Laissez les bons temps rouler! [Photo courtesy of The Wharf]
Happy Weekend!
Quick links to loads of ideas for ongoing DC fun:
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* The Great Indoors
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Kid-Friendly Dining
* Indoor Action
* Ice Skating
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Baltimore with Kids
* Stunning Spaces
* Peaceful Places
Celebrate Women’s History
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout March (and beyond)
Admission: Varies by place/activity
March is Women’s History Month, and there are so many great ways to celebrate it around DC, with something for all ages. See some exhibits, tour local landmarks, support women in sports, enjoy live entertainment, attend a festival… all of it showcasing women and their accomplishments. This post has details on where you can do that over the next month — and beyond!
Middle School Maker Night
Where: KID Museum | Bethesda, MD
When: Friday, 5-7:30pm
Admission: $10
Kids in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are invited to KID Museum to hang out with fellow students from middle schools around the DMV and try out a range of maker activities using an incredible array of tools. Adult educators will be on hand to instruct and supervise. Pizza and drinks will be served. Register in advance!
Alexandria St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Where: Old Town | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 12:30pm
Admission: Free
Don your green and line the streets of Old Town Alexandria to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a bit early at the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade! The big procession kicks off at 12:30pm at King Street and St. Asaph Streets, then winds through Old Town, showcasing elected officials, Irish Ambassadors, community groups, high school bands, local celebs, and plenty of entertainment.
Mardi Gras Celebration
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Saturday, 3-7pm
Admission: Free
Let the good times roll as The Wharf brings the Big Easy to DC for a Mardi Gras celebration! Join the all-ages, fun-filled event featuring vibrant floats, stilt walkers, special appearances by the Racing Presidents, live music, craft stations for kids, New Orleans-inspired treats, and a dazzling fireworks finale.
First Saturday
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
At this session of the National Gallery of Art’s monthly series, immerse yourself in the color and spirit of Haitian art by exploring Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti. Enjoy a performance from Haitian dance ensemble Troupe Zetwal, make your own collage art, see works by Project Runway fashion designer, Prajjé O. Jean Baptiste, hear a talk by bestselling author Edwidge Danticat, and much more.
Open Studio: Focus on the Negative
Where: Hirshhorn Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 2pm
Admission: Free
At this session of the Hirshhorn’s weekly Open Studio program, sculpt your own creations from clay. Take inspiration from artist Barbara Hepworth’s use of negative space in sculpture to explore how our own created environments interact with sculpture.
WILD Nature Play Club
Where: Anacostia Community Museum | Anacostia, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 12:30pm
Admission: Free
Put on your dancing shoes for a very special session of the museum’s Wild Nature Play Club: A live family concert with “Get a Head Start with the Smithsonian” friends Nick the Music Man and Pinky Jackalope. After the concert, enjoy a child-directed hike along the half-mile George Washington Carver Nature Trail, then a story time and a nature activity. Bring an extra pair of clothes, closed-toe shoes, water, and a snack. Reserve a spot in advance!
Marshmallow Dinos
Where: Solid State Books | H Street NE, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Join Solid State Books for a roaring good time at their Marshmallow Dinos event. Crafting and create your very own dinosaur masterpieces using food & science. Let imaginations run wild as you design your marshmallow dinos. Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance!
Mardi Gras on the Hill
Where: Barracks Row | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 2pm
Admission: Free – $10
New Orleans-style fun comes to Capitol Hill at this Mardi Gras Celebration on Barracks Row. Highlights include a couple of sidewalk parade — The Capitol Hill Community Second-line Parade featuring Potomac Drum Warriors and other local organizations at 2pm and the LED Parade showcasing glowing characters, live music, and beads galore. There will also be food specials and activities at restaurants and shops, and a concert at 7pm from Taoti Creative and The 507 ($10/age 13+, free/12 & under).
Family Fun Day
Where: metrobar | Eckington, DC
When: Saturday, 12pm
Admission: Free
Head to metrobar with the kids to celebrate Mardi Gras! Go early for family-friendly fun, including a Princess Tiana appearance and sing-along along with Girl Scout cookies for sale. Nola food and drinks will also be available. Later, there will be a live brass band and DJ night, with NOLA eats, beats, and drinks from open to close. RSVP and scroll down for details:
Caps Kids Day
Where: Capitol One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday, 12:30pm
Admission: Ticket prices vary (look for deals)
The Caps’ game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday will have plenty of hockey action and some extra fun for kids, including a special giveaway for the first 5,000 young fans to arrive. Plan on more fun in the Penn Quarter area and pop into a museum afterwards or get a pre- or post game bite to eat at one of the many lots of family-friendly places in the neighborhood.
Virginia Tech STEM Discovery Fair
Where: VT Innovation Campus | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 2:30-5:30pm
Admission: Free
This free event hosted by the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus K-12 Program is designed to spark curiosity and innovation among students, parents, educators, and community members. With hands-on workshops, live demonstrations, and expert-led discussions, attendees will get an immersive look into the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), while also exploring college and career opportunities in these fields. Perfect for learners of all ages, STEM Discovery Fair promises to ignite imaginations and build connections between academia, industry, and the community. Admission is free, but register in advance.
Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood
Where: Imagination Stage | Bethesda, MD
When: Saturday, 1pm & 4pm
Tickets: $12-39 (find discount)
It’s the final weekend for Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood, which updates the classic tale, sending the plucky heroine—now a red-robed little duck—and her ‘fraidy cat friend Te Jean on a perilous journey through the bayou. Along the way the pair tangle with a Big Bad Gator. Petite is no sitting duck, though, and leads her nemesis on a merry Mardi Gras chase through New Orleans. A chorus of swamp dwellers sings backup to the Zydeco-driven score in this foot-stomping musical. Recommended for ages 5+.
