InTheCapital hearts D.C., and to prove it, they took over the Fairgrounds near Nationals Park on Thursday night to hang out, listen to music and salute their Coolest Companies Competition at DC Fest.

The self-described “new media company” with a “community-driven platform” bade farewell to the lazy days of summer with an extended outdoor happy hour/food truck/music event.

Wedding Wire, The Motley Fool, Vocus, B-Line Medical, Opower, Ogilvy PR, Social Tables, NewBrandAnalytics, Solimar International and Social Driver took honors at the InTheCapital Top 10. The 10 were winnowed from a much longer list of nominees submitted last month.

Submissions for the competition had to answer the questions: “IS YOUR COMPANY COOL? Does the culture at work make it easy to get in your car with one eye open at the crack of dawn, or jockey for position on the Metro each morning because your job is just that sweet?”

While the DC Fest-crowd awaited the unveiling of the cool, there was plenty to listen to, drink and eat.

Local cover band Jeff From Accounting cranked out an eclectic mix of tunes, from Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” to “Do You Love Me” a 1962 chart topper from the Contours. The headliner for the night was Filligar — recently tapped by the State Department to be cultural ambassadors for American arts.

People chatted it up with some of DC Fest’s sponsors, who lined up to show off their latest goods.

Alex and Ani showcased its positive energy products that “adorn the body, enlighten the mind, and empower the spirit.”

Alexandra Zaso, of Alex and Ani said the company wanted to spread their message of positive energy in cities like D.C.

The presence of car-sharing companies car2go and Zipcar highlighted many people’s preference for alternative transportation options.

Margot Hake of car2go said, “At times it will be car2go, at times it will be traditional car-sharing, busses, Metro rail, taxi, biking, walking. But the point is, people have options to choose from for their own specific mobility needs.”

“Zipcar is proud to say we’ve been a part of the D.C. community for many years,” said spokeswoman Jennifer Mathews. “We are very excited to be a part of this event to celebrate all great things the city has to offer.”

A man who identified himself as Vinny from Northern Virginia was typical of the vibe and approach of many people attending.

“I read a lot of blogs, and I found this, tweeted it and four other of my friends who work in D.C. are coming too,” he said. “I mean, c’mon, D.C. is a cool city. There’s always something going on, why wouldn’t you come out and drink while listening to a great band?”