Newsroom

We're in the dog days of summer, and that means it's a great time to beat the heat, rediscover your neighborhood, and try something new. 

I hope you can join me for this year's Ward 6 Week from Sunday, July 26, through Saturday, Aug. 1 - a week of fun, free activities highlighting all our community has to offer. Some are perennial favorites back by popular demand, and some are brand new this year.

We've got a fantastic lineup of events to check out below. A few are noted as having limited capacity, so for those, we'll let our RSVPs know if you're confirmed or waitlisted by mid-week next week. And if you RSVP and it turns out that you can't attend, just let us know through the contact info on that event's registration page.

Sunday, July 26

• Night with the Spirit! Washington Spirit vs. Denver Summit: 7 to 9 p.m. at Audi Field (100 Potomac Ave. SW)

Come get 'rowdy at Audi' to kick off Ward 6 Week with 100 of your closest friends as the Washington Spirit take on the Denver Summit! Fill out this Google form to be entered into the raffle. Winners will be notified once we reach capacity, and we'll also maintain a waitlist. 

Monday, July 27

• Ice Cream Social at Cobb Park: 12:30 to 2 p.m. (200 H St. NW)

There's nothing worse than a hot Monday. But you know what helps? Free, delicious ice cream in Cobb Park, one of DC's newest parks! Join me, your neighbors, and the Mt. Vernon Triangle CID for free ice cream featuring Yala Greek Ice Cream. The Mt. Vernon Triangle CID will also provide live music and plenty of shaded seating. RSVP, please, so we know how many scoops to bring!

Tuesday, July 28

• CIVIC. on Eighth Office (Happy) Hours: 4:30 to 6 p.m. (501 8th St. SE) 

Got a question for me? Stop by for Office (Happy) Hours at CIVIC. on Eighth! Meet up with friends and neighbors for conversation and a cocktail, and let Charles know what's on your mind. RSVP through the link above.

• N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-S Nationals! Nats vs. Blue Jays: 6:45 p.m. at Nationals Park (1500 South Capitol St. SE)

We're bringing some Natitude to Ward 6 Week when the Washington Nationals face off against the Toronto Blue Jays! Interested? Fill out this Google form to be entered in the raffle. Winners will be notified once we reach capacity, and we'll also maintain a waitlist.

Wednesday, July 29

• Give Back to Your Neighbors Service Event with DC Central Kitchen: 2 to 4 p.m. (2121 1st St. SW)

We're proud to have DC Central Kitchen here in Ward 6, and if you haven't yet been to their beautiful new facility in Southwest, here's your chance. Join me and 20 of your neighbors for a volunteer shift helping DC Central Kitchen provide healthy, affordable meals to the community. This is a two-hour shift at their headquarters on Buzzard Point. It's a fun time, and they make it easy. RSVP through the link above.

• Two Girls Trivia, Ward 6 Edition at Henceforth,: 7 to 9 p.m. (1335 H St. NE)

Join me and Two Girls Trivia for Trivia Night at Henceforth, on H Street NE, including a special round focused specifically on Ward 6. Bring your friends, bring your best team name, and we'll see you there! Seating is first-come, first-served. Winners get Nats tickets! RSVP through the link above.

Thursday, July 30

• Theater Alliance Hard Hat Tour: 5 to 6 p.m. (340 Maple Dr. SW) & Open Sneak Peek Rehearsal: 6 to 8 p.m. at Waterfront Park (515 Water St. SW)

These two events = a Venn diagram for theater lovers and construction nerds! First, we have limited space for Ward 6 residents who want to take a hardhat tour of the new home of the Theater Alliance in Southwest. RSVP to this event above if you're interested in joining the tour, and we'll confirm mid-week next week if you were selected (we'll keep a waitlist of everyone else).

Second, after the hardhat tour, we're also partnering with the Theater Alliance to offer 50 tickets to watch a live, outdoor rehearsal of their newest production, Woody Guthrie's American Song, nearby in Waterfront Park. Folks are welcome to attend both (space permitting), but you'll also need to RSVP separately for the rehearsal through the link above, as space is more limited for the hardhat tour. 