The Bedwetter – A Musical
Where: Arena Stage | Southwest DC
When: Fri, 8pm | Sat, 2pm & 8pm | Sun, 2pm
Tickets: $69-109 (find discount)
Just saw this show and loved it! Teens and even mature tweens will find the production based on Sarah Silverman’s bestselling memoir just as hilarious and moving as adults. The musical comedy follows 10-year-old Sarah as she navigates a new school, her parents’ divorce, and a secret (that the title gives away). From curtains up to the final bow, her story is engaging, nostalgic, and performed perfectly by a charmingly talented cast. Read my longer review of it here.
In the Heights
Where: Signature Theatre | Arlington, VA
When: Fri , 8pm | Sat, 2pm & 8pm | Sun, 2pm & 7pm
Admission: $40-103 (find discount)
Lights up on Washington Heights, NYC, where the streets are full of music, and everybody’s got a dream. With the neighborhood on the brink of gentrification, and a life-changing winning lottery ticket somewhere in their midst, the vibrant inhabitants share hope, loss and love as they plan their futures while cherishing their home. Recommended for ages 8+.
Waitress
When: Olney Theatre | Olney, MD
When: Fri, 7:30pm | Sat & Sun, 1:30pm & 7:30pm
Admission: $40-101 (find discount)
The beloved musical by Sara Bareilles is coming to the Olney stage.Jenna is stuck in a lousy marriage and dreaming of an escape while she bakes pies and waits tables at her small town’s local diner. But it “Only Takes a Taste” of something different to spark some drastic changes – but are they for better or worse? With the help of her fellow waitresses and a cast of colorful characters, Jenna learns the winning recipe’s been hers from the start. “Rated PG-13.”
March to Madness
Where: Colleges around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by game
The NCAA basketball season starts to get really exciting this timw of year as we get closer to March Madness and the Big Dance. Get ready for at a local game — with so many colleges in the area, there’s always some good hoops to see. Here’s who is playing at home this weekend:
* Catholic men vs Worcester State on Friday at 5:45pm
* American women vs Navy on Saturday at 12pm (in Annapolis)
* GWU women vs Loyola Chicago on Saturday at 2pm
* American men vs Navy on Saturday at 2pm
* George Mason men vs Duquesne o Saturday at 2pm
* Georgetown men vs Xavier on Saturday at 7pm
* Maryland Men vs Indiana on Sunday at 2pm (Go, Terps!)
Play with Extra Zip
Where: Beauvoir Outdoors | National Cathedral, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: Free
The National Cathedral Elementary School’s playground is easily one of the best in the city. With lots of climbing and sliding structures and spaces for all ages, plus a super fun zipline, your whole crew is guaranteed to have a blast there.
Model Rocket Launch
Where: Goddard Space Flight Center
When: Saturday, 1-2pm
Admission: Free
Join the monthly model rocket launch at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Anyone is welcome, and if you’ve got a model rocket to fly, bring it along (though there are some restrictions – see them here). The program takes place the first Sunday of every month at 1pm.
Family-Friendly Film: Fidil Ghorm [Blue Fiddle]
Where: AFI Silver Theater | Silver Spring, MD
When: Sunday, 1:10pm
Admission: $15
The annual Capital Irish Film Festival is this weekend, and it iucludes one for the whole fam: Fidil Ghorm is about 10-year-old Molly, who believes that if she can learn to play the fiddle like her father once did, she will be able to wake him from a coma.Read more about the film here, and see the full festival lineup of Irish films here.
Legacy on Ice
Where: Capital One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Sunday, 3pm
Admission: Tickets start at $35 (check for deal)
The U.S. Figure Skating community is presenting a live figure skating tribute at Capital One Arena to support the families and loved ones affected by the tragic aviation incident at National Airportin January. The event will be co-hosted by 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boitano and will include performances by many beloved skaters like Scott Hamilton, Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yaaguchi, Johnny Weir, and more. Remaining tickets start at $35 and can be purchased here.
Hit the Trail
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
We should have some good hiking weather at least one day this weekend, so get out in nature to enjoy some family QT on the. trail. This post has a bunch of recommendations for great places to go with kids. A few specific suggestions for this weekend: At Calvert Cliffs State Park you can also do some fossil hunting, Patapsco Valley State Park has so many great hiking options, hit the trail right in the city at Rock Creek Park, or enjoy the glorious nature of Prince William Forest Park.
Ice Skating Wind Down
Where: Ice rinks around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by rink
The outdoor ice skating season is coming to an end soon. The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden rink closes after Sunday. A couple of others have already shut down for the season, and a couple more are only open through next weekend. See this post listing them all for details on where you can glide under the sky a final time this winter.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* There’s so much happening lately that’s making a lot of us feel uneasy (and angry and sad) about… so much. Hence, it feels like a good time to highlight the round-up of places to find peace and calm in DC.
* The National Park Service just announced the predicted cherry blossom peak bloom dates: March 28-31 🌸
* Eater rounded up the best Korean barbecue restaurants around DC.
* Food ideas for Mardis Gras.
* Great Wolf Lodge is running a couple of Spring Break deals on March 1: Save up to 50% with promo code SBREAK or get rates starting At $31* with promo code 31.
* Such cute kids’ clothes in this sale (check out the adult stuff while you’re there)
* And Anthro does it again with an extra 50% off all sale items.
* I keep seeing gingham for spring/summer and kind of love it… like these pants, this skort set, and these swimsuits.
* Affordable family vacations to take this summer.
* A fun profile of Parker Posey — how great is she on The White Lotus?
* Good one. (Plus, a related watch.)
* Also, this.
