The US Botanic Garden is a perfect place to visit on a rainy weekend
Happy Weekend!
Fast links for all kinds of family activity ideas:
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Indoor Outings
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Bike Rides
* Stunning Spaces
* Peaceful Places
* Baltimore with Kids
* Spring Things
Annapolis Up Rigging Maritime Festival
Where: City Dock, Downtown Annapolis, MD
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Free (fee for sunset sails)
Check out tall ships in Annapolis! Five ships will be moored at City Dock downtown next to Susan Campbell Park. Several of the boats will be available for free deck tours, and a couple of them, the Pride of Baltimore II and the Lynx, will be offering sunset sails ($55). If you can’t get on one of those, several other local tour boats will also be doing cruises over the weekend. Free concerts in the park will be part of the festival as well — BYO lawn chair or blanket and enjoy live music on the waterfront.
Drive-In Movie Time
Where: Union Market | NoMa, DC
When: Friday, 8:40pm
Admission: $20/car, walk-ups are free
Union Market’s annual Drive-in Movie Series begins this weekend, kicking off with Space Jam on the big outdoor screen. Watch the classic flick from the comfort of your car (or walk up and sit in the fresh air) in the UM parking lot. Get there as early to enjoy delicious foods from market vendors and fun pre-show activities for movie-lovers of every age! The lot opens at 7:30pm and the film begins at 8:40pm. Advance purchase is recommended.
The Outdoors Inside
Where: US Botanic Garden | Capitol Area, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
Going to the US Botanic Garden on a rainy day is like pulling a fast one on the weather gods — you can experience the outdoors without getting wet. Explore the different plant collections as you walk amid woodland flora, desert areas, and tropical rainforest (one of the the most stunning spaces in DC). The current Cultivate: Growing Food in a Changing World exhibit has interesting interactive elements that all ages will enjoy. Be sure to bring kiddos to the Children’s Garden, where they can play and use some gardening tools (note that this area is outside and will be inaccessible if it’s raining). And plan on a stroll through the lovely National Garden, too, if weather permits. Read more about the USBG here and here.
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World
Where: Renwick Gallery | Downtown DC
When: Opens Friday
Admission: Free
After being closed for many months, the Renwick Gallery reopens this weekend with the debut of This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World. The exhibition, including more than 170 artworks on two floors of gallery space, highlights the role that artists play in our world to spark essential conversations, stories of resilience, and methods of activism — showing us a more relational and empathetic world. Works are from the museum’s permanent collection in a range of craft mediums from fiber and ceramics to glass and mixed media. And if past big Renwick exhibits (see here, here, and here) are any indication, this one is sure to be a must-see.
EU Open House
Where: EU Embassies | Dupont Circle, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Avoid the hefty airfare and jet lag and explore the Continent from this side of the pond. Join European Union embassies and the EU Delegation for a day of international culture. Get a rare behind-the-scenes look at the embassies, some of which are among Washington’s historic and architectural treasures. While each embassy will offer something different for people to enjoy, guests visiting the Delegation will get a look at art installations and engage with local diplomats to learn how the EU is fighting for a sustainable future and the preservation of global democracy. Children can design buttons to show their support for Ukraine and everyone can sample European cuisine from a local food truck. Get an idea of what to expect in this post about one of our experiences at an Around the World Embassy Tour.
Day Out with Thomas
Where: B&O Railroad Museum | Baltimore, MD
When: Friday – Sunday
Admission: $26-30
All aboard, little engineers! Thomas the Tank Engine is rolling into town with the Party Train Tour! Take a train ride behind him, meet Sir Topham Hatt, and enjoy a full day of activities and family fun!
More Charm City Fun, Hon!
Where: Around Baltimore, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Not only is it nice to get a change of metro area scenery sometimes, Baltimore, our sister city just a 45-minute drive away, is full of fantastic, family-friendly things to do. This post has info about all of them, including big attractions, suggestions for places to eat, and neighborhoods to explore.
