Beltway Bambinos

(re) discover Washington DC through the eyes of your children

DC Family Weekend Fun Guide

Can’t make the trek to Legoland? No problem! A LEGO Discovery Center just opened in Springfield, VA. This indoor center focuses on building with legos perfect for kids ages 3-11.

Celebrate the last weekend of peach picking at Great Country Farm is having the final weekend of Peach Fuzztival!  Enjoy peaches in great food and drink at this full collaboration between Bluemont Vineyard, Dirt Farm Brewing, Henway Hard Cider, and Great Country Farms, all located in Bluemont, VA.

Friday

7:00pm-11:00pm: Smithsonian Nighttime Adventures at the Natural History Museum
The crowds are gone, and the doors have closed. Finally, one of the world’s most popular museums is your playground until nearly midnight! Join fellow adventurers at one of the world’s most visited museum as the doors close, the lights dim, and the crowds shuffle out for the day. Wander through the Fossil Hall, where dinosaurs cast giant shadows. Learn about Earth’s past, discover the ocean’s aquatic wonders, blast off to the moon, visit pollinators, and walk softly past mysterious mammals. Participate in games and challenges, immerse yourself in hand-on crafts and even learn how to eat like a T-rex while playing The Game of Survival. This program is for children ages 8 to 14 years old, accompanied by their adult chaperones (21 or older).

7:00pm: Planet Word JokeFest! An Open Mic Night Moderated by Pros
Prepare to be entertained and delighted as Planet Word presents our First Annual JokeFest Open Mic Night. Get ready to witness an uproarious celebration of language, wit, and jokes like never before! Our talented lineup of professional comedians will have you engaged with their clever wordplay, hilarious anecdotes, and side-splitting punchlines. Don’t forget, this is an open mic event, so if you’ve always wanted to try your hand at stand-up comedy, now is your chance. Share your jokes, tickle our funny bones, and bring the house down with your unique comedic stylings.

7:00pm: Friday Night Concert Series
The free Capitol Riverfront Friday Night Concert Series is back on the Yards Park boardwalk! Every Friday night this summer, come to Yards Park to relax and enjoy the river view, fantastic bands, food and beverage, and a large variety of great restaurants within a few minutes walk from the park. Family-friendly lyrics and grassy open space make this an enjoyable event for adults and kids alike.

Saturday

9:00am-8:00pm: National Book Festival
The event is free and open to the public. A selection of programs will be livestreamed online and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the Festival. Attendees may expect enhanced safety and security measures when entering the Convention Center.

10:00am-11:30am: Train Your Brain Project: Saturday Academy Col-Laboratory!
Train Your Brain Project presents…Saturday Academy Col-Laboratory. We are the passport to FUN for the weekend! Jumpstart your child’s day for amazing, snaps, crackles, and pops! The Collaboratory promotes a joyful environment for a diverse group of learners ages 3.5 – 10.

10:30am-11:30am: Summer Saturdays: Nature Detectives at Tudor Place
Intrepid explorers will create their own Nature Detective field journal and venture into the Tudor Place garden with a magnifying glass to uncover it’s secrets. Summer Saturdays is best enjoyed by young learners ages four to eight and their adults. This is not a drop-off program.

11:00am-12:00pm: Ice Cream Making Demonstration at Pierce Mill
Come learn about making old-fashioned ice cream, made famous by Dolly Madison, Quaker friend of Betsy Peirce. Watch the ingredients being poured into the dasher, learn about the brine that freezes the cream, and take a turn cranking the handle to make old fashioned ice cream. A historic recipe by Thomas Jefferson with modern adaptation will be available to take away. After the demonstration, we’ll have free ice cream treats for the kids!

11:00am-11:00pm: National Museum of African American History & Culture Hip-Hop Block Party
This year’s celebration will honor 50 years of hip-hop’s artistry, innovation and global transcendence — recognizing the culture and music that has been originated and shaped by Black America for decades.

11:30am-1:30pm (ages 5-8) OR 2:30pm-4:30pm (ages 9-12): The Phillips Plays with Photography: Creating Mood
Join to investigate materials, methods, and ideas in art. Families will explore the special exhibition, noting how Frank Stewart creates mood in his photographs. In the studio, families will play with light and shadow in digital photography to tell a moody story. $16, free for Phillips members and children. Reservations required, includes general admission.

