A view of Baltimore Inner Harbor from the Maryland Science Center – lots of fun to be had in Charm City!
DC is heating up, but there are plenty of happenings around the area that are way cool. This round-up has the scoop on a bunch of them, and you can find even more ideas for ongoing fun on the Everyday Play page. Happy Weekend!
On the Fringe
Where: Theatres around DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by performances
It’s the first weekend of the Capital Fringe Festival, and the lineup of shows includes a bunch that kids can enjoy. Barry Beaver’s Adventures in Happy Valley will keep tots engaged with activities and singing as they learn about giving, sharing, and accepting differences. Watch Medieval Story Man, a fantasy epic performed by one man. And 1! A Dansical is a dance parody that will have the whole fam chuckling. Lil Women: A Rap Musical combines the classic story with rap music. Those are just a few shows with the all-ages tag; there are many more for ages 13 and up to entertain tweens and teens. More details and ticket sales are on the Capital Fringe Festival website. And, parents, consider catching a performance for a KidFree night out!
Summer in the City
Where: Throughout the area
When: All weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Enjoy activities that make this time of year so much fun. Start the weekend off on Friday with a free outdoor concert or an evening of fishing, then continue the fun on Saturday and Sunday with water play at a pool or spray park. Cool off indoors at special summer museum programs like free admission to the Newseum or ICEBERGS at the Building Museum. Feast on crabs to fulfill a seasonal must-do. Complete it all with a family movie under the stars at National Harbor on Sunday night. Get details about all of these summer diversions and even more here.
Stories in Art
Where: National Gallery of Art
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: Free
One of my favorite museum programs for kids returns this weekend after a hiatus during renovations! Children ages 4-7 can pack their imaginations and travel to the National Gallery of Art. This season will explore the Netherlands as guests “meet” Dutch artists and investigate their paintings and sculptures. Read a KFDC review of the program from a few years back (we’ve been since, and it was just as good!). There are several time slots available each day. Sign-in takes place in the West Building Rotunda, beginning at 10am on Saturday and at 11:00am on Sunday, and will continue until all spaces are filled. And they do often fill up, so plan to get there early to register.
French Festival
Where: Hillwood Estate & Gardens
When: Saturday, 9:30am – 7pm
Admission: $18/adult ($12/members), $5/ages 6-18, free for 5 and under
Calling all Francophiles: Celebrate Bastille Day in grand French splendor! With exquisite French 18th-century interiors, collections, and gardens as a backdrop, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is a perfect place for a fête. Throughout the day, games, lively theatrics, dance, pantomime, French fare, and music bring the life of the French court to the lush gardens at Hillwood.
Show Time
Where: Local theatres
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
* Dive into the magical world of Cirque Italia!
* See Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods at Wolf Trap where Dinorock are playing a concert al fresco
* The UniverSoul Circus is wowing audiences at National Harbor
* Go on a wild journey to Jumanji at Adventure Theatre
* Reserve free tickets to The Velveteen Rabbit, this week’s Saturday Morning at the National show
* The Little Mermaid is a collaboration between Imagination Stage and The Washington Ballet
* Catch a performance of Little Red Riding Hood and the 3 Little Pigs at The Puppet Co.
* And Dragon Babies is their featured Tiny Tots show
* Enjoy a picnic and a play as Chesapeake Shakespeare presents The Three Musketeers at PFI Park in Ellicott City, MD (bonus: kids are FREE)
* Take your teen or make it a date night to see The Bridges of Madison County at the Kennedy Center
* MOXIE: a Happenstance Vaudeville is on stage at RoundHouse Theatre
* Everybody cut Footloose at Alden Theatre
* Little Ones will enjoy Inside Out, a performance geared toward ages 1-5, at Imagination Stage
* Born for This: The Bebe Winans Story is running at Arena Stage
Happy Birthday, Alexandria!
Where: Oronoco Bay Park
When: Saturday, 4-10pm
Admission: Free
The City of Alexandria will celebrate its 267th – and the USA’s 240th belated – birthdays this weekend. Enjoy festivities for the entire family, including musical entertainment, children’s activities, community exhibits, and birthday cake. The highlight of the evening is a concert by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and fireworks to close out the celebration.
