Free Summer Concerts at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Museum’s popular summer concert series returns to the museum in Washington, D.C., and its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., this summer. Visitors can bring a picnic and enjoy the warm weather at the outdoor performances at the Udvar-Hazy Center or catch a military band performance at the National Mall building every Friday.

The summer concert series at the Udvar-Hazy center will take place on select Sundays, June 8 through Aug. 31, from 6 to 7 p.m. and will feature U.S. Military bands and local ensembles. Guests may watch performances from a sloping stretch of grassy lawn leading down to the performance area in front of the museum.

Udvar-Hazy Center Summer Concert Series Schedule

• Sunday, June 8:  The U.S. Air Force Airmen of Note and Air Force Strings
• Sunday, June 29:  U.S. Navy Band, The Commodores
• Sunday, July 6:  U.S. Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants
• Sunday, July 27:  Loudoun County Jazz Ensemble
• Sunday, Aug 3:  U.S. Air Force Band, Max Impact
• Sunday, Aug. 31:  Quantico Marine Corps Rock Band

Tickets are not required, and parking is free after 4 p.m. Audience members will be invited to bring picnic snacks and blankets or lawn chairs but may not be permitted to bring them inside the museum. Pets are prohibited. Concerts will be held inside the museum if it rains.

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington will also offer a series of free summer concerts every Friday from May 23 to Aug. 29. Each Friday will consist of four concerts at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. and will last 20 minutes each. Presented by various ensembles from the renowned U.S. Air Force Band and the U.S. Navy Band, the concerts will feature vocal and instrumental selections from a variety of musical genres, including big band, jazz, popular, patriotic and classical.

More information about all concerts at the National Air and Space Museum is available here.

The National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. The museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free, but there is a $15 fee for parking before 4 p.m. at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

Note: Summer hours for both buildings are in effect from May 23 to Sept. 1, unless otherwise noted: The Udvar-Hazy Center’s summer hours are 10 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., and the National Mall building’s hours are 10 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

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