Beltway Bambinos

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  • Home
  • Indoor Fun
    • Theater & musical productions
    • Guide to Indoor Fun for Kids
  • Fall
    • Halloween guide
    • Fall festivals, farms, orchards
    • Fall Foliage Spots and Drives
    • Fall events
    • Fall classes
    • Fall bucket list
    • Survive Daylight Savings
  • Winter
    • Holiday gift guide
    • Holiday shows, ballets and concerts
    • Hanukkah Celebrations
    • Holiday Tea
    • Christmas Trees, Lights & Markets
    • Ski and snowboard
    • Cut-your-own tree
    • Ice rinks and roller rinks
  • Spring
    • Cherry blossoms
    • Easter egg hunts
    • Easter basket & spring gift ideas
    • Spring bucket list
    • Mother’s Day
    • Memorial Day weekend
    • Tax day steals and deals
  • Summer
    • Summer Camps
    • July 4th
    • Ice cream
    • Sunflower Fields
    • Summer bucket list
    • Live outdoor music
    • Outdoor movies
    • Outdoor swimming pools
    • Splash parks
    • Trains!
  • Camps and Classes
    • Fall classes
    • Spring classes
    • Summer camps
    • Mid-winter break camps
    • Winter camps and classes
    • November 2, 4, 5, 11
    • DCPS spring break camps
    • Schools out, camps are in
    • Year-round classes
    • Gymnastics and dance classes
  • Neighborhood Guides
    • Annapolis, MD
    • AU Park, DC
    • Baltimore, MD
    • Bethany Beach, DE
    • Breweries in the DC area
    • Brookland, DC
    • Chevy Chase, DC
    • Georgetown, DC
    • Philadelphia, PA
    • Lancaster County, PA
    • Madison, VA
    • Frederick, MD
    • St. Louis, MO
  • Outdoor Play
    • 15 family friendly hikes
    • Pick your own fruit and vegetables
    • Beaches and state parks
    • Outdoor fun
    • Trails, marshes and gardens
    • 20 classic outdoor games
    • Trains and carousels
  • Beltway Bambinos Concierge
    • Customized itineraries
    • Introducing Beltway Bambinos Concierge
  • About
  • Beltway Travel
    • Introducing Beltway Travel
    • Family Summer Getaways
    • Traveling with Little Ones?
    • Why Now is the Time to Plan
    • Travel Advisors Save You More Than Money
    • Why You Should Work with Me
    • How Do You Make Sure the Trip Has Something for Everyone?
    • DC Hotels with Indoor Pools
  • Itineraries
    • 5 Days in Costa Rica
    • {Winter} Staycation

Weekend Picks October 7-9

October 7, 2016

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My son has been waiting weeks for this (as have I)! This is the premiere weekend of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane at Imagination Stage. There are many shows throughout the weekend. Including 3 shows on Saturday (which is supposed to be a rainy day).

The White House is opening its gardens and grounds to visitors on Saturday, October 8 from 10:00am to 4:30pm, and Sunday, October 9 from 10:00am to 2:30pm.  During this event, visitors can see the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden and South Lawn of the White House.  Additionally, the White House Kitchen Garden – the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden – will be accessible to guests. This event is free and open to the public; however, a ticket is required for all attendees (including small children).  The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located near 15th and E Streets Northwest on each tour day beginning at 8:30am.  Tickets will be distributed — one ticket per person — on a first-come, first-served basis.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday St. Luke Serbian Orthodox Church will have their Annual Serbian Food and Cultural Festival. Including food, live Serbian music & dancing, vendors and children’s activities! Admission and parking are free: 10660 River Road Potomac MD 20854

Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-7:00pm Maryland Renaissance Festival will be joisting and serving up lots of turkey legs weekends through October 23.  The festival is free to children 11 and under. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment, including music, joisting, puppetry, pony rides and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate!

Saturday & Sunday Taste of DC is taking place on “America’s Main Street” Pennsylvania Avenue, Taste of DC brings together friends and families for bites, beverages, and a weekend chock-full of fun.

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(Photo: Thrillist)

Saturday & Sunday Halloween begins in our area:

11:00am-6:00pm: Eye Spy Train at Cabin John Regional Park
Looking for something fun to do this Halloween that won’t give your younger kids nightmares? Ride the “Eye Spy” Halloween Train at Cabin John Regional Park! Your kids will have fun looking for familiar friends and animals hiding in the woods and marking them off their “Eye Spy” card, while you sit back and enjoy the ride! A not-so-scary train for kids under 8. Purchase tickets online.

