The Weekend Round-Up: March 30 – April 1

It’s going to be an awesome weekend, and not just because a certain annual convention is in town (though that is reason enough). Easter celebrations, cherry blossom-inspired fun, live entertainment, art adventures, and outdoor pursuits are some of the other awesome ways to enjoy the next few days. Happy Weekend!

Awesome Con
Where: Washington Convention Center | Mount Vernon Square, DC
Whne: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Starts at $40/day, $10/10 & under (*discount below)
The mid-Atlantic’s premier pop culture convention brings a three-day celebration of television, movies, comic books, science, technology and more to DC. With hundreds of hours of programming, an impressive lineup of special guests, and exciting activities for fans of all ages, this is one fun event. We went last year and had a blast checking out games, toys, comics, art, tv and movie memorabilia, and more. And the cosplay is fantastic. Costumes encouraged. *Groupon has kids tickets for $3.75, and Certifikid is offering family admission for $55!

Go Fly a Kite!
Where: Washington Monument Grounds | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4:30pm
Admission: Free
The Blossom Kite Festival is a favorite of the blossom season. The sight of thousands of kites in all colors, shapes, and sizes soaring around the Washington Monument is truly a sight to behold. The sails you see flying at the Festival each spring range from simple to pretty darn creative. Dragons, sharks, butterflies, giant soccer balls, even some that look like big, beautiful origami works way outnumber your basic diamond. And anyone can go fly their kites, so BYO or make one there at an activity station. There’s a competition aspect to the event, too; expert kite enthusiasts will wow crowds with cool stunts, and prizes will be awarded to winners of various categories such as most beautiful, funniest, and aerodynamics.

Think Outside
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
It’s supposed to feel like spring for at least one day this weekend. Get out and enjoy the first flowers on a hike, in a garden, exploring a park or historical site, or playing a sport. This post has tons of recommendations for great places to hang outside.

Dinosaur Egg Hunt
Where: Hidden Oaks Nature Center | Annandale, VA
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: $7-9/child
Stomp over to Hidden Oaks, where children ages 2-8 can enjoy a dinosaur-themed program and outdoor egg hunt while visiting dinoland in Nature Playce and make a dino craft. Pre-registration is required. Programs run several times throughout the day for 45-minute sessions. Canceled if there is rain.

Egg Hunt Weekend
Where: Clark’s Elioak Farm | Clarkesville, MD
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: $6
Little ones (ages 1 to 3 and 4 to 6) will have a chance to hunt for eggs throughout the day at this Maryland Farm that looks like something out of a story book! After hunting, they get to turn the eggs in for a goodie bag. The petting farm, rides, and play areas will be open for all to enjoy, too, along with gem mining and geode cracking. Be sure to take a look at the website for a heads-up on how the egg hunts will run, so you can make the most of your day there. Read more about Clarks Elioak in the KFDC post about the best outdoor places in the area.

Easter Treasure Hunt
Where: Mansion on O Street | Dupont Circle, DC
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: $28
Don your favorite Easter bonnet and celebrate spring with a fun filled treasure hunt at The Mansion on O! Search for special Easter & spring themed items found only at The Mansion. Prizes for best Easter bonnet and decorated egg contest — bring your decorated egg with you to enter. Hurry! This hunt hops away after Easter Sunday. Read more about this wonderfully unique place and get a glimpse in this KFDC post.

More Egg-Cellent Celebrations
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by event
Egg hunts, bunny visits, and more spring fun to celebrate Easter and the season are happening all around the area. Even if you’re not big on the holiday, there are attractions beyond bunnies and candy-filled eggs for your whole gang. Enjoy loads of festivities at Ticonderoga Farm or Butler’s Orchard. Find a great nature-themed activity at NoVa Parks. Take a special Bunny Train Ride. Fill a basket at an Eggstravagnza. Or find another egg-cellent event where you can celebrate here.

Burning Man Comes to DC
Where: Renwick Gallery | Downtown DC
When: Opens Friday
Admission: Free
If, like us, you’ve tried to go to the Renwick recently only to find it closed for renovations, this is why. The museum was preparing for No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man, an exhibit that is taking over the entire Renwick Gallery building, “bringing alive the maker culture of Burning Man through artworks, immersive installations, jewelry, costumes, and more.” And it doesn’t end there — an outdoor extension of the exhibition, No Spectators: Beyond the Renwick, will showcase sculptures from Burning Man throughout the surrounding neighborhood, too. (Anyone else thinking the next Wonder?!)

