It’s a beautiful day for music and outdoor yoga! Let your neighbors know.
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For the Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market this Friday, UDC will have both a free beginners yoga session in the shaded agroforest area of the Food Hub and Radio One (93.9 WKYS) with live entertainment and giveaways. Let your neighbors know!
UDC Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market
Date: July 24, 2026, 4pm-8pm
Location: UDC, 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE (access via parking lot on Galloway Street NE)
4pm-6pm: WKYS 93.9 live entertainment and giveaways
6:30pm-7:30pm: Free community yoga, all ages, beginner friendly
From Office of Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker
Residents of Wards 5 and 6 are invited to enjoy complimentary admission to THE PLAYGROUND at the National Building Museum on Friday, July 31, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Come climb, build, explore, and celebrate your neighborhood alongside special guests and community partners. No advanced registration is required. Learn more about THE PLAYGROUND here. See you at The National Building Museum on July 31!
On July 13, 2026, Food & Friends broke ground on their building expansion. NBC4 Washington covered the event. We discussed the planned expansion in this post. Food & Friends has a dedicated site for updates related to the expansion at expansion.foodandfriends.org.
For the Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market this Friday, UDC will have both a free beginners yoga session in the shaded agroforest area of the Food Hub and Radio One (93.9 WKYS) with live entertainment and giveaways. Let your neighbors know!
UDC Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market
Date: July 24, 2026, 4pm-8pm
Location: UDC, 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE (access via parking lot on Galloway Street NE)
4pm-6pm: WKYS 93.9 live entertainment and giveaways
6:30pm-7:30pm: Free community yoga, all ages, beginner friendly
Ward Days are back! On select dates throughout the summer, DC residents can enjoy free admission to the National Building Museum. Residents of the featured ward receive complimentary admission to both the National Building Museum and THE PLAYGROUND during their designated Ward Day. Ward Days take place on Fridays from 2 to 5 pm. To participate in Ward Days, visitors should check in at the Museum’s Visitor Center upon arrival.
From Office of Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker
The High School Internship Program provides work-readiness skills, project-based learning, life skills, leadership development training, and work opportunities for District high school students (grades 9-12), ages 14—21. The goal of the program is to help prepare District youth to successfully transition from high school into postsecondary education, advanced training, unsubsidized employment, or a career in the military.
For the youth application for the 2026 – 2027 HSIP Program click here.
For the host application for the 2026 – 2027 HSIP Program click here.
Learn more about the program and apply by August 1, 2026 here.
Emergency No Parking signs have been posted in the 1100-1200 blocks of Galloway Street NE alongside the parkland so that DDOT, DPW, and the National Park Service (NPS) can do work to remove vegetation, remove litter, and post “No Dumping” signs at Fort Circle Park. ANC Commissioner Keith Sellars (5A01) has been working with these agencies and with the property management team at the Michigan Park Commons apartment community to address longstanding issues with illegal dumping and littering in the park in this location.
No parking will be permitted in the restricted location from 8am-5pm on July 21 & 22.
Sadly, the poor air quality is impacting the lineup of fun neighborhood activities today and tomorrow.
Tonight’s Fridays at Fort Totten concert with Justin Trawick is cancelled.
Tomorrow’s Art Place Pop Up Vendor Market and the guided Riggs Park Art Walk are cancelled as well.
There may still be indoor activities for the Art Crawl at the Lamond-Riggs Library tomorrow. I will update the post when I learn more about these pending activities.
Update 5:00 pm, 7/17/2026: Indoor activities for the Riggs Park Art Crawl will take place at Lamond-Riggs Library on July 18 starting at 11am. Featuring music by DJ Super Sid, face painting 12-2pm, live artist painting activities, and an ANC 4B art table.
In addition, the grand opening celebration of Tz’ikin Cafe pop-up is still on July 18. From 9am-2pm, find them at their new home at 475 Ingraham Street NE. Enjoy a special opening day celebration brunch collab with Hijos del Maiz.
Passing along information from ANC Commissioner Keith Sellars (5A01)
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has issued two notices for work on Jamaica Street & Jefferson Street NE as part of the city’s Sidewalk Gap program.
