September is serving up a little bit of everything around the D.C. region, from chef collaborations and crab feasts to Mid-Autumn celebrations and the first Oktoberfest steins of the season.
Whether you’re looking for a one-night-only tasting menu, a cocktail crawl or a free outdoor festival, here are the food and drink events worth putting on your calendar this month.
The events listed below are in chronological order.
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken is teaming up with Cane, Purple Patch and Caruso’s Grocery for a special chef collaboration series. The first iteration of the series starts on Sept. 1 with Caribbean restaurant Cane with Astro offering a rum cake doughnut made with dark rum and coconut flakes. Proceeds will be donated to Sister Mentors, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing equity and justice for women and girls of color. Upcoming doughnuts made in collaboration with Purple Patch and Caruso’s Grocery will be announced in the coming weeks.
Some of the best African American cuisine and beverages are being offered at the Black Food & Wine Festival on Sept. 5. This event celebrates Black-owned wines, spirits and beer, while featuring a Black-owned marketplace, live bands, DJs, cooking demos and photo installations. Organizers recommend bringing lawn chairs and blankets to this event. This event is only for those ages 21 and over. Ticket prices vary.
Get ready to say “itadakimasu!” at this food festival on Sept. 5, presented by Kirin Ichiban USA and Asahi Beer USA. The Tomodachi Food Fest is an anime-themed food festival in Rockville, Maryland, hosting over 20 food vendors, a beer garden, merch and artist vendors and a main stage with live dance performances and DJ sets. Cosplay is encouraged. The event offers free general admission and is located at Rockville Town Square.
For lovers of shawarma, falafel, baklava and plenty of live music and dancing, consider heading to the 33rd annual Middle Eastern Food Festival on Sept. 5 and 6. The event is in McLean, Virginia, at the Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek Catholic Church. The event is free to attend.
Enjoy sips and bites at four area bars and restaurants during the Dupont Circle Cocktail Crawl on Sept. 6. The event includes Press Club, Balos Estiatorio, Residents Café & Bar and Casamara Rooftop. At each destination, expect two featured cocktails and a mocktail, plus a complimentary snack that is exclusive to the crawl. Guests who collect wristbands from all four venues after purchasing a drink from each one are entered to win a $150 gift card.
To celebrate the fourth location of Slice & Pie, located in the Parks at Walter Reed, an official grand opening is being hosted on Sept. 8, starting at 3 p.m. The first 100 guests will receive a free slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza.
Fish Shop at The Wharf in D.C. is hosting what may be one of the best and last chances to enjoy a crab feast. Served on the patio, the dinner offers a half-dozen steamed Maryland blue crabs per person, plus crab hush puppies, cornbread, a kohlrabi coleslaw and a salad. The event is on Sept. 10 and costs $90 per person.
Taste more than 100 premium tequilas and mezcals at D.C.’s Premier Tequila and Mezcal Festival on Sept. 11. The event at The Schuyler at The Hamilton also includes food from area chefs as well as vendors for shopping and traditional music for dancing to. Ticket prices vary.
Celebrate Oktoberfest at Atlas Brew Works’ three D.C.-area taprooms. As part of a commemoration of the seasonal release of its Festbier, Atlas is planning Oktoberfest celebrations on Sept. 10 at their Navy Yard location, Sept. 11 at their Alexandria, Virginia, location and Sept. 12 at their Bridge District location.
From Sept. 11 through 13, the Maryland Seafood Festival is back for its 60th year. The event invites families to enjoy live music, contests, family-friendly activities and, of course, crab cakes, oysters and other seafood offerings. Ticket prices vary.
Chef Ryan Ratino of Jônt, Bresca and Ox & Olive and Jeremiah Langhorne, the chef-owner of The Dabney, are uniting for the “Summer Sunday Supper Series” on Sept. 13. This meal, which is hosted at The Dabney, includes a “casual cocktail reception” with welcome cocktails, passed canapés and a raw bar, followed by a family-style meal. The dinner costs $270 per ticket, plus tax. Reservations can be made via Resy.
Cordelia Fishbar is launching the first installment of its “Fall Wine Dinner Series” on Sept. 17. The event, which costs approximately $125 per person, pairs a five-course tasting menu by chef Josh Hunt with wines from Kelby James Russell of Apollo’s Praise.
For its final month of operation, Mount Pleasant bookstore, Bold Fork Books, is hosting a conversation with author Karima Moyer-Nocchi and public historian Paula J. Johnson about Moyer-Nocchi’s new book, “The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese: From Ancient Rome to Modern America.” The event is on Sept. 17 and costs approximately $8 for admission or roughly $35 for admission and a signed book.
Patrick O’Connell, the founder of the Michelin-starred restaurant The Inn at Little Washington, is releasing a memoir on Sept. 15. His book, “Main, Middle & Gay,” traces his path from growing up in rural Virginia to being celebrated for his world-renowned food. To celebrate, Politics & Prose is hosting a conversation at Lisner Auditorium on Sept. 18 between O’Connell, chef José Andrés and NOTUS food correspondent Tom Sietsema. Tickets start at approximately $55.
Taste of Old Town North returns on Sept. 17 with tastings from area restaurants available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Alexandria, Virginia’s Montgomery Park. Interactive art activities and live music will also be featured this year.
