Hit the trail and enjoy the views at Roosevelt Island
August already?! It’s funny how the summer days feel so long (in a totally great way), but the season and break from school seem to fly by. So, make the most of it and enjoy all the activities and special events that make summer so much fun. Happy Weekend!
Tennis, Anyone?
Where: Rock Creek Park Tennis Center | Rock Creek, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Ticket prices vary
Enjoy the on-court excitement along with other fun activities as the Citi Open Tennis Tournament wraps up. With the quarterfinals on Friday, the semis on Saturday, and the championship matches on Sunday, the event is sure to serve up some excellent tennis.
Fairfax 4-H Fair & Carnival
Where: Frying Pan Farm Park | Herndon, VA
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Depends on activities (details below)
Head on down to the 4-H fair! Through Sunday, enjoy carnival rides, amusements, treats, farm animals and rabbits, rides and displays, horse and dog shows, the tractor pull, kids crafts and face painting, plus plenty of good food, drinks and live music. Held at Frying Pan Farm Park, hours for the many activities vary by day, so be sure to check the website before you go. Carnival ride tickets are $1 or 24 for $20 (most rides take 3-5). Unlimited carnival ride tickets are $25.
‘Tis the Season
Where: Throughout the DMV
When: All weekend long
Admission: Varies by activity
Make the most of quintessential summer activities around DC! Hit the beach. Enjoy an open air concert at one of the many series in the area. See a m0vie under the stars. Enjoy a special museum program. Get wet at an outdoor pool, sprayground, or water park. Feast on crabs. Ride mini-trains and carousels at local parks. And so much more…
Obama Birthday Celebration
Where: The Cornerstone Lot | Shaw, DC
When: Friday, 7pm
Admisison: Free
In celebration of former President Barack Obama’s birthday, Shaw Main Streets is hosting an outdoor screening of “Believe: The Story of Barack Obama,” as well as entertainment and music for all to enjoy. The screening will take place at The Cornerstone lot across from the Howard Theatre. Limited seating will be provided, but guests are welcome to bring their own lawn chairs and refreshments. Additionally, participating bars and restaurants in the Shaw neighborhood will be offering Obama-inspired deals and specials.
Arcade
Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11:30am – 7pm
Admission: Free
Watch out Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde…the American Art Museum is turning into an arcade! Participate in game building workshops, listen to musicians inspired by digital works, and play more than 100 video games. This FREE two-day museum takeover will include classic arcade games like Asteroids, Pac-Man, Tron, Arkanoid, Donkey Kong, and more! SAAM Arcade will also feature 40 independent games created by both student and professional developers as part of the 2017 Independent Developer Showcase.
The BIG Latch On
Where: Breastfeed Center for Greater Washington | Downtown, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Join The Breastfeeding Center at their NEW location on for The BIG Latch On, a community celebration to promote and support breastfeeding! Doors open at 10:00am and at 10:30am, women around the world will begin breastfeeding simultaneously to be counted for The BIG Latch On. Participants of all ages are welcome. Last year 17,852 women breastfed during The BIG Latch On and the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington is participating this year to help break the record! Following the official count, stay for a Grand Opening Party with food, fun, and a fundraising raffle with prizes from lots of local businesses.
BrickFair ’17
Where: Dulles Expo Center | Chantilly, VA
When: Saturday, 10am – 5pm & Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: $17, free for ages 3 and under
The nation’s largest LEGO Fan Festival will be enthralling guests of all ages this weekend. BrickFair brings together LEGO enthusiasts from across the country to showcase their amazing brick constructions, from tiny intricate works to elaborate, towering creations. Over 800 exhibitors will be there to display their designs, along with vendors selling all things LEGO — T-shirts, hats, mini figures, models, and more. And guests can use it all as inspiration to do some building there themselves!
Peach Daze Fuzztival
Where: Great Country Farms | Bluemont, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: $10/child & $12/Adult
Celebrate Peak Peach Picking season with Great Country Farms, Bluemont Vineyard, and Dirt Farm Brewing! Along with tons of fun activities, you can also learn how the peaches are grown and used in food and drink and enjoy the results as well. Kick off each morning with a Peach Pancake Breakfast at Great Country Farms, then later on get the whole family involved in a Peach Eating and Peach Pit Spitting Contests and Family Water Games. All the fun farm attractions will be open, and there will also be live music to entertain the crowd. And across the way at Bluemont Vineyard, enjoy special peach drinks and wine.
Friendship Firehouse Fest
Where: Friendship Firehouse | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday
Admission: Free
This annual family event hosted by the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association invites the public to enjoy the history of the fire department at the historic Friendship Firehouse. The popular event features antique fire apparatus, craft booths, displays by Alexandria merchants, and live music. In addition to the day’s outdoor events, festival participants will enjoy visiting the Friendship Firehouse Museum, originally built as a firehouse in 1855.