County & Agriculture Fairs: Howard County, Montgomery County, Prince William County

Cool down at some splash parks– a few are listed below:
The Wharf: 999 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20024
Color Burst Park: 6000 Merriweather Dr, Columbia, MD 21044
The Yards: 355 Water St SE, Washington, DC 20003

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Treats worth the hype — What’s new from Milk Bar – Summer 2023:

  • Strawberry Corn Cake (available online and at bakeries until 9/18): They slather buttery, sweet corn cake – think the best cornbread you’ve ever had – with layers of bright strawberry jam and crunchy bits of corn crumb. We top these flavored-filled layers off with a coating of strawberry speckled buttermilk frosting and more corn crumbs to give one last wink of flavor.  Also available in bite-sized truffle form! 
  • Toasted Marshmallow Sundae (at bakeries only until 9/18): In this textural trifecta we celebrate the best part of a s’more, starting with a base of classic, lightly vanilla marshmallow flavor and caramelizing it for a richer, more deeply summer vibe. We top that with a thick drizzle of marshmallow goo and a ring of tiny toasted marshmallows for campfire crunch.
  • What’s new in grocery stores: Strawberry Pie Ice Cream pints, packed with strawberry-flavored ice cream with pie crust and strawberry swirls are available starting this month for a limited time on GoPuff and at local grocery stores near you. 

DC Family Weekend Fun Guide

Saturday Crafternoon at Red Panda Art Studio

Looks like a fairly dry weekend, thankfully. Time to get out and enjoy some spring activities. The Flower Mart’s are a family favorite of ours; both have children’s areas with rides and games.

All weekend long

Azalea Festival at Landon
Friday: 10am – 5pm & Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 5pm
You don’t want to miss this! There is no cost to enter and parking is free. Funland wristbands are $50/day, for purchase at Funland Ticket Booths. Outside food and beverages are not permitted. Funland Friday hours: Noon – 4 p.m.

Flower Mart at the National Cathedral
Friday: 10am – 6pm & Saturday: 10am – 5pm
All Hallows Guild has hosted Flower Mart since 1939. Purchase flowers, shop at booths, ride the carousel, and take the kids to the Children’s Area with a huge array of games and carnival rides. There is also free entertainment throughout the days.

Revolutionary War Weekend at Mount Vernon
Saturday: 9:00am – 5:00pm & Sunday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Step back in time at Mount Vernon’s Revolutionary War Weekend.

Friday

6:30pm-11:30pm: Drive-in at Union Market: The Karate Kid
Let’s roll down the windows, feel that warm breeze and turn up the radio because the 11th Annual Drive-In at Union Market is back. A DC “must-do,” the series of eight movies launches April 7, and will continue on the first and third Friday of every month through July 21st.

Saturday

10:00am-12:30pm: Acton Children’s Business Fair
Head to the outdoor market with over 80 young entrepreneurs ages 6 to 14! Shop rainbow bookmarks, chocolate art, colorful quicksand, origami earrings, handmade cards, and more! Fun for the whole family and free to attend! Location: 1521 20th Street NW in Dupont Circle. Rain date Saturday, May 13

10:00am-4:30pm: Around the World Embassy Tour
Participants can travel the world as they experience the food, art, dance, fashion and music of different countries. In the past, visitors have been treated to karate demonstrations, sari wrapping lessons, dance performances and more!

10:00am-3:00pm: Spring Farm Day Frying Pan Farm
Family fun on the farm!  See what life is like on the farm with real sheep shearing and antique farm equipment demonstrations. Get hands-on and try milking cows and goats. Enjoy crafts, games, and get an up-close introduction to the baby farm animals. One wagon ride included with each paid admission. Cost is $10 per person age 2 and older before May 6th. Walk-ins welcome, $12 at the door on the day of the event.

11:00am: Family Fun at House of Sweden
Get creative and join us for drop-in workshops in arts & crafts. Our weekend guides will lead children ages 2-10 in expressing themselves through art! Attendees are set up with everything they need to participate free of charge. No registration is required.

2:00pm-5:00pm: Running of the Chihuahas
This free event features the iconic Chihuahua races, Pacifico Beer Garden, pet photo booth, adoptable pet parade, all-breed dog costume contest, and more!

