Tag Archives: June 2020

June 30, 2020 · 8:14 am

Five Things for Today: June 30, 2020

DC’s best flower bloom (imo) has begun!


1. The area’s best flower bloom (imo) has begun at a recently reopened hidden gem of a place. The lotus flowers and water lilies have started to put on their seasonal show at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, where they are welcoming visitors to enjoy the park full of ponds and wetlands once again — with restrictions. Some of the paths, the boardwalk area, and visitor center are closed, and you have to follow a route through it all. But it’s wonderful as ever and will be even more so over the coming weeks as the bloom reaches its peak. A great way to get there is by bike along the Anacostia River Trail — read more about that here. And view more pics from our visit there on IG. Hours are 8am – 4pm, and admission is free. (Extra: The DC area’s best flower blooms.)

2. Montgomery Parks playgrounds have started reopening and will continue over the next couple of weeks. Two especially good ones are at Cabin John and Wheaton Regional Park (both have Miniature Trains that have started operating on weekends). Whether you plan to visit one of those or another Moco play area, be sure to check ahead and confirm it’s open.

3. Plan ahead: Mount Vernon is hosting An American Celebration on July 4th. It all takes place during the day, so no fireworks, but there will be special festivities like military demos, appearances by General Washington, and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. And many exhibits, both outdoors and in, will be open to tour (the Museum is open, but the Mansion is not). Capacity is limited for social distancing, so advance purchase is recommended. Admission is $18-20/adult, $10-12/age 6-11, free/under 6.

4. In case you haven’t heard, the Hamilton movie is coming to Disney Plus this Friday, July 3. It’s not free, and you need to be a subscriber, but there is a way to do it cheaply — follow the link for details.

5. And here’s a little something awesome to get you psyched for it.

🌷 🌸 🌷 🌸 🌷

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June 29, 2020 · 7:27 am

Five Things for Today: June 29, 2020

Seen on a recent neighborhood walk


1. Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation has launched Rec @ Home, free daily virtual activities geared for pre-school & elementary audiences ages 3-10. You can also join them on Facebook weekdays at 11am for an  activity based on a fun theme selected for the week.

2. The grounds of River Farm, the American Horticultural Society headquarters in Alexandria, recently started welcoming visitors again. While the adorable Children’s Garden isn’t yet open, the rest of the outdoor areas are accessible and lovely to wander. Hours are 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday, and admission is free. Read more about it in this KFDC post.

3. Perfect for summer fun, WaPo KidsPost reviews some new outdoor toys and games. (For even more, I recommended some classic ones a few weeks ago.)

4. Sprucing up the house? HGTV has a round-up of 20+ black-owned home decor brands to check out.

5. U.S. maps with interesting facts.


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June 28, 2020 · 7:39 am

Five Things for Today: June 28, 2020

Seen on a recent neighborhood walk


1. A new DC park just opened in NoMa. Alethia Tanner Park, named for a freed slave who supported education for black children, features a large lawn, playground, dog park, gardens and a meadow, plaza areas, and a connection to the Metropolitan Branch Trail. It’s located at 227 Harry Thomas Way, NE.

2. It’s a bit of a drive from DC and on the later side, but the Family Drive-In Theatre in Stephens City, VA, is showing Zootopia and The Avengers this evening. Tickets must be purchased in advance online.

3. If you’re looking for a fun (and yummy) birthday party idea that allows for social distancing, check out Peruvian Brothers Food Truck. They’ll drive up to your outdoor space and supply the food (ovbi) and other fun like yard games and blow-up toys. They can also help with furniture rentals and even a llama petting zoo! Learn more through the link.

4. Created several years ago, but just made widely accessible last week, Love is the Message, The Message is Death is a powerful work by video artist Arthur Jafa.

5. This note from a dad to his son went viral a couple of years ago, but as we wind down Pride month, it’s still fitting to share now.

❤️ 💜 💛 💚 💙

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June 27, 2020 · 7:48 am

Five Things for Today: June 27, 2020

Today’s Black Mamas March will culminate near the NMAAHC


1. Two local #BLM events today:
* All Mamas — Black Mamas, White Mamas, and everyone in between — and their families are invited to join the Black Mamas March. The event begins at 11am at Navy Memorial Plaza (btwn 7th & 9th on Pennsylvania Ave NW) for a short program of music, education, and a babies’ march. Then the march will proceed to Madison Drive & 14th Street NW near the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Find more information here.
* All ages are welcome to join the Chocolate City Experience at the #BlackLivesMatter Plaza. The old school block party will include resources for the black community, a farmers market, chess, yoga, double dutch, hopscotch music, and more.

2. Quick links for weekend activities:
* Local Hikes
* DC playgrounds
* Fairfax Parks, NoVa Parks, MoCo Parks.
* Pick Your Own places
* Paddling opportunities
* The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring
* The virtual Smithsonian Folklife Festival

3. Two virtual musical events tonight:
* Tonight at 8pm, tune in to NBC for Global Goal: Unite for Our Future, a historic, global event unite the world and make COVID-19 testing, treatments, and vaccines available to everyone, everywhere. Performers and appearances include Shakira, Coldplay, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Original Broadway Cast of HAMILTON with Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Chris Rock, Hugh Jackman, Justin Beiber, The Los Angeles Philharmonic and YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), and many more exciting entertainers
* The Roots Picnic, the annual music festival create by The Roots, is going online this year. Hosted by Michelle Obama, it will feature performances by Lil baby, H.E.R., Roddy Rich, and several more artists and groups, including The Roots, of course. It also starts at 8pm and will stream on YouTube.

4. Who else learned what a “stan” was in the last week? (I first heard of it here.)

5. Guaranteed to get you dancing: Spotify’s Pride Party 2020 playlist.

❤️ 💜 💛 💚 💙

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June 26, 2020 · 7:37 am

Five Things for Today: June 26, 2020



1. DC was recently named one of the best cities for biking by PeopleForBikes. In light of that, here’s a (repeat) recommendation to get the fam out on two wheels! This Curbed article that I’ve shared before has info on a bunch of good bike rides in the area. We really like the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail which runs from the Tidal Basin to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, and links up with the Anacostia Tributary Trail System that extends to College Park. (Read more about it in this KFDC post, but heads up that the Aquatic Gardens are currently closed.)

2. Plan ahead: Tomorrow at 10am, join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a special Drag Queen Story Time to celebrate Pride. DC drag queen Ruth Allen Ginsburg will bring fun for the whole family while reading classic nursery rhymes and tales for children. And the museum’s online Pride Family Zone has all kinds of related activities, including crafts, videos, and more.

3. Pizza and a movie, anyone? Enjoy both at Tino’s Pizza, located on Connecticut Avenue next to the former Uptown Theatre. They’ve launched an outdoor movie and pizza night on the patio and will be screening What About Bob, a summer classic, tonight at 8:30pm. Get there early to snag a spot! (PS: This will be taking place on Wednesday and Friday nights.)

4. To allow for better social distancing as more restaurants reopen to diners, 18th Street in Adams Morgan will close to traffic and become a pedestrian and bike zone. (DCist)

5. A recent Code Switch podcast episode asking, ‘Why now, White People’ is an interesting listen.

🚲 🚲 🚲 🚲 🚲

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