DC State Fair 2026
Location: Anthem Row, 800 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro Station (Red/Green/Yellow lines) via the 7th and H Street Exit.
The 17th annual DC State Fair will include contests, local vendors, and a celebration of the District’s agricultural, culinary, and artistic talents.
Make sure to check out all areas of the fair:
Main Stage & Plaza
Education Stage
Food, Local Small Businesses, and Community Exhibitors
Food Trucks
Kids Zone
Games Zone
Wellness Zone
Crafty Corner
Main Stage Line-up
11:05 AM - 11:35 AM
Pocket Threes
Pocket Threes is a high-energy cover band playing all your favorite hits from classic rock, country, and pop tunes. The band has been playing together locally for more than three years and has performed at a number of local establishments throughout the DMV area.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
Jump DC
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Agriculture and Art Contest Winners Announced
12:50 PM - 01:10 PM
Best Outfit Contest
01:15 PM - 01:45 PM
National Hand Dance Association
01:50 PM - 02:10 PM
Flower Arranging Contest
02:15 PM - 02:45 PM
Zay'Marie Music
02:50 PM - 03:20 PM
Culinary Contest Winners Announced
03:25 PM - 03:55 PM
Pie Eating (Kids contest and Adults contest)
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Talent Show performance
04:35 PM - 05:05 PM
Elijah Jamal Balbed featuring members of The JoGo Project
The JoGo Project is a 2x WAMMIE Award-Winning band from Washington, DC led by Saxophonist and Multi-Instrumentalist Elijah Jamal Balbed. While a student at Howard University, Elijah received a life-changing call to perform with the Godfather of Go-Go Chuck Brown. For the next year, Elijah performed in Chuck’s band until the Godfather’s passing in 2012. In 2014, Elijah participated in the Strathmore Artist-in-Residence program where he debuted JoGo - a band created to bring his Jazz and Go-Go worlds together, and to help continue the legacy that Chuck left behind.
Since the band’s inception 12 years ago, JoGo Project has won two WAMMIE Awards and has also been nominated for two others. In 2018, members of JoGo served on a cultural diplomacy tour in Russia. In 2019, the band released their debut holiday track featuring the legendary Sugar Bear from Experience Unlimited. Elijah and the band have been featured in two prominent books about Go-Go: “10 Years Backstage” (Chip Py) and “Crankin! Power and Resilience in Washington, DC’s Go-Go Culture” (Alona Wartofsky, Kato Hammond, and Charles Stephenson), as well a documentary about Go-Go called “Bring the Beat” - which aired in the Netherlands via the Embassy of The Hague.
For more information, go to www.jogoproject.com or follow the band on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!
05:10 PM - 06:00 PM
SOROCHE
SOROCHE incorporates traditional Colombian percussion like the tambora (the heartbeat of cumbia) along with poetic lyrics and multi-instrumental melodies, proudly wearing their cultural roots on their sleeves. SOROCHE seeks to represent the immigrant experience by transmogrifying modern and traditional sounds into a danceable alchemy that crosses cultural borders and dancefloors.
Education Stage Line-up
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Seed to Scarf: Turning Flax Straw into Linen Threads
11:35 AM - 12:05 PM
All About Bees with Toni Burnham, DC Beekeepers
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
Do You Know DC? District Trivia with DC History Center
Prove your District knowledge with DC History Center! From city icons to historic landmarks, music, slang, and unique political policy—show off your knowledge of local lore in this interactive trivia game.
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Flower Arranging with Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine
1:35 PM - 2:05 PM
Tortilla Making Class with Chef Patrick Tanyag
2:10 PM - 2:40 PM
Designing Dreams with Syreeta C
Join fashion designer and DMV-native, Syreeta C for a collaborative project creating a wearable arts piece. Also meet us at The Craft Corner before and after the demo for a more in-depth conversation and creative activity.
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM
Grow It Up!