Friday, July 31

• Ward 6 Day at the National Building Museum for THE PLAYGROUND: 2 to 5 p.m. (401 F St. NW) 

The National Building Museum's popular and fantastic summer installations have returned with "THE PLAYGROUND", and Ward 6 residents are invited to check it out for free (and yep, the National Building Museum's in Ward 6). RSVP above for all the details, and we'll see you on THE PLAYGROUND -- perfect for all ages. 

Saturday, August 1

• "Lemonade for a Cause" Capitol Hill Lemonade Stand Contest: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. throughout Capitol Hill

This is our fourth-annual Capitol Hill "Lemonade for a Cause" lemonade stand contest, in partnership with The Hill is Home! Hill families can register to set up decorated lemonade stands, we'll publish a map of the stands for neighbors after registration closes next Friday, and Councilmember Allen will stop by to judge the best stand. Young entrepreneurs are encouraged to donate their proceeds to a Ward 6 charity of their choice. The winning stand gets fame, glory, and Nats tickets! Sign up (your kiddo) today through the link above!

• Cake Party at Hill's Kitchen!: 1 to 3pm (713 D St. SE)

This event's a piece of cake. Just sign up above to bring a cake of your choosing (bake, buy, or convince a loved one to make one), and sample others' creations with me, your neighbors, friends, and Sarah and Miles of Hill's Kitchen fame! And don't worry: we'll have plenty of to-go boxes.

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July holiday last weekend. I enjoyed seeing so many friends and neighbors at the Barracks Row parade (best parade in America, in my book!). In case you missed it, our annual parade picked up a lot of news coverage, too. More on that below.

Today, DC Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) is introducing emergency legislation to empower the next Mayor to select new members of the District’s Public Service Commission (PSC). The terms of two of the current commissioners – Emile Thompson and Ted Trabue – will expire on June 30, and current law allows them to “hold over” in their seats for only an additional 180 days, ending in late December, just days before a new Mayor will be sworn-in.  

This emergency legislation will extend their hold-over periods an additional 90 days into next year to allow the next Mayor to make her own nomination decisions. This will also allow the PSC to maintain a quorum necessary to conduct its business until new nominees are confirmed by the Council in the spring. Councilmember Allen chairs the Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, which assumed oversight of the PSC earlier this year. 

“The Public Service Commission has the incredibly important job of regulating DC’s utility companies, and it’s time for a new direction. Just in the last year, DC residents have seen the greatest increase in electricity prices in the US. Our utility costs are unaffordable for most residents, and we’re failing to address the climate crisis as required under unanimously-passed Council legislation. The PSC should be pursing policies that lower energy costs, aggressively expand homegrown renewable energy, protect grid reliability, and ramp up battery storage and DC’s ability to respond to energy price spikes,” said Councilmember Allen. “The PSC’s commissioners are charged with executing on these priorities, but the District’s ratepayers need more urgency and vision. Given that we’re very close to having a new Mayor and the current commissioners’ terms are expiring, this legislation ensures the Public Service Commission can continue to meet until a new mayor can choose nominees that align with their policy priorities for the agency, as the Mayor will for every District agency, board, and commission. I want to thank Chairperson Emile Thompson and Commissioner Ted Trabue for their years of service to the District of Columbia and for continuing to ensure the PSC has stable leadership during this transition in government.”  

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Today, the DC Council debated and gave initial approval to Councilmember Charles Allen’s RESALE Act, voting unanimously on an amendment from Councilmembers Allen and Christina Henderson to restore a 10% cap on how much a live entertainment ticket can be resold for on sites like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats. This represents a major victory for DC’s vibrant live music and theater scene, which has pushed hard for reforms to the secondhand reseller market driving up costs and leaving fans out in the cold.

Plus: Summer Resources and Pools are Open Daily!

Ward 6 Update: Fire on Barracks Row, Budget Passes First Vote, & Juneteenth
Plus: Drought Watch in DC

+ Office Hours Friday

Budget restorations will lower cost of living for hundreds of thousands of District residents and invest in District’s growth, despite federal headwinds