Wunder Garten in Northeast D.C. is kicking off their annual Oktoberfest celebration with a “Tapping of the Keg,” plus German beer, live music, DJs, festive German food and games. Entry to the event on Sept. 18 is free, but cabanas have to be booked ahead of time.
The Susquehanna Wine & Seafood Fest in Havre de Grace, Maryland, features over 20 area restaurants and food trucks for an event stuffed to the gills with seafood offerings, including lobster rolls, crab cakes, grilled oysters and more. Attendees of the event on Sept. 19 can also get excited for more than 40 wines featured, plus live music, cooking demos, mixology demonstrations and the option to pay extra for access to a VIP tent with a private bar. Ticket prices vary.
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Pub in Arlington, Virginia’s Village at Shirlington has a Celtic Festival planned on Sept. 19. Enjoy traditional Irish music and dance, food and drinks and a pop-up makers market. General admission is free.
Enjoy live German music and traditional dance performances at John Carlyle Square Park in Alexandria, Virginia, on Sept. 19. The Oktoberfest celebration features a beer garden, arts and crafts activities and a beer stein-holding contest.
On Sept. 19, head to Falls Church, Virginia, for the 50th annual Falls Church Festival. Several area eateries are serving sweet and savory foods, plus attendees can anticipate a beer garden, live music and children’s entertainment, including moon bounces and ponies. The event is free to attend.
Celebrate Taiwanese culture at The Square in Rockville Town Center on Sept. 19 with the Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival. The event includes not just bubble tea, but also cultural activities and performances, live music and area food and beverage vendors.
NiHao in Arlington, Virginia’s Crystal City neighborhood is hosting a free mooncake tasting on Sept. 20. The event includes an exclusive cream cheese and cranberry flavor only available at the one-day event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those who reserve a seat via Tock receive a complimentary drink.
Enjoy live music and food from the Caribbean, Central America and South America at the Sazón Latin Food Festival. Baltimore, Maryland-based Ministry of Brewing is hosting the event on Sept. 20. While free, all attendees must RSVP for entry.
The Falls in Falls Church, Virginia, is hosting a Filipino Chef’s Dinner on Sept. 22. This collaboration dinner entails a menu by chefs Miljohn Dimaano and Ulysses Cabahug who are offering a five-course meal with highlights like tofu sisig and a bibingka pancake. Filipino cocktail and beer pairings will also be available à la carte. The experience costs $75 per ticket, plus tax and 20% gratuity.
Tiger Fork, the Michelin-recommended Cantonese restaurant, is partnering once again with Hi-Lawn for the Mid-Autumn Night Market. For its fourth year, this traditional Chinese festival is transforming the Union Market rooftop into a lively Hong Kong night market with pop-up shops, cultural performances, live DJs and food stalls. Entry on Sept. 24 costs approximately $8 with tickets available on Eventbrite.
On Sept. 24, chef Wolfgang Puck’s CUT restaurant in D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood is hosting an intimate four-course dinner paired with wines from Barboursville Vineyards. The event includes dishes like a dry-aged porterhouse with chimichurri and a farmer’s cheese ravioli with brown butter, pine nuts and sage. The event costs $155 to attend, plus tax and gratuity.
This Sept. 25 penthouse wine dinner spotlights Casanova di Neri, an acclaimed Montalcino producer known for Brunello di Montalcino. Five courses from L’Ardente will be paired with the winery’s wines. The dinner costs $300 per ticket, plus tax.
St. Anselm is turning its Union Market patio into a “Wein-Garten” to pour more than 25 samples of German wines and beers as part of its Wine-toberfest event. On Sept. 26, this event includes food like Bavarian pretzels, sausages, Wiener schnitzel and more. The event costs $85, plus tax.
Fiesta D.C. is back once again on Sept. 26 and 27 on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Celebrating Latino cultures, the festival offers diverse Latin American cuisine alongside live music, dancing and a marketplace.
Chefs Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss of The Popal Group are continuing their “Trompo Takeover” collaboration series this month, this time with chef Masako Morishita of Perry’s. Morishita is a James Beard Award-winning chef who was previously named Chef of the Year by Eater D.C. and Rising Culinary Star of the Year at the RAMMYS. On Sept. 27, Morishita is unveiling her twist on the classic taco to dine-in guests for one night only. Reservations can be made via Resy.
To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and the beginning of fall, chef Peter Chang is hosting a banquet at Chang Chang in Northwest D.C. For $85 per person plus taxes and 20% gratuity, the event features family-style appetizers, entrees and dessert at communal banquet tables of eight to 10 people. Drinks are not included. The event is on Sept. 27.
On Sept. 30, the modern Caribbean restaurant St. James is kicking off a new monthly dinner series, called “Taste of the Caribbean.” This family-style dinner highlights Caribbean dishes like crab accras, pork pow and seafood black rice. Tickets cost $150 per guest. The official event page isn’t yet live, but keep an eye out for it on Resy in the coming weeks.
From Gina Chersevani, the founder of Buffalo & Bergen, Suburbia and Last Call, comes a new pop-up focused on spritzes, cocktails, soft serve and disco dancing. The pop-up, called Not For Long, is open at Union Market with an aesthetic inspired by Italian music from the 1970s. The pop-up is open on Thursdays through Sundays and will continue into the fall, according to a representative.
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