The lovely Fairy Lolly at Annmarie Sculpture Garden, where there’s a Mud Day on Sunday
It’s the first “official” weekend of the summer, and there are so many cool ways to enjoy it! A Giant BBQ Battle, summer fun, all kinds of live entertainment, a day of play for little ones, art and mud, baseball, plus the myriad Everyday Play options around DC that practically guarantee a good time. Happy Weekend!
Summer in the City
Where: Throughout the area
When: All weekend long
Admission: Varies by activity
Free concerts, outdoor swimming, special exhibits, movies under the stars, sprayground fun… Activities exclusive to the season can be enjoyed all around the area throughout the weekend. Get the full scoop on all of these joys of summer in the 2017 Summer Guide.
Barbeque Battle
Where: Pennsylvania Avenue NW | Downtown DC
When: Saturday 11am – 9pm & Sunday, 11am – 7:30pm
Admission: $15/adults, free for ages 12 and under
Join one of the biggest summer barbeques around as the Giant National Capital Barbeque Battle returns to pit some of the nation’s best barbequers against each other to compete for big prizes. The reward for attendees: Samples from all the entrants (plus, more food), live music, cooking demos, kids’ fun, and more. It all takes place along Pennsylvania Avenue NW, from 3rd to 7th Streets.
Heritage Days
Where: Various locales | Montgomery County, MD
When: Saturday & Sunday, 12-4pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate the history, culture, and natural beauty of Montgomery County, MD, as more than 30 historic sites welcome visitors for guided tours, re-creations of historic events, children’s activities, and more — all free of charge. Learn about the history of dairy farming, railroads, and trolleys; African American communities, astronomy, local arts & culture, and outdoor recreation. Check the online brochure for participating locations and activities.
UniverSoul Circus
Where: FedEx Field | Landover, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Tickets: $17-40
The world-class, live entertainment attraction that has captured the hearts and imaginations of a new generation of families is celebrating its 23rd year of FUN. UniverSoul connects with progressive, upwardly mobile, urban pop cultures from around the world, embracing and celebrating the unique and familiar aspects of global cultures and ethnicities into a stellar production that blends circus arts, theater and music. A fresh, cool, and hip approach to live family entertainment!
Dance and Bagels
Where: CityDance POP
When: Saturday, 10:30am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Add some entertainment to your brunch! CityDance POP invites you for a morning of dance and bagels. Bring the family to a sample class and mini performance, and maybe even get the kids signed up for dance lessons.
Refurbished Bike Sale
Where: Impala | H Street NE, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Kick off Summer with a “new to you” ride! All sale support Phoenix Bikes and their mission to educate youth, promote bicycling, and build community. The sale will be held in the courtyard of Impala Cantina y Taqueria located at 1358 H Street NE.
National Day of Play
Where: Gymboree Play & Music | Cleveland Park, DC
When: Saturday, 9:30am – 5pm
Admission: Free
Gymboree Play & Music is opening their doors for all to join in the play event of the year. All families with children from birth to 5 years old are welcome to drop-in for spectacular play activities, flying parachutes, bubbles, art, music, and more! Sites are located in Alexandria, Burke, and Chantilly. Jump in and enter to win this $150 gift basket, filled to the brim with bubbles and play products.
Show Time
Where: Theatres Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
* David Engel Jedi Training Academy! is this weekend’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods performance at Wolf Trap
* Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook is running at Adventure Theatre
* It’s the first weekend 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
* Company | E presents Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book at the Kennedy Center
* Rent: 20th Anniversary Tour is now running at the National Theatre – see it with older children or on a KidFree outing
* 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 Panda Monium is the featured Tiny Tots show at the puppet theatre in Glen Echo
* Creative Cauldron has a production of The Wizard of Oz on their stage, too
* Hedwig and the Angry Inch 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
Room for Children
Where: House of Sweden | Georgetown, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 12-5pm
Admission: Free
Visit the space for family fun at the Swedish Embassy on Georgetown’s waterfront. This library and arts studio for the young is designed to stimulate children’s interest in books, music, storytelling, and self-expression. Room for Children pushes the boundaries of what a library can be. Parents are encouraged to engage in it all with kids and share the experience! It’s open on weekends through December, and every Saturday, there is a storytime session at 2pm.
Fun at Fairfax Parks
Where: Local parks | Fairfax, VA
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. Celebrate the great outdoors at Huntley Meadows, take a wagon ride at Riverbend, enjoy colonial games and icecream at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, and more! Go here to see all of your options, this weekend and beyond, and register for activities.
