Happy Easter Weekend!
Quick links for go-to posts:
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Best Outdoor Spots
* Peaceful Places
* Indoor Outings
* Bike Rides
Blossoms & Baseball Drive-in
Where: Akridge Lot | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Friday & Saturday, 7:30pm
Admission: $20/car
The Nats home opening series may be off but Blossoms & Baseball is still on. The Capitol Riverfront BID is welcoming the spring season back to the neighborhood with cherry blossom cheer and baseball-themed drive-in movies. Catch 42: The True Story of an American Legend on Friday evening and A League of Their Own on Saturday.
Egg Hunt Weekend
Where: Clark’s Elioak Farm | Clarksburg, MD
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: $8
Enjoy some spring and holiday fun at a place that looks straight out of a fairytale. The grounds are charmingly adorned with recovered installations from an old storybook park, making it magical for kids. Little ones (ages 1 to 3 and 4 to 6) will have a chance to hunt for eggs throughout the day! After hunting, they get to turn the eggs in for a goodie bag. The petting farm, rides, and play areas will be open for all to enjoy, too. Be sure to take a look at the website for a heads-up on how the egg hunts will run, so you can make the most of your day there. Read more about Clarks Elioak in the KFDC post about the best outdoor places in the area.
Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Potomac Overlook Regional Park | Arlington, VA
When: Through Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: $8/child
Join Potomac Overlook Regional Park to take part in this ongoing event. Pick up your egg hunt sheet at the nature center, explore the park for 8 different “wooden eggs,” then return to the nature center with your completed sheet for a prize! No reservations required — just hop on over and experience a brand new kind of egg hunt in park that’s great for families to explore. Read more about Potomac Overlook in this KFDC post. And find even more egg-cellent adventures around the area here.
Bunnyland
Where: Butler’s Orchard
When: Saturday (& Monday)
Admission: $10
One of the more popular spring festivals in the area begins this weekend. Butler’s has all the trappings for seasonal fun: bunnies, eggs, and other Easter-related treats for young guests. More fun includes hayrides down the Bunny Trail, egg hunts, the Rubber Ducky Derby, giant slides, jumping pads, and a small petting zoo. Concessions are available, and there are also plenty of picnic tables if you prefer to pack a lunch. See the website for safety measures in place for Covid.
Cosmic Egg Portrait & Art Kit
Where: American Visionary Art Museum | Baltimore, MD
When: April 3
Admission: Free photo, $18/frame kit
Register for an egg-citing, free spring photo with the AVAM’s Cosmic Galaxy Egg sculpture. They’ll take a socially-distanced INSTANT photo of you that you can take home right away. Optional: Add a limited edition Cosmic Egg picture frame kit! And while you’re there, plan to explore the museum with some of the most wonderful, whimsical art around — read about it here. Museum admission is $15,95/adult, $9.95/child, free for ages 6 and under. Can’t attend, but want a frame shipped to you? Visit avam.org/shop.
Bunny Train Ride
Where: Walkersville Southern Railroad | Walkersville, MD
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: $18/adult, $17/senior, $14/age 1-12
All aboard for a trip back in time with the Easter Bunny! Travel over track that the Pennsylvania Railroad originally built in 1872. See Walkersville Southern’s turn-of-the- century railroad station and tool house, then visit with the Bunny on the train (who will also give each child an Easter gift!). Ride in vintage 1920s passenger cars or on an open flatcar as your rail excursion runs past a 100-year-old lime kiln, and then out into picturesque Maryland farm country. Enjoy juice and Uncle Ralph’s cookies in the museum after your ride. Reservations required!
Big Screen Drive-In
Where: Alexandria Drive-In Movie Theater | Alexandria, VA
When: Friday & Saturday, 7:30pm
Admission: $40/car
Catch a flick from the comfort of your car — an ideal way to enjoy some entertainment out of the house and social distance. Shrek will be shown on Friday, and The Mummy on Saturday, both at 7:30pm. Food trucks will be there both nights offering savory and sweet concessions with online ordering through Goodfynd! Purchase movie tickets in advance.
