Beltway Bambinos

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

Weekend Picks September 16-18

This weekend the 14th Annual Alexandria King Street Art Festival. Festival booths line King Street between Washington and Union streets, featuring over six blocks of artwork by more than 200 artists from the US and abroad.

The Great Frederick Fair is also happening through September 24.

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!

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                                                                                                               (Photo: Elevation DC Media of a Kidical Mass Event)

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.
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Weekend Picks August 27-28

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…]

Weekend Picks Aug 12-14

Didn’t get enough carnival rides and fried twinkles on the boardwalk this summer? Head over to the Montgomery County Fair. It is happening through Saturday, August 12-20. Fair and carnival hours vary as do animal exhibits in Old MacDonald’s Barn. Children 11 and under are FREE while adults cost $10. Check the schedule for daily events.

Prince William County Fair is also happening through Saturday, August 12-20.

The Nationals are in town and have some fun promotions and events happening, including Freedom Fireworks on Friday and Star Wars Day on Saturday.

Jumanji and The Little Mermaid are showing this weekend.

Get splish splashin in this hot weather.

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Saturday-

Saturday and Sunday Alexandria Sidewalk Sale
(City of Alexandria is offering free parking at all City meters on Saturday and Sunday)
Alexandria’s summertime deal-grabbing tradition returns as over 50 boutiques throughout Old Town and Del Ray offer deeply-discounted summer merchandise.

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Weekend Picks August 5-7

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BrickFair LEGO is Saturday and Sunday at the Dulles Expo Center from 11:00am-4:00pm. Lego enthusiasts this is for you!

Peach Daze Fuzztival is Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am-6:00pm. Celebrate Peak Peach Picking season!  Enjoy the fruit in great food and drink at this full collaboration between Bluemont Vineyard, Dirt Farm Brewing and Great Country Farms, all located in Bluemont, VA.

Howard County Fair begins today and runs through August 13 and is open from 8:00am-11:00pm. Admission is $5 for ages 10 and up, $2 for seniors and is free for kids under 10. Rides and games are extra. See the schedule for fun events throughout the week. Your family will have the opportunity to enjoy rides, watch a Demolition Derby or Rodeo, taste fair food and win prizes. Don’t miss the magic show and talent show,  pony rides or the kids and critters barn. The fair address is 2210 Fairground Road, West Friendship, MD.

68th Annual Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival at Frying Pan Farm Park is also going on through August 7. Carnival rides, wagon and carousel rides, food trucks, live entertainment and more. 
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Weekend Picks July 29-31

Whether you need to escape the hot temperatures or dry off from rain this weekend, The National Gallery of Art has a program for your Bambinos! Music: Listen to a Concert where you will step inside a music concert and then listen to a live lute performance. The summer series focuses on discovering Dutch Art designed for children ages 4-7. Pack your imagination and travel to the National Gallery of Art!  There are various times Saturday-Monday to enjoy this.

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Friday-

6:30pm-8:30pm: Concert (food, splashing, drinks) at Yards Park
(355 Water Street SE Washington DC 20003)
The free Capitol Riverfront Friday Night Concert Series is back for its 6th Season, this year on the Great Lawn of Yards Park! 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 5-minute walk from the park. Family-friendly lyrics and grassy open space make this an enjoyable event for adults and kids alike.

Lots of live music tonight! 
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Weekend Picks July 22-24

Montgomery County celebrates its agricultural heritage by promoting local farms, and inviting our residents to indulge in seasonally fresh food during the 27th Annual Farm Tour and Harvest as well as throughout the entire growing season. Many of the farms that participated in the annual farm tour are open throughout the growing season. Activities will vary from farm to farm, but several will have hayrides, pony rides, music, animals to visit, and other activities planned.

Has anyone been to the Icebergs exhibit at The National Building Museum? Open 10am-5pm get a reprieve from the weekend heat and cool off with icebergs and shaved ice. 

Plenty of fun places to COOL off this weekend!!!

Friday-

Lots of live music tonight!

yards park

(Yards Park)

Saturday-

9:30am AND 11:00am: Vladimir Goes for the Gold at National Theatre
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW)
Meet Vladimir Cashewninski: Champion Badminton player, and sole athlete from the tiny People’s Republic of Insurgistan, as he prepares to compete at the Olympic Games. The night before his big day, he has an enthralling dream that takes him to Ancient Olympia, where he meets the Olympic Herald and teams up with the audience to explore the first Olympic Games.
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Indoor fun in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia

There’s an update to this post and it can be found here.

We figured we’d pull together some great indoor options for you and your kids in the Washington, DC metro area– plus some options up the road in Baltimore. So whether it’s raining, snowing — or just too cold or hot outside, here are some fantastic places to check out. They’ll keep your little ones engaged and might even tire them out enough to keep you happy. We’ll try to keep this list updated, so do add your suggestions to the comments below and we’ll keep building! Scroll all the way to the bottom as there are on-going lists of theatres, gyms and other great indoor spaces.

Washington, DC:

Skill Zone- (709 8th Street SE Washington, DC  20003)

SkillZone is a fun, fresh place to play and learn in Washington, DC., open for drop-in play time, classes, and private parties! A place in the city for children 6 & under. Registration is required.

Smithsonian Museum– (Various Locations)

Most are free of charge! Specific child-friendly areas in museums listed below.

U.S. Botanic Garden– (100 Maryland Ave SW)

Massive indoor exhibits, you can spend all day here. Check website as they occasionally have events such as cooking demonstrations, concerts, baby snuggler days and more.
[Read more…]

Weekend Picks June 17-19

This weekend makers from across the United States will convene in Washington, DC, at the Second Annual National Maker Faire. Kicking off the “Week of Making” (June 17-23) National Maker Faire gives curious, inventive people a place to share what they love to make. Attendees at this free, family-friendly event will have the opportunity to interact with such technologies as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, electronics, and 3D printers as well as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) projects, textiles, crafting activities, homemade robots, and more.

Saturday-

9:30am AND 11:00am: Groovy Nate at National Theatre
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW)
Groovy Nate performances are a unique blend of music, movement, silly games, puppet skits, and comedy.  The show encourages families to move, sing, and play creatively with one another, while exposing them to variety of music genres. Tickets are free.

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