The Kennedy Center, where you can celebrate Hispanic Heritage and join in a BIG HUG
There’s plenty of fun to soak up around the area this weekend! Celebrate Hispanic Heritage with a big hug at the Kennedy Center, get a taste of a couple local neighborhoods, see innovation in progress at a Maker Fair, hit a fall festival, explore the newly renovated East Wing of the National Gallery, play Minecraft or join a LEGO build, enjoy a variety of live entertainment. And when the sun makes an appearance again, there are lots of great ways to soak it up, too. Happy Weekend!
Family Day: Con Las Puertas Abiertas
Where: Kennedy Center
When: Saturday, 10:30am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Kennedy Center! The entire Terrace level will be transformed into a fair with activities, performances, and games for all ages — art, coloring, face painting, instrument building, and poetry writing among them. Two interactive murals will welcome kids to create their own art. Foosball tables and soccer goals encourage some “sports” play. And music and dance performances, as well as dance lessons, can be enjoyed throughout the day. The highlight, however, is the THE BIG HUG of the Kennedy Center. All attendees can celebrate unity, friendship, and diversity by joining hands in solidarity and wrapping around the entire building. Batalá Washington will lead the crowd into “el abrazo.”
Fall For Fairfax KidsFest
Where: Fairfax County Government Center, VA
When: Saturday, 10am – 7pm & Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free
This annual event includes exciting, interactive, and educational programs, entertainment, and activities. Especially designed for families with elementary and pre-K aged children, activities include scarecrow making, pumpkin painting, public safety and recycling-themed exhibits, pony rides, a petting zoo, hay rides, model trains, and the KidWay MidWay with more than a dozen rides, bounces, and attractions. There’s plenty for adults, too, with more than 75 exhibits, live entertainment, fun activities, and great festival food. While admission is free, some rides and concessions will require a fee.
More Fall Festing
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Seasonal festivals are in full swing at area farms, in local communities, even a 16th century village in Maryland, and they’re welcoming visitors for all kinds of fun. A fee tasty ones are listed here, and you can get details on all of them in this post about autumn celebrations.
Virginia Tech Maker Festival
Where: Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center
When: Saturday, August 20, 2016
Admission: Free
Virginia Tech and 4-H is hosting a full day of fun and science at its annual Maker Festival. The family-friendly event will be chock full of creativity, engineering, and resourcefulness where you can learn to make just about anything — natural dyes, play dough circuits, LED paintbrushes, t-shirts, jewelry, robots, rockets, and more. There will be concessions for sale 11:30am – 2pm. The first 150 kids who check in that day also will receive a free event T-shirt.
LEGO Master Build
Where: Pentagon City LEGO Store
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, 11am – 6pm
Admission: Free
In honor of the interactive store’s recent opening, shoppers and LEGO builders are invited to experience the LEGO Store Master Builder Weekend at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City on the Metro Level from Friday, September 30 – Sunday, October 2 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.! All weekend long, shoppers and plastic-brick engineers can look forward to open play, photo opportunities, and prize giveaways as well as an opportunity to play and create alongside LEGO Store Master Builders! As an added bonus, each child who completes a brick for the Master Build will receive a voucher to redeem at the LEGO Store and a personalized Certificate of Achievement.
Taste of Georgetown
Where: K Street NW, Wisconsin to Thomas Jefferson
When: Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free, but pay per taste
In its 23rd year, the Taste of Georgetown will showcase the spectacular cuisine of over 30 of the neighborhood’s premier restaurants, highlighting Georgetown’s culinary personalities and featuring more than 60 delectable dishes to sample, as well as wine pairings. Bring young foodies for free activities including face painting, balloon art, and more fun for kids of all ages. Tasting tickets can be purchased online or at the event.
Taste of Bethesda
Where: Woodmont Triangle
When: Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free, but you pay for food samples
According to some stats, Bethesda has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the U.S. Accurate or not, DC’s suburban neighbor definitely has a food scene worth celebrating. The 27th year of Bethesda’s famous food and music festival will bring 60 restaurants and five stages of entertainment to the downtown’s Woodmont Triangle. Along with delicious food samples and live entertainment, there will be a kid’s corner for face painting, arts & crafts, and more fun for young ones. Admission is free, and taste tickets are sold on-site in bundles of four tickets for $5. Food servings cost one to four tickets. Ticket sales end at 3:30pm.
Show Time
Where: Local Theatres
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
* Find Knuffle Bunny at Adventure Theatre
* Reserve your free tickets for Andres 123, this weeks Saturday Morning at the National performance
* See (and smell?) Flowers Stink, a collaboration between the U.S. Botanic Garden and the Kennedy Center
* Watch Rapunzel let down her hair as The Puppet Co. presents the marionette version of the classic fairytale.
