It’s August. Harried Washingtonians everywhere turn off their blackberries and retreat to undisclosed locations. The expression “dog days of summer” surfaces one time too many in conversations – even though nobody knows exactly what a “dog day” is (answer: Wikipedia, the go-to guide for questions like this, credits the Romans for coining the expression “dog days,” a reference to the time during summer, when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose just before or at the same time as the sun … now you know). And for a brief period, the perpetually overscheduled a) come up for air, b) are no longer swamped, or c) have room on their normally-full plate – whichever workplace colloquialism fits.

You’d be remiss, however, to interpret this slow spell as a sign that Washington ceases to be in August. In fact, some of the area’s best neighborhood celebrations take place this month, and many more continue through September.

29th Annual Adams Morgan Day Festival
Adams Morgan Day is always on the second Sunday in September – Sept. 9 this year – and it tops this list because of its DC North location, and as veteran on-air personality Gerry Phillips puts it, “Adams Morgan Day is the best festival in DC, thanks to the community.”

Phillips’ opinion carries clout; this fifth-generation Washingtonian, whose ancestors hail from the Shaw neighborhood, has been a key AM Day volunteer for nearly 20 years and has seen the festival change each year, becoming more representative of the diverse, international community. “Years ago, the business community ran the festival, and radio stations controlled the stages, putting on their jocks and go-go music,” says Phillips, recalling AM Days of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The residents and the businesses clashed over the format, particularly around issues related to alcohol and entertainment. Things started to change around 1999 and 2000, when new organizers took over and incorporated the residential community’s wants into the festival.

“And it gets better each year,” says Phillips, who attributes the successes of today’s AM Day to Lisa Duperier, executive director of Adams Morgan Main Street, and her ability to “create a bridge between [residents] and the business community.”

Last year’s AM Day attracted approximately 24,000 attendees, representing all ages, nationalities and many cities up and down the east coast. Expect more people at this year’s event, which will feature: vendors selling ethnic foods, handmade crafts, jewelry, and imports from around the world; musical acts playing Afro-Cuban rumba, steel band, calypso, Irish rock, bluegrass, salsa/Latin, etc.; troupes presenting Mexican folkloric dance, street theater, step, African drumming, tribal belly dancing, and more. There’s even a full day of activities for the sippy-cup set and children of all ages over at the Kids Fair, featuring the antics of Broccoli the Clown, the Emmy-award winning Kinderman, Chinese Lion dancers, face painting, a moon bounce, rock climbing and a quarterback toss.

Once again, the Florida and Columbia stages will anchor the celebration with everything else taking place in between, on 18th Street or just off 18th (the Kids Fair and Dance Plaza are held on the Marie Reed School campus).

Phillips has long been the man behind the Florida Stage – “the most popular stage at the festival,” says Lisa Duperier.

Phillips plays down Duperier’s praise, and says he does the stage because it’s fun. He recruits bands that regularly play in Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle and pays them out of his own pocket to ensure he secures “the most professional musicians.”

“My idea was always to present the music of Adams Morgan…jazz, reggae, Latin, Brazilian,” he says, adding that it’s just a small way he can contribute to his community.

Adams Morgan Day Festival, Sept. 9. Noon to 6 p.m. 202-232-1960, www.adamsmorgandayfestival.com.   

Giddy Up to the County Fair!
Even the most discriminating foodies succumb to deep-fried carnival cravings every now and then, most likely in August, when nobody’s around to witness, and a full schedule of county fairs dictate a strict diet of lemonade, funnel cakes, sno-cones, corn dogs, barbecue and kettle corn. Of course there’s more to a county fair than food. For over 100 years, many of DC’s neighboring counties have held annual fairs for the purposes of showcasing prize livestock, garden and home projects, and most importantly, having fun. Prince George’s County Fair, Maryland’s oldest, was established in 1842, 80 years after America’s first fair was held in York, Pennsylvania. Many of the other neighboring counties established fairs in the early part of the 20th century. Livestock – cows, sheep, horses – are still a big draw for some, but the fairs have added games and a number of other attractions to appeal to all.

