summer in dc

DC Family Weekend Fun Guide

August 2, 2024

Aug. 1-4: Fairfax County 4-H Fair & Carnival
Enjoy some old-fashioned family fun at the Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival. Enjoy carnival games and rides, tractor demos, fair food, farm animals, 4-H exhibits and shows, and live entertainment.

Aug. 2-4: Otakon
This event celebrates Asian pop culture, including anime, manga, and video games. It’s a great option for families with older kids who are fans of this genre. Otakon is taking place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center,

Aug. 2-4: The Wizard of Oz at the Puppet Co.
This award-winning musical production uses the original Denslow design from the books. Using several styles of puppetry, we tell the great American fairy tale written by L. Frank Baum. The story takes place at the 1900s Kansas State Fair, with performers in costumes, guiding the audience down the yellow brick road. Recommended for ages 4+. Run time approximately 60 minutes.

Aug. 2-10: Miss Nelson! at Imagination Stage
The students of Smedley Elementary School’s Room 207 are not just badly behaved–they’re the “worst kids of all!” No matter what their sweet and caring teacher Miss Nelson tries, they simply won’t listen (or stop throwing paper airplanes across the room). Fed up with their behavior, Miss Nelson leaves her class in the hands of dreaded substitute teacher Miss Viola Swamp, infamous for bringing “woe to those who misbehave.” Terrified of “the Swamp,” the kids must work together and with Detective McSmogg to find their kindhearted teacher and win her back. Tuneful and hilarious, this Imagination Stage original has been a hit at theatres from coast to coast. This show runs approximately 65 minutes with no intermission.

Aug. 3-10: Howard County Fair
This fair offers classic fun with carnival rides, games, pony rides, and more. It’s a great way to enjoy a day out with the family.

Aug. 3-4: Peach Fuzztival at Great Country Farms
Celebrate Peach Picking! Enjoy peaches in great food and drink at this collaboration between Bluemont Vineyard, Dirt Farm Brewing, Henway Hard Cider, and Great Country Farms, all located in Bluemont, VA. Get the whole family involved in the Peach fun with our Peach Eating Contest, Peach Pit Spitting Contest, and Family Water Games starting at 1 p.m. After picking your own peaches, enjoy peach slushies, peach ice cream in the Knead It Bakery or grab lunch at the Roosteraunt concession stand featuring Henway’s Peach Smash Peach Hard Cider.

Saturday

10:00am-11:00am: First Saturday at The Kreeger Museum
Young artists ages 3-5 and an adult companion are invited to use their imagination as they explore the paintings, sculpture, and architecture of The Kreeger Museum. Each program focuses on a theme supported by a story, works of art from the collection, and a hands-on art-making experience. This month explore the different shapes in the collection with our theme “Shape Up.”

4:05pm: Harry Potter Day at Nationals Park
If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, head to Nationals Park for themed activities and a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Milwaukee Brewers. The first 10,000 fans will receive one of four Mystery House Jerseys – sizes & styles are subject to availability. Expect photo booths, themed entertainment, and the chance to win a Mystery House jersey.

Sunday

9:30am-11:30am: The National Children’s Museum is hosting Sensory Friendly Hours today. Through limited admission and added resources, Sensory Friendly Hours allow families more control over how they interact with our space and exhibit offerings.

Sunflower Fields to Visit Near Washington, DC

July 27, 2024

Summer in Washington, DC, brings an array of outdoor activities, but one of the most stunning ways to soak up the season’s beauty is by visiting sunflower fields. Sunflower fields around Washington, DC, offer a perfect summer outing for families, nature lovers, and anyone looking to bask in the beauty of these cheerful blooms. Each spot provides its own unique experience, from expansive fields to interactive farm fun. So grab your camera, pack a picnic, and head out to enjoy the sunflower magic this summer. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, here’s your guide to the best sunflower spots around Washington, DC this summer.

1. McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area

Located just about 30 miles west of DC, the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Poolesville, Maryland, is a must-visit for sunflower enthusiasts. Each summer, the fields are transformed into a sea of bright yellow sunflowers, stretching as far as the eye can see. The area is known for its expansive sunflower fields, which are a favorite among photographers and nature lovers alike. The sunflowers typically bloom from mid-July through early August, so plan your visit accordingly to catch them at their peak.

2. Butler’s Orchard

A bit closer to the city, Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, Maryland, offers a charming sunflower experience. This family-owned farm has been growing sunflowers for several years and opens its fields to the public during peak bloom. In addition to sunflowers, Butler’s Orchard hosts various family-friendly activities throughout the summer, including farm tours and pick-your-own produce events. The sunflower fields are usually open from late July through August, making it a great spot for a summer day trip.