3:00pm-7:00pm: NMAA × SAMASAMA Art Market
NMAA is celebrating its 100th anniversary and honoring Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage/History Month with an outdoor market curated by SAMASAMA. The market will be on the plaza and will feature local AANHPI artists and friends. Meet and shop with the creators and learn about their processes that contribute to the beautiful multicultural landscape of our diaspora community. Artworks will be available for purchase. Come and support the talented artists of Washington, DC.

3:30pm-5:30pm: Saturday Crafternoon at Red Panda Art Studio: Cookie Decorating!
May is a month of celebrations! Join us to try out a different form of cookie decorating: cookie painting! Participants paint a half-dozen custom flower cookies using food gel and edible glitter to make one-of-a-kind cookie masterpieces to gift to all the special people in their lives! Cookies provided by Maribeth’s Bakery. Participants make custom cookie boxes and cards to go along with their edible creations! Workshop is designed for ages 5+. Drop-off encouraged.

Sunday

9:30am-5:00pm: International Family Equality Day at the Zoo
Celebrate the beauty and importance of family diversity with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Visitors will have the chance to attend keeper talks and see animal demonstrations. This event is free. Entry passes to the Zoo are required.

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Friday
4:30pm-8:00pm: Geoff the Magician at The Lane
What better way to spend a Friday night then having the kiddos watch a great magician and get tired on the bounce house, while you enjoy one of the last nice weekends before winter with an adult beverage.

Saturday
10:00am-12:00pm: Cherry Blossom Festival Parade
The Nation’s Springtime Parade is returning to Constitution Avenue. Grand colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, celebrity entertainers, and performers burst down the Parade route in a spectacle of music and showmanship celebrating spring in Washington, DC.

10:00am-2:00pm: Soar Together at Air and Space On Site Family Day: All About Rockets
How do rockets work? What are they used for? Why are they designed the way they are? Get the answer to all of these questions as we explore rockets and the important role they play in spaceflight and exploration. Join a hands-on day of fun for all ages during this Family Day at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

10:00am-3:00pm: Horse Expo at Frying Pan Farm Park
Come to the first-ever horse expo at Frying Pan Farm Park! This event is for experienced riders as well as people who are new to the world of horses. There will be food trucks, speakers, demonstrations, and businesses that sell horse-related products and services.

11:00am-2:00pm: Herring Heroes Obstacle Course at Pierce Mill
The herring are back, and so is this fun family event! Each spring, these mighty fish travel upstream from the Chesapeake Bay to Rock Creek, where they lay their eggs. Come learn about the spring herring migration, and see if you’re as strong as a fish! Can you swim up imaginary rapids and find your way on a Rock Creek balance beam? Go up the fish ladder, and carry an egg on a spoon? After you’ve completed the obstacle course, look for herring swimming past Peirce Mill! This outdoor event is FREE, no registration required. Rain date: April 16

1:00pm-3:00pm: Georgetown Scavenger Hunt
Explore some of Georgetown’s most cherished wonders and overlooked gems by solving clever clues during a fun scavenger hunt adventure!

2:00pm-9:00pm: Celebrate 2023 DC Emancipation Day
Join Mayor Bowser for a celebration of DC Emancipation Day with a parade, a DC Statehood Foodtruck-palooza, a concert, and fireworks!

Sunday
9:30am-11:00am: Earth-day inspired workshop at Red Panda Art Studio
Join for a special weekend workshop designed specifically for ages 18 months to 5! Class includes sensory stations, a group story, and a guided project inspired by our wonderful Planet, Earth! There will be a focus on using natural and recyclable materials. Please feel free to bring along any extra bottle caps or paper towel roll tubes you may have around. Drop-off optional for ages 3.5+. Caregivers welcome to stay!

11:30am-1:30pm: Open studio at Red Panda Art Studio
Join for an open studio experience! There will be a few selected inspiration idea stations set-up and you can use your imagination to fill in the rest! Workshop is designed for ages 5+. Drop-off recommended. Workshop includes a pizza lunch.

