Tag Archives: DC Weekend November 5-6

 

Happy Weekend!

Bookmark-able posts for this weekend and beyond:
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* The Great Indoors
* Autumn Off the Farm
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Bike Rides
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Peaceful Places
* Baltimore with Kids

Family Happy Hour & Concert
Where: Hill Center | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Friday, 4:30-6:30pm
Admission: $5/adult, $10/child
Rescheduled from a few weeks ago, this family happy hour is a great way to kick off the weekend. Bring the whole gang to enjoy an evening filled with live music perfect for all ages! This concert will be outdoors in the West Plaza, perfect for little ones to run, dance, laugh, and play to the beat of their favorite songs! Featuring Mr. Jeremiah and Mr. Steve, both Capitol Hill-based dads and music teachers, the duo’s roots-and-blues tunes are carefully tailored to get children dancing while delighting grownups. Beer, wine, and cheese and pepperoni pizza will be for sale. BYO picnics are welcome, too.

Air Play
Where: Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Tickets: $20-35 (look for discount)
Umbrellas fly, fabrics soar over the audience, balloons swallow people, and snow swirls, filling the stage. Air Play transforms ordinary objects into uncommon beauty through a wordless, magical adventure as two siblings journey through a surreal land of air. Created by circus performers in collaboration with a kinetic sculptor, this enchanting spectacle combines comedy, live sculpture, circus, and theater to fill both the young and young at heart with wonder. Recommended for all ages.

The Big Build
Where: National Building Museum | Judiciary Square, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Any kid (or adult, for that matter) with an interest in building and construction will absolutely dig the National Building Museum’s annual event celebrating all things, well, building. The Great Hall will be full of different stations where guests of all ages aren’t just welcome, but encouraged, to try their hands at all kinds of construction and design techniques. There will also be books available in the  Storytime Rooms for littles, augmented reality demos and VR experiences for older kids and teens, construction vehicles to explore outside, and so much more. Get an idea of what to expect in this KFDC post (it’s from a bunch of years back, but it’s essentially the same program).

Open Streets DC
Where: Tenleytown, DC
When: Saturday, 9am – 1pm
Admission: Free
DC’s Open Streets program will be in Tenleytown & Friendship Heights on Saturday, as a stretch of Wisconsin Avenue closes to cars, and the street will open the street for people to walk, bike, scoot, and play. All ages are invited for a morning of live performances plus an array of outdoor activities like interactive art installations from Chalk Riot, Project Create and Harpist Art, a crochet and knitting station from Kyra’s Kreations, and a pony petting zoo! Swing by the St. Ann DC tent to make a card for your favorite veteran; snag some hot chocolate and hot dogs from the local Weichert Office; and enjoy wine tastings, outdoor markets, and so much more!

Underground Railroad Guided Hike
Where: Woodlawn Manor | Sandy Spring, MD
When: Saturday, 10am & 1pm
Admission: $8
Join Montgomery Parks to celebrate Maryland’s Emancipation Day with a hike on what was part of the Underground Railroad. Register in advance and read about the great hike in this KFDC post. See what other events are taking place throughout the month to commemorate the abolition of slavery in Maryland.

Pumpkin Chunkin’
Where: Great Country Farms | Bluemont, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: $16/adult, $14/child
What to do with your jack-o-lantern now that Halloween is over? Take it to Great Country’s smashin’ session and let it fly! You have  options to do this:  The Silo Drop and the Zip Wire Sploosh let you do the smashin’ yourself, or bring your pumpkin to the Pumpkin Drop Zone and add it to the upside down “fireworks display” as the pumpkins are dropped from a 40-foot lift.  (We’ve had a blast doing this!) Smashings are given to the pigs and cows to eat and also composted. And along with the chunkin’, there’s a whole play area of farm fun, plus apple picking ops.

Side Yards
Where: The Yards | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Saturday, 5:30pm-8:30pm
Admission: Free
Side Yards, the nighttime circus fit for the entire family, is back at the Yards! And I can tell you from experience, it’s a super fun event! The evening of eccentric amusement includes magicians, stilt walkers, contortionists, escape artists, arealists, and more offbeat entertainers. You can also enjoy activities like fortune telling, balloon artistry, glitter tattoo, and other carnival-style fun! Food and drinks will be available for purchase, or plan to dine at one of many nearby eateries. [Note: Even though the registration page says sold out, walk-ins will be welcome.]

Drop-In Art Making
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 3pm
Admission: Free
Get your creative juices flowing as you make some art at the National Gallery of Art. Beginning this weekend, the East Building Atrium will be transformed into a drop-in art making space on the first Saturday of every month! Activities will be inspired by the museum’s collection and designed for all ages and abilities.

Family Nature Walk
Where: Woodend Nature Sanctuary | Chevy Chase, MD
When: Saturday, 9am
Admission: $12/member family, $20/nonmember family
Take a family walk in the woods! Join expert naturalists on a leisurely hike through the habitats at Woodend. Explore the wonders of trees, meadows, streams, insects, birds, and everything Woodend has to offer! Read more about the nature sanctuary in this KFDC post.

Maker Morning: Installation Creation
Where: Hirshhorn Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Think inside and outside the box with the Hirshhorn at this Maker Morning exploring installation! Have you ever seen an artwork that covers an entire room (sometimes including the floors!)? Large artworks, often with many different parts that are set up in a place, are called installations. Check out the many of them on view at the museum, collaborate, and create a own larger than life artwork!

