Mark your calendars. Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced the dates for Art All Night 2025, a festival that highlights local arts and entrepreneurship in DC. On September 12 and 13, the city will host live performances, art installations, and street parties from dusk till dawn. According to the official announcement, the event will continue to expand, covering all eight wards of the city.
Introduced back in 2011 by Shaw Main Streets as "Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC," the event, Mayor Bowser said in the official announcement, "shines a spotlight on our local talent and showcases the heart of our neighborhoods and our DC Main Streets." Bowser aims to support local entrepreneurs in order to create opportunities for the community to thrive. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library block party attracted over 12,000 attendees last year, and this year’s event is expected to feature even more contributions from across the community.
Alongside the festival dates announcement, the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) has also publicized the grantees for four DC Main Streets locations. The selected grantees are the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization, Inc. for Deanwood Heights Main Street, Foggy Bottom Association for Foggy Bottom-West End Main Street, Greater Washington Urban League, Inc. for 'The Parks' Main Street (Manor Park and Riggs Park), and SB Works for Upper Georgia Avenue Main Street.
DSLBD Director Rosemary Suggs Evans emphasized this commitment, saying, “DSLBD is proud to continue our unwavering support of the DC Main Streets program, which has been a cornerstone of community revitalization and economic growth across the District,” according to the official announcement. She mentioned that the partnership with nonprofit organizations helps provide critical financial and technical assistance required for urban rehabilitation efforts. The latest addition to this tapestry is the establishment of the Foggy Bottom-West End Main Street, becoming DC's 29th recognized Main Street following a pivotal feasibility study funded by Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto in 2023.
The Fiscal Year 2025 budget includes over $5 million for the DC Main Street program. The funding will support technical grants, façade improvement assistance, and community-building events and beautification projects. For more information on the program and its initiatives, visit the DSLBD’s website at www.dslbd.dc.gov.
