Easter & Spring Celebrations for DC Peeps

Don’t put your eggs all in one basket when it comes to Easter celebrations. Numerous places around the area are hosting egg hunts, Easter bunny visits, and more spring fun. Even if you’re not big on the holiday, there are attractions and activities beyond bunnies and candy-filled eggs that will have the whole family hopping with joy. Here’s where you can find them, listed in order of start date. (And if I’ve left out any good ones, feel free to let me know in the comments!)

Spring Easter Festival
Where: Ticonderoga Farm
When: Weekends March 21- April 5, 10am – 5pm
Admission: $12.95
With giant slides, an awesome jumping pillow, playgrounds, animals, mazes, and more, the farm in Chantilly is a blast everyday (it’s open daily), but they take the fun up a notch on weekends for their annual Spring Easter Festival. Along with the permanent amusement, there are egg hunts, face painting, children’s games, and visits from the Easter Bunny. Be sure to check the website for timing of specific activities. For an idea of what’s there, see this post about their Winter Festival, which is much of the same, but with Easter instead of Christmas festivities. And this post about a class field trip has info and pics, too.

Easter Party
Where: Marriott Courtyard Navy Yard
When: March 22, 4-6pm
Admission: Free
Join the Waterfront Church for an evening of good, clean, family fun to celebrate Easter early. The party will include carnival games, bounce houses, and candy-filled eggs. The Courtyard Marriott is located at 140 L Street SE.

Bunnyland
Where: Butler’s Orchard
When: March 28-29 & April 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12, 9am – 4pm
Admission: $8.75/child, $6.75/adult
One of the more popular spring festivals in the area, Butler’s has all the trappings for seasonal fun: bunnies, eggs, and other Easter-related treats to get young guests in the holiday spirit. Attractions include hayrides down the Bunny Trail, egg hunts, the Rubber Ducky Derby, giant slides, and a small petting zoo. Face painting and pony rides are also usually offered for an extra fee. Concessions are available, and there are also plenty of picnic tables if you prefer to pack a lunch.

Easter Egg Decorating
Where: Brentwood Arts Exchange
When: March 28, 1pm
Admission: Free
Fun! Glitter! Eggs! The Brentwood Arts Exchange promise all three at this free family-friendly workshop. Create beautiful decorated eggs that will impress friends and even the Easter Bunny. Children will receive their first two eggs for free. Additional eggs will be available to purchase 2 for $1.

8th Annual Eggstravaganza
Where: Tudor Place
When: March 28 & April 3-4, 10am – 12pm
Admission: $10/child, $8/child member, $5/adult
Rolling green lawns, bobbing spring blooms and the elegant mansion on a hill serve as backdrop for this festive annual attraction. Join the Easter Bunny as children of all ages enjoy an Egg Hunt (at 10:30 a.m.) and thrilling Egg Roll Contest (at 10:45) down the grand South Lawn. Ongoing activities include decorating bunny masks and playing games from the past. Bring your camera! Self-guided tours of Tudor Place’s 5½ acres of glorious gardens are also available.

Fabergé Egg Family Festival
Where: Hillwood Estate and Gardens
When: March 28, 10am – 5pm
Admission: $18/adult ($10/members), $5/ages 6-18, free for 5 and under
Celebrate spring’s arrival in traditional Russian style! Hillwood’s annual festival has programs, music, art, and activities for all ages. Adventure Theatre will apply their clever stagecraft to the Fabergé story with the new play, Fabergé’s Treasures. A favorite for all ages is the fun of stepping into “Fabergé’s Workshop” and using ribbons, gems, and appliqués to create delicate works of art in the style of Fabergé. Samovar Russian Folk Music Ensemble takes visitors back to Old Russia as they perform on traditional instruments, and the Kalinka Dance Ensemble performs Russian folk dances. And centuries-old Russian springtime games like egg-rolling and egg and spoon racing will entertain children of all ages. All activities take place throughout the day – see the schedule for specifics.

Dinosaur Egg Hunt
Where: Hidden Oaks Nature Center
When: March 28-29 & April 5
Admission: $7/child
Children ages 2-8 can enjoy a dinosaur-themed program and outdoor egg hunt while visiting dinoland in Nature Playce. Look at newly emerged tadpoles in the pond and make a dino craft.. Canceled in case of rain. Pre-registration is required. Programs run at 12:15pm, 1:30pm, 2:45pm and 4pm for 45-minute sessions.

Easter Eggstravaganzas
Where: Various locations around the DC-Metro
When: March 28 & April 4
Admission: Free
These festivals held in several neighborhoods around the area will offer all kinds of Easter fun and more – egg hunts, Easter bunny visits, face painting, yummy treats, games, prizes, and more. They’ll take place on March 28 in Springfield, Gainesville, and Alexandria, then on April 4 in Georgetown and Capitol Hill. Visit the National Community Church website for more details, including specific locations.

