An airmail plane at the National Postal Museum
Happy Weekend!
Bookmark-worthy links loaded with ideas for local activities:
* Indoor Outings
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Pick-Your-Own Ops
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* Swim Spots
* On the Water
* Bike Rides
* Peaceful Places
* Baltimore with Kids
Go Postal
Where: National Postal Museum | Union Station Area, DC
When: Friday – Tuesday, 10am – 5:30pm
Admission: Free
They saved one of the best for last! The final Smithsonian to reopen, the National Postal Museum will once again welcome visitors starting this weekend. I’ve raved about the museum for years — as a locals’ secret that’s often overlooked by tourists and overshadowed by its counterparts on the Mall. It’s not humongous like many DC’s popular museums, so it’s easy to explore with younger kids, plus it’s full of interesting and interactive exhibits — some of them very large-scale — that appeal to all ages. Along with being a fantastic museum, it also contains one of the most stunning spaces in DC! Read more about the Postal Museum in this KFDC post.
Ren Fest Returns!
Where: Revel Grove | Crownsville, MD
When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 7pm
Admission: $21/adults, $18/seniors, free/15 & under
It’s time for merriment! And the Maryland Renaissance Festival is all about it. The fantastic trip back to medieval times is an event that has something all ages and sensibilities. Enjoy jousting matches, kids shows, comedy acts, tight rope walkers, jugglers, puppetry, Celtic music… and that’s just some of the live entertainment. There are also pony rides, a pirate ship playground, a giant slide, and some of the best people watching opportunities ever. Stroll among knights, maidens, pirates, and wizards in a 16th-century Tudor village as you chomp on turkey legs and down cups of mead. It all begins Saturday and will run every weekend through October 24. And this weekend only, kids ages 15 and under get in for FREE!
March On for Voting Rights
Where: Starts at McPherson Square, DC
When: Saturday, 8am
Admission: Free
On the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic March on Washington, this mass mobilization in cities across the country demands that elected officials denounce voter suppression and ensure fair, easy access to the vote for all. The DC March kicks off from McPherson Square past Black Lives Matter Plaza, passing the White House and Washington Monument, ending on the National Mall. See website for schedule.
Seize the Season
Where: Throughout the DMV
When: All weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Time is dwindling to enjoy some of the season’s best places and activities. Outdoor pools and spray parks, special museum programs and exhibits, music and movies in the open air, beach fun, mini golf and carousels rides, a good ol’ crab feast. Check out the Summer Guide to help you seize the season as it winds down.
Final Friday Night Fishing
Where: Diamond Teague Docks | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Friday, 5-8pm
Admission: Free
It’s the last chance to join Anacostia Riverkeeper for their summer Friday fishing program. All essentials are provided: rods, reels, bait, and lessons for first time fishers. Staff are there to answer any questions and help with casting, tips, and tricks. All ages are welcome. Be sure to register and fill out a waiver if you plan to go. When you’re done, head to one ofthe many nearby eateries for a bite to eat.
Silent Disco
Where: Eastern Market | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Friday, 7pm
Admission: Free
Dance the evening away at the C Street SE Plaza as EastBanc, a local real estate development, lifestyle, and technology company, hosts a silent disco. All are welcome to don some headphones and show off their moves!
Star Wars & Symphony Under the Stars
Where: Wolf Trap | Vienna, VA
When: Friday, 8pm
Admission:
Catch a screening of Stars Wars: A New Hope at Wolf Trap’s lovely outdoor setting as the National Symphony Orchestra performs the soundtrack live. In the first of the original Star Wars trilogy, Luke, Leia, Han, and the rest of their rogue group mount an attack against the Death Star for a climactic battle with the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. See the website for Covid policies.
Women Shredding the Millennium Stage
Where: Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Friday & Saturday
Admission: Free
This weekend’s Millennium Stage is an all-inclusive festival featuring women in action sports and music. Join as they carve out space in the unconventional arenas of jazz and skateboarding for a more equal future together. While you’re there, plan to visit Victura Park — the pop-up wine garden and cafe on the grounds of The REACH is a great place to hang out and enjoy a nice day. (Note: Victura Park is also open on Sunday.)
Beachy Keen
Where: Several destinations in Maryland
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
If it’s your family’s final weekend before the start of school, do something quintessentially summer and hit the beach! You don’t have to go all the way to the ocean — there is sand and surf (and shark tooth hunting, in some places) within day trip distance from DC. Head a bit past Annapolis to Sandy Point, go to one of several spots in Calvert County, or make fossil hunting your main focus at the Purse Area in Charles County. See the 2021 Guide to Summer in DC for details and links on all of these beaches.