* Catch the Shakepeare Theatre Company’s fantastic production of Romeo & Juliet (recommended for older children or make it a date night)
* Andi Roo and the Andirooniverse is playing the Saturday morning show at Jammin’ Java
* See Tap Kids perform at Alden Theatre
* The Olney Theatre presents The Diary of Anne Frank
* The Little Foxes is coming to the Arena Stage (recommended for teens and up)
* Enjoy the body percussion, dance, spoken word, blend of The Migraton from Step Afrika
Super Gaming League: Minecraft
Where: iPic Pike & Rose
When: Saturday, 10:30am – 12pm
Admission: $20
Children can experience Minecraft in the most exciting way possible: In a movie theater! While gaming on the big screen, players will engage in a variety of games that reinforce STEM educational concepts, encourage creativity, and promote team building and sociability. Bonus: Every participant receives a free Super League T-shirt! Use code KIDFRIENDLY to get a 25% discount, and try to win a ticket through the latest KFDC giveaway.
Crafty Yogis
Where: Room & Board
When: Saturday, 10am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Join Room & Board 14th Street and celebrate the fall with your family at their second kids’ yoga morning. Instructor Sean Fraser returns to help budding yogis find their inner Zen while teaching children how to communicate, be healthy,Y and relieve stress. Yoga sessions are first come, first serve with a signup on-site. Mats are provided. In between yoga sessions, kids of all ages can craft and participate in hands-on activities. Enjoy sips and snacks and be inspired to create an imaginative space for children using American-made furnishings.
Rock Creek Park Day
Where: Georgetown Waterfront Park
When: Saturday, 10am – 3pm
Admission: Free
To celebrate it’s 126th birthday, Rock Creek Park is throwing us (as in, the public) a party! Join the celebration and head down to the Georgetown Waterfront, where they’ll be hosting free events all day, from ranger led programs to photo-walks, all of them celebrating Rock Creek Park as well as the NPS Centennial. And it’ll all be set up right next to the Taste of Georgetown, so you can sample some tasty bites while you explore nature!
Art on the Avenue
Where: Mount Vernon Ave in Del Ray
When: Saturday, 10am – 6pm
Admission: Free
It’s a showcase of multicultural arts at Alexandria’s Del Ray community festival. Over 300 artists – jewelers, woodworkers, pottery makers, soap crafters, glass makers, painters, sculptors, fabric artists, and musicians – will have their work on display and for sale. And kids’ activities have always been a big part of the festival — scarecrow stuffing, pumpkin painting, lotus flower design, screen art weaving are just some of the crafts to enjoy. Food vendors will also be there offering hot dogs, BBQ, Indian fare, crab cakes, chocolate bananas dipped on a stick, and home made cider donuts.
Grand Opening Celebration
Where: Bright Horizons Reston
When: Saturday, 10am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Bright Horizons recently opened its early education center at Commerce Metro Center in Reston, and they are hosting a party to celebrate the launch! On Saturday, parents and children are invited to enjoy all kinds of family fun and get a first look at the new location. Festivities will include carnival style activities, games and prizes, a ribbon cutting ceremony. Plan to get there early — the first 12 families to arrive at the event will receive a complimentary mini photography session with professional photographer, Robert Holley!
Glover Park & Burleth Farmers Market
Where: Hardy Middle School
When: Saturday, 9am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Bring the whole family to your local farmers market to taste test fall favorites, like heirloom varieties of apples and all-natural goat cheeses, while listening to live music by the upbeat guitarist, Jerry Hergenreder. The market’s kid-friendly clown, Chubbzy, will be offering facepaint, balloon animals and plenty of jokes! Plus, adults can enjoy free yoga from 110-11am. Prepare for your family’s fall bike rides by getting your bikes repaired through DC Vintage Cycles. Pop ups this Saturday include home-made dog treats by Three Puppies, and Zivaara, a local artisan chocolatier! Hardy Middle School is located at 1819 35th Street NW, across from Safeway.
theatreWeek
Where: Around the area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $15-35
The theatre world’s version of Restaurant week celebrates the fun of going to the theatre by offering patrons tickets for less. Through October 2, you can see any of the participating shows for $15-35, giving you some kind of discount on the regular price — and several of this week’s Show Time recommendations (see above) are among them!
Trike & Bike Health Fair
Where: Patuxent Community Center
When: Saturday, 11am – 1p
Admission: $25
The National Harbor Chapter of Jack & Jill of America presents this event for kids ages 2-9. Bring your bike, trike, wagon, big-wheel, or other ride-on (don’t forget your helmet) and have fun navigating an obstacle course. Zumba, a children’s book author, fire saftey demo, health & wellness activities, and a raffle will also be part of day’s fun.