Easter Egg Hunt & Exhibition
Where: Evermay Estate
When: March 29, 1pm & 4pm
Admission: $12, under age 2 are free
The gardens at the Historic Evermay Estate will be open for an afternoon of festive spring fun, including crafts, a visit from some Easter friends, and of course, an expansive egg hunt. Also included in each session is a special musical rendition of the Teddy Bear Picnic in partnership with Imagination Stage. Join the bunnies and teddy bears in the gardens at Evermay with your family to welcome spring. Get your tickets before they sell out! The garden at Evermay are located at 1623 28th Street NW.

4th Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Madame Tussauds
When: April 4, 7:30am, 8:00am, 8:30am, and 9am
Admission: $25/adult and two children
If your kids are early risers, then keep this event in mind: A fun and educational “eggs-ploration” through American History at the wax museum! Tons of eggs will be hidden throughout our Presidents Gallery, and once children have collected the empty eggs, they can then trade them in at the end of the hunt for an Easter gift bag full of fun goodies (1 per child). Guests can also enjoy a meet & greet with the Easter Bunny, an on site petting zoo, plus Easter crafts and face painting! All children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased online.

Falls Church Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Cherry Hill Park
When: April 4
Admission: Free
Join this annual family celebration hosted by the city’s Recreation and Parks Department. Children dressed in their spring finest can hunt for candy and special eggs in Cherry Hill Park and have their photo taken with our special guest, the Easter Bunny! BYO basket — they’ll supply the candy, fun, and happy springtime memories. In addition to scrambling for eggs, children ages 11 and younger can participate in a make-your-own-candy-bag craft project and have a chance to meet and take pictures with the Easter Bunny.

Spring Fest
Where: McLean Community Center
When: April 4, 10am – 12pm
Admission: $5, free for 2 and under
Spring Fest is a special event that includes self-guided arts and crafts projects, entertainment and the opportunity for your children to get a professional photo with Bunny. Remember to bring your Easter basket for our parent/child Easter egg hunt. Registration is required for all participants, and sign up soon, as space is limited. Recommended for ages 3-8.

Easter Brunch & Egg Hunt
Where: Pinstripes Georgetown
When: April 5, 9am – 3pm
Admission: $30/adult, $15/ages 6-12, free for 5 and under ($3/baskets)
Kids can go hunting for eggs, and the whole fam can enjoy Easter brunhc out at the bowling, bocce, and bistro venue in Georgetown. To participate, guests must purchase an Easter basket (only 150 available!) from Pinstripes for $3 — all proceeds got to Taste of the Nation #NoKidHungry. The egg hunt begins at 9am, and after that you can celebrate the holiday with Pinstripes’ Easter Brunch. Check out the menu Easter Monday: A Washington Family Tradition
Where: National Zoo
When: April 6, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Easter on Monday at the Zoo! Join them for special family-focused activities and live entertainment. A traditional Easter Egg Hunt and animal demonstrations as well as visits from the Easter Panda will be part of the festivities! This event will be held rain or shine.

White House Easter Egg Roll
Where: White House Lawn
When: April 6, 8am – 5pm
Admission: Free, tickets required
The mac daddy of Easter events in DC, the annual White House Easter Egg Roll requires tickets won through lottery for admission. You should know by now if you were “successful” or not; but if you don’t, you can check your status on recreation.gov. Unofficial tip: I heard from a friend who was lucky enough to go one year that people were giving away extra tickets at the entrance. While I can’t confirm that’s always the case, if you’re going to be in that area and really want to go, it wouldn’t hurt to stop by and see if folks are being so generous. Note that entries are timed, so while it goes all day, guests only stay for their designated amount of time.

Egg Hunt & Marshmallow Harvest
Where: Great Country Farms
When: April 11-12, 10am – 5pm
Admission: $10/child $12/adult at the gate
After a long cold winter, nothing chases away the chill like a visit to the farm. Head to Great Country for the first “crop” of the spring– Marshmallow Picking! Do marshmallow peeps grow on trees? Be sure to check it out and harvest a few to roast on the bonfire with Farmer Bob. You can even purchase a s’more kit to melt away that chocolate craving. The Easter Bunny also hid some eggs, so guests can help find them during multiple egg hunts (by age – se the schedule) with over 18,000 treat-filled eggs. Plan to visit spring chicks and baby animals, check out the spring plantings in the greenhouse, take a hayride and rejoice in the new season. Don’t forget to bring your camera for photo ops with the Easter Bunny. Buy advance tickets online for only $10/adult — visit the website to purchase, and look for the schedule of events there, too.