Grand marshals of the Petal Porch Parade!
Happy Weekend!
Go-to posts for ongoing recreation:
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Best Outdoor Spots
* Peaceful Places
* Indoor Outings
* Bike Rides
Egg Hunt & Marshmallow Picking
Where: Great Country Farms | Bluemont, VA
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $10/child, $12/adult, $5/egg hunt
Head to the farm for good ol’ fashioned egg hunts and the first “crop” of the spring — Marshmallow Picking! (Do marshmallow peeps really grow on trees?) Your children will be amazed to harvest a few marshmallows to roast on the bonfire. The Easter Bunny also hid some eggs filled with treats to enchant the children, and Great Country needs help finding them. There will be multiple egg hunts with timed ticket entrance ($5 extra). Plan to see the spring chicks and baby animals, take a wagon ride, and enjoy the sprawling play area, too!
Celebrate Cherry Blossom Season
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies
The flowers aren’t quite yet peaking, but events and activities to celebrate DC’s iconic bloom begin are happening. Seek out blossom-inspired art, join virtual programs, enjoy dining and shopping specials just for the season, and more. See the beginning of the bloom in at least one place, and bring the fun home with some related activities.
Petal Porch Parade
Where: At home & around the DC area
When: Through April 11
Admission: Free
Check out local porches decorated for cherry blossom season! Since we can’t have a big parade this year,folks were encouraged to get creative and show their blossom spirit by decorating their porches, yards, and windows to spread joy and connect communities. This map shows locations of all registered Petal Porches, so you can plan a walk or drive to see and share in the celebration of spring. On the weekend of April 10-11, a Petal Procession will drive through select Petal Porch Parade neighborhoods in and around DC.
Art in Bloom
Where: Around the DC area
When: Through March 31
Admission: Free
This visual arts exhibition spanning all eight wards of DC, plus a few areas in Maryland and Virginia, radiates the spirit of spring! Go on a Blossom Hunt to find 26 oversized cherry blossom statues painted by local artists and share on Instagram or Twitter with the #artinbloom tag. The NCB will randomly select winners of Festival prize packages.
Blossom Kite Fly
Where: Your backyard or local park
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: Free
The annual Kite Festival on the Mall — one of the best events of the NCBF (& anytime in DC, for that matter) — is not happening this year. Instead, the Festival encourages all to take part in the kite-flying tradition on their own — but with the help of workshops and demos. Find more information about registering here.
Bloomaroo
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Through April 11
Admission: Varies
The Wharf is celebrating spring and the blossoms with Bloomaroo, nearly of month of cherry blossom-themed art installations, food and drink specials and more festivities. Catch Anime Movies, including the newest Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Check out a special mural created by ARTECHOUSE, too. Restaurants at the waterfront destination will have cherry blossom-inspired menus, and keep an eye out for special samplings, beer dinners, and more. Ride the Wharf Jitney or hop on the Water Taxi for an up-close look at DC’s favorite landmarks — the cherry trees. For more about The Wharf, see this KFDC post.
Dino Safari
Where: National Harbor | Oxon Hill, MD
When: Daily through April 11
Admission: $49.95/vehicle (up to 7 people); $59.95/larger vehicle
Running now through April 11, Dino Safari, brings prehistoric times to pandemic times, offering a drive-thru, no-contact yet immersive experience. You may be familiar with these Jurassic Park-inspired attractions, which feature life-size animatronic dinosaurs. This one is unique in its “Passport to Pangea” theme, transporting you through all seven continents — which were formerly one supercontinent, Pangea, in dinosaur times. Read a full review here. Use code KIDDC5 to receive $5 off your ticket!
Bunnyland
Where: Butler’s Orchard
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: $10
One of the more popular spring festivals in the area begins this weekend. Butler’s has all the trappings for seasonal fun: bunnies, eggs, and other Easter-related treats for young guests. More fun includes hayrides down the Bunny Trail, egg hunts, the Rubber Ducky Derby, giant slides, jumping pads, and a small petting zoo. Concessions are available, and there are also plenty of picnic tables if you prefer to pack a lunch. See the website for safety measures in place for Covid.
Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Potomac Overlook Regional Park | Arlington, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: $8/child
Join Potomac Overlook Regional Park any day from Saturday to April 4 to take part in this ongoing event. Pick up your egg hunt sheet at the nature center, explore the park for 8 different “wooden eggs,” then return to the nature center with your completed sheet for a prize! No reservations required — just hop on over and experience a brand new kind of egg hunt in park that’s great for families to explore. Read more about Potomac Overlook in this KFDC post. And find even more egg-cellent adventures around the area here.