PorchFest
Where: Adams Morgan
When: Saturday, 2-6pm
Admission: Free
Get the best seats in the house (or on the sidewalk) as the front porches of homes and a few local businesses are transformed into intimate performance spaces to be enjoyed by anyone who happens to stroll by. Part of Cultural Tourism DC’s Art4All festival, the Adams Morgan PorchFest creates a family-friendly, neighborhood-based alternative to the nightclub music scene. Enjoy a variety of music styles from 36 musicians and/or bands playing at a dozen homes and businesses in the area. Music maps will be available at PorchFest headquarters at 18th Street and Columbia Road NW and on the PorchFest Facebook page.
Back, East
Where: National Gallery of Art
When:Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
After being closed for long term renovations, the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art is reopening! Stop in to see the additional 12,250 square feet of new exhibition space, including two soaring tower galleries and a rooftop terrace overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. More room to showcase the museum’s growing collection of modern and contemporary art!
Nats vs. Marlins
Where: Nationals Park
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Ticket prices vary
It’s the final series of the regular season this weekend for the National League East the #1 team. Catch a them as they host the Marlins tonight (7:05pm), and tomorrow (4:05pm), and Sunday (3:05). Stay after on Sunday for Kids Run the Bases, and check these KFDC tips for doing a Nats game without breaking the bank.
Oktoberfest
Where: The Pavilion of Turkey Run
When: Saturday, 6-9pm
Admission: $35/adult, $12/ages 6-12, free for under 6
Claude Moore Colonial Farm is celebrating 43 years of operation, and the public is invited to join in the occasion! One of the only privately operated and funded National Park in the U.S., the locale providing an 18th-century experience has welcomed over two million visitors over the years. And they recently signed an agreement with the NPS to continue their work. Help them celebrate with a Bavarian Feast, live entertainment , and dancing at Turkey Run!
Cardboard Day of Play
Where: Annmarie Sculpture Gardens
When: Sunday, 1-4pm
Admission: $5/adult, $3/child
Enjoy an afternoon of imaginative play as Annmarie Scupture Garden participates in the Global Cardboard Challenge. The Main Gallery of the Arts Building will be transformed into a cardboard wonderland as families build, create, and play their way through awesome amusements, art activities, cardboard construction, creative play, and tons of tinkering. Stop by one of several art stations to create your own cardboard masterpiece. Visit Cardboard City, the Cardboard Farm, or let little engineers build and tinker in the cardboard construction zone! Go ahead of the event for even more artistic delights at Annmarie.
Takoma Park Street Festival
Where: Carroll Avenue to Carroll Street
When: Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free
The streets of Takoma Park will be filled with music, artisans, community groups, children’s activities, food vendors and a variety of green companies at the city’s 34th annual festival. Start your holiday shopping — vendors will be selling all kinds of artistic wares. Festivities for kids include crafts, face painting, inflatables, and FUN! And music lovers will enjoy three stages hosting 19 popular local bands playing everything indie folk, rock, blues, country, reggae and everything in between.
Navy Mile
Where: Navy Memorial Plaza, Pennsylvania Ave.
When: Sunday, 8am
Admission: $10-40 to run
Modeled after the famous Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City, the Navy Mile is designed for all ages and abilities, from serious mile athletes and Wounded Warriors to casual runners and even non-runners. The run is only half the fun; it will be accompanied on the Navy Memorial Plaza by an Expo featuring a full slate of activities, like a push-up challenge, Teddy from the Racing Presidents, performances by the U.S. Navy Band Cruisers and the Navy Ceremonial Guard. It’s all family-friendly and open to everyone!
Fun at Fairfax Parks
Where: Several Fairfax parks
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
The Fairfax County Park Authority hosts all kinds of events on weekends for guests of all ages. Help feed animals at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. Explore the wild side of Huntley Meadows on a wagon ride. Go on a pirate treasure hunt at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Details and registration for these and more activities this weekend and beyond are available here.
Forced From Home Exhibit
Where: Washington Monument Grounds
When: Through October 9
Admission: Free
Doctors Without Borders, the International medical humanitarian organization, will launch its free, interactive exhibit on the global refugee crisis in front of the Washington Monument this week. “Forced From Home,” aims to put a face on the ongoing global refugee crisis by explaining various migration journeys, showcasing the conditions in which refugees live, and offering first-hand accounts from aid workers working in MSF migration projects around the world.
Inside (or) Out
Where: Around the area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by adventure
If you’re looking for activities outdoors or inside, depending on the weather or simply your preference, these posts are chock full of evergreen pursuits:
The Great Indoors
The Best Places in the DC Area to Enjoy a Beautiful Day Outdoors with the Kids
