The Weekend Round-Up:
January 31 – February 2

 

Happy Weekend!

Link up to loads of ongoing DC fun:

* Ice Skating
* The Great Indoors
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Kid-Friendly Dining
* Indoor Action
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Baltimore with Kids
* Stunning Spaces
* Peaceful Places

Celebrate Black History
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Throughout February (and beyond)
Admission: Varies by activity
February is Black History Month, and there are many great events and activities throughout the DC area to celebrate it. Museum programs, guided and self-guided tours, visits to significant sites, story time sessions, special exhibits, and more will be enlightening, enriching, and entertaining for all.

Washington Auto Show
Where: Washington Convention Center, DC
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: $20.60/age 13+, $7.60/age 6-12, free/5 & under
The annual Washington Auto Show revs up this weekend! And if there’s any “grown-up” event that is equally fun for kids and adults, this is it. The Auto Show is like a Truck Touch, but with automobiles — hundreds of them — on display for guests to check out. Other activities like a driving area for kids, electric vehicle test rides, an exotic car display, a classic car zone, and so much more will give guests even more to do and see. The show will be in town and running every day through February 9. Get a glimpse and an idea of what to expect in KFDC posts about it here and here.

The Art of the Brick
Where: Rhode Island Center | Edgewood, DC
When: Through March 31
Admission: $28/adult, $21/child, $24/senior
This just-opened art exhibition is one for LEGO enthusiasts! Featuring large-scale LEGO sculptures by artist Nathan Sawaya, The Art of the Brick is a multi-gallery display of artistry, playfulness, and LEGO mastery. All ages could enjoy this creative exhibition, though be aware that most of it is just art on display, with a small opportunities for hands-on activities at the end. Look for a discount on admission here.

Ice Cream For Breakfast Day
Where: Jeni’s Ice Cream locations around DC
When: Saturday, 9am – 12pm
Admission: The cost of your scoop(s)!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Jeni’s ice cream! Put on your PJs and grab a spoon for the the topsy-turviest day of the year. Celebrate Ice Cream For Breakfast Day at your neighborhood scoop shop.  RSVP to let them know you’ll be there.

Family Walk in the Woods
Where: Woodend Nature Sanctuary | Chevy Chase, DC
When: Saturday, 9-10am
Admission: $12/member family; $20/nonmember family
Join expert naturalists on a leisurely walk through the habitats at Woodend. Explore the wonders of trees, meadows, streams, insects, birds, and everything Woodend has to offer! Read more about Woodend in this KFDC post.

District of Panda Day
Where: National Zoo | Woodley Park, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free with timed-tickets
New giant pandas Bao Li and Qin Bao are making their debut, and the National Zooare celebrating on Saturday with special activities. Groove to live music at the Great Meadow, play panda-themed trivia games, and take part in other fun activities. Admission to the Zoo is free with timed entry tickets, so be sure to reserve yours before you go to guarantee entry.

Valentines Candy Box Workshop
Where: Home Depot locations
When: Saturday, 9am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Home Depot invited kids to make Valentine’s Day sweeter at their monthly workshop. At this session, they can build a Valentine Candy Box. All supplied are provided (while they last) and participants can take home their aprons and creations. Register in advance!

First Saturday
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 3pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Black history, art, and stories at the National Gallery of Art’s monthly First Saturday program. Learn about two of Washington, DC’s, greatest artists, Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam, and make art inspired by them. Plus, explore creative civic engagement with artist activations by the collective For Freedoms.

Storytime in the Garden
Where: Brookside Garden | Wheaton, MD
When: Saturday, 10am
Admission:
Take kiddos ages 3-7 to enjoy an interactive story time followed by an outdoor exploration or activity. Meet in the Visitor Center, and adults should plan to accompany children. Stay after to roam the ground and for some play time in the Children’s Garden. See more about Brookside in this KFDC post.

Cool Hikes
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Warmer temps and sunshine in the weekend forecast, so get out for a walk in the woods and enjoy the crisp air. Tramp in places with scenic views, hike and explore history at interesting locales, and savor some family time outdoors. This post has a a bunch of recommendations for good places to go with kids. Some specific recs for right now: The Underground Railroad Experience Trail at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park; Scotts Run Nature Preserve in McLean; Patapsco Valley State Park in MD; and the National Arboretum in DC.

