Saving for Change

Saving Money Never Sounded So Good
by Colleen Dailey

We’ve all heard it said that the best things in life are free, and if you’re a fan of live music, that’s never truer than during summertime in DC. Who said that saving can’t be entertaining? While the act of saving is often equated with “doing without”, there are enough free concerts in the summer months to guarantee that you won’t have to sacrifice fun to stay within your budget. Whether you’re into classical, jazz, folk, blues, rock, or all of the above, there’s a concert series for you – every day of the week. So pack a picnic, grab your family and friends, leave your wallet at home, and treat yourself to some great music at one or more of these priceless summer venues…

• Beginning on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day, the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force bands perform on the west side of the Capitol at 8 p.m. alternating evenings throughout the summer. Special concerts are also held in honor of Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day. Call the performance hotline at 202-433-2525 for up-to date performance and cancellation (due to inclement weather) information.
• On Tuesday evenings from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the U.S. Navy band also performs at the Naval Memorial 7th and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Check the website (www.navymemorial.org) for last-minute updates and cancellation information.
• On Thursday evenings from 5-7 pm (May 8, 15, 22 and June 5, 12, 19, 26), check out Sounds in the Square at Farragut Square Park, 17th & K Sts., NW. See the full schedule on the events page at http://www.gtbid.com.
• The National Zoo hosts free concerts on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Sunset Serenades include a wide range of music including jazz, blues, rock/pop, reggae, rock-and-roll revival, and patriotic music and marches. See the schedule on the events page at http://nationalzoo.si.edu.
• The National Park Service operates Carter Barron Amphitheatre, a 4,200 seat outdoor concert venue in a beautiful wooded setting in Rock Creek Park. Carter Barron hosts a variety of free summer performances including reggae, Latin, classical, gospel, musical, pop, R&B, jazz, and new age. Call the concert line at 202-426-0486.
• The National Gallery of Art offers free jazz performances at Jazz in the Garden at its outdoor café every Friday evening, 5:00-8:30 pm, from May 23 to October 3. See the full schedule at http://www.nga.gov/programs/jazz/.
• Fort Dupont Park at Minnesota Ave. and Randle Circle, SE hosts a summer concert series on Saturdays at 8 p.m. You can find the schedule at http://www.nps.gov/fodu.
• Some of the area’s best blues, bluegrass, swing, jazz, contemporary, and international musicians hold performances at the Eastern Market on Sundays from May 4 to June 29 and September 7 to October 12. Listen for them on the corner of 7th Street and North Carolina Avenue SE, outside of Port City Java.

In addition to these annual concert series, there are countless music festivals and other one-day events throughout the DC metro area.

And if music isn’t your thing, or you’d like information on lots of different arts and entertainment options, Cultural Tourism DC’s website at www.culturaltourismdc.org provides a great list of upcoming events, concerts, exhibits, performances, and even neighborhood walking tours. Not all events listed are free but many are, and prices are noted for those that aren’t. You can also sign up to receive their free weekly e-mail events update to get a list of the upcoming programs in your e-mailbox.

Keep your eyes and ears open and you’ll find that it’s easy to spend less on entertainment this summer.