Acton Children’s Business Fair of Washington, DC
Where: 3411 Connecticut Ave | Cleveland Park, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 12:30pm (rain or shine)
Admission: Free
Head to the Acton Children’s Business Fair of Washington, DC, on Saturday, where children ages 6 to 14 who have created a product or service are selling to customers — like an outdoor craft market run by kids! Shop, have fun, and celebrate children’s entrepreneurial spirit! Entry is free and open to the public.
Strawberry Fields…this Weekend (Maybe)
Where: Farms around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Strawberries are ripe and ready for harvest — a few area farms are now welcoming guests to pick their own. It’s always a good idea to check websites or call ahead to confirm availability the day you plan to go. And this one is obviously weather dependent, but even if rain washes the idea out, go ahead and check the list of PYO places, so y9u can plan for another time.
Happy 150, DC Fire & EMS!
Where: Constitution & Pennsylvania Ave NW | Downtown DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 3pm
Admission: Free
The DC Fire and EMS Department is celebrating their 150th Year of Service with a parade and apparatus muster, a display of antique and current fire apparatus. The parade begins at 11am, and will proceed down Constitution Ave. NW from 7th to 14th Streets. The apparatus muster will take place Pennsylvania Ave, from 12th to 14th Streets NW.
Brownies: Outdoor Adventures
Where: Tudor Place | Georgetown, DC
When: Saturday, 10-11:30am
Admission: $10
This session for kids will help them identify bugs, birds and other wildlife at Tudor Place while on an outdoor adventure. Practice knot-tying skills and plant seeds to take home. This program fulfills all requirements to earn the Brownie Bugs Badge and the Brownie Outdoor Adventurer badge. Individuals and troops invited to participate.
Lattes with Lambs
Where: National Colonial Farm | Accokeek, MD
When: Saturday, 11am – 3pm
Admission: $15/adult, $5/age 10 & under
Help welcome the new additions to the Piscataway Park barnyard at the Lattes with Lambs festival! There are brand new lambs and calves on the farm that are looking forward to hanging out. The event will also feature farm-themed activities for the whole family, local food and coffee trucks, sheep-shearing demonstrations.
Arches & Trusses: The Tension Builds
Where: National Building Museum | Judiciary Square, DC
When: Saturday, 11:30am – 12:30pm
Admission: $7/member, $15/non-member
Sign up for this program, part of a weekly May series! What keeps a building standing up? Investigate how materials, invisible forces and building structures work together in the historic home of the museum and begin to understand how these forces affect all the buildings that make up our neighborhoods and communities. Admission includes access to all of the exhibits, too.
KidStory Theatre Festival
Where: Highland Elementary | Wheaton, MD
When: Saturday, 11am & Sunday, 2pm
Admission: Free
Season 7 of InterAct Story Theatre’s Wheaton Family Theatre comes to a close this month with free plays and stories written by their favorite authors–kids! All year long, theatre artists create stories with kids, inviting them to share their epic stories. They’re choosing some of their favorite stories written by kids over the years to be performed by our InterActors and shared with the community this weekend! Best for ages 4 and up. Highland Elementary School is located at 3100 Medway Street in Wheaton, MD.
Disney Singalong
Where: Olney Theatre | Olney, MD
When: Saturday, 12pm |Sunday, 10am & 12pm
Tickets: $15
Bring kiddos to sing along! Three of Olney Theatre’s favorite performers, Patricia Hurley Carpenter (Mary Poppins herself!), Ashleigh King (Elf the Musical), and Matt Schleigh (Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors) will lead kids of all ages in their favorite Disney songs from stage and screen.
Show Way the Musical
Where: Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Friday, 7pm | Saturday & Sunday, 1:30pm & 4pm
Tickets: $20
Opening this weekend at the Kennedy Center… Soonie’s great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She began to stitch a Show Way, a quilt with secret meanings to show enslaved people the way to freedom. As each generation passes, the Show Way shines a light on the past and paves a road to the future, stitching together possibility and promise. Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson’s book of history, love, and resilience becomes a world premiere stage adaptation. This moving, lyrical account based on Woodson’s own family pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters’ lives—from enslavement to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches, and the fight for literacy. Recommended for ages 7+.
