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Deets: National Gallery Nights, our popular after-hours program, returns to the East Building from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays, September 14, October 12, and November 9.

This season, visitors will find their favorite National Gallery Nights activities—music, live performances, artmaking, and pop-up talks—centering the themes of a block party, Halloween, and the exhibition The Land Carries our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans. Light fare; gelato; and beverages such as beer, wine, and specialty cocktails will be available for purchase throughout the East Building, in the Terrace Café and Espresso & Gelato Bar, and on the 4th Street Plaza.

New this season: our September and October programs will feature dynamic outdoor activities on the 4th Street Plaza. These will not require registration.

Hint for the Average Socialite: As with all National Gallery programs, the events are free.

For the safety of visitors and the art, registration is required for National Gallery Nights indoor activities. To give everyone an equal chance of attending, we’ll be offering registration through a lottery system.

The lottery will take place the week before each event. It will open on Monday and close Thursday at noon. We’ll notify all lottery entrants whether or not they were selected to register the Friday before each program. Additional passes will be available at the door—first come, first served—starting at 5:30 p.m.

Anyone interested in attending National Gallery Nights can sign up to receive email notifications about the lottery opening for each event at nga.gov/nights.