Outdoor Adventure
Where: Terrapin Adventures | Savage, MD
When: Ongoing
Admission: Starts at $29
With the Sandy Spring Adventure Park sold out all weekend (and most of April), this is an alternative to to try for a unique outdoor adventure. (Note: We haven’t been to this one, so I can’t offer insight based on experience, but the ropes course is much smaller.) Along with ropes courses, there’s also a climbing wall and archery. They also offer tubing, kayak, caving, and mountain biking tours. And you can get a deal on admission through CertifiKID.
Go with the Flow
Where: Parks in Northern Virginia
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by park
Paddling season his starting at a few locations within the NoVA Parks systems. You can rents kayaks, canoes, standup paddle boards, and pedal boats at Pohick Bay, Fountainhead, and Occoquan Regional Parks. There are even some special paddle tours offered that explore the nature of the area.
Petal Porch Parade
Where: At home & around the DC area
When: Through April 11
Admission: Free
Check out local porches decorated for cherry blossom season! Since we can’t have a big parade this year,folks were encouraged to get creative and show their blossom spirit by decorating their porches, yards, and windows to spread joy and connect communities. This map shows locations of all registered Petal Porches, so you can plan a walk or drive to see and share in the celebration of spring. On the weekend of April 10-11, a Petal Procession will drive through select Petal Porch Parade neighborhoods in and around DC.
Bloomaroo
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Through April 11
Admission: Varies
The Wharf is celebrating spring and the blossoms with Bloomaroo, nearly of month of cherry blossom-themed art installations, food and drink specials and more festivities. Catch Anime Movies, including the newest Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Check out a special mural created by ARTECHOUSE, too. Restaurants at the waterfront destination will have cherry blossom-inspired menus, and keep an eye out for special samplings, beer dinners, and more. Ride the Wharf Jitney or hop on the Water Taxi for an up-close look at DC’s favorite landmarks — the cherry trees. For more about The Wharf, see this KFDC post.
Pop-Up Street Theater
Where: Locales around Arlington, VA
When: Sunday, 11am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Synetic Theatre will be clowning around with pop-up performances all around Arlington during the Festival. To work with these social distancing times, they are bringing back street theater as a pair of improv actors make appearances at the Art Wall in Virginia Highlands Park, the Crystal City Water Park, and the Long Bridge Park Esplanade.Follow @synetictheater on Instagram to see where they are and how long they’ll be there!
Dino Safari
Where: National Harbor | Oxon Hill, MD
When: Daily through April 19
Admission: $49.95/vehicle (up to 7 people); $59.95/larger vehicle
Running now through April 11, Dino Safari, brings prehistoric times to pandemic times, offering a drive-thru, no-contact yet immersive experience. You may be familiar with these Jurassic Park-inspired attractions, which feature life-size animatronic dinosaurs. This one is unique in its “Passport to Pangea” theme, transporting you through all seven continents — which were formerly one supercontinent, Pangea, in dinosaur times. Read a full review here.
Trail Time
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
There’s a link to the round-up of hike around the area at the top of this list, but specific recs are often helpful, as some places can get crowded on weekends, especially on a beautiful spring weekend. And some are just great for other reasons. I just posted about the hike to the beach at Calvert Cliffs State Park. Turkey Run Park is a good place to go when Roosevelt Island is overrun. Prince William State Forest is so big, there’s plenty of space for a nice walk in the woods. And Wye Island NMRA on the Eastern Shore is a lovely place to escape the city bustle.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* A local mom has started hosting Pop-Up Art Classes for young artists at spots around Alexandria, and the sessions look and sound so sweet. Follow her on Instagram to see where and when the classes will be popping up!
* Planet Word reopened this week, and you can still reserve free tickets for later this month. I highly recommend it — the museum dedicated to language is fantastic!
* After a very long wait (remember, it was closed for renovations pre-Covid?), the National Building Museum reopens April 9!
* There’s a new post about Glenstone, the incredible modern art museum that sprawls over 300 gorgeous acres in Potomac.
* The cherry blossom peak may be over, but there are more awesome flower blooms coming up, literally! Read about them here.
* Darcy just shared 10 Happy Things for April, and her list is fabulous as ever.