3. The Sunflower Farm at Great Country Farms

For a more interactive experience, head to Great Country Farms in Bluemont, Virginia. Known for its agricultural adventures, this farm features a beautiful sunflower field that typically opens in late July. The farm offers various activities like hayrides, a petting zoo, and pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, making it a fun destination for the whole family.

4. Fields of Sunflowers at Burnside Farms

Located in Nokesville, Virginia, Burnside Farms is renowned for its impressive sunflower displays. Their sunflower festival, usually held in late July through August, is a highlight of the season. The farm hosts a variety of sunflowers, including different colors and sizes, providing a diverse and picturesque experience. With additional activities like a maze and food vendors, it’s a great spot for a day out with the family.

5. Historic Whitehall Farm

A bit of a hidden gem, Historic Whitehall Farm in Clinton, Maryland, offers a more tranquil sunflower experience. This smaller farm opens its fields to visitors during peak bloom, typically in late July. It’s an excellent spot for a peaceful afternoon surrounded by nature, away from the hustle and bustle.

Tips:

Check their website or social media for visiting hours and sunflower bloom updates.
Consider visiting during the week to avoid larger crowds on weekends.
It’s a good idea to bring cash or check for entrance fees, as some smaller farms don’t accept cards.
Bring your camera for some memorable family photos.
Wear comfortable walking shoes as there’s a lot of ground to cover.
Pack some snacks and water, especially if you plan to spend a few hours exploring.
Arrive early to make the most of your visit and enjoy a less crowded experience.
Bring sun protection and stay hydrated as you explore the fields.

A Few Farms Further Away to Consider:
Gold Petal Farms: A picture-perfect flower field season opens with 100% pick-your-own flower fields! 7 acres of flowers to explore and select from with beautiful flower vistas to take unique and beautiful portraits along with a wealth of nature photography opportunities.
The Sunflower Garden
Misty Meadow Farm Creamery: Reader recommended with animals, ice cream and activities!
Emily’s Produce: You-pick fields, ice cream, market and more, happens to be on the way to the beach!
Clear Meadow Farms
Rocky Point Creamery: Ice cream + sunflowers. The even better part is 100% of proceeds from the sunflowers go to St. Jude.

DC Family Weekend Fun Guide

June 7, 2024

Celebrate Pride this month and every month. Click this link to discover all of the events happening in our area. This weekend is the Pride Parade and Block Party & Sunday is the Pride Festival and Concert. Summer is here and we’ve got the posts to keep your sweet tooth satisfied, your Bambinos active, a cure for hot afternoons, and much more!

**Pride Poster Making at The Loft Collective**

All weekend
31st Annual Capital Jazz Fest is coming June 7-9, 2024! Held each year during Black Music Month since 1993, the Capital Jazz Fest is one of the longest running festivals in the DMV and one of the premier black music events in the country, featuring over 30 acts over three days. In-between musical sets, enjoy the juried craft vendors at the Festival Marketplace, culinary treats at the food courts, and interactive Q&A sessions with the artists.

The Big Bounce America is the largest touring inflatable event in the world and it’s in our area until Sunday! They’ve created an action-packed day out suitable for all ages and featuring some of the most unique and exciting custom-built inflatable attractions ever made.

Saturday
10:00am-6:00pm: Old Town Arts & Crafts Fair
The fair features local and regional artisans who showcase their pieces across various mediums including pottery, stationary, fabrics, paintings, jewelry, photography and more. Over 80+ vendors along with food and drink for purchase.

11:00am-3:00pm: Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church’s third annual Community Day
There will be a bounce house, face painting, and outdoor games for kids. Live music will be performed under a large tent, featuring Brazilian music and other musical styles favored by WABC’s music team and friends. There will also be food served fresh off the grill as well as ethnic dishes made by people in our congregation. Located at 3920 Alton Pl NW, Washington, DC 20016

11:00am-1:00pm: Grow the Garden Party at the US Arboretum
Join for a picnic party! Come celebrate the expansion of FONA’s Washington Youth Garden. The Washington Youth Garden has a beautiful new honeycomb fence around it that expands our growing space and makes our garden more inviting, visible, and accessible.

11:30am-3:00pm: Workshop and Resource Fair for DMV Area Youth at The Kennedy Center
Tailored specifically for high school-aged youth (14-18 years old) in the DMV area, this workshop and resource fair aims to create a safe and engaging environment for young individuals to learn and develop as they approach adulthood. Onsite vendors from the DMV area will be available to assist and answer any questions from students in various fields, helping them prepare for their next steps after high school. Exciting activities such as a 5th grade DJ, video game truck, rock climbing wall, and a selection of summer-themed snacks including popcorn, cotton candy, and icees will be provided. Additionally, the KC Youth Council will be leading self-led workshops focused on dance, music, and poetry, and an anti-bullying presentation will take place in the afternoon.

