Read Our June 2023 Issue

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D.C. SUMMER. The weather is warming up, and with it comes D.C.’s vibrant event season — a flurry of months that remind me of how hungry we are for connection and that we are home to endless places to explore and things to do. In the past few weeks, I’ve had a handful of friends and collaborators ask me to pinpoint my favorite part of running the magazine, and I felt completely paralyzed by how to answer each time because it is truly the combination of every single facet of the work I do that brings me joy.

But one particular aspect of my role as Fray’s director of media came to mind: curating experiences for locals that extend beyond our content to activations, events and other forms of interconnectedness. There are countless talented individuals and local businesses and organizations we’ve featured via the written word but want to continue collaborating with because we love their energy and positive impact on the District.

Bringing people together for editorially curated events where we weave a throughline between our content and an in-person experience is incredibly fun — for me, but also for our readers, extended Fray community and those who may not know about us yet. We kicked off a season of stacked events with our Style Issue Party on May 16 at The Upstairs at The Morrow Hotel, where we shot our May cover with Deontré Hancock and Lana Rae. The intimate gathering was filled with some of the city’s most stylish and bold individuals, and I’m still drooling over all of the bright pops of color and edgy looks (don’t ever let anyone tell you D.C. isn’t a fashionable city!)

On June 3, we’re hosting a massive Pride party, Art Out Loud, at Selina Union Market & Cowork. Capital Pride tapped the magazine to host an event highlighting a diverse group of local queer artists, many of whom are featured in the pages that follow. On June 29, we’ll throw our rescheduled Move Party at metrobar, featuring everything from live artist installations to roller skating and skateboarding activations. In August, we’ll host our Trailblazers Party highlighting local entrepreneurs.

But, in the meantime, dive into our D.C. Summer Issue highlighting local adventures including a summer festival guide, dog-friendly glamping and community climbing. Our Pride guide is also back with a look at Wolf Trap’s brand-new Out & About Festival, can’t-miss drag events, and interviews with our Art Out Loud co-curator Ashley Jaye Williams, headlining artists Nia Keturah Calhoun, Lisa Marie Thalhammer, haus of bambi and Maps Glover, and more than a dozen other makers participating in the event.

And don’t miss my cover story on Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, who will perform at Out & About — which reminds me, interviewing folks who vibrate with good energy is another favorite part of my job. Happy summer, thank you for reading and, hopefully, we’ll see you twice this month.

Monica Alford
Editor-in-Chief