DC Weekend Events | KidFriendly DC

Calling all curious kids and tiny travelers! Next month is your chance to experience European culture without a plane ticket. Kids Euro Fest, the wonderful annual event that presents art and cultural programs for children, is returning to the DC area!

Kids Euro Fest has become a tradition in the nation’s capital. For the last 14 years, it has been one of the largest performing arts festivals for children in America. Artists and performers from across the 27 European Union countries have participated, including puppeteers, dancers, musicians, and children’s book authors.

For the first time this year, Kids Euro Fest will feature two in-person Family Days located at two different embassies in Washington! The first will take place October 9 at the Embassy of France, and the second on October 16 at the Embassy of Sweden. From 12-4pm on both days, families are invited to enjoy an afternoon full of European performances, activities, crafts, games, and food.

The best part? Everything is FREE!

All kinds of fantastic cultural activities await: Kids can learn from a Latvian children’s book illustrator, catch an Irish dance performance, and make Portuguese art. A German theatre will transport young minds into a fairy tale, and France will get kids thinking about climate change. Throughout the day, kids can get creative at the craft table, take part in traditional European outdoor games, and indulge in food from the embassy’s own chef.

Health and safety precautions will be in place at both Family Days, including masks for kids ages 2-12. Activities will take place both indoors and outdoors with social distancing and limited attendance; therefore, families should be sure to register ahead of time on the KEF website.

For those outside of the DC area, Kids Euro Fest will also launch virtual activities on October 9. These include online performances, storytelling, films, and workshops.

To learn more about Kids Euro Fest events and register to attend the Family Days, visit Kidseurofest.org.

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This post is sponsored by the European Union Delegation to the United States, however, I only promote events, programs, and places that I genuinely believe in and think will appeal to KFDC readers. To learn about other Delegation events in the area, visit www.events.euintheus.org.

You don’t have to cross the pond to introduce your kids to European art and culture. Thanks to the European Union Delegation and more than 20 local and national cultural institutions, Europe is coming to us via the Kids Euro Festival, a virtual passport to two weeks of artistic adventures and entertainment right here in DC!

Beginning this Saturday, October 20, and running through November 4, the 11th Annual Festival will present more than 80 FREE children’s performances and adventures all around the DC-Metro area. Concerts, storytelling, puppetry, cinema, dance, magic, and workshops are among the offerings. And museums, public libraries, movie theaters, arts and cultural organizations, Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, and other local theatres are some of the many performance venues, making the experiences accessible to families throughout the area and showcasing places that enrich and bolster the community.

A few of many highlights this year: The 60th anniversary celebration of the Smurfs presented by Belgium; “United in Music,” a performance at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage by a Latvian youth choir composed of both students with and without hearing impairments; and a performance of “Angelina, a contemporary Cinderella,” featuring Italian opera singers at the Shakespeare Theatre. And KEEN Day on October 20 features a full day of events for kids with disabilities.

The festival, designed for children ages 2-12, is the largest of its kind in the U.S. Most countries in the European Union are represented in shows and workshops that highlight national cultural traditions and art.

Visit the Kids Euro Festival website for the complete schedule of performances and age recommendations. You can also follow on Facebook for event updates and more info.