Growing Community
Where: National Building Museum | Judiciary Square, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 2pm
Admission: Free
All ages can drop in to explore how nature can be intentionally integrated into and around built spaces to help promote community and encourage civic engagement. Work with friends and family to design and build a large scale model of your own green space inspired by a park in your neighborhood or one you would like to see added to your community. Find out more about the importance of green space in urban areas during Ten (minute) Talks and a spring-inspired story time.

Dueling Pianos, Family-Style
Where: Bobby McKeys | National Harbor, MD
When: Saturday, 12:30-2pm
Admission: $20
The whole family can enjoy an afternoon of fun at one of Bobby McKey’s dueling piano shows. It’s two hours of all-request live music paired with a lunch buffet, that’s sure to make everyone happy. And this is a performance where kids are encouraged to wiggle in their seats and dance in the aisles! Plan on more fun at National Harbor while you’re there.

Show Time
Where: Theatres around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
* Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is still on stage at Adventure Theatre
* The Big Apple Circus is in town for one final weekend
* The Kennedy Center presents Waves, all that Glows Sees
* Ease on down the road to Ford’s Theatre for The Wiz
* Little ones will love Balloonacy at Imagination Stage
* Catch a fairytale classic as The Puppet Co. presents Little Red Riding Hood & the 3 Little Pigs
* And Bunny Business is the Tiny Tots performance for littles there on Saturday

DC by Foot
Where: Various locations around DC & VA
When: Ongoing
Admission: Name your own price!
The tour company is celebrating the season (and the warm weather on Saturday) by adding some extra offerings this weekend. DC by Foot has a variety of walking tour options throughout the area, the National Mall tour said to be most appealing for kids. Along with learning about the history of the sites, guests can also enjoy scavenger hunts and trivia. And tours are name-your-own-price, so you pay at the end what you think the tour was worth.

Cherry Blossom Day at the Lab
Where: Children’s Science Center Lab | Fairfax, VA
When: Saturday, 10am – 6pm
Admission: $13
Fuse science and cherry blossoms and fun at the Lab! Visitors will create their own unique representation of a cherry blossom. Learn and grow crystals, explore the world of chemical reactions, solubility, and become chemists. Design your own cherry blossom petal, flower, or tree to take home and celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival. Read more about the Children’s Science Center Lab in this KFDC post.

Paints, Pigments, Brushes: All about Japanese Painting
Where: Freer|Sackler Gallery | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 12-4pm
Admission: Free
Enter the world of traditional Japanese painting, or nihonga, in this drop-in Open Studio workshop celebrating the National Cherry Blossom Festival. View a display of colorful pigments and brushes, and try making your own painting alongside visiting Japanese artists Ideguchi Yuki and Iwaizumi Kei. All ages welcome with adult companions.

Complimentary Community Day
Where: National Museum of Women in the Arts | Downtown, DC
When: Sunday, 12-5pm
Admission: Free
The first Sunday of every month is a great opportunity explore the National Museum of Women in the Arts when admission is free! Works span the centuries, from the 16th to the present in a variety of mediums, highlighting women artists all over the world. Currently on view is Women House, which recasts conventional ideas about the home through provocative photographs, videos, sculptures, and room-like installations.

Isle of Dogs
Where: Movie theaters around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by theater
If you’re looking for a family flick to see this weekend, this apparently is the one. I haven’t seen it yet, but my kids have and both looooved it, Sasha claiming it to be her favorite movie ever. The film tells the story of a 12-year-old boy and an army of banished dogs who help him find his pet on a garbage dump island. Just the fact that it’s from Wes Anderson makes it a must-see (imo, anyway).

***MORE GOOD STUFF TO KNOW***
* Dr. Derek Blank from DC Pediatric Smiles contributed a very informative post about children’s dental care (there’s also a GIVEAWAY for a $100 Whole Foods gift card!).
* Starting this Wednesday, April 4, the National Museum of African American History & Culture will have the first of four no-pass-required days (Wednesdays during April).
* It’s almost time paddling time! Get details on the many places where you can go with the flow around DC.
* A friend of mine recapped the March for Our Lives in this brilliant essay that perfectly describes what the movement ignited by the Parkland kids is all about.