NoVa Parking
Where: Various parks in Northern Virginia
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Not only are many of the locales within the NoVa Parks system great places to go for outdoor recreation, other activities within some of them are now available. Batting cages, mini golf, kayak and canoe rentals, and disc golf are some of them. And some are just beautiful to roam around. Find things to do by activity, or check out individual parks and see what they have going on. A couple of specific recs: Fountainhead, Pohick Bay, and Meadowlark.
Movie at the Drive-In
Where: Alexandria Drive-In Movie Theater | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 7:30pm
Admission: $40/car
Catch a flick from the comfort of your car — an ideal way to enjoy some entertainment out of the house and social distance. Remember the Titans will be on the big outdoor screen this weekend. Food trucks will be there both nights offering savory and sweet concessions with online ordering through Goodfynd! Purchase movie tickets in advance!
Camp Anthem
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Friday/Saturday/Sunday through May
Admission:
The Anthem is bringing back its pop-up restaurant with tables seating up to 6 on the District Pier, each covered by a cabana tent. Enjoy a breezy lunch or dinner by the river at the waterfront destination. Reservations are required, and there is a $150 minimum per table, $50 per 2-top. There is a two-hour max at each table to allow thorough cleaning in between time slots.
Women’s History Month Virtual Festival
Where: National Portrait Gallery | Online
When: Saturday, 11am
Admission: Free
Join the Portrait Gallery in a virtual celebration of women making history!Explore the online exhibition “Where There Is a Woman There Is Magic,” which highlights leaders in sports, arts, science and activism. It’s part of a day-long lineup featuring events and activities for participants of all ages, including workshops, speakers, art activities and more!
Adventure in the Trees
Where: Adventure Park at Sandy Spring, MD
When: Sunday
Admission: Varies by age
The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring reopens for the season this weekend! The fun actually starts Saturday, but it’s already sold out, so reserve in advance for Sunday or a future date — reservations are now required due to Covid. Kids as young 5 can experience thrills on the ropes courses and ziplines in the park’s aerial adventure forest, the largest in North America. Children ages 5-6 and an accompanying adult have access to two of the easier courses. Older kids can do much more. It may seem like a pricey venture, but it’s so worth it. Trust me. Read more about the park in this KFDC post.
Pop-Up Street Theater
Where: Locales around Arlington, VA
When: Sunday, 11am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Synetic Theatre will be clowning around with pop-up performances all around Arlington during the Festival. To work with these social distancing times, they are bringing back street theater as a pair of improv actors make appearances at the Art Wall in Virginia Highlands Park, the Crystal City Water Park, and the Long Bridge Park Esplanade.Follow @synetictheater on Instagram to see where they are and how long they’ll be there!
Disc Golfin’
Where: Courses around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
Hit the links, the chain links, that is! Disc golf is a great way to enjoy a nice spring day outdoors with the family. Not only is it fun and challenging, the courses, many of them set up in scenic places, are lovely this time of year. This post has info about one in College Park, and there are also great courses at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Patapsco Valley State Park near Baltimore, and Burke Lake Park in Burke, VA.
Virtual Artful Conversations: Colored Pencil Techniques
Where: National Gallery of Art | Online
When: Sunday, 10am & 1pm
Admission: Free
Sharpen up your colored pencils and your drawing skills during Artful Conversations. Please join the session with colored pencils, two sheets of paper to draw on, and an eraser. Registration is required for this free program. An adult is required to attend the session alongside the child(ren).
Sakura Sunday
Where: National Harbor | Oxon Hill, MD
When: Sunday
Admission: Free
On Sundays during cherry blossom seaosn, National Harbor is hosting free cultural activities, including Japanese inspired art creations, culinary classes, in person and virtual, and much more. See what else will be at the waterfront destination during the season.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* In case you haven’t seen it, there’s a brand new post about Where to Go & What to Do During Spring Break 2021
* DC Way now offers weekly Skills Clinics, Strikers School, & Goalkeeping School
* Race for a cause with the 11th Annual Fairfax Run for the Children
* Don’t tell my mom, but this made me laugh. (Happy Passover to all celebrating!)
* More McSweeney’s because this nails it.
* Half-vaxed here and totally feeling this!
