Maryland Renaissance Festival Archives

Fall Festivals and Orchards in and around Washington, DC

September 23, 2018

It’s that time of year! School is in full swing, crisp winds begin, fun fall outfits, PSL’s and jumping in leaves once all this rain ends. It also means making memories at apple orchards, festivals and picking pumpkins. We’ve created a short list of the closest places to take your Bambinos. Have a favorite place to add to our list? Let us know in the comments!

Butlers Orchard 37th Annual Pumpkin Festival (22200 Davis Mill Rd, Germantown, MD 20876)
Dates of the Festival: September 29, 30, October 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 & 28
Spider web, twisted pumpkin corn maze, corn box, hayrides, straw maze, corn hole, giant slides, pumpkin coach, jump in the hayloft, visit barnyard buddies, pumpkinland, pedal tractors, playground, pumpkin cannon, pony rides, face painting, kids crafts, pick your own pumpkins, festival food and a farm market as you exit the Orchard.

Homestead Farm (15604 Sugarland Rd, Poolesville, MD 20837)
Pick-Your-Own Fruit

Ticonderoga Farms (26175 Ticonderoga Rd, Chantilly, VA 20152)
September 22-November 4
Admission includes hayrides, activities and access to the pick your own pumpkin field. Noah’s Ark, log cabins, hillside slides, ponds, swings, fire pits, hayrides, tire play, hay forts, rolling tunnels, s’mores roasting, animals, enormous jump and bounce pillow and so much more.

Cox Farms (15621 Braddock Rd. Centreville, VA. 20120)
September 22-November 4
5 giant slides, world famous hayrides, farm animals & their babies, CORNundrum cornfield adventure, rope swings, kiddie zone, goat village, local apples & fresh cider, straw tunnels, a patch pumpkin to take home, live entertainment, 90 acres of fun!

Summers Farm (5620 Butterfly Lane Frederick, MD 21703)
September 22 – October 31
Open in the Fall each year with an old-fashioned Harvest Festival — featuring a 12 acre corn maze, pumpkin patch, more than 30 activities, live weekend music, fireworks, finger-lickin’ good food … and lots more!

Larriland (2415 Woodbine Rd, Woodbine, MD 21797)
Open through the first Sunday in November
The Straw Maze, built with over 1000 bales of straw, is a delightful place to get lost. The Straw Maze is open every day the farm is open in late September and October. Fee charged. All day pass. The Boo Barn is for children ages 4 – 6. It is a dark passage in the bottom of the Red Barn and is filled with animated, not too scary ghosts and goblins. The Boo Barn is open every day the farm is open in late September and October. Fee charged. All day pass.

Great Country Farms (18780 Foggy Bottom Rd, Bluemont, VA 20135)
Open Daily in September for Apple Picking & Corn Maze Fun from 9:00am-5:00pm
Fall Pumpkin Harvest Festival: October 1-31
Pumpkin Chunkin: November 3-6
Apple Gala and Cider Fest is every weekend in September
Celebrate with tastings of this season’s best ciders and demonstrations of our antique cider press. Pick your pumpkins and apples, fire pumpkins from a cannon, enjoy cider donuts, get lost in a corn maze and visit with the pumpkin princess at Pumpkin Harvest Festival and bring your leftover pumpkins to Pumpkin Chunkin.

Clark’s Elioak Farm (10500 State Rte 108 Ellicott City, MD. 21042)
Open through November 4. Open Tues-Sun
Petting farm animals, hayrides, cow train rides, pony rides, birthday parties, educational tours, enchanted pine tree forest, special weekend events, enchanted forest attractions and fall season pumpkin patch.

Leesburg Animal Park and Pumpkin Village (19270 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, VA 20175)
Pumpkin Village open September 15-November 6
Halloween Costume Contest & Trick or Treating Oct 28 & 29
Giant hill slides, hay wagon rides, pet and feed animals, free apple and cider snack with admission, free mini-pumpkin, kids maze, camel rides and live entertainment, pedal carts, face painting on weekends.

