Tag Archives: August 2025

1. Tomorrow, August 12, is World Elephant Day, and the National Museum of Natural History is celebrating with a special Play Date.  From 10:30am – 12pm, stop by the Hall of Mammals for fun activities — explore different elephant teeth, make your own habitat for elephant toys, and create your own artwork on “elephant-made” paper. Admission is free.

2. The DC State Fair, a free annual event that celebrates DC homegrown agricultural, artistic, and culinary talents, takes place on Saturday September 6 this year. It’s a family-friendly community event with live music, kids’ activities, educational workshops, and fun contests like pie eating, flower arranging, and artwork, including some just for kids. Registration is still open for all contests, so if your kids (or you) are interested in participating, sign up now!

3. Have you been to a Washington Mystics game?  DC’s WNBA team still has several home games this season, many of them with fun promos, like bucket hat and bobblehead giveaways (August 13 & 19), Dog Days of Summer with Snoopy (August 23), and a Birthday Bash for mascot Pax (August 24).  See the full schedule here.

4. It’s currently Tax Free Week in Maryland, when all qualifying apparel and footwear $100 or less, per item, are exempt from the state sales tax. The first $40 of a backpack or bookbag purchase is also tax-free. This is good for online purchases being shipped to Maryland, too, and delivery can be after this week as along as items are bought before August 16.  Some sites to shop with back-to-school deals going on (even if you’re not in Maryland):  GAP, Uniqlo, H&M, The Children’s Place, Old Navy, Target.  Especially for t(w)eens: Pacsun, American Eagle, Hollister, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie.

5. Any plans for the weekend, or…

A day trip to Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware is doable!

1. The forecast for the week ahead looks sublime, especially considering the weather we’ve had this summer. How about a beach day to take advantage of it? There are a bunch of places for sand and surf within easy driving distance of DC, plus a couple a little farther out that you can still do as a day trip (or maybe even make it an overnight) — see them in the Beaches section of the summer guide.  Or if you just want to find a nice swim spot that isn’t necessarily a beach, check out the round-up of places that welcome the public to take a dip.

2. On Monday, August 11, National Children’s Museum is hosting a free Back-to-School Bash for students enrolled in DCPS and DC Public Charter schools. From 9:30am to 4:30pm, guests can explore all of the Museum’s science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) exhibits and programs. From 10am to 2pm, outdoor activations will take place on Woodrow Wilson Plaza.  Reserve tickets here.

There will also be DC Ward Days throughout August and September, when residents each ward can visit the museum for free —  Ward 1: August 10; Ward 2: August 17; Ward 3: September 6; Ward 4: August 23; Ward 5: September 27; Ward 6: August 24; Ward 7: September 28; Ward 8: September 20.  To reserve DC Ward Day tickets, head to the Museum’s ticketing calendar, select their specific DC Ward Day and desired entry time, and enter your zip code as a promo code on the Discounts page during checkout. Proof of address will be required when checking in to the Museum.

3. Movies on the Pitch is returning to Audi Field through August. The stadium will be hosting free movie nights — you can enjoy a film right from where the United and Spirit play (seats available in the stands, too). The series begins this Thursday, August 7, with Inside Out 2, and the rest of the schedule includes Moana on August 13, Cool Runnings on August 21, and Shrek on August 28.  All films begin at 7pm, with gates opening at 6pm.  Drinks and concessions will be available throughout the night. Be sure to reserve free tickets!

4. Moonshot Studio, the creative space within the REACH at the Kennedy Center has some special weekday programming going on this month: Street Art: Celebrating Sesame Street the Musical that’s currently running there, is being offered on Thursdays & Fridays 12:30-4:30pm (except August 21 & 22), is street art meets Sesame Street with hands-on activities inspired by the beloved show.

5. 10 Happy Things for August 😎

PS:  Gear up for the beach like the above photo:  Shaboomi beach shade, beach chairs, cooler bag, beach towels, soft cooler, sunscreen.