Howard County Fair
Where: Howard County Fairgrounds | West Friendship, MD
When: Through the weekend
Admission: $5/ages 10 and up, $2/seniors, free for under 10
The 72nd annual fair begins this coming weekend, and you have through next Saturday to enjoy rides, magic shows, musical entertainment in the evenings, pig races and pony rides, the Kids & Critters barn, Demolition Derby, a pro rodeo, and more. Most of the rides cost extra, and packages are available, so be sure to check out the website to see what’s available if you plan to go. And for details on the rest of the county fairs coming up around the area soon, see this new KFDC post.
Unicorn of the Sea
Where: National Museum of Natural History | National Mall, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
The newest exhibit to open at the Natural History Museum explores the legends and science of the narwhal, the sprial-tusked whale of the Arctic. See real narwhal tusks and skulls along with artifacts and artwork. Experience their habitat through panoramic landscape images and a sounds from the environment. And learn more from museum volunteers and experts on the animals and the Arctic.
Show Time
Where: Theatres Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
* Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook is running at Adventure Theatre
* The Pushcart Players’ Happily Ever After…A Cinderella Tale is the last show of the season in Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods series
* Circus! just opened at The Puppet Co.
* And a Tiny Tots “Sing-a-Long”will be fun for little ones there on Saturday morning
* Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I is now at the Kennedy Center
* Go down the rabbit hole for Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure at Imagination Stage
* My Fair Lady at Olney Theatre is recommended for ages 10 and up
* Make it a date night to see An Octoroon at Woolly Mammoth
Ice Cream Making at the Mill
Where: Peirce Mill | Rock Creek, DC
When: Saturday, 10:30am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Lean how to make hand-cranked ice cream the old fashioned way! This demonstration will show you how ice and salt creates a brine that reduces the temperature below freezing, and cranking the handle for 30 minutes can whip this frozen treat made famous by Dolly Madison after her return from France. A historic recipe will be distributed to those in attendance. Peirce Mill is located in Rock Creek Park at 2401 Tilden Street, NW, at the intersection of Beach Drive and Tilden Street, NW (Park Road if approaching from the east). Read more about Peirce Mill here.
hiSTORYtime
Where: National Museum of American History | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Early learners ages 0-6 and their caregivers will have the chance to hear a story and participate in hands-on activities and crafts inspired by objects from the museum’s collection at this weekly program. Saturdays in August are all about color! Hear a colorful story, make art, and practice color identification through fun games and activities. The story will be read at 11am & 11:30am.
Jurassic Park in Concert
Where: Wolf Trap | Vienna, VA
When: Saturday, 8pm
Admission: $35-58
An adventure 65 million years in the making comes back to the big screen. Watch Steven Spielberg’s original Oscar-winning dinosaur classic in high definition as the National Symphony Orchestra brings John Williams’ iconic music to soaring, scaly life. The film will be projected in HD onto big screens in-house and on the lawn.
Backyard Children’s Community Festival
Where: Mission Mobile Launch Pad | Northeast, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Explore! Children’s Museum is hosting their final festival of the summer. Create something new with Imagination Stage and play with members of your DC community and local teaching artists – all at the site of the future Children’s Museum! Receive free books from local author Tom Noll and coloring books from Color with Luna. Learn to play different instruments at the Percussion Playground from The Uncle Devin Show. There will also be a Mad Science show at 11:30am. Light snacks and water will be available.
Open House
Where: Signature Theatre | Arlington, VA
When: Sunday, 12-8:30pm
Admission: Free
Kick off the upcoming season with Signature’s Annual Open House. Starting at noon, come enjoy free performances every fifteen minutes, special ticket offers, raffles, and a grand finale concert. There will be concerts, games, and crafts all day, plus a special single ticket offers for the 2017/18 season and the annual show merchandise clearance sale.
Fancy This
Where: Brookside Gardens
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $8/ages 13 and up, $5/3-12, free ages 0-2
Walk amid a garden of butterflies at Brookside Garden’s amazing Wings of Fancy exhibit, on view through September 2. The seasonal display featuring live butterflies and caterpillars from all over the world is sure to delight! Plan to tour the rest of Brookside’s lovely grounds while you’re there and see if there are any other special kids’ programs to enjoy.
Day Trip from DC
Where: Throughout the DMV & WV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Get out of dodge for a day for some cool fun in areas that require a bit of a drive, but not an overnight stay (though you could consider it). Explore the spectacular underground world of Luray Caverns. Enjoy hiking and history at Harpers Ferry. Take an ice cream making museum tour at Turkey Hill in Lancaster, PA. Or venture out to the Calvert Marine Museum to experience fascinating exhibits that highlight the history of the Chesapeake Bay.
Tax Free Shopping
Where: Throughout VA
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Free (but plan to spend, obvi!)
Are you ready to do some back-to-school shopping? This weekend will be a good time to start! Virginia is taking a sales tax holiday August 4-6. During that time, all school supplies that is $20 or less per item and qualifying clothing and footwear that is $100 or less per item will be tax free!
Walks in the Woods
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Looks like it’s going to be great weather to hit the trail with the fam! See flowers in bloom, tramp in places with scenic views, hike and explore history at interesting locales, and enjoy a day of active fun. This post, started in the early KFDC days and updated several times since, has a a bunch of recommendations for good walks in the woods with the kids.
