Before you hit the books on your first weekend of school, hit the town at an electric dance music concert, the National Book Festival and a free patriotic National Symphony Orchestra concert at the Capitol building. Make the most of syllabus week and the three-day weekend.
Friday
Alison Wonderland Awake North American Tour
Fall into an EDM rabbit hole with the popular DJ Alison Wonderland. The Australian powerhouse provides slow electric beats with heavy drops that curate the ultimate party set – perfect for the first night following syllabus week. Alison Wonderland turns tables and heads with her slowed-down, intense remixes of pop hits and songs like “Church.” After winning Best New Artist at the Electronic Music Awards last year, she released her album, “Awake” in April. She performs both Friday and Saturday with a special guest each night, DJ Party Favor and “Harlem Shake” musician Baauer. Every ticket for this show includes a digital download of Alison Wonderland’s forthcoming album, “Awake.”
Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE. 9:00 p.m. Tickets from $28.50 to $33.50.
Saturday
National Book Festival
Calling all bookworms, the 18th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival will celebrate several participating authors. This year’s roster includes former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, plus young adult fiction authors like Ellen Hopkins and “Bad Feminist” author Roxane Gay. Ron Chernow, author of the book “Alexander Hamilton,” which inspired the smash-hit musical, will also be there along with dozens of other celebrated authors. Best of all, the festival’s entire program is free, so be sure to check when and where your favorite authorial idols will be.
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW. 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Free.
Sunday
National Symphony Orchestra Labor Day Capitol Concert
Start your Labor Day off patriotically, listening to a score of American classics like “The Star Spangled Banner” and “America, The Beautiful” performed with the Capitol as a backdrop. The National Symphony Orchestra presents this free concert led by guest conductor JoAnn Falletta, an internationally-acclaimed Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Show up early to catch the open rehearsal at 3:30 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the performance will be moved to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
U.S. Capitol West Lawn. 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. Free.