Into the Woods
Where: Creative Cauldron | Falls Church, VA
When: Friday & Saturday 7:30pm | Sunday, 2pm & 7pm
Tickets: $40/adult, $25/child
Catch a performance of this just -opened show: With an imaginative book by James Lapine that skillfully intertwines the stories and characters from Grimm fairy tales, and a luscious score by Stephen Sondheim, this Tony Award-winning musical has become a timeless masterpiece. A baker and his wife wish for a child, Cinderella wishes to go to the King’s Festival and Jack wishes to sell his cow, so into the woods they must go in search of their prize. Happily ever after eludes them, however, as they soon learn the tangled consequences of getting exactly what you wished for.
The Fantastic Tale of Rumpelstiltskin
Where: The Puppet Co. | Glen Echo Park, MD
When: Friday, 10:30am | Saturday & Sunday, 11:30am & 1pm
Tickets: $15
In this production, the Puppet Co. gives you the full story of what happens after the gold has been spun and the day has been saved. This hilarious and smart comedy will be a great romp for adults and kids alike. Can you guess Rumpelstiltskin’s new name?! Recommended ages 4+, and run time approximately 50 minutes. Sunday’s show is a sensory friendly performance.
NSO Family Concert: Philharmonia Fantastique
Where: Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Sunday, 2pm & 4pm
Tickets: $18-20
Dynamic concerto meets animated film! Through a mesmerizing hybrid of animated and live action filming, follow a magical Sprite as it embarks on a musical journey through the inner workings of an orchestra. Violin strings vibrate, brass valves slice air, and drum heads resonate like you’ve never seen before — all set to live music from members of the NSO. By the film’s end, the orchestra comes together in a spectacular finale! Recommended for all ages.
Word Up
Where: Planet Word | Downtown DC
When: Throughout the weekend, 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free
I saw that some passes are still available for this weekend to visit Planet Word, the outstanding museum all about language. It’s full of fun and interesting exhibits, most of them interactive, with something for all ages to enjoy — including wonderful bits of magic. Our whole family loves it! Admission is free, but you need to reserve timed-entry passes. Be sure to read a KFDC write-up about it before you go!
Asian Festival on Main
Where: Main Street | Old Town Fairfax, VA
When: Sunday, 12-6pm
Admission: Free
The Asian Festival on Main was created to bring people together and highlight cultural diversity through food and entertainment. Highlights of the fun, free, family-friendly event include more than 30 Asian food vendors serving culinary delights; performances like Filipino hiphop, Chinese lion dance, K-pop, Indian dance, Japanese dance, Chinese ribbon dance; and a cosplay costume contest.
Rumpus Room
Where: Rooftop at Union Market | Northeast DC
When: Sunday, 10am – 12pm
Admission: $10
The Rumpus Room, DC’s only daytime dance party for families, returns for a spring fling on the rooftop of Union Market! Is there a better want to celebrate spring than showing off your dance moves, with your children, under the sun? We don’t think so!
Relive your night-life glory days with your little ones in tow. The soundtrack for the day will be a family-friendly mix of dance floor classics, current hits and guilty pleasures, all at a child-friendly volume. Hi-Lawn will be open for food and beverages at 11am. Tickets must be purchased in advance!
Spring Mini Fair (DC State Fair)
Where: Brookland Arts Walk | Brookland, DC
When: Sunday, 10am – 2pm
Admission: Free
The first ever DC State Fair: Spring Mini-Fair is this weekend at the Brookland Arts Walk (716 Monroe St NE) and will serve as preview day of the annual fall DC State Fair held in September — a free showcase of the District’s agricultural and creative talents and a celebration of all things homegrown. Kids activities on Sunday will include an origami session and dance-off. At 10:30 am, join Taro’s Origami Certified Artists Yoshimi Muto and Michiko Okuma for a workshop on creating origami models such as dogs, cats, and rabbits. At noon, kids of all ages are invited to come strut their stuff to multiple music genres and earn a ribbon for best dancer.
