Soar Together at an Air & Space family program
Happy Weekend!
Get ideas galore for mainstay DC fun:
* The Great Indoors
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Kid-Friendly Dining
* Indoor Action
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* Ice Skating
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Baltimore with Kids
* Stunning Spaces
* Peaceful Places
Auto Focus
Where: Washington Convention Center | Mt. Vernon Square, DC
When: Through Sunday
Admission: $20.60/age 13+, $7.60/age 6-12, free/5 & under
The 2025 Washington DC Auto Show is in its second and final weekend. If there’s any “grown-up” event that is equally fun for all ages, this is it. More than 600 cars and trucks are on display for guests to check out, plus there are more activities like Ride ‘n Drives with Jeep, an Art of Motion exhibit, exotic car display, and Subaru Love Pets area with dogs from local animal shelters will give guests even more to do and see. Get a glimpse and an idea of what to expect in KFDC posts about it here and here.
Family Hoppy Hour
Where: The Hill Center | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Friday, 5-7pm
Admission: $7-14
Start the weekend with a Friday evening filled with live music for all ages! This concert will be outdoors, perfect for little ones to run, dance, laugh, and play to the beat of their favorite songs. King Bullfrog is a kindie rock trio that plays high-energy tunes developmentally appropriate for kids that grownups like, too. Pizza, beer, wine, and cheese will be for sale!
T(w)een Ice Skating Ride
Where: From Capitol Hill to Canal Park | Navy Yard, DC
When: Friday, 6:30-9:30pm
Admission: Free
Tweens, kids in 6th grade and up, can join Hill Family Biking for a ride to Canal Park for free ice skating and pizza. Lights, water bottles, and helmets required, and HFB will supply reflective vests, hand warmers, and adult guides (parents of Eliot-Hine 8th graders). This is a no-drop ride, meaning no one gets left behind. Limited to 25 t(w)eens.
Soar Together Family Day
Where: Air & Space Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Join the museum for an exciting family day that explores “What makes a place liveable?” From our own homes to the far reaches of the cosmos, dive into the science of habitability — what it takes for a place to support life, whether on Earth or beyond. Engage in hands-on activities, enjoy story time, talk to experts from the museum, and more. Reserve free passes here.
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. Some are listed in this round-up, and you can find even more here.
Feel the Love
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Love is in the air — and at places all around DC over the next week+! Events and activities to celebrate and prep for Valentine’s Day range from art making to nature programs to wagon rides. And they’re sure to be especially sweet. This post has details on all of them.
Dragons Love Tacos
Where: Adventure Theatre | Glen Echo Park, MD
When: Friday, 7pm | Saturday & Sunday, 11am & 2pm
Tickets: $25
You know what dragons really love? Tacos of course! In Dragons Love Tacos, opening at Adventure Theatre this weekend, a boy and his dog are watching a TV show about dragons when they unexpectedly get caught up in the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ of what to serve to dragons to eat. Dragons love tacos, but if they accidentally eat spicy salsa…watch out!
Saturday Morning Live!
Where: National Theatre | Downtown DC
When: Saturday, 9:30am & 11am
Admission: Free
Catch a show at National Theatre’s free series for kids. This Saturday’s Wawa Aba: Toughness & Perseverance presents a combo of music, dance, and storytelling that celebrates the culture and history of Africa and African Americans in the diaspora. Eexperience a performance of South African Gumboot dance, song, a Taratibu Pan African Drill, and spoken word, as young artists tell stories of survival and empowerment. Register to ensure admission!
Family Day: Valentine’s Day
Where: Library of Congress | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 10:30am – 3:30pm
Admission: Free with tickets
This session of the Library’s monthly family program series celebrates Valentine’s Day. Make your own vintage, Victorian-style valentine cards and tokens inspired by Library collections. Meet staff experts from the Prints and Photographs Division and learn about their work at the Library. Read more about the Library of Congress in this KFDC post.
Music Center Birthday Bash
Where: Strathmore | Bethesda, MD
When: Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate the 20th birthday of the Strathmore Music Center with a freefamily-friendly festival! The music- and art-filled party will have activities for all to enjoy — a variety of performances, art stations, hula hoop and dance workshops, musical fun, and more!
Black History Month Family Day
Where: Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park | Sandy Spring, MD
When: Saturday, 11am – 3pm
Admission: Free
For a bonus to Underground Railroad Experience Trail hike, go on February 8 or a special Family Day celebrating Black History Month. Drop in to the Manor House for hands-on activities, including compass making, share what freedom means to you, map your own family tree, and more. There will also be story times at 11:30am and 1:30pm.
Love Letters to Rock Creek Park
Where: Peirce Mill | Rock Creek Park, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 1pm
Admission: Free
“Oh Rock Creek Park, how I love thee! Let me count the ways…” Express your love of Rock Creek Park, or any other national park site, in a love letter. Stop by the barn at Peirce Mill to write your own love letter, decorate it, and display it for all to see. If your love is a long-distance connection to another park, they’ll mail your letter for you! Read more about Peirce Mill in this KFDC post.
Concert to Celebrate the Little Holidays
Where: The Avalon | Chevy Chase, DC
When: Saturday, 10:30am
Admission: $11-13
Celebrate Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and more of those silly Little Holidays with a live concert from John Henry, The Guitar Playing Man! Known for performing music and movement programs for children of all ages and with 20 years of early childhood education and performance experience, John Henry’s interactive program will engage children as they dance and sing during this memorable concert, featuring his drummer brother Sven Henry!