Plan ahead:
Aladdin Family Night at The National : April 26 only
Your wish is granted with special activities including Aladdin’s Wall of Wishes and coloring take home fun packs. The theatre will be opening one hour earlier than other performances for special activities exclusive to April 26 beginning at 5:30.

 
 

DC Family Weekend Fun Guide

Happy holidays to those who celebrate; it’s a busy weekend with Passover & Easter! Easter egg hunts and festivals can be found here for those looking for more hunts.

We’ve got a great list of 16+ ways to spend Spring Break. If you are staying local and need some ideas check out this post.

Friday
6:30pm-11:30pm: Drive in at Union Market: Wall-E
Let’s roll down the windows, feel that warm breeze and turn up the radio because the 11th Annual Drive-In at Union Market is back. A DC “must-do,” the series of eight movies launches April 7, and will continue on the first and third Friday of every month through July 21st.

Saturday
10:30am-12:30pm: Bunny Hop Parade
Put on your spring bonnet or bunny ears and join us to gather eggs, make crafts, play games, do yoga with Kaydee Dahlin, take selfies with the Bunny, and enjoy treats at Stead Park, 1625 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.

12:00pm-8:00pm: DC Beer Fest
DC’s largest beer festival, featuring over 80 breweries, food trucks, bands, dueling pianos, and much more, throughout Nats Park.

1:00 to 3:00pm: Free the Trees in Westmoreland Park
Join Little Falls Watershed Alliance this Saturday to help save trees!  You will be removing non-native invasives vines, shrubs and ground covers that are crowding out the native plants that our native birds and butterflies need to survive.  This is a great activity for kids ages 8 and up as well as for adults. Kids under 14 must be accompanied by a supervising adult.

1:00pm-9:00pm: Petalpalooza at Capitol Riverfront at The Yards
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is taking over 400,000 square feet of the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood with a full day of live music and engaging activities! This day-long, all-ages celebration brings art, music, and play to multiple outdoor stages, interactive art installations, a cashless beverage garden, family-friendly hands-on activities, roaming entertainers, and more, all along the banks of the Anacostia River. The evening is capped by the dazzling choreographed Official National Cherry Blossom Festival Fireworks Show set to music from 8:30 – 8:45 PM. The fireworks display may be viewed from all locations throughout the event as well as from Anacostia Park across the River.

1:00pm & 4:00pm: Hula-Hoopin Queen at Imagination Stage
Kameeka is confident that today she will finally beat her rival, Jamara, and become the Hula-Hoopin’ Queen of 139th Street in Harlem. But she has to prepare for Miz Adeline’s birthday party, and almost ruins the day. Until Miz Adeline confesses that she’s also got the itch–the hula-hoopin’ itch! Her fingers start snappin’. Her hips start swingin’. Soon everyone’s hips are swinging as the party spills out onto the street.

Sunday
River Island and RiverRun are two exhibits and festivals happening at The Kennedy Center. River Island is an immersive environment created by award-winning author and illustrator Edwin Fontánez, visitors can enter the lush landscapes of Puerto Rico, an island with more than 220 rivers. River Island features a bilingual play space for children and a fanciful recreation of a traditional dwelling perfect for a photo op.RiverRun will carve an artistic path through the stages, grand halls, and terraces of the Kennedy Center as well as the studios and green spaces of the REACH—which links the Center to its own river, the Potomac.

Weekend picks in and around Washington, DC

Easter is coming up and that means lots of egg hunts and festivities!

There are many places to see cherry blossoms still but time is dwindling so check out our favorite spots.

Baseball season has begun and our Washington Nationals are home this weekend!!

Saturday & Sunday

White House Garden Tour
Timed tickets are required to take the White House Garden Tour. Tickets are free and distributed same day. The tickets specify a time on the hour or half hour to enter the grounds for your tour. Free timed tickets will be distributed from a tent outside the White House Visitor Center at 8:30am each day. All attendees, regardless of age, must have a ticket

The Hula-Hoopin Queen is at Imagination Stage until April 8 and you wont’ want to miss it. It is a darling show and will leave you wanting to brush off your hula-hoop and give it a twirl.

