Happy Weekend!
Go-to posts full of ideas for local activities:
* The Great Indoors
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Baltimore with Kids
* Bike Rides
* Stunning Spaces
* Peaceful Places
Celebrate Capital Pride
Where: Throughout DC
When: Saturday, 3-7:30pm & Sunday, 12-7pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Capital Pride at several events around the city this weekend! The annual parade that always draws thousands of spectators acknowledges the evolution of the LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in DC. Starting near 17th & T NW at 3pm and ending at 21st & P, it’s sure to be a spectacular extravaganza of ornate floats, street performers, music and dancing, glitter and beads, and plenty of reveling. And you can head to the Pride Block Party after (or during). Sunday’s family-friendly festival, on Pennsylvania Avenue from 3rd to 7th Streets NW, will feature multiple stages of live entertainment and host loads of exhibitors, including local and community groups, national sponsors, local businesses, food vendors, restaurants, and businesses looking to promote their services. It’s all a fun and fabulous opportunity to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and join the celebration!
Ballet on The Plaza
Where: CityCenter | Downtown DC
When: Friday & Saturday, 6-7pm
Admission: Free
Enjoy some delightful entertainment amid the downtown bustle. CityCenter is teaming up with The Washington Ballet to bring joy to DC with free live ballet performances in The Plaza on Friday and Saturday evenings. Head to the area next to Penn Quarter to eat, drink, shop, and relish in the joy of dance.
Saturday Morning Live — VIORE: The Adaptation Story
Where: National Theatre | Downtown DC
When: Saturday, 9:30am & 11am
Admission: Free
Catch a free performance at the National Theatre’s entertainment series especially for kids! This Saturday morning, audiences can see VIORE: The Adaptation Story, a sweet show about how to change – or “ADAPT” – and do things differently to become active and joyful in a whole new way. Reserve tickets in advance!
Joys of Summer
Where: Throughout the DMV
When: All weekend long
Admission: Varies by activity
Free concerts in the open air, outdoor swimming, movies under the stars, sprayground fun, crab feasts, and SO much more! Activities exclusive to the season can be enjoyed this weekend, and the 2023 KFDC Guide to Summer Around the DC Area has the whole scoop on all of them.
Pride on the Pier
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Saturday, 2pm – 9pm
Admission: Free
Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ community to the Wharf with an array of free activities and entertainment. District Pier will buzz with DJs, dancing, a Family Zone with activities for kids, and more. A Pride Fireworks display at 9pm will cap it all off. While you’re there, take advantage of even more that The Wharf has to offer, like a splash pad, paddling rentals, swings, and scenic views — read about it all in this KFDC post.
Children’s Art Workshop: The Art of Georgia O’Keefe
Where: Hill Center | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 1:30-3pm
Admission: $40
This class will focus on the art of Georgia O’Keeffe, using the book A Bone for Bo: Painting with Georgia O’Keeffe by Joan Waites, author and artist. The class will be introduced to the artist and her work, and students will learn to paint their own O’Keeffe inspired floral using acrylic paint on canvas. This class is for children ages 5-7 who love to try new art forms! All supplies and art smocks will be provided.
Bugapalooza!
Where: National Museum of Health & Medicine | Silver Spring, MD
When: Saturday, 10am
Admission: Free
It’s 2023 Bug Week at the museum and the public is invited to join museum staff to discover which bugs are bizarre, beneficial, or downright deadly. Learn how to battle the bugs or use them to your advantage. Bug costumes are encouraged! Plan to tour the rest of the museum whole you’re there — but be sure to read more about it first if you’re with young children.
Army Birthday Festival
Where: National Museum of the US Army | Fort Belvoir, VA
When: Saturday, 9am – 5pm
Admission: Free tickets required
The U.S. Army is celebrating its 248th Birthday with a free festival of fun activities for all ages. Experience live music, fun games, gaming, animals, parachutes, tanks, virtual reality ride simulators. You also will have access to the museums. Extra special happenings include a Twilight Tattoo show at the end, Selfies with Soldiers, Army birthday cupcakes and Souvenirs (limited supply). Tickets are FREE on website and required for entry and activities.
Curious George: Let’s Get Curious!
Where: National Children’s Museum | Downtown DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $15.95
Let curiosity run wild at the National Children’s Museum with the opening of Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! Introducing young children into the world of Curious George, the exhibit leads visitors ages 3-7 on a fun, interactive math, science, and engineering-based adventure while emphasizing the central role that parents and caregivers play in learning. Celebrate the exhibit’s opening on Saturday with a day of special offerings, including story time, a scavenger hunt, and tinkering activity. There’s even more to enjoy at the museum — read more about it here.
