Beltway Bambinos

Below are our most popular summer focused links!

Summer bucket list
Outdoor summer movies
Ice cream shops!
Splash parks and more water fun
12 sunflower fields
8 games to play in the pool + must-haves for water play
Road trip!
20 classic outdoor games

Ongoing Events
The Office Experience
Dunder Mifflin is in Washington, DC through Sept 2! The world of The Office has come to life with iconic set recreations, original show costumes and props, and opportunities for fans to engage with the show in new ways.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins at Imagination Stage
Mr. Popper, a painter of modest means, dreams of taking an Antarctic adventure. So he’s thrilled when a penguin named Captain Cook waddles out of a mysterious box left on his doorstep. Full of puppets, songs, and fun, this musical is best for ages 3-10. Mr. Popper’s Penguins is on stage through August 7.

Fantastagirl at the Math Monster at Adventure Theatre
Fantastagirl, a second-grade superhero who uses words to save the day, comes face to face with her worst nightmare: the Math Monster! When confronted with problems too big for words alone to solve, Fantastagirl must accept help from her friendly, furry, fraction-loving foe. While Fantastagirl and Math Monster use words and numbers to help her friends and scientist moms, something far more sinister than Math brews on the horizon. Playing through August 31.

The Playhouse at The National Building Museum 
The National Building Museum and the Folger Shakespeare Library, in association with the University of South Carolina, are partnering this summer to present The Playhouse. Starting on Friday, July 1–and running through August 28, 2022–visitors can step back in time with the Bard for the latest iteration of the Museum’s Summer Block Party. Guests of all ages will find something fun to do, including building an Elizabethan City by Design, a Shakespearean-version of a favorite Museum activity where visitors discover details about city planning and create a town of buildings constructed from recycled materials. A scavenger hunt will take participants throughout the Museum looking for Midsummer characters, and guided tours will present the art and mystery of stagecraft while showing the intricacies of The Playhouse’s construction.

All weekend
Otakon at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Founded in 1994, Otakon is an annual convention held in the summer months to celebrate Asian pop culture (anime, manga, music, movies, video games, etc) and its fandom. The event runs from Friday to Sunday and is packed with a schedule that has tons to do.

Citi Open is returning to Rock Creek Tennis Center. The competition, which features both men’s and women’s matches, will run through August 7.

The Washington Nationals host my home team, the St. Louis Cardinals! There is a baby shark song cube giveaway on Sunday.

Friday
5:00pm-8:00pm: Friday’s at the Park
Did someone say live music and food trucks? We are moving our annual Fridays at the Fountain event to Long Bridge Park. This outdoor concert series features local bands and musicians and is free to attend. 

5:00pm-7:00pm: Bear Square Concert Series
If you’re looking to jam out on a Friday night at the Bear Square Summer Concert Series, The Station at Riverdale Park has you covered with events for the whole family to enjoy.

5:00pm-8:00pm: Friday Night Fishing
Friday Night Fishing will run Friday nights June 17 – August 26 from 5-8 PM and is located at the Diamond Teague Park (1520 First St. SE) across from Nationals Stadium. The event is first come, first onto the dock. Friday Night Fishing is a free event. Bait, tackle, and rods will be provided and there will be staff to help teach you how to fish.

6:30pm-8:30pm: Friday Night Concert Series
The free Capitol Riverfront Friday Night Concert Series is back for its 12th Season, this year back on the Yards Park boardwalk! 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
11:30am-7:00pm: SAAM Arcade 2022
SAAM Arcade returns to the Kogod Courtyard this year! Join SAAM for our beloved annual celebration of creativity and innovation in games. This year, we’re welcoming visitors back to the museum, featuring the 2022 Indie Developer Showcase and a curated selection of eight indie games presented by their developers! Visit the museum for a day full of new games as well as classic arcade and console games from MAGFest. A special scavenger hunt that connects video games and SAAM’s collections will be available at the information table.

8:00pm: Toy Story in concert at Wolf Trap
The NSO brings Toy Story in Concert to Wolf Trap, featuring the Oscar® and Grammy®-winning score by Randy Newman. Ever wonder what toys do when people aren’t around? Toy Story answers that question with a fun-filled journey through the eyes of two rival toys—Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Full feature film will be projected in HD onto screens in-house and on the lawn and accompanied by the music of a live symphony orchestra.

Sunday
11:00am-2:00pm:  KID Museum
Guatemalan artist Ubaldo Sanchez will demonstrate the traditional practice of sawdust carpet making (Alfombra de Aserrín). Sanchez will guide visitors through the steps of sawdust carpet art, from design to colorful completion. (Here’s a time-lapse video that shows the process.) At the end of his visit, kids and adults will experience the ephemeral aspect of this artwork by destroying the sawdust carpet together.