Beltway Bambinos

I love that I have friends who have busy lives; juggling work and a family (and so much more) but still find the time to help me out. Thanks to my friend Patricia for her review and recommendation on all that the Smithsonian National Zoo has to offer for families as well as a date night option.

Patricia Masi works as Director for Edible DC and has two beautiful children whom she takes on lots of fun adventures in the DMV area. You can find her other Guest Post here.

Join the thousands of visitors who make ZooLights, powered by Pepco, a part of their annual holiday tradition. A free event, ZooLights includes live music performances, tasty winter treats and plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping. More than 500,000 environmentally friendly LED lights transform the Zoo into a winter wonderland! New this year: enjoy dozens of large, glowing animal lanterns and stroll through thousands of reflecting lights as part of the interactive ⁠— and highly Instagrammable — art exhibit called “Entre Les Rangs.” Member week takes place Dec. 1 through Dec. 8. During Member Week, FONZ members will have benefits to take advantage of.

The Smithsonian National Zoo can do no wrong with my family. I have two daughters ages two and four and we visit the zoo year round. From the pandas to the zebras and everything in between there is something there for everyone. While we come year round it is the special events that we never miss!

Just a few weeks ago we attended Boo at the Zoo and the kids had a blast! While there weren’t a ton of animals to see you still felt their presence. Kids were able to trick-or-treat in costume, enjoy the festive decorations, listen to music and watch a juggler work his magic. Tickets are not free of course but the entertainment and memories alone are worth the price of admission. We look forward to going back every year!

One last thing I will mention- if you love the Zoo and want a fun date night, check-out ZooFari; a fundraiser you can really sink your teeth into. With more than 100 of the area’s top restaurants it will be a delicious evening of gourmet food, fine wines, and celebrity chefs all in the wild setting of the National Zoo.