Wayside Farm (5273 Harry Byrd Hwy, Berryville, VA 22611)
September 22-November 4 on weekends
This year’s maze theme is Emoji…come see if you can wind your way through the 10-acre maze. The popular pig races will run on festival days. And don’t forget to visit the 8 acre pumpkin patch where you can pick your very own pumpkin right from the the vine! The farm offers hayrides, pig races, slides, and playgrounds. In addition to offering plenty of entertainment, this working farm has an 8-acre u-pick pumpkin patch. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Wayside Farm is an idyllic farm setting for families looking for the ultimate farm adventure this fall. Wayside Farm would like to offer our readers 20% off admission this fall- mention Beltway Bambinos at the booth!

Readers also recommend:

Sharps at Waterford Farm

Pumpkin Playground

Festivals:

Maryland Renaissance Festival: Weekends August 25-October 21, 2018

Barracks Row Fall Festival: September 29, 2018

Frederick Oktoberfest: September 28 & 29, 2018

Piketoberfest: October 7, 2018

Weekend Picks in and around Washington, DC

September 7, 2018

Maryland Renaissance Festival takes place on weekends from August 26-October21, 2018. The Rent Fest will be full of jousting while serving up lots of turkey legs! Take a time machine back to medieval times where you’ll see wizards, knights and wenches. With plenty of entertainment, including music, jousting, mazes, puppetry, pony rides, a huge pirate playground and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits and will be begging to participate while staring in awe. Dress like a knight and come participate or just watch! This weekend is the only time they offer kids entry as FREE.

Be sure and check out all of the programs DC Library has to offer.

WashingCon will be at Georgetown Hotel and Convention Center at Georgetown University. Before you read further, see this event page— looks amazing!! The doors open at 10am on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday the Main Hall and the Game Library close at 11pm but the West Lobby and the South Gallery stay open until the wee hours of the night so feel free to come hang out until late (especially if you are staying at the hotel!)

Friday

5:30pm-7:30pm: Ice Cream Social & DJ Dance Party at Turtle Park/Friendship
FREE ice cream & FREE family dance with Deejay! First come, first serve for ice cream while it lasts…School’s back in session and we’re all in town! Brought to you by Friends of Friendship Park*FOFP is the 501(c)3 non-profit that supports, beautifies and holds special events at Turtle Park roughly monthly.

6:00pm-9:00pm: Friday Night Live Concert Series
Kick off your weekend with live entertainment, great company, and fantastic food, wine and beer from the restaurants at Rockville Town Square  on The Square in Rockville Town Square. Music ranges from 80’s and 90’s cover bands, funk and soul, roots rock blues and southern rock.

Lot opens 6:00, Lot closes promptly at 7:30, Film begins 8:00, Film ends at 9:30: Union Market Drive-In: The Lion King
$10 parking fee per car. Advance purchase is highly recommended. Free for walk-ups. Excited for the drive-in but don’t have a car? A Lion cub crown prince is tricked by a treacherous uncle into thinking he caused his father’s death and flees into exile in despair, only to learn in adulthood his identity and his responsibilities. 1h 28 min, rated G

7:00pm-9:00pm: The Yards Park Friday Night Concert Series
The free Capitol Riverfront Friday Night Concert Series is back for its 8th Season. 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

10:00am-2:00pm: Hirshhorn Library + Pop-Up
Check it out! Find our cart in the gallery and check out a kit to use inside the Museum. Kits include a children’s book, suggested artworks for viewing, and hands-on materials.

10:00am-1:00pm: Glen Echo: Saturday Art Explorers
Drop in for an art activity and play in the Candy Corner Studio for $5, no need to pre-register. Play on the playground afterwards, look around the Glen Echo Park Aquarium or catch a show at Adventure Theatre or the Puppet Co.

11:00am-5:00pm:The Kensington Train Show
A Benefit for Noyes Children’s Library Foundation and The Kensington Historical Society. Admission: $7 for adults/$2 for children/$15 for a family

12:30pm-3:00pm: 1, 2, 3 Andres at MLK, Jr Library
Sing, Talk and Read = STAR
Singing, talking and reading with your baby or young child now can help them later in school. It’s never too early to give your kids a smart start.
Come to DC Public Library’s STAR Family Festival featuring:

Workshops for parents to support your child’s early learning
Fun activities, crafts and games for children
Free children’s books
Music!

