Read Our May // June 2022 Issue

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ADVENTURES IN THE DMV. “What is community without connection?” Peter Chang asked this rhetorical question during our interview for this month’s cover story, and it stuck with me. It’s hard not to get emotional about D.C.’s return to some semblance of actual normalcy. Museums have reopened, events are back in full swing and the energy of our creative community is reverberating around the city.

After two years of striving to stay connected while navigating the pandemic, we’re finally in a new chapter where we can support one another with fewer obstacles in place. This resurgence of creativity and in-person connection is something Chang feeds off; he’s built a career out of bringing people together in the city and amplifying the voices of rising artists and independent businesses. He’s a cultural connector in the District, using his creative production brand No Kings Collective as a platform for the change he wants to see in our arts scene — and in the hospitality industry. With his second annual Redeye Night Market coming up this fall — a massive undertaking in support of the AAPI community — and May marking AAPI Heritage Month, a conversation about the ways art and food unite us is timely.

We’re also exploring all of the adventures locals can embark on within city limits — and throughout the DMV — this summer, so a behind-the-scenes look at “One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection” with Chang and the Hirshhorn team for our cover shoot seemed particularly fitting. From interviews with leaders in the AAPI community like Lucky Danger’s Tim Ma and up-and-coming artist Julia Chon to a comprehensive guide to your summer activities, our May issue reflects the excitement and sense of renewal palpable in D.C. right now. 

There’s also a sense of renewal on the District Fray team. May marks Brandon Wetherbee’s first month as our new managing editor, and we’re thrilled to have the journalist and former managing editor of Brightest Young Things on our team. Check out his list of everything to do in and around the city this summer and recommendations for the best outdoor shows from now until early fall, and his thoughts on expanding your kid’s culinary palate in his Grown-Up Things parenting column. Our assistant editor Nicole Schaller geeked out with local scuba divers for our Beginner’s Guide while I embraced my inner theatre nerd with the cast of “Our Town” at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Bailey Vogt walked us through some of his favorite off-the-beaten-path, bus accessible spots in the city; Nevin Martell and Scott Suchman explored 2Fifty Texas Barbeque and Kristen Schott kicked off her Keeping Pace running column. Stay tuned for details about our May issue launch party with Chang, and please consider subscribing to districtfray.com if you haven’t already. Thank you to our readers for supporting local journalism and we can’t wait to see you out and about this summer. 

Monica Alford
Editor-in-Chief