The Weekend Round-Up: September 29 – October 1

Seasonal fun, a weiner dog race (yes, for real!), aviation thrills, all kinds entertainment, a day of play, art installations and celebrations, and more…all with a little autumn chill in the air. Finally. Happy Weekend!

Fall Festing
Where: Around the DMV
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 few are listed here, and you can get details on all of them in this post about autumn celebrations.

Fall For Fairfax KidsFest
Where: Fairfax County Government Center | Fairfax 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.

March for Racial Equality
Where: Begins at Lincoln Park | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 10am
Admission: Free
Join the march with a mission to mobilize organizations, groups, and individuals to stand together for racial justice in Washington, DC. Start lining up at Lincoln Park between 10am and 12pm. The march will proceed to the Capitol and past the Department of Justice at 12:30pm, before culminating at the National Mall between 4th and 7th Streets.

theatreWeek
Where: Around the area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $15-35
The theatre world’s version of Restaurant week is still celebrating the fun of going to the theatre by offering patrons tickets for less. Through Sunday, 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 below) are among them!

Get a “Clue” at the Drive In
Where: Union Market | Northeast, DC
When: Friday, 7-10pm
Admission: $10/car
Union Market’s Friday Night Drive-in series is still running, and Clue is the featured movie this month. Rated PG, six guests are invited to a strange house and must cooperate with the staff to solve a murder mystery. Get there as early as 5:45pm when the lot opens (closes at 7:45pm) and the film starts at 8:15pm.

Leesburg Airshow
Where: Leesburg Executive Airport | Leesburg, VA
When: Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free
The 8th annual Leesburg Airshow will take to the skies with thrilling aerobatic demonstrations, sky divers, and more! Witness a showcase of impressive aircraft, classic cars, and a variety of exhibitors on the tarmac, food vendors, flight schools, and aviation clubs among them. The main show begins at 1pm.

Hispanic Heritage Month Family Day
Where: National Portrait Gallery | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday,11:30am – 3pm
Admission: Free
The Portrait Gallery honors the Hispanic community with a bilingual program celebrating the Latino cultures, traditions and stories that have helped shape this country. Live music, art activities and curator talks during the day.

Wiener 500
Where: Yards Park | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Saturday, 1-5pm
Admission: Free to spectate ($25 race entry)
Kick off Oktoberfest at the Sixth Annual Wiener 500! See a bunch of dachsunds race for $500 in cash and prizes — over 96 dogs competed in 2016! Live music beer and contests for grown-ups, great food, pet friendly businesses, and a best dressed dog competition (open to all breeds!) will round out the fun. Race proceeds will be donated to Humane Rescue Alliance. Sign up your dog here.

DPR Rec Day
Where: Randall Recreation Center | Southwest DC
When: Saturday, 11am
Admission: Free
Get your play on at this day fun of activities hosted by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. Try all kinds of sports — kickball, flag football, ultimate Frisbee, and more. Watch a youth basketball scrimmage , amateur boxing matches, and a teen fashion show. Join yoga, spin, and Zumba classes. Plus, there will be face painting, moon bounces, arts & crafts, refreshments, and more fun for the whole fam!

Nats vs. Pirates
Where: Nationals Park | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Thursday – 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 Pirates Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights as well as Sunday afternoon. Stay after on Sunday for Kids Run the Bases, and check these KFDC tips for doing a Nats game without breaking the bank.

Fall Fest
Where: Rhode Island Ave NE, 20th-24th St. | Northeast DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Rhode Island Main Street’s signature annual event brings together local businesses, vendors, performers, and neighbors in a celebratory day. Free and open to the public, at the event is both family and pet-friendly, with over 40 local vendors, performances, and fun for all ages.

Co-op Festival
Where: In front of Smithsonian Castle | National Mall
When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Join cooperative businesses from across the nation for a family-friendly Co-op Festival this weekend. The free event includes entertainment, food samplings, tech demos, and a variety of fun activities for all to enjoy. Explore a cranberry bog with Ocean Spray, take a virtual farm tour and learn how to milk a cow at the Organic Valley Kid zone, sample cheese from Cabot Creamery, experience the technology behind solar panels with America’s Electric cooperatives, and enjoy live music as well as entertainment from WMZQ’s Michael J.