Sunday

11:00am-5:00pm:The Kensington Train Show
A Benefit for Noyes Children’s Library Foundation and The Kensington Historical Society. Admission: $7 for adults/$2 for children/$15 for a family

12:00pm-5:00pm: Dinomite Dinosaur Day at Port Discovery
Visit us on Saturday, September 8 and Sunday, September 9 for Dinomite Dinosaur Days and the closing of the temporary Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice exhibit. Enjoy a Paleo-Expedition as you are guided through a dino-themed story time; participate in a Tiny Dino Dig while engaging in creative, interactive play; and learn how to dance like a dinosaur in Dino-cize! Practice your game show skills and test your dinosaur knowledge in our I Know Dino Game Show! and tap into your inner creative as your make-and-take DinosART paper dinosaurs home! Many activities taking place Saturday & Sunday.

Make a day out of being in Baltimore!

12:00pm-6:00pm: Adams Morgan Day
Celebrating its 40th year this year, Adams Morgan Day is Washington’s longest running neighborhood festival. Adams Morgan Day is a family-friendly celebration with music, art and activities for all ages. We welcome residents and visitors alike to meet our neighborhood businesses, artists and service organizations. Attendance and entertainment is free, and most businesses and restaurants offer deals for the day.

Rainy day indoor options:

Indoor Fun

BloomBars

Madame Tussauds

Make sure you LIKE us on Facebook for updates and fun articles.

We are also on Instagram!

Weekend Picks in and around Washington, DC

August 31, 2018

Have a family-friendly Labor Day by checking out this post we created for you.

Anacostia Park Centennial Celebration is Friday and Saturday. Help kickstart the next 100 years with incredible experiences in the park. The centennial birthday bash will become a part of park history, don’t miss your chance to be a part of it. Enjoy family fun activities in the park including painting murals, live raptors, catch and release fishing lessons with a competition for biggest fish caught, photobooth stations, arts and crafts, bike repair pop up shop, photo exhibits, roller skating performances and much more! Reminisce on Summer in the Parks during its 50th anniversary with an evening concert on Friday, on the lawn featuring Go Go stars and headliner Chuck Brown Band. Enjoy music from opening acts Trouble Funk and Reminisce All Stars as the night is hosted by DJ EZ Street.

Friday

Saturday

9:00am-7:30pm: 18th Library of Congress National Book Festival at the Washington Convention Center
All presentations and public activities at the festival are free and do not require tickets. Author talks, book signings, characters and so much more. Spread the love of reading to your child.

10:00am-2:00pm: Zoo Bop at the Maryland Zoo
Kids, get your dancing shoes on and singing voice ready! Zoo Bop is a children’s outdoor music festival at the Zoo. 1,2,3, Andres will make an appearance at 1:00pm! Families will enjoy two live performances from kid-approved rockstars! Plus, bop around to kids vendors, food trucks, and fun activity tables. You won’t want to forget to explore the Zoo, too.

10:00am-12:00pm: Shake up your Saturday at Folger Shakespeare Library: Thunder, Lightning or in Rain
Explore the sun and storms of Shakespeare’s worlds. Shake Up Your Saturdays is a free program that takes place on the first Saturday of every month. Family members of all ages are welcome to join the fun! 10:00am-11:00am: Recommended Ages 4-7 & 11:00-12:00pm: Recommended Ages 7-11. Register here.

An exciting program we’ve been to a few times that occurs each Saturday is at Glen Echo: Saturday Art Explorers. This Saturday it will be from 10:00am-1:00pm. Drop in for an art activity and play in the Candy Corner Studio for $5, no need to pre-register. Play on the playground afterwards, look around the Glen Echo Park Aquarium or catch a show at Adventure Theatre or the Puppet Co.

Don’t miss:
The National Building Museum’s Summer Block Party Series, Fun House which closes September 3

Splashing around

More activities for the weekend can be found here. a

Make sure you LIKE us on Facebook for updates and fun articles.

We are also on Instagram!

Weekend Picks in and around Washington, DC

August 24, 2018

August 23-26 Comcast Outdoor Film Festival returns to Strathmore this summer! Join us on the lawn for FOUR nights of free family favorite flicks benefiting the NIH Children’s Charities. August 24: Black Panther, August 25: The Lion King, August 26: Wonder Woman. Concessions begin at 7:30pm. Movie will begin at dusk (approximately 8:30pm). Event is FREE!

