pavilion

RSVP preferred, not required

Limited seating available — feel free to bring folding chairs

ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE | DANCERS ARE WELCOME | FREE PARKING | RAIN OR SHINE

August 7  |  Justin Trawick and The Common Good

Justin Trawick has been performing in the Washington DC area and along the East Coast since 2006, citing musical influences like Bob Schneider, Greensky Bluegrass, The Tallest Man on Earth, G. Love, Old Crow Medicine Show, and David Gray.

For more than a decade, summer at Glen Echo Park has been synonymous with our weekly Summer Concert Series, where we present and support local musicians and performers who represent a diverse range of styles, influences, and cultures.

Learn More >> | Park Map >>

June 12 - August 21, 2025 | Every Thursday at 7:30 pm 

Bumper Car Pavilion

RSVP preferred, not required

Limited seating available — feel free to bring folding chairs

ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE | DANCERS ARE WELCOME | FREE PARKING | RAIN OR SHINE

July 31  |  Halley's Hot Gumbo Swingtet

Traditional jazz styles from Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and Benny Goodman. This group has performed at Great Gatsby parties, dances at Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom, Victorian Chautauqua Festival, a Moulin Rouge party and for the Potomac River Jazz Club. The band has six musicians including vocalists, horn and rhythm sections. Halley's Hot Gumbo Swingtet performs at Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom for dancing. The Swingtet performs crowd pleasers for huge dancing and listening audiences.

For more than a decade, summer at Glen Echo Park has been synonymous with our weekly Summer Concert Series, where we present and support local musicians and performers who represent a diverse range of styles, influences, and cultures.

Learn More >> | Park Map >>

June 12 - August 21, 2025 | Every Thursday at 7:30 pm 

Bumper Car Pavilion

RSVP preferred, not required

Limited seating available — feel free to bring folding chairs

ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE | DANCERS ARE WELCOME | FREE PARKING | RAIN OR SHINE

July 24  |  U.S. Marine Band Latin Jazz Ensemble

The Marine Band's Latin Jazz Ensemble performs a mix of classic and contemporary Latin jazz hits that will keep hands clapping, feet tapping, and the dance floor busy.

For more than a decade, summer at Glen Echo Park has been synonymous with our weekly Summer Concert Series, where we present and support local musicians and performers who represent a diverse range of styles, influences, and cultures.

Learn More >> | Park Map >>

June 12 - August 21, 2025 | Every Thursday at 7:30 pm 

Bumper Car Pavilion

RSVP preferred, not required

Limited seating available — feel free to bring folding chairs

ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE | DANCERS ARE WELCOME | FREE PARKING | RAIN OR SHINE

July 17  | The High and Wides

The High & Wides were formed in 2015, and have roots both in Baltimore and the rural Delmarva peninsula. They draw on a shared background playing straight ahead bluegrass, but weave in influences from new wave to old time to make music that evokes the era before country, bluegrass, rockabilly, western swing, and rock'n'roll broke off into separate and strictly defined genres. The band's music imagines an alternate timeline - if instead of the electric-guitar and drums driven band format that took off in the 50s, the stringband lineup had dominated across genres of popular music in the 20th century, what would be happening now?

For more than a decade, summer at Glen Echo Park has been synonymous with our weekly Summer Concert Series, where we present and support local musicians and performers who represent a diverse range of styles, influences, and cultures.

Learn More >> | Park Map >>

June 12 - August 21, 2025 | Every Thursday at 7:30 pm 

Bumper Car Pavilion

RSVP preferred, not required

Limited seating available — feel free to bring folding chairs

ALL CONCERTS ARE FREE | DANCERS ARE WELCOME | FREE PARKING | RAIN OR SHINE

July 10  |  Black Masala

Brassy Washington DC-based outfit, Black Masala, is part of the new generation of go-anywhere brass bands. You can hear this sound all over the world now – from New Orleans (Hot 8) to Belgrade (Boban & Marko Markovic), Paris (Fanfarai) to Cotonou (Gangbe Brass Band), and right here on the east coast area as well (Red Baraat & No BS! Brass). A major party alert for this band – Black Masala puts on an amazing, high-energy live show!