Brick City
Where: National Building Museum | Judiciary Square, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $10/adult, $7/age 3-17
Check out iconic architecture from cities around the world, all constructed from LEGO® bricks! Brick City, on view at the Building Museum, includes streetscapes from Cartagena, Columbia; Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans; intricate temples from India to Mexico; and imaginative castles from medieval Japan to modern Las Vegas. There is also an interactive area where builders young and old build their own LEGO masterpieces and create pixelated art using the toy bricks on an expansive “graffiti wall” canvas.
Art Cart: Found Sounds
Where: Hirshhorn Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Make some noise with your own handcrafted instrument! Join us at this week’s Art Cart to investigate and play with sound. Then, make your own instrument inspired by artist Jennie C. Jones. The Art Cart is located on the Third Level, where you can pick up noise-making materials.
Summer Social
Where: The Farm at Halley Rise | Reston, VA 20191
When: Saturday, 11am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Guests are invited to the Farm at Halley Rise for a family-focused event full of hands-on activities. Visitors can enjoy bouquet making, kite decorating, live music, a butterfly treasure hunt, face painters and temporary tattoos! Guests will be able to buy lunch from Rocklands BBQ food truck, and finish the perfect summer day with ice cream!
Bark in Boro Park
Where: The Boro | Tysons, VA
When: Saturday, 11am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Bring the whole family, including Fido, to celebrate Pride at Bark in Boro Park. All are welcome, especially those without a pet at home! There willl be dog training workshops (pre-register to participate here), puppies to snuggle and consider for adoption, treats for dogs and humans, and a kids’ craft and activation areas throughout the festivities.
Soccer Spirit!
Where: Audi Field | Southwest DC
When: Saturday, 7pm
Admission: Ticket prices vary
Cheer on our local women’s pro soccer team, Washington Spirit, as they play Angel City FC on Saturday. It’s Youth Soccer Night, and the first 1,000 kids through the gates will receive a voucher for free food with options like chicken tenders and fries, hot dogs and chips, popcorn, and a pretzel. The highlight, of course, will be the amazing soccer play — and a fun, action-packed chance to support women in sports. Purchase tickets here.
Mud Day
Where: Annmarie Sculpture Garden | Solomons, MD
When: Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Admission: $10/non-members, $5/members, free/2 & under
Celebrate International Mud Day with a day of family-friendly muddy mayhem. Explore squishy art projects, play in the mud kitchen, create a terrarium, paint with mud, and cavort in a giant mud pit! Food vendors will be on site. Pack like you’re going to the pool or the beach — chairs, towels, sunscreen, and bug spray encouraged. Rinse-off stations will be available, but bring extra clothes and prepare for a muddy car ride home!
Splash & Swim
Where: Around the DC area
When: Starting Saturday
Admission: Free
‘Tis the season for water! And you can enjoy it at a bunch of places, in a bunch of ways around the area. Spray parks, outdoor pools, and waterparks are open and welcoming guests to splash around and cool off. The 2023 KFDC Summer Guide has details on where to go for water play — see info for sprays here, outdoor pools here, waterparks here, and beaches/lakes/swimming holes here.
Family Bike Ride
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
There’s a quick link to bike routes above, but this is a stronger recommendation to get out for a family ride — it should be great weather for it! And you’ve got your pick of good rides around the area. Take in the summer scenery, get some exercise, and enjoy some QT together. This post has a bunch of pedal-worthy recs, with something for riders of all levels, and this route is particularly ideal with kids.
Bike+
Where: Around the area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
Add some extra adventure to a bike ride and go mountain biking. There are several MTB trails to ride around the area, a few miles even right here in the District at Fort Dupont Park in Anacostia — a good place for newer mountain bikers. Cosco Regional Park in PG County and Schaffer Farms in Gaithersburg are also great for those just starting. And for even more recs, the post about biking around the DC area includes a list of places to hit the mountain biking trails (scroll down). [Note: This activity is better for older kids with more experience riding.]
Out in DC
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Capital Pride isn’t the only thing bringing peops out this weekend. The area is full of great places to enjoy being outside. You can read about them in The Best Places in the DC Area to Enjoy a Beautiful Day Outdoors with the Kids. (But if weather has you seeking shelter, check out The Great Indoors post instead.)
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* Photos of the east coast this week.
* The new Capital Jewish Museum opens its doors to the public this weekend.
* The most notable commencement speeches of 2023.
* Parents, you can’t make your kid cool.
* Just watched and recommend this beautiful movie.
* Excited about the start of this new season (and so is my teen daughter)!
* This set is super cute and ideal for the pool or beach.
* Baby gifts I’m looking at for my brand new neighbor… this, this, and these.
* Carrie Bradshaw reflects on the smoke from the Canadian wildfires.