Sidewalk Design
Residents near Jamaica & Jefferson should have previously received DDOT’s 60-day Notice of Intent to install a sidewalk on the 1200-1299 block of Jefferson Street NE. Now DDOT is giving adjacent property owners 30 days to comment on the proposed design.
Written comments from adjacent property owners may be submitted by mail or email to the DDOT Sidewalk Gap Program Manager, Karyn McAlister, at karyn.mcalister@dc.gov or mailed to Ms. McAlister at 250 M Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. The deadline to submit comments is August 15, 2026.
Residents will receive 15-day notice before construction.
Daylighting & Crosswalk Installation
DDOT has also issued NOI 26-208 PSD to install a crosswalk and daylighting on Jamaica & Jefferson St NE.
DDOT’s Sidewalk Gap Program plans to install:
Daylighting (i.e., thermoplastic hatched diagonal pavement markings) at crosswalks and intersections to improve sightlines for pedestrian safety.: Daylighting & Crosswalk Installation
A new crosswalk with ADA ramps across Jefferson Street, NE at Jamaica Street, NE (north side).
Residents have until August 26, 2026, to submit comments with the District Department of Transportation, Planning and Sustainability Division, by mail at 250 M Street, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003 or via email at misgna.lemecha@dc.gov.
Residents may check the status of this NOI by visiting DDOT’s NOI Portal.
Applications are now open for the Fall 2026 DC Master Gardener Cohort, which runs September–December 2026.
The program includes 16 sessions, primarily held virtually on Wednesday evenings (6:00–9:00 p.m.), with four in-person Saturday sessions (9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) at UDC’s Van Ness campus.
The DC Master Gardener Program is designed for individuals who want to support community gardens and sustainable gardening education throughout Washington, DC. Participants must complete 40 volunteer hours to become certified. To maintain certification, Master Gardeners complete 20 volunteer hours and 10 hours of continuing education annually.
Because the program is expected to receive more applications than available spaces, selection will be based primarily on the application essay, which should demonstrate a commitment to the program’s mission and volunteer service. Priority will also be given to applicants from across the District and those who have previously applied.
Application deadline:Monday, July 20, 2026 Acceptance notifications: By August 11, 2026
Please see the Master Gardener website for more information about the course and the volunteer program.
Applications are due by Monday, July 20th. Click APPLY HERE to complete the application.
During the summer, Vision to Learn is providing no cost eye exams and prescription glasses (if needed). This service will be provided at DC Public Library locations throughout the summer, including at Lamond-Riggs Library.
DC is launching a “Cool Pavement Pilot” to study the effects of reflective pavement treatments as part of the city’s “Keep Cool DC” strategy.
DDOT states that the pilot will evaluate whether reflective pavement treatments can:
Reduce pavement surface temperatures
Improve pedestrian comfort during periods of extreme heat
Support public health by reducing heat exposure
Complement tree canopy and other cooling investments
Generate data that informs future infrastructure decisions
The pilot will impact certain streets in Riggs Park (shown in pink on the map), including parts of:
Galloway Street NE
Hamilton Street NE
Jefferson Street NE
Kennedy Street NE
Jamaica Street NE
11th Street NE
Emergency no parking signs will be installed to provide 72-hour notice to relocate vehicles.
DDOT states that they anticipate starting the week of July 20, 2026 for one (1) week. They said that while the entire study for the neighborhood will take a full week, each individual block will have restricted parking for only one (1) day from 7AM-7PM to allow crews to apply the reflective pavement on the asphalt. They will not be doing all the streets at once and instead will be alternating streets to allow impacted residents to find alternative parking in the area for the duration of the study.
Questions may be sent to Christian Piñeiro, Special Assistant to the Chief Engineer, at (202) 716-0417 or christian.pineiro@dc.gov.
This Saturday, spend a little time supporting the arts and local businesses in the neighborhood. From 11am-3pm, check out the Riggs Park Art Crawl. Pick up your crawl passport at the Lamond-Riggs Library. Then from 12pm-4pm, visit the Art Place Vendor Market Pop-Up. Be sure to stop in at Tz’ikin Cafe for their official pop-up grand opening celebration to enjoy coffee, tea, and a special opening day brunch.
Join The Parks Main Street for the annual Riggs Park Art Crawl. Featuring interactive workshops, handmade crafts, and engaging activities for all ages.
