Happy Weekend!
Ideas galore in these KFDC activity round-ups:
* The Great Indoors
* Swim Spots
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Baltimore with Kids
* Bike Rides
* Paddling Options
* Stunning Spaces
* Peaceful Places
Lotus and Water Lily Festival
Where: Kenilworth Aquatic Garden | Northeast DC
When: Friday – Sunday
Admission: Free
The lotus flower and water lilies are reaching the end of the bloom at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, but you can still celebrate them this weekend at the annual Lotis & Water Lily Festival from Friday – Sunday. Special activities include cultural performances, storytelling, arts & crafts, music and dancing, ranger programs, and much more. See the website for the full schedule. Read more about Kenilworth in this KFDC post.
Sea of Sunflowers
Where: McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area | Poolesville, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
There’s no special celebration, but you can see sunflowers in bloom right now. At McKee-Beshers, nine fields showcase 30 acres of flowers, and visitors are welcome to take in the happy scene.. Read more about it and see pics from a previous bloom here. Sunscreen, hat, bug repellent, and water highly recommended. KFDC Tip: If you plan to go, pair it with a PYO blackberries outing at Homestead Farms, which is just minutes away. Or stop by Rocklands Farm Winery, also nearby.
Friday Night Fishing
Where: Diamond Teague Docks | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Friday, 5-8pm
Admission: Free
Join Anacostia Riverkeeper for their summer Friday fishing program — all ages are welcome! 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. Be sure to register and fill out a waiver if you plan to go. When you’re done, head right down the boardwalk to Yards Park for the Friday Night Concert or get a bite to eat at one of the many nearby restaurants.
Space Window Celebration
Where: Washington National Cathedral | Cathedral Heights, DC
When: Friday & Saturday,
Admission: $15/age 13+, free/12 & under (with paying adult)
Washington National Cathedral is celebrating 50 years of its iconic Space Window with an array of space-themed activities, musical recitals and guided tours. It’s a unique opportunity to check out and learn about the 3-billion-year-old moon rock brought back by Apollo 11 astronauts and installed at the Cathedral in 1974. Other activities: Stargazing on the Cathedral lawn, family story time, a show & tell of Darth Vader at the Cathedral, hands-on exhibits with the Air and Space Museum, space-themed LEGO building, a carillon recital, and more. See the website for the full schedule.
Insectival
Where: Annmarie Sculpture Garden | Lusby, MD
When: Saturday, 9am – 1pm
Admission: $8/advance, $11/at gate
Buzz on down to Calvert County to explore and get creative with the world of insects. Enjoy activities for all ages, meet community groups who love bugs, and have fun roaming the garden, galleries, and indoor classrooms as you explore and have fun with insects! Celebrate these invertebrates and all the wonderful wildlife that depends on them. Read more about the wonderful Annmarie Sculpture Garden here and view scenes from a visit here.
Pop-Up Play Adventure
Where: Audacious Aleworks | Falls Church, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday, 9-11:30am
Admission: $15 ages 2+ (free under 2)
Join this new pop-up play adventure started by a local mom. Kids can select and keep a MINImal stuffed animal to explore and engage in an world of fun and discovery designed to foster creativity, learning, and joy. Food and drinks will be available at this inaugural event.
Seize the Summer Days
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Summer is zooming by, so seize the season while you can with activities that only occur this time of year. From outdoor concerts and movies to water-inspired fun to special exhibits to tasty feasts, there are so many ways to enjoy the season. Get details about all of these summer diversions and even more in the 2024 Summer Guide.
Pixar Putt
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Daily, through August 3
Admission: $32/child, $34/adult, $108/family 4-pack (get discount)
Play some putt-putt at The Wharf! Pixar Putt, a mini golf course inspired by the stories, characters, and icons from some of Pixar’s most beloved films, has been popping up at the southwest waterfront this summer. (Note that tee times are age 18+ after 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays.) Tee up and have even more fun at The Wharf — read more about it in this KFDC post.
Tavern Life
Where: Mount Vernon Estate | Mount Vernon, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday, 9am – 5pm
Admission: $28/age12+, $15/age 6-11, free/5 & under
Mount Vernon wants to take guests back to the simpler times of the 18th century, when the Internet and digital devices didn’t exist. Join staff and special guests to explore how Americans in the stayed entertained back then. Activities include food and barrel making demos, postcard writing and learning about mail of yore, tavern games, and more! Rea more about Mount Vernon here (note that it’s from 2022, so event dates are past).
Family Day
Where: Library of Congress | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 3pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate the upcoming 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games by participating in creative activities and exploring related Library collections. Make your own Olympics poster, pose for a selfie in front of a photo backdrop, and take home a sports bingo card to play along with the athletes as you watch the Games this summer. This event is free with registration to visit the Library.
Art Cart: Cubist Creations
Where: Hirshhorn Museum |National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Drop in at the modern art museum for hands-on artsy fun. Use colors, lines, and shapes to represent yourself! Lean into layers, and experiment with form inspired by artist Pablo Picasso. Explore his work, compare his portrait to other artworks that represent people in Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960, and make your own 2D portraits. Find the Art Cart on the Second Level to pick up your portrait materials.
Nats vs Reds (& a Concert!)
Where: Nationals Park | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Tickets start at $16
The Nats are hosting the Reds all weekend — and there will be live music on Friday night, too. Catch the game at 6:45pm, and 30 minutes after the final out, see Carly Rae Jepsen perform at Nationals Park for the second summer concert, free to all ticket holders. Saturday’s game is at 6:45pm, and Sunday’s at 1:35pm. There will be a MacKenzie Gore Mystery Jersey Bobblehead giveaway on Saturday. And kids can run the bases after the Sunday game.