Watson Adventures Scavenger Hunt
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 2pm
Admission: $17.50/ages 10-17, $19.50/adult
Join Watson Adventures on a unique Harry Potter-themed scavenger hunt that kids and adults will love! Follow in the footsteps of young wizards on a field trip to the National Gallery in search of art that echoes characters, places and enchanted objects in the famed Harry Potter books and movies. The hunt is not an addition to or variation on Harry’s adventures, but instead references to the books will provide a surprising bridge to many strange and wonderful works of art. This hunt is designed for kids and adults to do together (but all-adult teams are allowed to compete separately) Kids must be accompanied by an adult. Read about this super fun adventure in this KFDC post.
Vine on the Waterfront
Where: Oronoco Bay Park | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 12-6pm
Admission: Free
This food and wine festival in Alexandria may sound like a grown-up event — and the main festivity is, for the most part — but there will be activities for little ones, too! The festival will showcase some of the best of Alexandria’s restaurants and Virginia wineries. And to complement it all will be live entertainment, a children’s corner (moon bounce, arts & crafts, and more), and cooking demos. While admission is free, you will need to purchase tickets to sample food and wine – $20 for 8 tickets, $20 for the wine sampling. Rain or shine.
Get the Blues
Where: Homestead Farm | Poolesville, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $3
Blueberries are currently ripe for the picking at Homestead Farm (along with tart cherries, too!). While admission to the farm is free, it’s $3 to access the patches. BYO container or purchase one there. Be sure to visit the goats and pigs while you’re at the farm. And for more places to PYO produce, see this post.
Mud Day
Where: Annmarie Sculpture Garden | Solomons, MD
When: Sunday, 12-4pm
Admission: $5, free for members and kids under 4
Join Annmarie for this popular family-friendly event where everyone is encouraged to stomp, splash and get dirty! Giant mud play areas like the Mega Mud Pit and the Mini Mud Pit will welcome little ones to play. Make mud pies in the Mud Kitchen and create a Mud Masterpiece in the Mud Gallery. Give the trees at Annmarie Garden some personality with a Squish-a-Face Forest Friend activity, using clay, mud and natural materials to make faces on the trees. Take home mud creations including a Terrific Terrarium and Seed Cake to remind you of the wonderful mud-a-licious day you spent there! Light snacks will be available for purchase. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic, beach chairs, sunscreen and bug spray, and extra clothes.
Nats vs. Reds
Where: Nationals Park
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Admission: Ticket prices vary
The Nats are hosting the Reds all weekend and there are a bunch of special evens and promotions to enjoy along with the baseball action of the field, including Game of Thrones night on Friday and Pups in the Park on Sunday. Before you plan your day at the ballpark, checkout these KFDC tips on how to do a Nats game without breaking the bank.
Author Reading
Where: Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe | Shaw, DC
When: Sunday, 3-4pm
Admission: Free
Enjoy a reading of the children’s book, Niama’s Adventures, by the author herself! Renina Jarmon will be at the bookstore to read the tale about Niama, a little African-American girl who uses her magic wand to time travel to various places and meet trailblazing black women. She visits the astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, Queen Nefertiti in Egypt and Ms. Ella Fitzgerald in Harlem. Niama is happy and free and she wants you to be free, too
Flamenco Juntos
Where: GALA Hispanic Theatre
When: Sunday, 4-6pm
Admission: $20/adult, $17/child
How about some flamenco to spice up your Sunday? A KFDC reader let me know about this flamenco student recital, showcasing the students of Yolit Yospe-Kachlon, Alexa Miton, and Edwin Aparicio. The show will also feature performances by the teachers and guest artists. A small reception will follow the showcase.
Screen Time – Wonder Woman
Where: Movie Theaters around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by theater
If you haven’t yet seen Wonder Woman on the big screen, make a plan to go. Our family caught a screening last weekend, and everyone loved it! The movie isn’t a cheesy remake of the 70’s TV series, but a well thought out, action-packed, dramatic story. And that it spotlights a female superhero makes it all the better.
UniverSoul Circus on the Millennium Stage
Where: Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Sunday, 6pm
Admission: Free
Sunday is Target Family Night at the Kennedy Center as UniverSoul circus brings its amazing spectacle to the Millennium Stage. The combination of circus arts, theater, music, and audience interaction that embraces and celebrates urban pop culture from around the world.
**MORE GOOD STUFF TO KNOW**
* Sibley Memorial Hospital is hosting a diaper drive for DC Diaper Bank. Help them reach their goal of 7,000 diapers by October and support families in need!
* There’s lots of good theatre to catch this summer. See what’s coming to local stages and save your seats!
* Tour de Fat, the zany-in-the-best-way-possible festival celebrating bikes and beer, is coming up on July 22, and this year it will be a ticketed event.
* Bargain alert: 100 Montaditos, the Spanish chain at Yards Park specializing in mini-sandwiches, has tons of $1 menu items on Wednesdays. Plan for fountain play then yummy food!
* XYZT: Abstract Landscapes is a must-experience exhibit this summer. It’s sold out for the weekend, so reserve tickets for a later date!
