Top Places for Washington Concerts and Picnics

Nothing beats summer like a picnic and listening to Washington concerts under the stars. The greater Washington, DC area has its fare share of such concerts, ranging in tunes from classical and jazz to Broadway and pop. All, however, come with an opportunity to spread out a blanket and relax with wine, food and friends. Check each one's calendar for upcoming artists and concerts. If you're lucky, you can catch Washington concerts every single night of the week.

Wolf Trap. By far Washington's most popular and sought-after summer affair, Wolf Trap is sprawled out on a rustic property in Virginia, with lawn space in back and actual covered seats in the open-air auditorium in front. Like many summer concert venues across the country, Wolf Trap welcomes a similar lineup of artists who tour through each year, such as the Gypsy Kings, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, various classical artists accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra and others. Parking is vast but tight, so take the public transportation available from the Metro to save time. Tickets required.

Merriweather Post Pavilion. This Maryland venue brings mostly pop and rock artists to the stage, situated on several acres of woodsy space. Bands and artists like Phish, The Decemberists, Steeley Dan, Natalie Cole and Take 6 have found their way to Merriweather Post. The scene at Merriweather is much younger than the picnicking crowd at Wolf Trap, and the music is three times as loud. However, it's a kind of summer rockin' atmosphere that keeps people young and dancing. Tickets required.

National Sculpture Garden. Friday evenings are when Washingtonians flock with blankets, wine and friends; get there early to score a spot where you can either see the free performance or a cool piece of art. If you don't have time to get home first to prepare a picnic, there's plenty of gourmet food for sale, including hot entrees and bottles of wine to supplement the evening. During the performance you can also wander the garden to inspect the sculptures, accompanied with a soundtrack of jazz as a highlight.

National Zoo. Even animals deserve a break in the summer to enjoy a good melody once in a while, so join them on Thursday evenings for the free Sunset Serenades situated by the lion/ tiger hill. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic or purchase food at the zoo cafe while listening to more little-known bands play cover songs or their own to the tune of howling animals in the backdrop. Concerts start at 6:30 until 8:00, so get there early.

Fort Dupont Park. This southeast corner of Washington hosts its own free jazz concert series at Fort Dupont on Saturday nights starting at 8:00. Bring blankets and lawn chairs, along with food and wine, for an evening of grooving to some of Washington's best jazz and blues artists. The rolling woodsy acres of Fort Dupont make for a grand escape from the Washington city bustle. Public transportation makes it easily accessible, too. Concerts start in mid-July.

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