Stay cool and have some summer fun at Yards Park!
With the holiday just a few days from now, it’s time start shifting into celebration mode. This round-up of special events and local adventures will help get you there. Happy Weekend!
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Where: National Mall, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
The annual Festival celebrating living cultural heritage and community traditions is underway. Visitors of all ages will have ample opportunity to discover and enjoy Circus Arts and the movement of people to and in America through special exhibits, performances, exhibits, demos, and more, including plenty of activities especially for children. For specifics, see the festival schedule. And it all takes place right on the National Mall, where you can have even more advetures at all of the museums.
Happy, Birthday, America!
Where: Tudor Place | Georgetown, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 12pm
Admission: $7-10/child $5/adult, free for veterans & military families
Celebrate Independence Day with the family at the home of Martha Washington’s granddaughter and five generations that followed. Salute our nation’s service members! Also play traditional American outdoor games, tour verdant garden “rooms,” make patriotic crafts like a traditional whirligig toy, and of course, savor patriotic sweets. All ages welcome.
Lovin’ Summer
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Get your summer on this weekend with a host of activities exclusive to this time of year. Kick it off with an outdoor concert or free fishing; enjoy some water fun at an outdoor pool, spray ground, or water park; check out a special seasonal exhibit; do some crabbing (the feasting kind); catch a flick under the stars, and so much more. See the 2017 KFDC Guide to Summer in DC for the full scoop on these summer favorites.
Kids Free at the Newseum
Where: Newseum | Near the National Mall, DC
When: Begins Saturday!
Admission: FREE for kids, $22.95/adult
Take advantage of the Newseum’s annual program that welcomes youth visitors for free during the summer, from July 1 through Labor Day. The Summer Fun Deal waives the regular $13.95 entrance fee for kids with one paid adult admission. The deal benefits kids ages 7 and up most, since children 6 and under always get in free, and much of the Newseum’s collection will be better appreciated by older children.
Tee Up for a PGA Tourney
Where: TPC Potomac | Potomac, MD
When: Through Sunday
Admission: Start at $20-40/day for adults
The Quicken Loans National, a premier PGA TOUR tournament and a staple of the DC area’s must-attend sporting events is back with exciting golf action, plus all kinds of fun off the course. Programs for kids include complimentary tickets (with paid adult), golf clinics, and a kids village with game and activities just for them. Read more about it all here.
Family Nature Walk
Where: Woodend Nature Sanctuary | Chevy Chase, MD
When: Saturday, 9am
Admission: Free
Take a hike — and advantage of the Audubon Naturalist Society’s free monthly family program. On the first Saturday of each month from 9-10am, join Master Naturalists for a nature hike around Woodend Sanctuary. Each outing will have a unique and exciting natural history theme that’s appropriate for family members of all ages. Be prepared to hike in sneakers and don’t forget your water bottle. Meet at the amphitheater by the main house. Read more about Woodend in this KFDC post.
Show Time
Where: Theatres Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
* Dinorock returns to Wolf Trap for Children’s THeatre-in-the-Woods
* Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook is running at Adventure Theatre
* Go down the rabbit hole for Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure at Imagination Stage
* And little ones will love Raton en Movimiento!, also playing at the theatre in Bethesda
* Finding Neverland is at the Hippodrome in Baltimore
* See a classic on stage as the Kennedy Center presents The Sound of Music
* See another classic on strings as The Puppet Co. presents The Wizard of Oz
* And Mother Goose Caboose is the featured Tiny Tots show at the puppet theatre in Glen Echo
* Hedwig and the Angry Inch is running at the Kennedy Center is recommended for ages 12 and up
* Make it a KidFree outing at a performance of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The School for Lies
* My Fair Lady at Olney Theatre is recommended for ages 10 and up
* Catch Shakespeare in the Park As the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company brings The Tempest to PFI Historic Park in Ellicott City, MD
Skate of the Union
Where: Anacostia Park & RFK Stadium | DC
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: Varies by activity (free to spectate)
Skate or spectate at the country’s premiere all-skating event happening here in the DC area all weekend! There will be skating activities for all types of wheels – inline, roller, and skateboard – and ability levels, from beginner clinics and demos to professional competitive races. You can also just go to watch others roll. Be sure to check the website for the schedule of events and registration details.
First Sunday Arts Festival
Where: Downtown Annapolis, MD
When: Sunday, 11am – 5pm
Admission: Free
Start celebrating America’s birthday at the monthly festival in downtown Annapolis. The popular First Sunday Arts festival brings thousands of locals and visitors out on the town to shop directly from local artisans in historic downtown Annapolis. Browse and buy American-made from area and regional artisans, listen to great local bands, and eat at the food trucks and cafes along West and Calvert Streets.
Complimentary Community Day
Where: National Museum of Women in the Arts | Downtown, DC
When: Sunday, 12-5pm
Admission: Free
The first Sunday of every month is a great opportunity explore the National Museum of Women in the Arts when admission is FREE! Works span the centuries, from the 16th to the present in a variety of mediums, highlighting women artists all over the world.
Arrrr, Mateys!
Where: Potomac River via Washington Harbour | Georgetown, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $20 (get a deal here)
Explore the high Potomac “seas” on a Boomerang Family Treasure Hunt Cruise. During the pirate adventure, you’ll help recover stolen treasure from scallywags who pilfered the ship’s booty. Several sail times are available throughout the weekend. When you book on the site, be sure you are looking at Treasure Hunt Cruise times, and not the Party Boat Cruise. For more pirate voyages on local waters, see the 2017 Summer Guide.
The Ins and Outs of DC
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by adventure
Want even more options for fun things to do with the kids around the area? If you’re looking for activities outdoors or inside, depending on the weather or simply your preference, these posts are chock full of evergreen pursuits:
The Best Places in the DC Area to Enjoy a Beautiful Day Outdoors with the Kids
The Great Indoors
**MORE GOOD STUFF TO KNOW**
* Two new exhibits at the Hirshhorn to check out: Ai Weiwei: Trace at the Hirshhorn features 176 portraits of political dissidents all made of LEGOs, and Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree for Washington in the Sculpture Garden encourages visitors to write their wishes on tags and tie them to a Japanese dogwood tree.
* Parallax Gap, opening at the Renwick this weekend, sounds wonderful, too.
* A new, cool play space just opened in Rockville: Look for a review of Badlands here soon!
* Poke Papa in Penn Quarter. Yum!