In this thirty-minute workshop participants will be introduced to the basic knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to start and maintain an ornamental and edible growing space. Whether you're interested in starting a one-acre production farm with up to ten varieties of crops, or looking to beautify your small home with some aromatic herbs in a south facing window, Rondell Pooler from DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) can be your guide.
3:20 PM - 3:50 PM
Community Square Dance with DC Square Dance Collective
Do-si-do with the DC Square Dance Collective! A caller will lead a community square dance with live stringband music. No experience or partner needed!
3:55 PM - 4:25 PM
Zenith Community Arts Foundation Mobile Woodshop
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Lace: to Knot or Not?
Chesapeake Region Lace Guild president, Karen Witt, will explain and demonstrate the different types of lace made by hand and the various methods and tools used, primarily bobbin lace, knitted lace, Irish crochet, tatting and needlelace.
Kid Zone Line-up
11:00 AM - 11:05 AM
Ary Mondragón
Ary Mondragón is a powerhouse media personality, visionary entrepreneur, community activist and fearless bridge-builder redefining what leadership and representation look like. As a proud member of the Urban One family, she co-hosts Los Reyes de la Mañana, the #1 morning show on Latino 104.1 FM and 87.7 FM, the strongest Latino radio station in the nation’s capital, where she uses her voice to inform, inspire and mobilize communities across cultures. She is the founder of Lala Enchilada, a purpose-driven, farm-to-table Mexican culinary concept transforming cultural tradition into nourishment, opportunity and community connection. Ary is also the co-founder of Día de los Muertos DC, a cultural non profit organization preserving ancestral traditions and bringing them powerfully into the present through art, education, immersive experiences and community celebration.
11:05 AM - 11:45 AM
DJ CYD of Analog Love DC Sound Collective
Born as a first-generation Vietnamese-American raised in Northern Virginia, her sound blends diverse global beats including Arab, African, Caribbean, and Hispanic influences.She has focused on creating events in D.C. that uplift women and queer artists in the local music community.
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM
Jump DC Double Dutch Demo
A competitive Double Dutch jump rope team based in the DMV area. They are passionate about showcasing the art and athleticism of the sport, and are dedicated to excellence both in and outside the ropes.
12:35 PM - 1:05 PM
Music Break with DJ CYD & DJ VVS
1:10 PM - 1:40 PM
Mr. Rob
I am an educator, musician, and performer in Washington, DC, who teaches early childhood music for DC Public Schools. In addition to children’s music performances as Mr. Rob, I also play in the drum line for the Washington Commanders. I am dedicated to bringing high-quality, engaging music to early audiences that centers on child development and learning. My performances include original songs, covers of classics, dancing, audience participation, and lots of fun! Performances are suitable for all ages, but particularly geared towards ages 0-6.
1:45 PM - 2:00 PM
Children's Storytime with Ms & Miss Black DC, Ms & Miss Black Maryland
2:05 PM - 2:15 PM
Children's Mini Exercise Demo with Daytona
Short 15 min exercise / yoga stretch session
2:20 PM - 2:25 PM
Upcycling Demo with CEO Mo
Art Activation and upcycling demo on stage
2:45 PM - 2:00 PM
Children's Storytime with Sydney Buffalo / Cr8tion Rebel
Sydney Buffalow / Cr8tion Rebel is a Washington, DC–born multidisciplinary artist, muralist, museum educator, and creative programmer whose work explores freedom, reclamation, memory, sustainability, and community. A graduate of the Corcoran College of Art + Design, her practice moves across painting, public art, mixed media, sculpture, and immersive creative experiences. She is the creator of Get Free, Be Free, an intergenerational arts initiative that transforms art-making into opportunities for play, storytelling, connection, and creative freedom. From murals and exhibitions to workshops and public activations, Cr8tion Rebel creates spaces where art is not simply something to see—it is something to make, experience, and live. While providing experiences that invite people of all ages to connect, experiment, and experience art as a pathway to freedom.
2:50 PM - 3:05 PM
Mr. Rob Children's Musician
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