Friday

5:30pm-8:30pm: Jazz in the Sculpture Garden
The Jazz in the Garden Series begins its 18th season in May. The free concert series features jazz artists performing a wide variety of styles—Traditional New Orleans jazz, blues, swing, Ska, Funk, Pan-Caribbean salsa, boogaloo, Go-go, and more—every Friday evenings in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. You can purchase food and adult beverages or bring your own picnic (but no adult bevs are allowed in).

6:00pm-9:00pm: Parents Night Out at My Gym Bethesda:Mr. Nick’s Birthday Celebration
Drop your kids off for three hours of nonstop action at My Gym including fitness games, active play, pizza and fun! Kids have their own party here at My Gym while grown-ups enjoy 3 hours to themselves. My Gym is the best babysitting around! Space is limited-Reserve your spot here! Reservations required. Potty independent please. $40 Members, $45 Non-members, Sibling Discount

6:00pm-9:00pm: Parents Night Out at Busy Bees Falls Church
So you want to have some uninterrupted conversations over dinner, or go to the movies, or just bee, but don’t have a sitter? Now you have our A-Team! We are not a sit down and watch a video kinda place! Rest assured: Your little one will be Active and walk away feeling Funtastic after moving, spinning, running and jumping with our A-Team! Pssst… a solid night sleep? Yes please! Reservations are required and spots are limited! $35 first child and $30 siblings. Pizza meals will be provided for the kids. Consider bringing them in their PJs, and they’ll be ready for bed when you come and get them!

Saturday

11:30am-3:00pm: Summer in the City Family Day at Smithsonian American Art Museum
Escape the heat and still play in the sun! Come and enjoy all your favorite summertime games, a museum scavenger hunt, and crafts. If you are looking for something more low-key, put on a lei and listen to relaxing island music. Enjoy refreshing summer treats from the Courtyard Café.

12:00pm-6:00pm: 17th Street Festival
The festival includes a wide variety of street vendors, including artists, makers, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, kids’ activities and entertainment – rain or shine. The festival will include more than 60 artists and makers selling everything from oil paintings to pottery, jewelry to cigars, and every creative item in between. Other vendors include area nonprofit organizations, local entrepreneurs, and the Kids Zone will have an inflatable slide and vendors. Unique to the 17th Street Festival will be an all day “traveling” entertainment on the street, including a funk band, flamenco dancers with guitar, mariachi band, a Chinese lion dancer, and a New Orleans jazz band. Taking place in the 1500-1600 blocks of 17th Street, NW.

12:00pm-6:00pm: Community Day at Arena Stage
Celebrate Arena’s 2018/19 season with a great day full of activities including live music, face painting, dance performances, storytelling, delicious cuisine from Southwest restaurants and much, much more! Enjoy a pony ride with Ponies Unlimited. Meet, adopt and go home with your new best friend! The Humane Rescue Alliance’s mobile adoption vehicle will be onsite with adoptable cats and dogs. This event is completely FREE to the public and great for all ages!

10:00am-12:00pm: Red Panda Art: Slime and other concoctions
Workshops will include open art exploration, sensory stations, a related story, and a guided project. Each workshop is $30/child.

6:00pm: KIDZ BOP Live at Wolf Trap
KIDZ BOP Live 2018 is the ultimate family concert experience, “sung by kids for kids.” The KIDZ BOP Kids headline this new show, performing some of today’s biggest hit songs that have also kept them at the top of the US Kids charts for over 15 years.

Sunday

10:00am-11:00am: Nous Bloombars
The Alliance Francaise is very proud to continue its partnership with BloomBars, bringing back a weekly music program for children. Nous Bloomons is a celebration of French language and culture through song and dance, led by Achille Ango. Achille grew up in Cameroon (Central West Africa). After graduating from High School, he went to France where he lived for seven years studying and playing music. He has taught French to children, and played music with various bands in the Washington area for more than 20 years. He now teaches French in an immersion school using music as a vehicle. If you want to have fun, dance, jump and sing “à tue-tête”, join us at BloomBars! $7 suggested donation per child. $3 per adult.