Saturday

9:00am-1:00pm: Pink in the Pool
Join this free, pink-themed splash at the Long Bridge Park Aquatics and Fitness Center. Throw around a beach ball with your kids, enjoy face painting and craft making activities, and share a tasty treat from Kona Ica. There’s no better place to bring your family to kick off the Spring season. Later in the day, parents can continue the fun at Pink in the Park, a pink-themed festival with exciting music and entertainment, an assortment of beer and wine, and a range of food truck options.

10:00am-5:00pm: Weekend of Word Play at Planet Word
Join Planet Word as we celebrate a Weekend of Wordplay in conjunction with the North American School Scrabble Championship. Visitors will be invited to drop-in for a day of activities in Lexicon Lane. There will be Scrabble tactics and demonstrations throughout the day and hands-on wordplay game exploration with our friends from Labyrinth Games & Puzzles. Join Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak, in the Friedman Family Auditorium for “A Brief History of Scrabble” and a book reading with Q&A. If you feel inspired to bring home your own wordplay games that day, our gift shop, Present Perfect, will feature a Hasbro Game Display.

10:00am-3:00pm: Japanese Culture Day at the Library of Congress
Celebrate Japanese Culture Day at the Library of Congress! Children of all ages, families and teachers can learn about Japanese culture through reading, writing and craft-making with Japanese cultural and linguistic professionals during the Library’s Japanese Culture Day. Collection items related to cherry blossoms and Japanese culture will also be on display.

10:30-4:00pm: First Saturday program at the National Gallery of Art
This new monthly program takes a lot of the popular elements of National Gallery Nights and offers them in a daytime setting. A daylong festival of artmaking, kids’ films, a pop-up library, PLUS a lecture and book signing with Hilton Carter and film and discussion with director Jem Cohen

12:00pm-8:00pm: The Lane turns 1!
Join the celebration for live entertainment from Geoff the Magician, bumper-car fun with our friends at WOW Wheels, fun treats by Simply Pleasures & more!

2:00pm-9:00pm: Bloomaroo at the Wharf
The free spring extravaganza features a full day of cherry blossom-themed art, music, fireworks, and family-friendly fun along the waterfront! Enjoy beer gardens on District pier, s’mores at our firepit, and live music. We’ll cap it all off with our blossom fireworks finale.

2:00pm & 4:00pm: This is the Rope 
The Kennedy Center will welcome beloved Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson with the National Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of This is the Rope. Jackie will narrate her book on stage as the NSO plays new music to accompany the story and the book’s illustrations project overhead. Jackie tells the story of the Great Migration through the lens of her own family’s history. It’s heartwarming and nostalgic, but still so relatable for younger audiences. The Kennedy Center is offering a Family Four Pack (buy two tickets, get two free) for This is Rope; discount will be applied at checkout automatically.

Sunday

10:00am-5:30pm: Cherokee Days Festival
The three federally recognized Cherokee tribes—Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians—showcase the shared history and cultural lifeways of the Cherokee people through storytelling, traditional flute music, weaponry, woodcarving, beadwork, traditional games, basket weaving, pottery demonstrations, and music and dance performances. 

11:00am-7:00pm: Sakura Sunday
There will be a wide array of free cultural activities including an artisanal Japanese marketplace, cultural performances, culinary delights, a sake and beer garden and more!

11:00am-3:00pm: NoMa in Bloom Festival Day
In collaboration with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and in partnership with Lyft, The NoMa BID will host a day filled with kite flying and kite making, local DJ Mathias Broohm, face-painting and delicious food! Chalk Riot will be creating a unique blossom-themed chalk mural , and Neighbors DC will be back this year, curating a pop-up market, comprised of local artisans, sponsored generously by Lyft. PLUS be sure to stop by Eckington Hall (just around the corner from Alethia Tanner Park) 11am-7pm to check out En Flor; a co-produced exhibit celebrating the work of Latinx artists in the DMV!

12:00pm-4:00pm: STEM Expo
Geared toward 5th through 12th grade students, this free event inspires and empowers students interested in science, technology, engineering and math careers. Students and parents are invited to enjoy interactive STEM workshops, hands-on demonstrations, STEM career information, networking opportunities and more.

Plan ahead
The Yards’ Cherry Blossom Bash is this coming Wednesday! Guests can enjoy unique cherry blossom themed pop-ups and interactive experiences all around The Yards, including watercoloring, Japanese whiskey tasting, and ice cream sundae making.

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