National Mall

“WTF is this???”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

So I started checking the Washington Monument live web cam back when “86 47” showed up in the Mall lawn by the WWII monument. I loved watching the numbers develop each day, and laughed at how ridiculous the attempts to then dye the grass green made the numbers even more legible from the cam.

Then—they started building something over the “86” on June 19. It’s gone from nothing to this (photo above) in under 2 weeks. I haven’t been able to find anything on what it is, except someone’s theory that it’s the private viewing area for Trump and his people to view the fireworks.

If that’s true, (more…)

MOOD – Do Not, Under Any Circumstances… And here are the Street Closures for the Great American State Fair

By Prince Of Petworth

The funniest comment I saw about the Ferris Wheel going up on the Mall said something along the lines of:

“Do not, and I can not emphasize this enough, under any circumstances take a ride on this Ferris Wheel.”

I mean what could possibly… hahaha, chef’s kiss.

I thought the photo above that a reader sent me yesterday captured the mood pretty perfectly.

From Alert DC:

“From Thursday, June 25, 2026 through Friday, July 10, 2026, the Great American State Fair will be occurring in the District of Columbia. In conjunction with this event, there will be parking restrictions and street closures that motorists should take into consideration.”

From MPD: (more…)

A Vague Heads Up: Boatload of Military Flyovers coming between June 24-July 10

By Prince Of Petworth

From Alert DC:

“The US Military has notified the District of Columbia that it will conduct aircraft flyovers near the National Mall from June 24 to July 10 as a part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. While there may be an increase in air traffic noise, there is no cause for alarm.”

As always, PLEASE: Tell your friends, tell your neighbors. Tell ’em PoPville told you. They’re going to ask…

Heads Up: France’s equivalent of the Blue Angels Flying over DC this morning around 10:20 am!!

By Prince Of Petworth


photo courtesy of the Patrouille de France

Thanks to Emily and Denis for passing on from the French Embassy:

“WASHINGTONIANS! On Monday morning, you will have the opportunity to see the Patrouille de France on their #Liberté250 Mission. If you’d like to see these elite pilots in action, have your aviators and your camera pointed towards the sky at: (more…)

“Smithsonian Solstice – this weekend! Smithsonian museums on the National Mall will stay open late until 11PM on Friday and Saturday, and the celebration will continue into Sunday with daytime family-friendly programming.”

By Prince Of Petworth


from last year’s Solstice, Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution

From the Smithsonian Institution:

“For the first time, the Smithsonian is expanding its popular Solstice Saturday into a three-day celebration, inviting visitors to kick off summer from Friday, June 19, through Sunday, June 21.

As part of America’s 250th anniversary, this year’s Solstice weekend offers more opportunities than ever to experience Smithsonian museums, exhibitions and programs.

On Friday and Saturday, select museums on the National Mall will remain open until 11 p.m., offering extended exhibition hours alongside special after-hours programming. The celebration continues Sunday with family friendly daytime programming across multiple locations. Additional program details and a list of opening hours are available online.

Note: This month, pedestrian and vehicle access along and across the National Mall may be limited. Visitors should allow extra time to travel between museums on the Mall.

Events (more…)

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