Valentine Maker’s Market
Where: Annmarie Sculpture Garden | Solomons, MD
When: Saturday, 9am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Find thoughtful and handmade gifts for all the sweeties in your life at this Valentine Maker’s Market. Shop a variety of options, including small batch chocolates, jewelry, leather goods, pottery, clothing, and much more! You will find vendors offering a wide selection of homemade, handmade, and homegrown products, all made with love. Be sure to tour the grounds, check out the Arts Center inside, and take kids to play in the Fairy Lolly while you’re there — it’s all fantastic. Read more about Annmarie Sculpture garden here and here.

Reading Room Festival
Where: Folger Shakespeare Library | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Friday, Saturday , & Sunday
Admission: $50-125
The Reading Room Festival returns for its third year, sharing staged readings, panel discussions, workshops, and community celebrations. This festival unites artists, critics, and scholars in a celebration of creative community, as they collaboratively explore the multifaceted nature of Shakespeare’s stories. Playwrights and adaptors of Shakespeare’s works include Barry Edelstein, Emily Lyon, Reynaldo Piniella, and Whitney White. Note that children under 4 are not permitted.

Walkable Warehouse Sale
Where: Around Old Town Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday (hours vary by store)
Admission: Free
Shop and score some great deals in Old Town! More than 50 independent boutiques from Alexandria and the region are participating, offering discounts on clothing, shoes, jewelry, home furnishings, and more. The sale will be spread out in stores, pop-up tents, and open retail space along King Streets and select side streets in Old Town Alexandria. Many Torpedo Factory artists are also participating, so be sure to stop by there, too! See a list of participating businesses here.

Lunar New Year Family Celebration
Where: American Art Museum | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday, 11:30am – 3pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate the Year of the Snake with SAAM! Join us for our 11th year of showcasing the ways different Asian cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year. Attendees will enjoy dance and musical performances, crafts, traditional Chinese and Korean art demonstrations, family-friendly activities, and more. The Courtyard Café will offer special holiday treats for purchase to honor the occasion.

Science Saturday: Toxicology
Where: National Law Enforcement Museum | Union Station area, DC
When: Saturday, 11am, 12pm, & 1pm
Admission: $18-22/adult, free/17 & under
Step into the role of a forensic toxicologist at this ! Learn how investigators uncover hidden clues in test samples to solve crimes. Visitors will analyze mock evidence, conduct hands-on chemical tests, and explore how toxicology has shaped justice throughout history. Science Saturday programming is free with an admission ticket.

Model Rocket Launch
Where: Goddard Space Flight Center | Greenbelt, MD
When: Saturday, 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.

Queen of Hearts Tea Party
Where: Colvin Run Mill Location | Great Falls, VA
When: Saturday, 2pm
Admission: $15
Bring your child to the mill and celebrate Valentine’s Day with this heart-themed tea party. We’ll have tea, savory and sweet treats and play 19th century parlor games. For ages 3+. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.

Black History at Moonshot Studio
Where: The REACH | Kennedy Center, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 4:30pm
Admission: Free
Get creative at this studio within The REACH at the Kennedy Center, where all are welcome and encouraged to partake in various art projects and activities. This month, you can Celebrate Black history and culture through portraiture, abstract painting, and poetry inspired by Black artists and cultural leaders.

NCAA Bball 
Where: Colleges around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by game
Basketball season is going strong, and with so many universities in the area, there’s always some good hoops action going on around town. Here are some games to catch this weekend:
* Georgetown men vs Butler on Friday at 6:30pm
* GW women vs St. Joseph’s on Saturday at 2pm
* American men vs Army on Saturday at 2pm
* Howard men vs Hampton on Saturday at 3pm
* George Mason women vs  GW on Saturday at 3pm
* Maryland women vs Illinois on Sunday at 1pm (Go, Terps!)

Lunar New Year Market
Where: Arts + Industries Building | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 3-7pm
Admission: Free
2025 is the year of the snake! To celebrate Lunar New Year, the National Museum of Asian Art is hosting an early evening market at the Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building. Enjoy hands-on activities, lion dances, food, artisans and makers, and more!