6:00pm-9:30pm: Wheaton Haunted Train and Creepy Carousel
If you enjoy heart-racing, adrenalin-pumping, throat-constricting Halloween activities, we have a train (and carousel) for you. Who–or WHAT?–lurks in the dark Wheaton woods as you ride the Haunted Train? And what’s that perched on the ghostly horse silently screaming next to you on the Creepy Carousel? We promise to do our very best to scare the pants (metaphorically speaking) off you. We’ll show free frightening movies, and have snacks for sale, too. Purchase tickets online.

 

Saturday-

9:30am AND 11:00am: Valerie Branch and  “The People We Meet & The People We Keep”
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW)

Valerie Branch uses contemporary dance to focus on creating and sustaining healthy relationships between peers, family members, the new people we meet, and those within our surrounding communities. Families will have an interactive performance experience as they are invited to think about solutions to problems between friends, explore body movements for self-expression, and use elements viewed in the performance to choreograph their own dance sequence based on what they believe it would take to create and sustain healthy relationships.Tickets will go on sale at 10:00am the Friday a week prior to the performance. Click on the link to reserve tickets, and review our ticketing policies. Walk up tickets are always available, if prior registration is not completed. Please arrive to the theatre 30 minute before the show to collect a walk up ticket.

10:00am-4:00pm: Peirce Mill Heritage Day
(Beach Drive and Tilden Street, NW)

Join the National Park Service and Friends of Peirce Mill as we step back in time to 1820 for Peirce Mill Heritage Day. Visitors can watch the hand-assembly of a dry stone wall, see logs hewn with an ax, and crank an old-fashioned cider press. And for your musical entertainment, a bluegrass band will play throughout the day – local musician Orrin Star. A new addition this year will be a presentation on Latino bread-making culture, with on-site preparation of tortillas using cornmeal. Spanish language tours of the mill will also be held throughout the day. Milling demonstrations take place approximately every 15 minutes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
There will be children’s hands-on arts and crafts activities, including water mill toys, corn husk doll making, cornmeal play dough, flour sacks, and Peirce Mill stamps. Free.

12:00pm-4:00pm: 21st Annual Art Safari at Torpedo Factory
(105 N. Union St. Alexandria, VA 22314)

An Alexandria tradition for more than two decades, Art Safari returns for a day of hands-on activities for kids and families. Dozens of artists lead budding arts enthusiasts in 12 hands-on projects from plein air painting to silkscreen printing. Get messy constructing a giant papier-mâché tiger or squishing clay between your fingers. The Art League and the Alexandria Archaeological Museum will offer even more engaging programming. Children should wear clothing that can get a little dirty. Most activities are appropriate for kindergarten age, with parental supervision, through middle school.

1:00pm-4:00pm: PIKEtoberfest
(11580 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda, MD 20852)
Come out for lawn games and kids activities, including a hay bale maze, face painter, giveaways and roving entertainment. Live music sponsored by AMP by Strathmore. Food for sale and sampling by Carluccio’s, City Perch, Del Frisco’s Grille, Summer House, Stella Barra and Roti. , Craft Beer tent by Owen’s Ordinary. Sidewalk Sales and special offers from Gap and Gap Kids, Francesca’s, Lucky Brand, Nike, Season’s Taproom and Yogaso Boutique. Free to attend.

 

Sunday-

10:00am-10:45am: Sunday Fun-Day at Imagination Stage
(4908 Auburn Ave Bethesda, Maryland 20814)
We invite you and your child to bring your favorite stories to life through dramatic play activities, movement, music, and visual art. Each session, you leave with a special take-home item we used or created that day, as well as a Parent Pack to extend the experience at home. Activities in Sunday Fun-Day are most appropriate to 3-5 year-olds but 1-2 year-old siblings and friends are also welcome! Featured book: Star Bellied Sneetches

Need more to do this weekend? Catch some more theatre performances.

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: art, books, culture, festival, food, heritage, nps, theatre, white house

Weekend Picks: September 23-25

September 23, 2016

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical at Adventure Theatre kicks off this weekend!

Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-7:00pm Maryland Renaissance Festival will be joisting and serving up lots of turkey legs weekends through October 23.  The festival is free to children 11 and under. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment, including music, joisting, puppetry, pony rides and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate!

It’s here– the Grand Opening Weekend of the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Check out the link for all of the details.

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Saturday-
Museum Day Live!
thanks to Smithsonian Magazine. Museums who typically charge admission, are free today.

8:30am-10:00pm: National Book Festival
(Washington Convention Center)
Calling ALL bookworms, this event is for you. Fun for everyone, you can attend signings, Q+A’s, read-alongs and so much more. Make sure to check out the Children’s Guide.
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: airplanes, airshow, art, crafts, festival, garden, Maryland Renaissance Festival, museum, national book festival, rosh hashanah, stories, theatre, turkish, yoga

Weekend Picks September 9-11

September 9, 2016

Saturday and Sunday The Kensington Train Show with model trains, live music and kids activities chugs into Kensington! The event is a benefit for the Noyes Children’s Library Foundation and the Kensington Historical Society. Admission is $5 Adults; $2 Kids; $10 Family and the hours are 11:00am-5:00pm. This annual train show is located at Kensington Town Hall, 3710 Mitchell St., in Kensington, Maryland.

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Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-7:00pm Maryland Renaissance Festival will be joisting and serving up lots of turkey legs weekends through October 23.  The festival is free to children 11 and under. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment, including music, joisting, puppetry, pony rides and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate!

Saturday-

10:00am-3:00pm: Family Day at President Lincoln’s Cottage
(140 Rock Creek Church Road NW, Washington DC 20011)
Join us for a field day inspired by the Lincoln family and their life at Soldiers’ Home. Activities for all ages included in this FREE event including a petting zoo, pony rides, arts and crafts (including a top hat station and card making for veterans), food vendors and picnic grounds, live music, and a Civil War encampment featuring reenactors of the Pennsylvania Bucktail Soldiers from Lincoln’s Presidential Guard.
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: festival, jazz, Maryland Renaissance Festival, movie, music, parks, pawpaw, train

Weekend Picks and Labor Day 2016 in and around Washington, DC

September 1, 2016

We survived the first two weeks of school. How’d everyone else do? Here’s a list of quick day and overnight trips, festivals, parades in addition to some Weekend Picks.

Labor Day is the official end to summer but that doesn’t mean the fun in the City stops. Refer to our Summer Guide for places to cool off at this weekend.

46th Annual Labor Day Art Show at Glen Echo is September 2-5.The 46th Annual Labor Day Art Show features more than 200 artists from the greater Washington, DC area and over 450 works of art including photography, painting, ceramics, jewelry, glass, textiles, and more. Free admission.

15th Annual Page-to-Stage New Play Festival at Kennedy Center is Saturday-Monday. The Kennedy Center hosts more than 50 D.C.-area theater companies in a series of free readings and open rehearsals of plays and musicals being developed by local, regional, and national playwrights, librettists, and composers.

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Here’s a short list of quick day or overnight trips for your holiday weekend-

Shenandoah National Park

North Shore Beach

Harpers Ferry

Luray Caverns

Baltimore
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Holiday Options Tagged: festival, Labor Day, music, parade

Weekend Picks August 27-28

August 26, 2016

My all-time favorite (I think) pick is here! Don’t judge if you’ve never been. Been there, done that and headed back in a few weeks! Maryland Renaissance Festival will be joisting and serving up lots of turkey legs weekends through October 23. The festival is free to children 6 and under. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment for you and the kids, including music, joisting, life-sized maze for kids to run through, huge playground, puppetry, pony rides, music, shows and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight (or rent a costume there) and come participate!

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Saturday-

9:30am AND 10:30am: Harambee at Bloombars
(3222 11th St NW)
Five years and more than 700 shows later, Harambee @BloomBars has become a Washington DC institution and a cultural/moral compass for thousands of parents and youth. In Swahili, Harambe means “All pull together.” At BloomBars, Harambe is the practice of hope, possibility and compassion – basically, all the things that happen when we all come together.
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: festival, Maryland Renaissance Festival, music, renai, theatre, yoga

Weekend Picks June 10-12

June 10, 2016

Celebrate Fairfax is Northern Virginia’s largest community-wide celebration and will take place June 10-12, 2016 at the Fairfax County Government Center. The 25-acre site was magically filled with fascinating sights and sounds of more than 300 exhibitors, food vendors, and interactive activities. Celebrate Fairfax! showcases live concerts on eight stages, Innovation Health Children’s Avenue, a petting zoo, the Fairfax County Karaoke Championship, carnival rides, and great festival foods. Another fun free activity for kids is the Fairfax Express Trackless Train Ride and nightly fireworks.