The Sound of Music
Where: Thomas Jefferson Commmunity Center | Arlington, VA
When: July 19-28
Tickets: $15/adult, $12/child (find discount tix)
Encore Stage & Studio presents its signature theatre by kids for kids… The beloved story tells the tale of young postulant Maria Rainer, whose free spirit has trouble fitting into the rules of Nonnberg Abbey. She is commissioned by the Mother Abbess to serve as the governess of seven children. She transforms the Von Trapp home from a place of rules and regulations to one filled with joy, laughter, and music. Over time, Maria wins over the love of the children and the children’s father, Captain Von Trapp. There is also a pre-show experience available for the Saturday 2pm show!
More Show Time
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by show
There’s all kinds of entertainment on local stages this weekend. Here’s what and where you can catch it (and you can find show details and any discount links here):
* Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale at Adventure Theatre
* Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods at Wolf Trap
* Miss Nelson is Missing at Imagination Stage
* The Wizard of Oz at the The Puppet Co.
* Young Frankenstein by the The Talent Machine Company in Annapolis
Hill Family Biking: Yards Park Ride
Where: Capitol Hill to Navy Yard, DC
When: Saturday, 4-6pm
Admission: Free
Join a family-friendly group bike ride fro Capitol Hill down to Yards Park Splash Pad to cool off with FREE ice cream and fun in the pool. The rides starts at the Payne Elementary parking lot (14th & C St SE), and it’s a 3.4 miles down to Yards Park. Once there, play in the water features and enjoy a scoop from Ice Cream Jubliee!
DC United vs Celtic FC
Where: Audi Field | Southwest DC
When: Saturday, 7:30pm
Admission: Starts at $20 (look for discount tix)
See some international soccer on Saturday evening as DC United plays a friendly against Scottish team Celtic FC. As always, I recommend taking public transportation or parking in the Navy Yard neighborhood and walking to Audi Field from there. Plan for a pre-match bite — here are a bunch of recs for family-friendly spots to eat there.
National Ice Cream Day
Where: Ice cream shops around the area
When: Sunday
Admission: Free (or the cost of your scoop)
Sunday is National Ice Cream Day and some shops around the area are celebrating with giveaways. Dolcezza Gelato is giving away scoops when you wush them happy birthday (20 years!). Here’s the Scoop in Columbia Heights is offering buy one get one free soft serve from 1-3pm, Insomnia Cookies is giving two free scoops from Friday – Sunday with any purchase when you mention the deal, and there are many more (visit the link to see).
Ice Creeeaam!
Where: metrobar | Edgewood, DC
When: Sunday, 1-4pm
Admission: Free
metrobar is hosting a sweet celebration for the day with a variety of delicious ice cream and Italian ice flavors. enjoy some with the kids, and adults can also cool off with a midstrength IPA release from DC’s new local Dad Strength Brewing, paired well with onsite wood-fired pizza and fresh shucked oysters. There will also be family-friendly book readings, painting, and other activities
Beachy Keen: Sand, Surf, & Fossils
Where: Around the area
When: Daily
Admission: Varies by beach
Summer calls for beach time, and there are several places within day trip-distance from DC that are nice for sand and surf — and maybe a little fossil hunting. Head out to Calvert Cliffs State Park or Flag Ponds Nature Park. Or go east to Sandy Point State Park. Play paleontologist and look for prehistoric fragments along the Potomac at the Purse Area in Charles County, MD (be sure to check the tide table). You can also make a bigger trip out to Westmoreland State Park, about a two-hour drive away in Montross, VA, where you can hike, beach, fossil hunt, and even camp.
Take a Hike
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Ongoing
Admission: Varies by locale
There’s a link up top for a round-up of local hikes, but specific recs are also helpful. Here are some good places to hit the trail tis weekend: Roosevelt Island within the Potomac; Fountainhead Regional Park in Lorton, VA (paddling ops, too!); Riverbend Park in McLean, VA; Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, VA; and Patapsco Valley State Park near Baltimore, MD (+ swimming ops!).
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* This is going out in time to catch Movies on the Pitch, the free outdoor film screening at Audi Field, on Thursday evening. Wonka will start at 7:30pm, and gates open at 6:30. Be sure to reserve tickets in advance!
* The Mubadala Citi DC Open Kids Day is next Saturday, July 27! From8-9:30 am, kids ages 5-12 are invited to Rock Creek Park Tennis Center for a fun, action-packed event on the same court the tennis pros will be competing. Registration required.
* Back to the Future: The Musical begins this coming week at the Kennedy Center, and you might find discount tickets to see it.
* DC’s 16 Essential Ice Cream Shops.
* Five off-the-beaten path places to explore in DC.
* CertifiKID has a deal on admission to Super Awesome & Amazing at the St. James. Read about the indoor activity center here.
* This cucumber salad sounds refreshing and delicious.
* Super sweet backpacks, lunch boxes, and more on sale!
* Great sale at Athro yet again! Home goods pick, clothing pick, accessories pick, shoes pick, jewelry pick.
* Long skirts were all over the European cities we visited… from flowy white to fun prints to simple linen to cool denim.
* A cute, comfy summer jumpsuit.
*Prime Day deal extended on this popular skincare product.
* This movie was a good watch on a recent long flight.
* Team Brenda Forever
