Event Listing

Lunar New Year Family Celebration 
Saturday, February 1, 11:30 AM to 3 PM 
Join our Smithsonian neighbors and friends to celebrate the Year of the Snake with the Smithsonian American Art Museum! Attendees will enjoy dance and musical performances, crafts, traditional Chinese and Korean art demonstrations, family-friendly activities, and more. This program is presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the Korean Cultural Center, Washington, DC.Reserve free tickets. 

DC Lunar New Year Parade 
Sunday, February 2, 2 PM to 4 PM 
The annual Lunar New Year Parade is a vibrant community-based parade featuring various cultural and community performers. The grand finale will include a spectacular firecracker show in the middle of H Street. Read more from DowntownDC BID. 

Lincoln Oratory Festival 
Tuesday, February 4 and Wednesday, February 5, 10:30 AM 
Honor the enduring power of words at Ford's Theatre's 17th Annual Lincoln Oratory Festival. This inspiring event celebrates Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and his remarkable ability to captivate audiences with his oratory skills. Witness talented students from local schools deliver powerful speeches from a selection of historical figures. Reserve free tickets. 

Written Then, Spoken Now: Freedom Was In Sight! 
Friday, February 7, 7 PM 
In celebration of the book Freedom Was in Sight: A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C., Region, Ford’s Theatre is proud to present an elevated book talk with acclaimed Reconstruction scholar Dr. Kate Masur, dramaturg Faedra C. Carpenter and educator Candra Flanagan on February 7, 2025. Reserve free tickets. 
 
Education and Power in Post-Emancipation America 
Tuesday, February 11, 7 PM 
Join Ford’s Theatre, Blake Lindsey and University of Maryland professor Leigh Soares to discover how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) founded during Reconstruction became cornerstones of education, empowerment and the movement for a more equitable society. This program is part of History Talks, a webinar series from Ford's Theatre that investigates facets of Abraham Lincoln’s complex legacy and its relevance to today. Register here.  

NEW TIME: 21st Annual "I Have a Dream" Speech Reading
Wednesday, March 5, 1 PM
The annual reading of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech by Watkins Elementary School will take place at 1 PM ET on Friday, January 31, at the Lincoln Memorial. The speech will be recited by fifth graders from the school in honor of Dr. King's birthday. Each student will read one line on the site where Dr. King delivered the speech during the 1963 March on Washington.