Fossil Hunters
Where: Calvert and Charles Counties, MD
When: Ongoing
Admission: Varies by place
Mentioned above, there are several spots that are a day trip-distance drive away from DC, where you can search for shark teeth and other remnants from the Miocene and Paleocene eras. Play paleontologist and spend a day at one of them… I can assure you from a lot of experience it’s a fun and fascinating (those fossils are millions of years old!) activity. Beware that you might encounter crowds — this post is one of the most popular on KFDC if that’s any indication — so have a Plan B just in case.
Root for the Baysox
Where: Prince George’s Stadium | Bowie, MD
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Starts at $10
The Nats may not be in town, but you can still root for a home team. The Bowie Baysox, one of the local minor league teams, are hosting the Erie SeaWolves all weekend, and there’s extra fun to enjoy — post-game fireworks, Hawaiian Luau Night on Saturday, and Bark in the Park on Sunday. Read about one of our past Baysox experiences here.
Opera in the Outfield
Where: Nationals Park | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Saturday, 5pm
Admission: Free
How about opera where there’s usually baseball? After a three-year hiatus, Washington National Opera returns to Nationals Park with its 12th year of Opera in the Outfield. All are welcome to enjoy a free outdoor broadcast of Rossini’s charming romantic comedy Cinderella. Gates open at 5pm for lots of family-friendly activities, including photo ops, balloon twisters, story time, a magic show, and pre-show screening of Mo Willem’s very family-friendly Elephant & Piggie present SLOPERA!: A Bite-Sized Opera. The evening show on the hi-def scoreboard begins at 7pm. Get there early for a seat on the field, otherwise there will be plenty of seating in the stands. Be sure to visit the website for details on what is permitted at the ballpark.
Sunflower Festival
Where: Summer Farms | Frederick, MD
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: $17.50/age 3+
Escape to Summers Farm for their 2nd Annual Sunflower Festival and enjoy the beauty of the 8-acre field glowing with thousands of blooms! Over 35 different varieties and colors make for very Instaworthy photos. Walk through, pick your own, take stunning pictures, sip a local drink in their spacious tent, and relax at the farm.
Olney Outdoors
Where: Olney Theatre | Olney, MD
When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am & 12pm
Admission: $12
Enjoy live entertainment especially for children on Olney Theatre’s outdoor Root Family Stage. On Saturday, see Stoopkid Stories, a compilation of fun and exciting stories that follow seven young Black characters, as they face a new adventure and overcome different obstacles (ages 5 & up). On Sunday, join a Disney Sing-along (ages 3 and up).
Fairytales in the Sun
Where: Adventure Theatre | Glen Echo, MD
When: Saturday, 11am, 2pm, & 4:30pm | Sunday, 11am & 2pm
Admission: $20.50 (look for a discount)
Adventure Theatre is presenting live, in-person family entertainment again! Two one-act plays, The Flood in the Future by Lyra Yang and From Cinders to Ella by Michelle Lynch, will be performed outside in the grassy field next to ATMTC and the Irish Inn. Covid protocols will be followed. BYO blanket or chair.
Walks in the Woods
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by place
It’s always a good time to get out for a hike. Rambling along a trail is great for some family bonding while enjoying active time outdoors. On a hot weekend, places with shade will be good to seek out. Some recs for that: Turkey Run Park in McLean, VA; Prince William Forest in Triangle, VA; Rock Creek Park in DC (note: post is about Peirce Mill, but includes info on a nice hike from there); Riverbend Park in Great Falls, VA; and Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean, VA.
Are You Ready for Some Futbol?
Where: Audi Field | Southwest DC
When: Saturday, 8pm
Admission: Tickets start at $28
DC United is home again this weekend with a match against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. Parking can be difficult, so consider public transport. You can take Metro to the Navy Yard, have a pre-game bite to eat, then it’s an easy walk to the stadium. El Bebe, The Salt Line, and All Purpose are very convenient and a few recs for family-friendly spots to eat there. Look for a deal on a Family Four-Pack of tickets.
Silver Spring End Of Summer Celebration
Where: Veterans Plaza | Silver Spring, MD
When: Sunday, 1-7pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate the end of summer at this family-friendly arts & crafts event. Bring the whole crew to browse a variety of vendors, dance, shop, eat, and have fun. It’s the last outdoors hurrah of the summer at Veterans Plaza.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* All kinds of great recs for back to fall shopping for little ones.
* There’s a giveaway going on for a chance to win a free lesson with the International School of Music!
* The Lane Social Club is hosting a “back to school” morning celebration for parents (and young kids not in school) from 9am – 1pm on Monday, August 30, the first day of school for many DC kids.
* On The Daily earlier this week: Children and Covid: Your Questions, Answered.
* Anyone else watching Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu?
* 2021 Parenting Back to School Bingo