6:00pm: Movies on the Potomac at National Harbor
Nothing says summer like an evening under the stars—and there’s no better way to enjoy the season than Movies on the Potomac at National Harbor. Pack your picnic blankets, grab food to go from one of our delicious dining establishments, and meet us at the Plaza’s big screen for a FREE evening of fun for all ages! Movie: Annie 2014

Ongoing activities:
Fun House at National Building Museum
Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens
Tinkerbell at Adventure Theatre

Weekend Picks: October 20-22, 2017

October 20, 2017

Now in its 10th year, Kids Euro Festival brings Europe’s most talented children’s entertainers to the DC metro area each fall for two weeks (beginning this weekend through Nov. 5) of free performances, concerts, workshops, movies, storytelling, puppetry, dance, magic, and cinema. With programs both for the general public and for school groups, more than 10,000 DC-area children and their families enjoy Kids Euro Festival programs each year. Schedule of events found here.

Fall Festivals are in full effect. Let the apple and pumpkin picking start.

Maryland Renaissance Festival will be jousting and serving up lots of turkey legs for CLOSING weekend! Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment, including music, jousting, mazes, puppetry, pony rides, a huge pirate playground and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate or just watch!

Halloween Events pulled from our Tricks & Treats post:

Oct. 20-22– 5:30pm-8:30pm- Boo at the Zoo
Boo at the Zoo is Washington DC’s favorite Halloween treat. With more than 40 treat stations, animal demonstrations, keeper chats, and decorated trails, this frightfully fun evening is a treat for the whole family. An entertainment stage will feature magicians, jugglers, and a DJ spinning Halloween favorites. Don’t miss a themed scarecrow field. Purchase tickets.

Oct. 20-21 & 27-28 (Various Times)- Soul Strolls in Congressional Cemetery
If they could still speak, what do you think they would say? Over 65,000 individuals are laid to rest in Congressional Cemetery. From Congressman to carpenters, suffragists to bootleggers, each resident has a unique story to tell. Soul Strolls, the Cemetery’s annual twilight tours, explore these stories through guided tours and costumed interpreters. Typically only open from dawn to dusk, this special event allows nighttime access to the public. Don’t miss out on this exclusive experience unlike any other Halloween tour! Hour-long tours depart every 15 minutes between 6 and 9 pm, and beer, wine, and cider will be for sale. Purchase tickets.

Oct. 21 & 22–9:00am-5:00pm- Fall Harvest Family Days at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon celebrates the autumn season with Fall Harvest Family Days! The entire family enjoys autumn activities including wagon rides, wheat treading in the 16-sided barn, 18th-century dancing demonstrations, a straw bale maze, farrier (blacksmithing) demonstrations, corn husk dolls demonstrations and early-American games and music.

Oct. 21–12:00pm-5:30pm- Air and Scare at National Air and Space Museum (Virginia Location)
Explore the spooky side of air and space at Air & Scare, our annual Halloween event at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Participate in creepy crafts, spooky science experiments, and other Halloween-themed activities. Arrive in costume to get into the Halloween spirit and enjoy safe indoor trick-or-treating.

Oct. 22– 10:30am-1:00pm- Friends of Forest Hills Playground Halloween
The neighborhood looks forward to this party every year, and this year’s event features Abracadabra Alex, our famous costume parade, a bake sale and pizza from Armand’s. The proceeds from the bake sale and pizza sales go toward events like this party and the summer concerts, plus playground improvements.

And a few non-Halloween events:

Saturday:

10:00am-4:00pm: Family Day: (Un)Common Threads at George Washington University Museum & the Textile Museum

11:30am-2:00pm: 20th Annual Community Sports Day at Stead Park

1:00pm-3:00pm: Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center Open House

Sunday:

12:00pm-4:00pm: Fall Back to Bethesda at Rock Creek Mansion on Cedar Lane

Catch these shows before the curtain closes:

How I Became a Pirate at Adventure Theatre- Sept 22 – Oct 22, 2017
(7300 MacArthur Blvd. Glen Echo, MD. 20812)

Drumming with Dishes– Oct 6 – Oct 21, 2017
(The Lab Theatre at Convergence: 1819 N. Quaker Ln. Alexandria, VA. 22302)

The Smartest Girl in the World at Imagination Stage- Oct 7 – Oct 29, 2017
(4908 Auburn Ave. Bethesda, MD. 20814)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: