As I share information about Moms Demand Action’s upcoming Wear Orange picnic, I want to note that this post was planned well before the tragic school shooting in Texas last week. I’m noting this to stress that my post — and more importantly, this event — isn’t a reaction to a single incident. It’s a response to a multitude of them and a culture of gun violence that is becoming all too pervasive in our society and in our children’s lives.
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a national grassroots organization that advocates for common sense gun legislation on every level of political engagement. Among their efforts, and one of their biggest campaigns, is Wear Orange Day. This gun violence prevention awareness campaign was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a high school student killed by gunfire in 2012. They decided to honor her life by wearing orange on her birthday — it’s the color worn by hunters in the woods to protect themselves and others from gunfire. For the 4th year, Moms Demand Action will commemorate gun violence victims by hosting Wear Orange events all over the country.
The DC Chapter is hosting a picnic at Anacostia Park on Saturday, June 2, from 11am – 1pm. The community is invited and encouraged to join the free event that include survivor speakers along with food, games, and friendship. RSVP here to let them know you’ll be going!
And for more about the Moms Demand Action and how to get involved, read this post about my first chapter meeting.
Museum programs and exhibits, check. Outdoor recreation, check. Neighborhood festivals, check. Music and theatre, check. Activities in the city, check. Fun on the farm, check. Sports, check. Animals, check. Tiddlywinks, check… Whatever your preference for family fun, there’s a good chance you’ll find it among these recommendations. Happy Weekend!
Walk the Museum Walk Where: Dupont-Kalorama neighborhood When: Saturday 10am – 4pm, Sunday 1-5pm Admission: Free
Get off the Mall and explore the many museums in the Dupont-Kalorama neighborhood during its annual Museum Walk Weekend. See the exhibits and enjoy special programs for free at nine diverse museums, including the Textile Museum, Phillips Collection, National Geographic Museum, and Woodrow Wilson House. If you don’t want to use the shoe leather express, there will be a free shuttle running between sites. And note that not all museums will be open both days – see the schedule here.
National Trails Day Where: Nationwide When: Saturday Admission: Varies by locale
The first Saturday of every June is National Trails Day. Celebrate it this weekend by taking a family hike. For some ideas on where to go, see this post about good walks in the woods with the kids. And one more suggestion that’s in the photo above but not on the list is a hike in Fountainhead Regional Park.
Imagination Bethesda Where: Auburn & Norfolk Avenues When: Saturday, 11am – 4pm Admission: Free
Join the Bethesda Urban Partnership to celebrate children, art, and all things fun at the 17th annual Imagination Bethesda. Where Woodmont Avenue meets Elm Street, activity tents will line the streets, face painters will bring butterflies and pirates to life, and a stage of live entertainment will have the whole street dancing. Activity details, the entertainment line-up, and a video about the event are available on the Imagination Bethesda website.
Saturday at the National Where: National Theatre When: Saturday, 9:30am & 11am Admission: Free
The National Theatre’s series of free Saturday morning performances for children is back for a summer run! The program kicks off this weekend with Michael Rosman: Amazing Feats of Comedy. The whirlwind of mystery and madness includes audience participation, magic, and no-stop chaotic klutizness. While shows are free, tickets required and distributed 30 minutes prior to performance on a first come-first seated. You must be in line to receive a ticket.
Celebration of Textiles Where: Textile Museum When: Saturday & Sunday, Admission: Free
Join the Textile Museum for their 34th annual Celebration of Textiles! This free festival welcomes visitors of all ages to explore the textile arts and cultures of the world through hands-on activities and artist demonstrations in the museum’s gardens, historic buildings, and galleries. Guests can do embroidery activities, beading, weave bookmarks, do fish printing onto fabric, enjoy live entertainment, and more. See the full schedule on the museum’s website.
“Summer” Fun Where: Throughout the area When: All Weekend Admission: Varies by activity
Outdoor concerts, water fun, movies under the stars, and more ongoing seasonal fun has begun in DC. From Jazz in the Garden on Friday evenings to Sunday night family movies at the National Harbor to open swim at local pools, this post has the scoop on where and when you can experience the joys of summer.
Nats vs. Braves Where: Nationals Park When: Friday 7:05pm, Saturday 4:05pm, Sunday 1:35pm Admission: Tickets start at $10
The Nats are hosting the Braves this weekend, and there are promos that families in particular will enjoy for the afternoon games. Harris Teeter Family Fun Packs are available for for both games. And on Sunday, the first 10,000 fans ages 12 and under to arrive will receive a Ryan Zimmerman jersey, kids ages 4-12 can run the bases after the final out, and two Nats players will sign autographs beginning at 12:25pm before the game.