Also worth checking out is the Lake Anne Chalk Festival, happening Saturday & Sunday.

The weekend is supposed to be sunny and hot. Cool down at  a splash park, water park or pool!

Washington Nationals take on the Phillies with day games on Saturday and Sunday!

 

Friday-

5:00pm-8:30pm: Jazz in the Sculpture Gardenth-1
(7th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW)
The Jazz in the Garden Series begins its 15th season in May. The free concert series features jazz artists performing a wide variety of styles—salsa, blues fusion, xylophone, Afrofunk, and more—every Friday evening from 5:00 to 8:30 in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. You can purchase food and adult beverages or bring your own picnic (but no adult bevvies are allowed in).
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: art, baseball, chalk, festival, movies, music, outside, pool, splashpark, strawberry, theatre, waterpark, zoo

Weekend Picks

May 13, 2016

It’s a big weekend! Sadly, you may need to keep those umbrellas and raincoats handy. Two great festivals that are sure to satisfy your stomach with the great food these two cultures bring-  St. Luke Serbian Festival and Saint Sophia Greek Festival.

Saturday-

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10:00am-4:00pm: Family & Youth Casting Call at Fletcher’s Cove
(4940 Canal Road NW, Washington DC 20007)
The Family & Youth Casting Call is a FREE family fishing and environmental education event at Fletcher’s Cove. Anglers will learn basic fishing skills while fishing in a stocked section of the C & O canal and practice catch and release fishing. Partnering community organizations will share information on their programs and provide environmental education activities for the kids. All equipment and bait provided by DOEE. Youth must be accompanied by parents. This is a free event and all equipment and bait provided by DOEE.
[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: birthday, embassy, Farm, festival, fishing, havdalah, inova loudoun, penn quarter, songs, spring, spring fest, stories, taste of arlington, walking tour

Weekend Picks

December 4, 2015

Experience the Mall Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, to celebrate the season with Smithsonian. We’ve got special events galore to help you get in the holiday spirit, including musical performances, book signings, trunk shows, activities for kids, and more!  Participating museums include: National Museum of American History, National Museum of Air and Space, National Museum of Natural History, Freer Gallery of Art and Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of African American Art, National Postal Museum, and The Smithsonian Castle. Hours are 10:30am-5:30pm and the Holiday Festival is free.

This weekend Baltimore will be having Dollar or Less Days. Many of your favorite spots will only be $1 for admission. Get there early as lines will be long but they’ll move fast. Check the above link for participating places. See our post on Baltimore for ideas of other places to go.

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Ice! Featuring Santa Claus is Coming to Town is still going on at The Gaylord National Harbor. Guests can walk-through holiday attraction, kept at a chilly 9 degrees, marvel at two million pounds of hand-carved ice sculpture, have fun on five ice slides, walk and see the 7 individual rooms depicting the story of Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and see The Frostbite Factory – a live carving zone.

Home Sweet Home Gingerbread  Workshop at National Building Museum is Saturday and Sunday. Get in the holiday spirit and construct a gingerbread house at the National Building Museum. Participants will learn how to use gingerbread walls and royal icing to build a house. We’ll provide the supplies and treats to make your gingerbread home as sweet as can be. Register online!

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‘Tis the Circus! A Holiday Party on High presented by Sweet Spot Aerial Productions at Atlas Performing Arts Friday-Sunday. The holidays can be a circus – quite literally, at this holiday party! As the guests arrive, one couple’s living room is transformed as acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and other performers dazzle with spectacular routines celebrating the magic of the holiday season. Fun for the whole family – prepare to be delighted, amazed and inspired. A unique and new holiday tradition. All ages. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: A Lump of Coal for Christmas, art, bethesda, books, Christmas, circus, crafts, Ellipse, festival, hanukkah, holiday, ice, Imagination Stage, italian, little loft, Mr. Gabe, music, national theatre, pajama, sing-along, smithsonian

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