Join Art Place for their next vendor market pop up celebrating local creativity and community. Explore a curated selection of vendors and artists showcasing handmade goods, artwork, and unique finds. Enjoy offerings from Tz’ikin Café while experiencing live music throughout the event.
Celebrate the official grand opening of Tz’ikin Cafe’s pop-up coffee shop at their new location.
* Single-sourced coffee beans – carefully selected from Finca San Rafael, Alegria, Usulutan * Premium loose-leaf teas crafted for the perfect sip, hot or iced selected from Guatemala * Special opening day brunch collab with Hijos Del Maíz
Youth ages 6–18 discover the journey from urban farm to table — learning nutrition, sustainability, and real cooking skills along the way.
Does your child enjoy gardening, healthy foods, or hands-on activities? Join UDC-CAUSES at the Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market and Urban Food Hub to explore the world of herbs through interactive monthly workshops, located at the UDC Lamond-Riggs Campus parking lot at 5171 South Dakota Ave NE, Washington, D.C.
What Your Child Will Experience:
Explore edible herbs growing at the Lamond-Riggs Urban Food Hub and learn how they’re harvested. No experience needed.
Develop basic cooking skills, including reading recipes, measuring ingredients, and preparing simple, healthy snacks.
Learn about nutrition and urban agriculture in a hands-on, beginner-friendly setting.
Event Details:
Designed for Ages 6–18
FREE to Attend
Outdoor Event
Beginner-Friendly Experiences
Workshop Dates:
June 26: All about Herbs & Pesto
July 17: Garden Lemonade
August 14: Micro-Greens Salad
Available Time Slots:
4:30 – 5:10 PM
5:30 – 6:10 PM
6:30 – 7:10 PM
Give your child the opportunity to dig, discover, and taste fresh flavors from the garden while learning skills they can use at home!
For more information, contact causes@udc.edu or 202-274-7124.
This is my biennial entreaty to ask decent, respectful neighbors to run for an Advisory Neighborhood Commission seat this November. The deadline to submit petitions is August 5, 2026. To get on the ballot, a candidate needs 25 signatures from voters residing in the same SMD as the candidate. The DC Board of Elections website has all of the information needed to run.
ANC commissioners are hyperlocal, uncompensated nonpartisan elected representatives. Each ANC commissioner represents a single member district (SMD) of roughly 2,000 residents. Each term is two years. Because the position is nonpartisan, government employees usually can serve, but check with ethics officials about individual circumstances that may require recusal or prohibit participation.
Riggs Park sits in Wards 4 and 5, so the neighborhood is covered by seats in ANC 4B and ANC 5A.
On the Ward 4 side, the ANC seats covering Riggs Park (and neighboring Lamond) include ANC 4B07, 4B08, 4B09, and 4B10.
On the Ward 5 side, the neighborhood ANC seats include 5A01, 5A02, and 5A09.
We need neighbors to run in all of the seats covering Riggs Park. There is currently a vacancy in ANC 4B10. I know that Commissioners Danielle Geong (4B09) and Shelagh Bocoum (5A09) do not plan to run again.
I am hoping that Commissioner Keith Sellars (5A01) decides to run again. I think he has done a good job this term. He has done a lot not just in his SMD but also has been leading on things in neighboring ANC 5A02, 5A08, and 5A09.
Outside of Riggs Park, we really need reasonable people to run in ANC 5A05, 5A06, and 5A08. Catholic University usually helps with getting a student to fill the ANC 5A04 seat. And I think that ANC 5A Chair Valeria Sosa Garnica (5A07) has done a really good job stewarding the commission this year, so I hope she will run again for the 5A07 seat.
Having an effective ANC is really important. Each commission must hold a certain number of monthly meetings, but otherwise as with any voluntary position, it is as much work as one wants it to be. It would be great to have responsible, respectful representatives who can commit to checking their email regularly, notifying the community of hearings and opportunities to comment on matters affecting the community, and generally being proactive about issues in the community. It would be great if responsible people who were inclined to want to serve as secretary or treasurer would run. Those seats have clearly defined responsibilities that are instrumental to the functioning of an ANC.
Thanks in advance for helping to keep our neighborhood a great place to live.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 