Show Time
Where: Theatres around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
* Say arrrgh! to How I Became a Pirate at Adventure Theatre
* Reserve FREE tickets for Groovy Nate, this week’s Saturday Morning at the National show
* Catch a FREE performance of The Adventures of the Extra Ordinary Super Heroes by City Kids Theater
* Rainbow Rock is playing the Saturday morning show at Jammin Java
* It’s the final weekend to see the Greatest Show on Strings with Circus! at The Puppet Co.
* And take little ones will love Old MacDonald’s Farm, the Tiny Tots show at the puppet theater
* Pushcart Players presents The Velveteen Rabbit, Reborn at the the Hylton Center for Performing Arts
* Make it a KidFree outing to Arena Stage for Native Gardens
* Or have a date night at the Lansburgh Theatre for The Lover & The Collection
* Puppet Playhouse presents Jungle of Bungaloo at Encore Stage & Studio
* Death of a Salesman, on stage at Ford’s Theatre, is best for ages 13+

Great Hikes
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
It should be great weather for hitting the trail with the kids! Tramp in places with scenic views, see leaves just beginning to turn, hike and explore history at interesting locales, and enjoy a day of active fun. One great place to go is Great Falls — and I just wrote all about it. And 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, too.

Kids Safety Event
Where: Clarksburg Premium Outlets | Clarksburg, MD
When: Saturday, 11am – 3pm
Admission: Free
Safety first! Clarksburg Premium Outlets and Old Navy Outlet invite families to participate in a fun-filled day of safety tips, tricks and activities. Kids can tour a Montgomery County Fire and Rescue engine, learn safety tips from the District 5 Police, get the scoop on bike safety from The Electric Cycle House, and more! The Montgomery County Public Library and other community groups will also present an informational presentation to provide key information about safe practices.  

Nordic Family Shorts

Where: Avalon Theater | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 10am
Admission: $6 ($4.50 members)
As part of DC’s Nordic Film Week, the Avalon presents a selection of delightful animated short films from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. This entertaining series, suitable for children of all ages, incorporates universally understood themes of adventure, perseverance, respect, humor and love.

Navy Mile
Where: Navy Memorial Plaza | Pennsylvania Ave., DC
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 that are all family-friendly and open to everyone!

Then & Wow!
Where: Glen Echo Park | Glen Echo, MD
When: Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free
This family festival is the Glen Echo Park Partnership’s annual celebration of the Park’s revitalization and recalling of its history. The event features kiddie rides and arcade games, as well as videos and an exhibition on the Park’s past. Take a ride on the historic Dentzel Carousel, get little faces painted, see vintage cars, and be wowed magic shows, too. Admission to the park is free, but rides and some activities require tickets.

Family Day
Where: Hill Center | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Sunday, 2-4pm
Admission: Free
The Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital is marking its 6th birthday with a Family Day celebrating history while looking towards the future! They’ll have Civil War-era activities and figures, a team of coppersmiths and blacksmiths, horse-drawn wagon rides, interactive games and crafts, as well as face-painting and balloon animals. After the kid’s activities, enjoy a concert with Dead Men’s Hollow! Register for the concert here.

Spirit of Autumn
Where: ARTECHOUSE | Southwest, DC
When: Sunday (through November 8)
Admission: $8-20
Spirit of Autumn is the new exhibit from the gallery that brought the summer fave XYZT. The large-scale interactive installation celebrates the season as it inspires creativity, imagination, and play. See fall leaves, including some created by you, projected onto the walls and manipulate them with your movements. Make it rain and thunder with the clap of your hands. Watch autumn leaves spread across the floor as you wander through them. It’s immersive and beautiful, and all ages are welcome.

MPAartfest
Where: McLean Central Park | McLean, VA
When: Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free
This juried fine art show and sale features creative interactive experiences for guests of all ages, along with the work of nearly 40 selected artists. Budding artists in attendance can practice their technique in the well-loved Hands-On Art Studio, while teens and adults can try their hand at sketching live models in MPA’s Open Air Art Studio.  Along with the artists’ tents, there will be live music and food from local restaurants, plus a variety of arts and STEAM activities to engage creative minds and captivate art-lovers of all ages.

Takoma Park Street Festival
Where: Carroll Ave. to Carroll St. | Takoma Park, MD
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 36th 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 18 bands playing all day.

Model Rocket Launch
Where: Goddard Space Flight Center | Greenbelt, MD
When: Sunday, 1-2pm
Admission: Free
Join the monthly model rocket launch at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Anyone is welcome, and if you’ve got a model rocket to fly, bring it along (though there are some restrictions – see them here). The program takes place the first Sunday of every month at 1pm. Read more about it in this post.

***MORE GOOD STUFF TO KNOW***
* As lovely fall weather arrives (and hopefully stays), you’ll want to review The Best Places in the DC Area to Enjoy a Beautiful Day Outdoors with the Kids.
* Join the SHERO Walk by N Street Village on October 14 to help homeless women in DC.
* This Tuesday, October 3, the DC Youth Orchestra opens their 2017/2018 season with a free concert at the Kennedy Center’s prestigious Concert Hall at 6pm. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy a performance in one of the nation’s most beautiful venues!
* Does your kid love to sing? National Children’s Chorus is holding auditions on October 19!