
There will be beautiful music to accompany the art on Saturday
With the hubbub of the holidays completely over, it’s time to delve into some 2016 fun! Happy Weekend!
NSO in Your Neighborhood Museum
Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum
When: Saturday, all day & 7:30pm
Admission: Free
The annual program that brings free chamber music, orchestral concerts, and educational events throughout a different neighborhood each year is back, this time in Penn Quarter. The American Art Museum will be one of the hosting venues on Saturday with family programming all day, including an instrument petting zoo, a concert for children, and pop-up performances leading up to the grand finale – an evening concert by the full orchestra in the Kogod Courtyard!
Health & Fitness Expo
Where: Washington Convention Center
When: Saturday, 9am – 5pm & Sunday, 9am – 4pm
Admission: Free
NBC’s annual exposition celebrates healthy living at the Washington Convention Center all weekend. There will be free health screenings, exercise and dance demos, opportunities to try new sports, giveaways, and lactivities especially for kids. The Convention Center is located at 901 Mount Vernon Place, NW. Metered street parking and garages are nearby, and you can take the Metro’s yellow line to the Mount Vernon stop.
Open House
Where: Royalty Learning Center
When: Saturday, 11am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Looking for early education options for your little one? Royalty Learning Center in Maryland is hosting an Open House on Saturday, where you can learn more about their programs that focus on education and uniqueness of each child. Meet the director and lead teachers, tour the center, and gain insight into their curriculum. Children are welcome, too! Light refreshments will be served.
Summer Camp Sampler
Where: Imagination Stage
When: Saturday, 9:45am – 12:45pm
Admission: Free
Get an up-close and personal taste of what summer camp is like at Imagination Stage – they promise you’ll have a blast! Sample camps are 20 minutes long, with the exception of longer drop-off Musical Production. Parents are encouraged to join the samplers for children in grades 2 or younger. Parents of campers in grades 3 or older are welcome to observe the sampler, but not required. Register for a sample class here.
Gustafer Yellowgold
Where: Jammin’ Java
When: Saturday, 10:30am
Admission: $10
The “cross between ‘Yellow Submarine’ and Dr. Seuss” is back with his unique multi-media performance of live music, animated illustrations, and storytelling. Plan to dine along with the show — the full lunch and drink menu will be available.
NSO Kinderclassics: Break it Down
Where: Kennedy Center
When: Saturday, 11am & 1:30pm
Tickets: $20
If your kids love to tinker, they’ll enjoy this high-energy concert, where they delight in dissecting the pieces and parts of music and instruments! There will also be pre-show fun in the Hall of States: Starting an hour before the concert, a Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” gives children a chance to get up close with the instruments they’ll see played on stage, from violins and trumpets to oboes and flutes. Recommended for ages 4 and up.
Star Wars on the Really Big Screen
Where: Air & Space Museum & Udvar-Hazy Center
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $15/adult, $13.50/child
If you haven’t seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens yet (or if you have and are ready for a repeat), Smithsonian’s IMAX theaters are easily among the best places in the area to view them. Some of the key sequences of the film were shot using IMAX cameras, the highest-resolution cameras in the world, so only in IMAX theaters will those scenes expand vertically to fill the entire screen for a truly immersive experience. (Plus, Star Wars in the museums that showcase space!)
Ice It
Where: Local Ice Skating Rinks
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by rink
Get out and glide. Enjoy art as you skate at the Sculpture Garden; circle the rink at Washington Harbour; meander the paths at Canal Park; or do some holiday shopping then skate at Pentagon Row, Veteran’s Plaza, Rockville Town Square, or Reston Town Center. This post has details on alfresco (and indoor) ice skating options in the area. And note that both at Canal Park and Washington Harbor are hosting Cartoon Skate on Saturday morning!
Rock Creek Explorations
Where: Peirce Mill
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
Get a glimpse of Rock Creek Park’s past on a visit to the historic Peirce Mill. Tour three-levels of 19th-century machinery and find out water from the creek powered the mill to make flour and meal. Plan on some hiking, too — the site is situated right next to a couple of nice trails. This new post has details on an outing there.
Snow White
Where: Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Tickets: $15/adult, $10/child
Take your kids to see other kids perform as Encore Stage & Studio theatre brings a fairytale classic to the stage. Their signature by kids for kids is great for young audiences. This show is recommended for ages 4 and up, and there are a few performances throughout the weekend.
InterAct Story Theatre
Where: Wheaton Library
When: Saturday, 11am
Admission: Free
Enjoy the 4th installment of Wheaton Family Theatre Series as Arianna Ross and Story Tapestries with “The Giggling, Wiggling Book Worm,” a dynamic arts and literacy program for all ages. Combining a dramatic live storytelling performance with an engaging post-performance literacy workshop for kids and families, Arianna and fellow Story Tapestries artist Suzanne Richard leads guests in a literary adventure. Kids and adults alike will dance, sing, wiggle, and giggle as their inner bookworms read, write, draw, dance, and make music about new, exciting stories.
On the Imagination Stage
Where: Imagination Stage
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: Tickets start at $14
This weekend is the last chance to catch A Year with Frog & Toad at the Bethesda theatre — the musical inspired by the acclaimed children’s books is coming to a close. The youngest audiences will enjoy Wake Up, Brother Bear that includes hands-on activities along with the performance.
Jonathan Blum Retrospective
Where: Caos Gallery
When: Sunday, 12-6pm
Admission: Free
I love the work of Jonathan Blum and wanted to give him and his retrospective exhibit a shout-out. You may be aware of his art – the DC native now residing in Brooklyn occasionally sells his whimsical portraits (often of half-faces or animals sitting on serious heads) at Eastern Market and has some hanging in venues around town. Go to shop his art, or just to enjoy viewing it – kids will appreciate the fanciful faces just as much as you.
The Day the Dinosaurs Came to Noyes
Where: Kensington Town Hall
When: Sunday, 3-5pm
Admission: $15/family donation requested
Join the Noyes Children’s Library Foundation for a fantastic family event featuring dino-mite activities and crafts, plus a theater workshop by the teaching artists of Imagination Stage, based on the book “How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read?” RSVP on the Noyes Facebook page.
NSO Goes Undercover
Where: International Spy Museum
When: Sunday, 4-5pm
Admission: Free
So, they may not be undercover, but members of the National Symphony Orchestra will again be playing in a different context as part of the NSO In Your Neighborhood program. A small ensemble will perform an espionage-themed concert for this family-friendly event. And patrons who attend this one will also receive a coupon for $5 off the price of admission to visit the museum’s exhibits!
Wizards vs. Raptors
Where: Verizon Center
When: Friday, 7pm
Admission: Ticket prices vary
Start the weekend with some hoops action as the Wizards host Toronto. And the Verizon Center is within the NSO in Your Neighborhood area, so expect a pre-game bonus: Members from the National Symphony Orchestra will be performing during the warm-ups!
Caps vs. Senators
Where: Verizon Center
When: Sunday, 7pm
Admission: Ticket prices vary
There will be some extra Senators in DC on Sunday as the Caps host Ottowa’s hockey team at the Verizon Center. And you can get a T-shirt along with seats to view the action on ice through from Certifikid.