Books in Bloom Festival
Where: Color Burst Park | Columbia, MD
When: Sunday, 11am – 5pm
Admission: Free
The regions most progressive literary festival is on Sundayt. Headlined by Carl Bernstein, Pulitzer Prize-winning The Washington Post reporter who famously broke the Watergate story, this year’s festival will focus on activism through literature. More festivities for the whole family include a pop-up bookstore with dedicated banned books section, a children’s corner with activities including a bookmark-making section, exclusive food and beverage offerings from local favorites, a photo booth, and more.
Running of the Chihuahuas
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Sunday, 1-5pm
Admission: Free
It’s DC’s cutest and funniest Cinco de Mayo celebration as The Wharf hosts the 10th Annual Running of the Chihuahuas! The day will include live music, family fun, cold Pacifico beer, and of course, the highlight of the afternoon, chihuahuas racing for fame and fun! The event benefits Rural Dog Rescue, a non-profit dedicated to saving the lives of dogs in shelters who are often overlooked for adoption or rescue. Go here for information and to sign your chihuahua up to race visit. And read more about The Wharf here.
Nats vs. Astros
Where: Nationals Park | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Ticket prices vary (look for discount)
It’s like World Series all over again (but with a bunch of different players) as the Nats host the Astros this weekend. There are games Friday and Saturday evenings (7:05pm) and Sunday afternoon (1:35pm). Check for special promos here, and plan to stay after on Sunday for Kids Run the Bases. And before you go, get some KFDC tips on doing Nats game without breaking the bank.
Soccer Spirit!
Where: Audi Field | Southwest DC
When: Sunday, 5pm
Admission: Ticket prices vary
Cheer on our local women’s pro soccer team, Washington Spirit, as they host Angel City FC at Audi Field on Sunday. Enjoy some amazing soccer play while supporting women in sports! Purchase tickets here.
Charm City Fun, Hon!
Where: Around Baltimore, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Not only is it nice to get a change of metro area scenery sometimes, Baltimore, our sister city just a 45-minute drive away, is full of fantastic, family-friendly things to do. This post has info about all of them, including big attractions, suggestions for places to eat, and neighborhoods to explore.
The Great Indoors
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Looks like rain again this weekend, so this list of over 100 activities and places to go around DC that are inside will come in handy. Some offerings at places mentioned may have changed a bit, but there are updates to reflect the current statuses. And something to note about the list: We have been to nearly every single place on it (and if we haven’t been to an actual place, like one of the roller skating rinks or indoor tennis courts, we have at least done the activity at one of the others). This is all to say the recommendations come from tried and true experience!
Exhibits to Experience
Where: Museums around DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
Wet weather is a particularly great time to check out an exhibit, and there are a bunch of great ones to experience at our local museums right now, with something for all ages. One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection is a fantastic delight! Afro-Atlantic Histories at the National Gallery of Art is educational . Kiddos can hang with Thomas and Friends at the National Children’s Museum. Laurie Anderson: The Weather at the Hirshhorn is a really cool one, best for tween ages and up. Enjoy spring flowers indoors as you immerse in Pixelbloom at ARTECHOUSE (get a glimpse here). And, of course, the rest of our Smithsonians have permanent collections that we never get tired of seeing — see links to them and loads of other museums and indoor places here.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* There are Bans Off Our Bodies rallies taking place all over the country Saturday, including here in DC (of course).
* In case you missed it, I just posted about our Spring Break trip to South Carolina — think inspo for a summer (or future) vacay.
* Jazz in the Garden is returning to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden starting May 20, but you need to reserve tickets in advance (starting May 13).
* The Kennedy Center announced its 2022-23 season.
* We caught a showing of Everything Everywhere All at Once last weekend, and it was excellent! So creative, emotional, and kind of ridiculous in the best way possible. Highly recommend (probably best for teens and older).
* 30 Trips to Plan a Year in Advance
* A great, thought-provoking post from one of my favorite blogs.
* Welcome to the middle-aged restaurant… 😂
