Happy Weekend!
Go-to posts for ongoing and seasonal activities:
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* Swim Spots
* Local Hikes with Kids
* On the Water
* Indoor Outings
* Bike Rides
* Peaceful Places
* Baltimore with Kids
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. Catch an outdoor concert or movie under the stars. Enjoy some water fun at an outdoor pool, sprayground, or water park. Check out a special seasonal exhibit. Do some crabbing (the feasting kind). Take a spin on a carousel or mini train, and so much more. See the 2021 KFDC Guide to Summer Around the DC Area for the full scoop on these and even more summer favorites.
Drive-In, in NoVa
Where: Alexandria Drive-In Theater | Alexandria, VA
When: Friday & Saturday, 8pm
Admission: $40/car
Catch a flick from the comfort of your car! See The Greatest Showman on Friday night and Trolls on Saturday. Food trucks will be there both nights offering savory and sweet concessions with online ordering through Goodfynd. Purchase movie tickets in advance! And for more movies under the stars, the KFDC Summer Guide has details on what’s playing where.
Summer Block Party: Inside Out
Where: National Building Museum | Judiciary Square, DC
When: Starting Saturday through Labor Day
Admission:
It’s not quite as big as previous years, but the National Building Museum’s Summer Block Party is back for the season! This year’s exhibition is very family-friendly, featuring a handful of smaller projects and programs both in the museum and on the West Lawn that are better for the early post-pandemic era of smaller gatherings and social distancing aptly titled Inside Out, the Block Party includes Maze of Knowledge, a wooden maze filled with books; a hand-built cathedral truss; interactive art; outdoor films; and more! And for memories’ sake, have a look at some of the past Summer Block Parties: The Big Maze, The Beach, Icebergs, Hive, Fun House, Lawn. (Whew! I’ve been at this a long time.)
Adventure in the Trees
Where: Adventure Park at Sandy Spring | Sandy Spring, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by age
There are a few spots still open at the Adventure Park this weekend. Kids as young five years old can experience thrills on the ropes courses and zip lines in the park’s aerial adventure forest, the largest in North America. Children ages 5-6 with an adult have access to two of the easier courses. Older kids can do much more. It may seem like a pricey venture, but it’s so worth it. Trust me. Read more about the park in this new post and this ones from several years back. And if you can’t get in this weekend, reserve ahead for another time.
Take a Dip
Where: Around the area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
As temps rise over the weekend, this round-up of non-pool places to swim around the area will be useful. Find beaches on the Bay (and even Atlantic), lakes and rivers, and swimming holes and creeks — all that welcome the public to take a dip!
Millennium Stage: Jalsa (Remixed)
Where: Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Friday, 5:30pm & Saturday, 10am
Admission: Free
This weekend’s Millennium Stage os presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. Register in advance and enjoy celebratory sounds, storytelling, and dance affirming the creativity, joy, and resilience of Global South diaspora and BIPOC communities in the DMV. Plan to visit Victura Park while you’re there. The pop-up wine garden and cafe on the grounds of The REACH is a great place to hang out and enjoy a nice day.
Community Pride
Where: Arlington Arts Center | Arlington, VA
When: Saturday, 12-5pm
Admission: Free
Join a family-friendly day of celebrating LGBTIA+ community, artists, and contemporary art at Arlington Arts Center. Outdoors, they’ll host art-making activities all day, music by DJ Natty Boom 12-3pm, and readings by Citrine from Drag Queen Story Hour at 3pm and 4pm. Summer exhibitions will be on view inside for guests to explore througout eight galleries.
Good Kid-izens: Global Passport
Where: Color Burst Park | Columbia, MD
When: Saturday, 10am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Calling all Good Kid-izens! You’re invited to a summer long series of fun and learning at Color Burst Park. Join every other Saturday to celebrate inclusion, diversity and education. This weekend, travel the globe with reading, crafts, games and more. Good Kid-izens will go on a journey around the world to explore new and diverse cultures. Register in advance.
Beachy Keen
Where: Several destinations in Maryland
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Do something quintessentially summer and hit the beach! You don’t have to go all the way to the ocean — there is sand and surf (and shark tooth hunting, in some places) within day trip distance from DC! Head a bit past Annapolis to Sandy Point, go to one of several spots in Calvert County, or make fossil hunting your main focus at the Purse Area in Charles, County. See the 2021 Guide to Summer in DC for details and links on all of these beaches.
Fossil Hunters
Where: Calvert and Charles Counties, MD
When: Ongoing
Admission: Varies by place
Mentioned above, there are several spots that are a day trip-distance drive away from DC, where you can search for shark teeth and other remnants from the Miocene and Paleocene eras. Play paleontologist and spend a day at one of them… I can assure you from lots of experience it’s a fun and fascinating (those fossils are millions of years old!) activity. Beware that you might encounter crowds — this post is one of the most popular on KFDC if that’s any indication — so have a Plan B just in case.
Walks in the Woods
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by place
It’s always a good time to get out for a hike. Rambling along a trail is great for some family bonding and enjoy active time outdoors. On a warmer weekend, places with shade will be good to seek out. Some specific recs: Turkey Run Park in McLean, VA; Prince William Forest in Triangle, VA; Rock Creek Park in DC (note: post is about Peirce Mill, but includes info on a nice hike from there); and Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean, VA.
Hey All You Cool Cats & Kittens
Where: Crumbs & Whiskers | Georgetown, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 8pm
Admission: Starts at $20/30 minutes
Crumbs & Whiskers’ cafe in Georgetown is officially reopening from the pandemic on Saturday. For the first time in more than a year, cat and kitten lovers will be able to cuddle, Instagram, and, if they choose, even adopt the purrfect pet. Plus, there’s coffee and snacks too! Up to 25 kittens — all of them previously at risk of euthanasia — will once again happily frolic with their human guests in Crumbs & Whiskers’ comfy lounge at 3109 M Street NW. It will be open from 11am – 7:30pm on weekdays (closed on Tuesdays) and 11am – 8pm Friday – Sunday with a post-COVID max capacity of 16 people. Masks are required.
Fun at Fairfax Parks
Where: Parks in 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. Join a Campfire Friday at Lake Accotink Park. Explore Nature in the Animated World at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. Visit historic Colvin Run Mill to learn about the milling process. Get more details on these activities and see what else is going on here.
Sensory Sunday
Where: Agricultural History Farm Park | Derwood, MD
When: Sunday, 12-2pm
Admission: Free
All ages are welcome to join Montgomery Parks for a special time on the Farm that will engage- but not overstimulate- all of the senses! Meet resident livestock, explore the gardens, and revel in the tranquility of a morning on the farm.
Out & About
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
The round-up of the Best Places in the DC Ares to Enjoy a Beautiful Day Outdoors with the Kids is a very bookmark-worthy post, highlighting a variety of spots to hang and be active outside. Even more, every single listing includes a description based on our actual experiences at them!
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* There’s a new round-up of 10 Outdoor “Lawn” Games for Extra Summer Fun!
* And this one with summertime must-haves for little ones has some excellent recs.
* Wolf Trap is presenting Children’s Performances at the Filene Center this summer — reserve tickets for July shows now!
* The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which is virtual again this year, begins this weekend.
* Bobby McKee’s, the dueling piano venue at National Harbor, has a family day show coming up on July 17. Tickets go fast, so reserve yours soon.
* Tea Collection currently has a big summer sale going on.
* Washington Post recommends 20 Books to Read this Summer (Would love to get reader recommendations, too!)
* Such a moving Humans of New York post — and an awesome follow-up.