S.P.I.E.S. 2: Flight of the Hawk
Where: Imagination Stage | Bethesda, MD
When: Through November 20
Tickets: $25
Join S.P.I.E.S. in person, where it is more interactive than ever! This follow-up to the online hit S.P.I.E.S. & the Lost Treasure of Atlantis combines live theatre and taped adventure scenes to create a collaborative and exciting experience where each audience gets to be the hero and solve the puzzles–and no two performances are alike. Recommended for ages 5-11.

More Live Entertainment
Where: Theatres around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by show
* Bixby the Cat at The Puppet Co. (littlest ones)
* Dracula at Synetic Theater (teens & older)
* Once on this Island at Source Theatre (age 10+)
* The Ballad of Emmet Till at the Atlas Performing Arts Center  (teens & older)

Watch the Wizards
Where: Capitol One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Friday, 7pm 
Admission: Ticket prices vary
The Wizards are hosting at home this weekend with a game on Friday evening against the Brooklyn Nets. Plan on a pre-game meal in Penn Quarter –there are plenty of family-friendly places to go in the neighborhood. Some recs: Jaleo, Camine’s, Shake Shack, and Oyamel.

All Caps
Where: Capital One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday, 7pm
Admission: Ticket prices vary
For sports action on ice, catch the Capitals on Saturday evening as they host the Arizona Coyotes. See the restaurant recs in the Wizards listing for a fam-friendly bite before the match.

Fall Farm Fun
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by place
Just because you’re not picking out a potential Jack o’ lantern, that doesn’t mean you can’t still have some fun on the farm. Many area farms have way more to enjoy than just pumpkin patches — and they are still welcoming visitors to whiz down slides, bounce on giant jumping pillows, visit farm animals, and loads more. The list of fall fests has info on where to find it.

Hit the Trail
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
The weather this weekend makes it a particularly great time to go for a walk in the woods! Bask in the sunshine, do some good leaf peeping, maybe explore local history, or spy some wildlife. You can even work in some geocaching!  This post has a bunch of recommendations for places to hike with kids. Some specific recs for right now:  Turkey Run Park is a fantastic alternative to the always crowded Roosevelt Island; Mason Neck State Park trails snake through woods and over wetlands; see some great foliage at Prince Forest State Park; venture a bit further toward the Eastern Shore at Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area; enjoy a nice little hike in the city at Dumbarton Oaks Park.

Nature Calling
Where: Nature centers around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
If you’re not feeling outdoorsy, you can still get a dose of the outside world in the comfort of the indoors at a nature center. There are several great ones around the area that offer cool exhibits, including live creatures. Buddie Ford Nature Center in Alexandria, Watkins in Upper Marlboro, Potomac Overlook in Arlington, Long Branch in Falls Church, and Brookside in Silver Spring all make for a great outing.

Sunday Funday
Where: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens | Northeast DC
When: Sunday, 10am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Enjoy a day of fall fun and connect with organizations in Ward 7 and neighboring communities! Enjoy a free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, 360 photo booth, a family-friendly scavenger hunt, and more! Read more about the unique and beautiful Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in this KFDC post.

John Philip Sousa Birthday Celebration
Where: Congressional Cemetery | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Sunday, 10:30am
Admission: Free
The annual John Philip Sousa Birthday Concert is a great time to visit the lovely Congressional Cemetery. The program begins with an awards ceremony and a brief lecture by a John Philip Sousa impersonator himself! At 11am, the Marine Corps Band will enter through the 17th Street gate and perform a 25 minute concert at the grave site of John Philip Sousa. Open to the public, not note that the canine-friendly locale will be closed to dogs on Sunday. RSVP!

Diggin’ Puppets & Paleontology: A STEAM Event
Where: Publick Playhouse | Hyattsville, MD
When: Sunday, 2-3pm
Tickets: Free
The Dino Rock puppets are back at the Playhouse and bringing science with them. Join the dinosaurs and their friends as they sing and dance the scientific method and teach other fantastic fun facts for an entertaining afternoon of family fun.

Kids Concert: Guava Jelly
Where: Le Fantome | Riverdale, MD
When: Sunday, 11am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Le Fantome, the new food hall located in The Station at Riverdale Park, is hosting a kids’ concert on November 6th featuring Annapolis-based, Caribbean-influenced acoustic trio Guava Jelly. The food hall’s newly updated kids’ menu as well as brunch cocktails for parents will be available for purchase. Le Fantome is located at 4501 Woodberry St in Riverdale.

Charm City Fun, Hon!
Where: Around Baltimore, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Not only is it nice to get a change of metro area scenery sometimes, Baltimore, our sister city just a 45-minute drive away, is full of fantastic, family-friendly things to do. This post has info about all of them, including big attractions, suggestions for places to eat, and neighborhoods to explore.

Model Rocket Launch
Where: Goddard Space Flight Center | Greenbelt, MD
When: Sunday, 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. Read more about it in this post.

***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* Get a heads-up on some holiday events before the full KFDC Holiday Guide is posted!
* As we head toward the giving season, you may also be looking for some ways to give back through volunteering.
* Information for DC Elections.
* This new book by local author JoAnn Hill, will make for a perfect “DC” holiday gift!
* How cute are these slippers?  (They come in adult sizes, too!)
* Looking forward to watching this movie over the weekend.
* Privlage Pt. 1 (H/T Amy Schumer)