Schmigadoon!
Where: The Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Friday & Saturday, 8pm | Sunday, 7pm
Tickets: $86 (find discount)
Introducing Schmigadoon!, the world-premiere musical of the Emmy Award®–winning hit show. New York doctors Josh and Melissa go backpacking in a last-ditch attempt to save their failing relationship, but instead get lost in the woods and end up trapped in Schmigadoon, a magical town that’s a classic Golden Age musical come to life!

NSO Music for Young Audiences: M2 = (Math x Music)
Where: The Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Saturday, 11am & 1:30pm |  Sunday, 1:30pm & 4pm
Tickets: $25
It all adds up—listen and learn how music and math are connected. The Last Stand Quartet performs a lively program linking the ways in which math is present in all music-making, creating music to move to and engage with on a deeper level. Add together four National Symphony Orchestra musicians—violinists Joel Fuller and Derek Powell, violist Mahoko Eguchi, and cellist Rachel Young—and this ensemble will show audiences how math times music equals fun! Recommended for ages 5+.

Paw Patrol Live!: A Mighty Adventure
Where: Eagle Bank Arena | Fairfax, VA
When: Saturday, 10am, 2pm, & 6pm | Sunday, 10am & 2pm
Tickets: $25+
Get ready to PAW-ty like never before in a fantastic new PAW Patrol Adventure! After Chase, Marshall, Skye and the gang save Adventure City with their Mighty Pup Powers, it’s time for the paw-some-est street party ever. But when Supervillain Scientist Victoria Vance feels left out of the festivities, she unleashes her latest invention to crash the party and steal the spotlight for herself! Can the Mighty Pups, armed with their super-charged powers, outsmart Victoria to ensure Adventure City’s biggest bash goes off without a hitch? It’ll take the power of paw-sitivity and mighty teamwork to foil her plans and keep the party pumping!

Paper Dreams
Where: Imagination Stage | Bethesda, MD
When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am & 11:30am
Tickets: $22.50
This charming and dreamy dance-based performance for little ones imagines two friends who live inside a wastepaper basket! Together they discover what imaginative ideas might unfold from a crumpled piece of paper–can mistakes inspire our greatest ideas? Because the show is non-verbal, it can be enjoyed by people speaking all languages and of any age.

What the Constitution Means To Me
Where: Round House Theatre | Bethesda, MD
When: Fri, 8pm | Sat, 2pm & 8pm | Sun, 2pm
Tickets: $50-89
As a teenager, Heidi Schreck traveled across America, earning her college tuition by winning constitutional debate competitions. Now, as an Obie Award-winning playwright, she takes a closer look at the Constitution and its effects on four generations of women in her family. What the Constitution Means to Me is a profoundly personal look at our nation’s most debated document and how it could evolve to fit our modern times. Recommended for teens and older.

Free 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. If tickets aren’t available, plan to go another day — the admission fee is worth it!  (Or snag them for a future free day.)

Chinese New Year Parade
Where: Around Penn Quarter, DC
When: Sunday, 2pm
Admission: Free
Welcome, Year of the Snake! On Sunday, the annual Chinese Lunar New Year Parade brings vibrant tradition to downtown DC. Festivities kick off at 6th & I Streets NW at 2pm and will wind through the streets of Chinatown celebrating Chinese culture in a brilliant procession that includes traditional dance, music, and, of course, the iconic lions and dragons. Kids always love seeing the show and having trinkets and treats given to them by parade participants passing by. The parade lasts about two hours, and spectating is free. Get there a little early to stake out your curbside spot — lots of folks come out for this one, especially if it’s a nice day.

***MORE GOOD STUFF***

* If you love celebrating Valentine’s Day, see this new round-up of fun ways to do just that over the next couple of weeks.

* Winter Restaurant Week is still running… Darcy and I took advantage and had a fantastic meal at Immigrant Food‘s Planet Word location.

* How about some crafts and more fun for the Chinese New Year?  Check out these paper dragons, these lanterns, and this LEGO set.

* Eater recommends DC’s best bets for chili — for the Superbowl and beyond.

* A sale on some of the sweetest clothes for kids.

* If you still haven’t seen the latest (97th) Academy Award nominated films, you can stream a bunch of them.

* The American Airline plane crash is so tragic and heartbreaking… may all of the victims rest in peace.