Kick it with Spirit
Where: Maureen Hendricks Field at the Maryland SoccerPlex
When: Saturday, 7pm
Admission: Tickets start at $25
The United aren’t the only soccer game in town. Women’s pro soccer team, Washington Spirit, plays in Germantown, and this weekend they’re hosting the Chicago Red Stars at home. Per a KFDC reader: “You get affordable tickets and concessions, picnic seating behind the goal, a really intimate, family-friendly environment and top-level soccer.”
The Nextival
Where: Anne Arundel Fairgrounds
When: Saturday, 11am – 1pm
Admission: $15/adult, free for 14 and under
Entertain the whole crew at this new, one-day music event featuring three stages and a diverse lineup of artists representing multiple music genres! Junior Marvin’s Wailers, Milkshake, and Kidsinger Jim will be among the many fun acts will perform. Enjoy treats and crafts from 30+ food trucks and vendors, along with a dedicated children’s zone complete with jumpy houses, a puppet show, juggling, games, and more. And a unique bonus: attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a 10-minute helicopter ride from the fairgrounds to downtown Annapolis and back for $50 a seat, something that has never been done there or at any music festival in the region.
Baltimore, Hon!
Where: Inner Harbor Area
When: All Weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
You won’t escape the heat by heading north just 45 minutes, but you’ll find a few wonderful places to take shelter from it where the kids can have a blast. Explore the exhibits and loads of hands-on activities at the Maryland Science Center. See some of the quirkiest, coolest art ever at the American Visionary Art Museum. Play the day away at Port Discovery. Get an eyeful of the underwater world at the National Aquarium. Tour the historic ships at the Inner Harbor. Or view history in the works at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.
Park it in Maryland
Where: Montgomery County Parks
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Montgomery Parks presents loads of special activities for visitors of all ages. Watch a raptor feeding at Meadowside Nature Center, go on a junior bird hike at Brookside, enjoy stream adventures at Black Hill, and more. The online calendar has even more events happening this weekend.
Fun at Fairfax Parks
Where: Several Fairfax parks
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
The Fairfax County Park Authority hosts all kinds of events on weekends for guests of all ages. Look for critters in the waters of Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, take a wagon ride at Riverbend, learn about constellations at Burke Lake Park, go on a Teddy Bear Picnic at Hidden Meadows, and more! Go here to see all of your options, this weekend and beyond, and register for activities.
Discover Rembrant
Where: National Gallery of Art
When: Sunday, 11:30am
Admission: Free
The National Gallery’s film program for young guests presents three animated short films based on children’s books. The series introduces audiences to the works of Rembrant and the imaginative world of art. Combine it with the Stories in Art program, and you’ve got quite an art lesson for kids! Recommended for ages 4 and up. Read more about the films on the NGA website.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Where: National Mall at 3rd-4th Streets
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 explore the culture of Basque Country through special exhibits, workshops, performances, exhibits, demos, and more, including plenty of activities especially children. California Sounds is also a highlight s more than 60 artists perform throughout the festival and many host special activities and demos for guests. For specifics, see the festival schedule. And it all takes place right on the National Mall where you can have plenty more fun at all the museums.
Last Call for WONDER
Where: Renwick Gallery
When: Through Sunday
Admission: Free
This weekend is your last chance to experience the extraordinary WONDER exhibit. While a couple of the installations have been acquired by the museum for their permanent collection, some of the most popular (according to Instagram, anyway) are going, including Plexus A1, the rainbow of thread and Shindig, the giant nests (my fave).
Uke It
Where: Lake Anne Plaza in Reston
When: Saturday, 10:30-6pm
Admission: Free
Let the happiest instrument in the world entertain your fam for the day. The 7th Annual Lake Anne Ukelele Festival presents of line-up of uke-playing acts starting at 12:30pm, and before that there is a jam session that anyone can join — bring your ukelele and strum along! While you’re enjoying the entertainment, you can also stay cool in the fountain, shop art vendors, and savor the festival concession.
Summer Board Game Olympics
Where: MLK Memorial Library
When: Saturday, 2pm
Admission: Free
Teens ages 13-19 can get their game on as they challenge each other at a variety of games and win achievements. The world of board games is as diverse and interesting as the world of books, and they can explore different genres of games and collect points.
Walks in the Woods
Where: Around the area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Hit the trail with the fam to enjoy the sunshine and some quality time. See flowers in bloom, tramp in places with scenic views, hike and explore history at interesting locales, and enjoy a day of active fun. This post, started in the early KFDC days and updated several times since, has a a bunch of recommendations for good walks in the woods with the kids.
