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Your Ultimate DC Summer Bucket List

Posted on July 5, 2024   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Ashe Durban

Ashe Durban

Summer kayakers on the Potomac

Summer kayakers on the Potomac. (Camrocker/Getty Images)

City Cast

Your DC Summer Essentials

00:00:00

It’s officially summer in D.C. We asked you for everything you’re dying to get done before the swamp-ass weather abates – and you delivered! Here’s your D.C. Summer Bucket List:

Hit Some Summer Concerts

City Casters are feeling very musical this summer - and there are plenty of concerts to make this wish come true. Reader Adrienne B. wants to hit the Fort Reno Summer Concert series, showcasing the best local music at Fort Reno Park in Tenleytown. Rosy G. is excited about Opera in the Outfield at Nats Park on August 24. Finally, Priyanka T. suggests picnicking just outside of Jazz in the Garden for a smaller crowd and cheaper snacks 😜

Get Wet

Hey DC reader Sarah A. laid out the beautiful date-night plan of cocktails at The Wharf followed by a water taxi ride to dinner in Old Town. The Wharf Boathouse also offers kayaking and canoeing – Sharon J. says paddleboarding is on her summer bucket list. For those brave enough, the Anacostia River Splash is set to take place off Kingman Island on July 13, if you’re not afraid of a little E. coli.

Malai’s ice cream offerings.

Malai’s ice cream offerings. (Kaela Cote-Stemmerman/City Cast DC)

Ice Cream Crawl

Lactose intolerants avert your eyes. Reader Lenore C. says D.C. summer is not complete without an ice cream crawl of the city’s best frozen delights. Malai, Mount Desert, Ice Cream Jubilee, Van Leeuwen, Thomas Sweet, and Jeni’s all come to mind. Meanwhile, Vince M. wants to make the pilgrimage all the way to Rehoboth for a taste of Kohr Brothers’ famous frozen custard. Lock and load the Lactaid.

Honorable Mentions

Your summer must-do’s ranged far and wide. Aaron J. wants to get roped into a Blind 8 dinner party with strangers. Paula S. wants to connect with her inner horse-girl and go horseback riding in Rock Creek Park. Sarah A. had my personal favorite and something that should be on everyone’s bucket list: glizzy gobbling at a cookout 🌭 Bonus points if it’s on a roof!

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