DC History Week 2026

DC History Week is an annual, week-long cultural experience dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and passing down the living history of Washington, DC. Entrusted with this work through a Mayoral Proclamation awarded by Mayor Muriel Bowser, Emmy Award–winning producer Mustafa Tariq curates this immersive series that brings together storytelling, performance, dialogue, and community participation to honor the people, places, and movements that shaped the city.

Attendees can expect a dynamic lineup of events designed to engage all ages and backgrounds. Programming includes a groundbreaking pop-up experience featuring Metropolitan Police officers dating back to the 1960s, offering rare insight into personal stories that bridge generations and encourage understanding between law enforcement and the community.

Guests will also experience a high-energy old school hair show and salon experience celebrating DC’s iconic beauty and barbering culture, complete with live demonstrations, performances, panel discussions, and tributes to veteran stylists and barbers whose work shaped identity, confidence, and community pride.

Music lovers can look forward to a powerful fusion of DC’s musical legacy through live hip-hop and go-go performances paired with a thought-provoking panel exploring culture, unity, and creative collaboration. Throughout the week, residents are invited to actively participate in a community-curated pop-up museum by contributing personal artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia that tell the stories of DC families and neighborhoods.

The week includes a citywide closing mixer bringing together history lovers, culture bearers, creatives, and community members to connect, reflect, and celebrate the impact of DC History Week while inspiring continued preservation across all eight wards.

Whether you attend one event or the full week, DC History Week offers an opportunity to learn, connect, and be part of preserving DC’s story—told by the people who lived it.

Info: Building on the success of last year’s Hip-Hop Edition, this year we will once again bring together two powerful cultural forces—hip-hop and go-go—for live performances and a thought-provoking panel. Artists, DJs, and community leaders will explore how these genres can work together to unify the city and strengthen D.C.’s music legacy.

Info: A vibrant homage to D.C.’s beauty and barbering culture, recreating the unmatched energy of the 80s and 90s salon and hair show scene. Complete with live performances, a hair battle for the best avant-garde styles and fades, and panel discussions, this event will spotlight how hair intersects with mental health, self-esteem, identity, and community pride. Veteran stylists, barbers, and salon owners with decades of service in the city will be honored for their artistry and cultural impact.

Info: Explore Black Built modernist Buildings along Benning Road: Discover Black architects and builders who designed homes, and churches, and shopping centers to create vibrant communities (Marshall Heights, Capital View, Banning) in the Northeast Hills of Washington, D.C. While many buildings have been lost to development or demolition, you can still find the remaining structures in the northeast DC area that serve as a reminder of a different era in this historic chocolate city.

Info: A citywide gathering for history enthusiasts, culture bearers, and community members to connect, share ideas, and celebrate the week’s successes. The mixer will double as an opportunity to inspire continued support for expanding DC History Week into all eight wards, modeled after the inclusivity and accessibility of “Art All Night.”

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