Every Fall in Washington, D.C., the warehouse space behind the Union Market transforms into the All Things Go Fall Classic festival, thanks to the inspiration of a former George Washington University student, Zack Friendly, and three of his longtime friends. The foursome first co-founded a music blog by the very same name and then collaborated on Friendly’s “dream” of bringing a music festival to this city.
Now in its sixth year, the indie-pop festival is held for two days every October and showcases more than just great music. It helps to promote the local vendors, artisans, and establishments in the developing Northeast D.C. neighborhood, as well as some of the local/upcoming D.C. musicians.
This year the festival also partnered with “She Is The Music,” a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting “equality, inclusivity and opportunity for women” in the music industry. The lineup was definitely more heavily skewed toward females, and the Friday night prior to the festival there was a very cool event called “Classic Conversations” featuring women in music and women storytellers. Female empowerment was a strong theme at this year’s festival and it was wonderful to see it promoted and celebrated.
Headliners Chvrches and Melanie Martinez took the stage Saturday and Sunday, along with 14 other bands – including local artists Sneaks and Shenna, and then LANY, Coin, MUNA, Betty Who, Léon, Olivia O’Brien, Arkells and more. Check out the photo gallery and mark your calendar for next October. The cooler weather and fewer crowds after the summer tourist season make fall the best time of year to experience D.C.