Black History Live with the Culture Queen
Where: Anacostia Community Museum | Anacostia, DC
When: Saturday, 12-2pm
Admission: Free
This event is a modern-day Josephine Baker-inspired performance for children that uses live, original, and interactive music, movement, and storytelling to teach them to celebrate their history and love themselves.
Frederick Douglass Birthday Celebration
Where: Martha’s Table | Anacostia, DC
When: Saturday, 2-4pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Frederick Douglass’s 207th birthday and Black History Month with us at this event hosted at Martha’s Table! Enjoy a puppet show, jazz performance, and more music along with hands-on activities and stories that examine the lives of Frederick Douglass, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Winners of the annual Frederick Douglass Oratorical Contest will perform their award-winning Frederick Douglass speeches. A free shuttle will be provided between the Anacostia Metro Station, Martha’s Table, and the Frederick Douglass NHS so visitors can also take tours of Frederick Douglass’s Anacostia home, Cedar Hill.
Let It Shine
Where: Port Discovery | Baltimore, MD
When: Saturday
Admission: $23.95
Visit the children’s museum in Baltimore for to celebrate Black culture and excellence through interactive experiences, art projects, history, and STEM programs. Plus, meet our special Baltimore community partners there for the occasion. Read more about the amazing Port Discovery in this KFDC post.
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.
Valentine’s Skate
Where: Ridge Road Skate Rink | Germantown, MD
When: Saturday, 11am – 2pm
Admission: Free (BYO roller skates)
This isn’t just another Valentine’s event — it’s your chance to live out your own Love Story. When taking a break from skating, guests can fuel up with a hot chocolate or tasty lunch from Catalyst Hot Dogs, lounge on the lawn, or play lawn games with friends and family. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or picnic blankets for seating. Outside food is permitted.
Schmigadoon!
Where: The Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When:
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!
The Bedwetter – A Musical
Where: Arena Stage | Southwest DC
When: Fri, 8pm | Sat, 2pm & 8pm | Sun, 2pm & 7:30pm
Tickets: $69-109 (find discount)
Sarah Silverman’s bestselling memoir springs to life in a hilarious, moving musical comedy as 10-year-old Sarah navigates a new school, her parents’ divorce, and a secret you’ll never guess (unless you read the title). Recommended for teens and older.
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.
College Hoops
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 Seton Hall on Saturday at 12pm
* American women vs Lehigh on Saturday at 2pm
* Howard women & men vs NC Central on Saturday at 2pm & 4pm
* George Mason men vs Rhode Island on Saturday at 4pm
* Maryland men vs Illinois on Sunday at 12pm (Go, Terps!)
Wizards
Where: Capitol One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Friday & Saturday, 7pm
Admission: Tickets prices vary (check for discounts)
The Wizards are playing tow games at home this weekend on Friday & Saturday evenings — watch the basketball action live against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday and Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. Plan on a pre-game dinner in Penn Quarter — there are plenty of family-friendly places to go in the neighborhood.
Black History Month Celebration
Where: KID Museum | Bethesda, MD
When: Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: $15
Join KID Museum to honor and celebrate Black cultures and the contributions of Black artists, makers, scientists, engineers, and innovators at this Black History Month Community Celebration. The day will feature hands-on activities and more fun. And if ticket costs pose a financial hardship, please use this form to let the museum know, and they’ll ensure you and your family can attend for free.
Maple Sugar Walk
Where: Brookside Nature Center | Wheaton, MD
When: Sunday, 1:30-2:30pm & 3:30-4:30pm
Admission: $7
Hike with a naturalist to the maple tree grove and learn how sugar maple sap is collected and transformed into maple syrup! This is an indoor and outdoor program on natural surface trails. All attendees must register — sign up the 1:30 session here and the 3:30 here.
Caps vs. Utah Hockey Club
Where: Capital One Arena
When: Sunday, 12:30pm
Admission: Ticket prices vary (check for deals)
While you’re waiting for the big football game to start, get in some other sports spectating at a Caps game. They’re playing the Utah Hockey Club at home on Sunday afternoon. Make a longer outing of it in Penn Quarter — enjoy a meal or pop in to the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum before or after the hockey match.
Inside Action
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by place
Rain is in the forecast this weekend, so if you’re seeking indoor places that offer opportunities for active fun and games, there are plenty around DC. From pickleball and roller skating to tennis and ping pong to escape rooms and scavenger hunts to an indoor waterpark, you’ve got options galore!
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* There’s a giveaway going on for a chance to win tickets to Dragons Love Tacos at Adventure Theatre!
* Encore Stage & Studio has summer theatre camps in Arlington and Alexandria for kids ages 3-15.
* Not good stuff, but wanted to share that Rock Creek Horse Center is at risk of closing! It is a wonderful place for families, offering riding lessons, pony and trail rides, stable tours, and more. It wouldn’t hurt to contact the Rock Creek Park and the National Park Service to express disappointment… perhaps it would push them to work to keep it open.
* To celebrate the Grand Opening of Crumbl in Pentagon City, they’re giving away FREE cookies on Friday, February 7, while supplies last.
* Food ideas for the Super Bowl.
* Spring Break ideas for families. (And clever luggage for kiddos.)
* We tried Hungryroot, a meal kit and grocery delivery service, for the first time this week, and really like it! If you want to try it, this referral link gets you $50 off your first order of at least $100.
* Jeans for all — on sale!
* I finally recapped our time in Paris this summer… see it here, if interested.
