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As in true pandemic fashion we try to continue to provide you with content that is responsible and thus avoiding crowds. We thought a post on where to view cherry blossoms without the crowds the Tidal Basin draws, may be useful. Yesterday, while driving through DC, the crowds were in full force on the Mall as the blossoms were in full bloom! The National Cherry Blossom Festival will be held from March 20 – April 11 and again has pivoted from their typical celebrations and gotten creative so check out their programs.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception has over 150 trees.
Dumbarton Oaks has a mixture of cherry species as well as other gorgeous spring blooms.
US Arboretum has the trees but are spread out, but that’s the best part about heading here; room to roam!
Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens Cherry trees surround the parking area and Visitor Center at Kenilworth Park where you can also enjoy birding along the boardwalk.
Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland has about 30 cherry trees and other spring blooms at their garden.
The neighborhood of Kenwood, Maryland has impressive tree-lined streets. However, this does get very crowded, so if dodging crowds ifs the goal, read on or go very early in the day.
Van Gogh Bridge at Lake Anne in Reston has been on our list to visit. There are not many trees however the location on the bridge provides that most scenic and charming photos we see year after year.
Rockville Civic Center Park and Glenview Mansion both have trees lining the drive to Glenview Mansion and around the Civic Center Park. You will also find a nature center, playground, and wooded nature walk if you want to extend the trip and stay longer.
Did you know the 2nd largest collection of cherry blossom trees in DC are at Oxon Run Park?
Stanton Park in Capitol Hill allows you to sit back, have a picnic and lay underneath a small collection of cherry trees.
Of course you can walk along the Tidal Basin with the crowds or sit on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial and admire the blossoms from there. Grab sanitizing wipes and rent a paddle boat on the Tidal Basin.

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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.

Best places to view cherry blossoms that are NOT on the National Mall

Weekend Picks October 7-9

Weekend Picks: Roller skate, fly around at a fair and watch an outdoor movie