1:00pm-3:00pm: Pride Poster Making at The Loft Collective
Create posters for the Pride Parade. Art supplies & posters will be provided, first come first serve

2:00pm-10:00pm: Pride on the Pier
The Washington Blade in partnership with LURe DC and The Wharf are excited to announce the 5th Annual Pride on the Pier celebration during DC Pride in June 2024. Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Southwest waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment. The District Pier will offer a DJ, dancing and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older. The Dockmasters Building will be home to a VIP experience with complimentary drinks and food during the duration of the event. Family fun for all ages.

Sunday
10:00am-2:00pm: Takoma Pride Day
Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during Takoma Pride Day with a Kids’ Pride Parade and Street Fair on Laurel Avenue.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream in and around Washington, DC!

May 29, 2024

We love to make popsicles and homemade ice cream in the summer but we also welcome a scoop (or two) at an ice cream shop when it’s hot! In fact on my daughter’s summer bucket list she added, “go to as many ice cream shops” last summer. Challenge was accepted. There’s nothing like a good scoop of ice cream or an ice cold popsicle in summertime.

The Charmery– Chevy Chase, MD & Walter Reed in addition to other locations

Through personalized hospitality and super premium, highly original, insanely delicious ice cream, The Charmery aims to bring together local and global communities to help every person achieve happiness through ice cream. They use the best possible ingredients, supporting local farmers and producers whenever possible. Featuring ever changing seasonal ice cream flavors, specialty sundaes, hand-spun milkshakes, and floats. The Charmery loves to collaborate with our local community including artists, musicians, and community figures.

VanLeeuwen Ice Cream– 3 locations in Washington, DC

What could be happier than that magic combination of milk, cream, eggs, and cane sugar (or coconuts, cashews and oats for our vegan friends)? Peanut butter brownie honeycomb is 10/10!

Sarah’s Handmade -2 Locations in Bethesda, MD

Handmade ice cream that stays true to Sarah’s commitment to the highest quality ice cream that she would “feel proud feeding my family,” Sarah uses only the best, local-whenever-possible ingredients and sticks to her small-batch, all-natural recipes. The flavors are endless and always a hit!

Malai– T St NW, DC

Malai, figuratively meaning cream of the crop, draws inspiration from South Asian ingredients, aromatic spices, and our founder’s upbringing. The ice cream is all eggless, handcrafted, and churned with very little air, resulting in purer, more robust flavors, as well as the creamiest textures you can find.

Southwest Soda Pop Shop -SW, DC

Southwest Soda Pop Shop is a family owned ice cream parlor and restaurant that serves up the best lunch at Washington, DC’s District Wharf. Southwest Soda Pop Shop has been serving sweet treats, like soft serve ice cream, and refreshing drinks with a smile to guests at the District Wharf since 2018, and is proud to be one of the only black owned restaurants in DC’s District Wharf.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream – Bethesda, MD & NW, DC

Always a line, definitely worth waiting in, enough said, go and get some scoops, many scoops and report back.

The Baked Bear – Bethesda, MD

Homemade cookies from original recipes and hand-scooped on site, cookies are made with the highest quality ingredients and baked fresh from scratch every day, so you can imagine the aroma flowing from Baked Bear! You can choose your base (brownie, doughnut and/or cookies), then your ice cream flavor followed by toppings and sauces. Don’t forget to ask to have it pressed if you want a warm end result. Recipe uses an all-natural mix made only with rBGH-free cream, pure cane sugar and natural stabilizers.

State Fair at The Roost – SE, DC

State Fair features playful riffs on composed sundaes using homemade frozen custard, replete with all of the delicious sauces and toppings you’d expect, and several more you won’t. Pastry Chef Allie Cheppa is at the helm of the nostalgic spot, serving up composed sundaes and floats, or build-your-own by mixing and matching custard bases + toppings.

Italian Bar– Chevy Chase, DC

Kids order gelato, parents order drinks!

The Creamery at Union Market – NE, DC

A family-owned and operated dairy shop sourcing local milk and ice cream located in Union Market. This is spot for all things dairy inside Union Market should also be the go-to for all your ice cream needs. The shop sells milk, butter, cheese, and other dairy products from local farmers, and has a killer selection of hard-serve ice cream. Classic flavors like cookies and cream, chocolate, and coffee come in scoops or pints packed to go, plus soft serve, homemade waffle cones, and other sweets.

Ice Cream Jubilee – SE & NW DC

I found out about ICJ because of the mouth-watering Instagram photos everyone posts and then I realized you can order from UberEats! The best flavors come from the best ingredients. They use only all-natural cream and milk from a local creamery, just 50 miles from our scoop shop in Washington, DC. and are proud about the small-batch technique – just a few gallons at a time; allowing to create the highest-quality product and the freshest flavors.

Millie’s – NW, DC

Brought to you by the owners of Surfside & Jetties. Walk up to an outdoor ice-cream stand (attached to the take-out hut) and grab delicious scoops and toppings.

Honeys & Friends – NW, DC

In the old Sugar Fox location with the same concept. Flavors change weekly if not daily. They also offer cookies and other delicious treats.

Nicecream Factory – Arlington, Virginia

Handcrafted ice cream is their passion. They start the process by combining fresh milk and local ingredients from nearby farms. Using a freezing agent, liquid nitrogen, then freeze the ice cream on the spot in front of guests, creating the freshest handcrafted cup of ice cream you can get. Flavors are typical with some fun ones worth trying; white chocolate peanut butter and bananas foster are on my list!

Thomas Sweet – NW, DC

A Georgetown staple. This extensive sweets shop is complete with homemade fudge and chocolates—in addition to ice cream. The specialty here is the one-of-a-kind ‘blend ins’ with homemade ice cream. It’s not a place for the indecisive as they have a chalkboard full of flavors like peanut butter chip, vanilla cherry and our favorite, coffee oreo. Keep in mind that the kiddie-sized cup is very large—about 2 scoops of ice cream.

The Dairy Godmother – Alexandria, VA

This summer, you’ll find some exciting new additions at this custard shop. Stick with what you know and get Wisconsin-style frozen custard in vanilla or chocolate every day, or try the flavor of the day. Tollhouse cookie and toasted almond are both on the schedule; see all the upcoming flavors of the day here. They’ll also be offering homemade marshmallows and sorbet this summer along with puppy pops—a treat for your dog!

Goodies Frozen Custard – Alexandria, VA

You may have seen Goodie’s cater an event as they started as a food truck of sorts. Now the Wisconsin style frozen custard has a permanent home in Alexandria.

Moorenko’s Ice Cream – Scoop shop in Silver Spring, MD & pints found in markets through DMV

This ice cream brand, which is sold throughout the DMV in markets and deli’s, is made right here in D.C.! They even have a small shop where you can go for freshly made, hand-crafted ice cream. They’ve got the classic flavors as well as some unique flavors like Cinnamon Cappuccino & Blackberry Chocolate Chip.

Mount Desert Island – Mt. Pleasant, DC

Serving premium homemade ice cream in small batches.

Captain Cookie and the Milkman – 3 trucks & 4 locations

What started as a food truck serving milk and cookies and ice cream sandwiches, now has 3 food trucks you can hunt down in the city or hire for an event. For those of us who can’t make it to a truck stop, there are 2 actual locations you can visit. They also deliver!

Jarabe – Farmer’s Markets

Jarabe Gourmet Pops is a Latin American specialty pop-up based found at various farmers markets that specialize in Mexican-style gourmet pops.

Sfoglina – NW, DC & Rosslyn, VA

Italian soft serve gelato: your choice of Vanilla Gelato or Blueberry Balsamic Sorbetto. I promise you will want to go back the next day for another!

Maracas Pops – Georgetown

Originally from Mexico, the owner, Julia has been inspired by tropical flavors and refreshing treats. She fell in love with paletas, also known as Mexican ice pops, and was inspired to share her love for their unique flavors by starting her own company, Maracas Ice Pops.

Did you know Maryland has 11 dairy farms that offer fresh, delicious on-farm ice cream? Together, they make up the “Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail.” Visit each creamery and get a trail passport stamped to be named Maryland’s Ice Cream Trail Blazer! Sounds like a delicious summer bucket-list item. Now in its ninth year, the Ice Cream Trail is designed to promote the state’s dairy industry and has become increasingly popular, drawing participants from across the state and the region.

Reader recommended:
Everyday Sundae
Tipsy Scoop
Carmen’s Italian Ice
Class 520
Nathan’s Dairy Bar

Oldies but Goodies:
Broad Branch Market
Dolcezza Gelato
Jetties
Milk Bar
Dolci Gelati
Pitango Gelato
Godiva
Ben & Jerry’s
YogiBerry

Summer posts:
Indoor/Outdoor summer toys
Water toys that are a summer must have!
Summer bucket list
Device free road trips and flights
Pick your own fruits and vegetables