Washington Folk Festival Where: Glen Echo Park When: Saturday & Sunday, 12-7pm Admission: Free
Get folksy at Glen Echo Park this weekend, as the Washington Folk Festival showcases the diversity of traditional music in Washington. All of the artists hail from the DC area, but cultures from around the nation, as well as the world, will be represented through music, dance, crafts, and stories. The public is invited to enjoy the festival that is renown in the folk community.
World Environment Day Where: Woodrow Wilson High School When: Sunday, 10am – 6pm Admission: Free
The United Nations Environment Programme, Earth’s Natural Force, and the District Department of the Environment are hosting the World Environment Day Fair & Environmental Expo—an educational, sustainability-themed event showcasing “green” technology and innovation—at Woodrow Wilson High School in Tenleytown. DC-area residents are invited to explore more than 100 exhibitor booths with demonstrations, giveaways, and activities for all ages. Exhibits will include a solar shed were visitors can generate their own electricity, along with displays featuring recycled art, smart cars, electric cars and Segways. Additional attractions include live falcons and hawks, exercise demos and health screenings, a baseball clinic, races and a hula-hoop contest, a kids’ slide, cell phone recycling and “Touch a Truck” featuring a DPW street sweeper/compactor and a local fire truck.
Exhibit A… and B,C, D, & E Where: Various venues When: All Weekend Admission: Free
There are several exhibits to see right now that kids will find interesting, entertaining, and downright fun. It’s your last chance to catch MathAlive! at the Ripley Center – the exhibit that makes math look as cool as the X Games closes on June 3. For an uber cool art experience, check out Suprasensorial at the Hirshhorn. The Titanic exhibit at the National Geographic Museum is fascinating (and free during the Museum Walk weekend). Science + You, on display right next to the Yards Park invites curious kids to be “scientists for a day.” And the U.S. Botanic Garden recently opened Savage Gardens, an inside look (literally, in some ways) at carnivorous plants.
Show Time Where: Stages around the area When: Throughout the weekend Admission: Varies by performance
This weekend is the last chance to see Pinocchio at The Puppet Co. – tickets are still available for shows on Saturday and Sunday. Curtains are also about to close on Five Little Monkeys at Adventure Theatre. Rocknoceros is playing a Friday Happy Family Hour show at Jammin’ Java tonight to benefit the American Cancer Society. Encore Stage & Studio, the company that presents “theatre for kids, by kids” kicks off their 10-day run of Charlotte’s Web tonight. The Gainesvile Ballet School presents A Children’s Coppélia and Class Demonstration on Saturday at 2pm. And the Boogie Babes are hosting their first of many Saturday shows at the Atlas where Groovy Nate will perform for little ones at 10:30am.
Strawberry Fields Where: Throughout the area When: All weekend Admission: Varies by farm
Strawberry fields may not be forever on DC-area farms, but they’re still yielding fruit for now. Go harvest your own — this list includes farms with pick-your-own opportunities. And many of the locales offer farm fun beyond that.
Great Tastes Where: Georgetown & Del Ray When: Saturday & Sunday Admission: Varies
Sample the eats of two different neighborhoods this weekend. The Taste of Georgetown in on Saturday from 11am – 4pm at Wisconsin & M Streets. Thirty restaurants will be offering their fare to try, and Blues Alley will present jazz performances as well. Admission is free, and tickets are $5 for one tasting, $20 for five tastings. The annual Taste of Del Ray will be held on Sunday from 1-3pm in the lot behind the Virginia Commerce Bank at 2401 Mt. Vernon & E. Oxford Avenues. The event will feature over a dozen neighborhood restaurants as well as celebrity chef Rock Harper. Tickets are $10/adults, $5/children under 12.
Tiddlywinks Fun Day Where: Labyrinth Game Shop When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm Admission: Free
The North American Tiddlywinks Association will be holding a demonstration and fun game day for all ages at the Capitol Hill store. Larry Kahn, the U.S. National Champion of Tiddlywinks (he is also currently ranked second in the world), who happens to live in the DC area, will be there along with some of his friends have to teach customers the highly strategic game of Tiddlywinks.
Zebra Day Where: National Zoo When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm Admission: Free
Join the volunteer African Wildlife Ambassadors as they celebrate the National Zoo’s “other” black and white animal—our Grevy’s zebras! Festivities, which will take place at the Cheetah Conservation Station, include special animal demos and keeper talks, hands-on activities, zebra education, and more family fun.
And if all that’s not enough, find even more ideas for things to do in this post about places to enjoy the outdoors and this one about indoor activities around DC.