Some of the sights and events you will find this year include famous racing pigs (Arlington), antique tractor pull (Montgomery County), monster truck rides (Anne Arundel County), Dave Martin’s championship rodeo (Prince William County), chainsaw carving (Howard County), and the standard contests – pie eating, beautiful baby, best dog, little miss county fair – vendors and carnival rides galore.

The following is a rundown of fairs to come, some of which are even accessible by public transit:

Howard County Fair: Aug. 4-11, Howard County Fairgrounds. 2210 Fairground Road, West Friendship, Md. $5/ages 10 & up, $2/seniors, Free/children under 10.  410-442-1022. www.howardcountyfair.com

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair: Aug. 10-18, Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Perry Parkway and Route 355 in Gaithersburg, Md.  $45/unlimited admissions includes parking, $7/adults, $3/children age 2-7, Free/under 2. Parking is $5/car. Public transportation from Shady Grove Metro. 301-963-FAIR. www.mcagfair.com.

Arlington County Fair: Aug. 16-19, Thomas Jefferson Community Center. Free. 3501 Second St. S. Arlington, Va. Free shuttles from Ballston Metro. www.arlingtoncountyfair.org.

Prince William County Fair: Aug. 10-18, Prince William County Fairgrounds. Route 234, Manassas, Va.  $99/mega-pass, unlimited admission, $7/adults, $5/seniors and children 3-6, Free/2 and under. 703-368-0173. www.pwcfair.com.

Maryland State Fair: Aug. 24-Sept. 3, Maryland State Fairgrounds. 2200 York Road, Timonium, Md. Call for prices. 410-252-0200. www.bcpl.net/~mdstfair

Prince George’s County Fair: Sept. 6-9, Prince George’s County Equestrian Center and Show Place Arena. Water Street, Upper Marlboro, Md. Call for prices. 301-579-2598, www.countyfair.org.  

Anne Arundel County Fair: Sept. 12-16, Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds. 1450 Generals Highway, Crownsville, Md. $5/16 and over, $2/6-15, Free/5 and under. 410-923-3400, www.aacountyfair.org.

Charles County Fair: Sept. 13-16, Charles County Fair Grounds, US Route 301, La Plata, Md. $15/four-day pass, $10/ages 10 and over, Free/under 10. 301-932-1234, Charlescountyfair.com.

Frederick County Fair: Sept. 14-22, Greater Frederick Fair Grounds, 797 East Patrick St., Frederick, Md. $5/per person. 301-663-5895, www.thegreatfrederickfair.com.

Every Day’s a Festival in Revel Grove
The year is 1540, the location is Revel Grove, Oxfordshire, England. The season of mourning for his late, beloved Queen Jane has passed, and now King Henry awaits the arrival of Anna, princess of Cleves, the woman who will become Queen of England and Henry's fourth wife. And so it begins…another chapter in the Maryland Renaissance Festival, the second largest renaissance festival in the nation.

For 19 days, beginning Aug. 25 and ending Oct. 21, a 25-acre wooded plot of land in Crownsville, Md., becomes Revel Grove, a 16th-century village of jugglers, dancers, fire eaters, sword swallowers, magicians, artisans, choral groups, jousters in full armor, food booths, pubs and entertainment stages. Children’s activities include pony rides, games, archery and a play area.

Join the more than 225,000 visitors who make the trip to Henry VIII’s England each year to be entertained by the festival’s 1,300-plus participants.

The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on select days (call or visit Web site for exact dates). $80/Fairever pass, good for the entire 19 day festival. $28/two-day pass. $18/adults, $15/seniors, $8/children ages 7-15, Free/children 6 and under. Crownsville Road, Crownsville, Md. Web site has details for getting there by way of public transportation. 1-800-296-7304, www.rennfest.com.