Beltway Bambinos

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

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!

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(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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Weekend Picks July 16-17

Take a ride with Chuggington at the B&O Railroad Museum this weekend.  A traintastic adventure that you need to register for now before it’s too late for your train lovers.

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Through August 6, children can take a blast into the past as Montpelier’s grounds will be transformed into a kid-sized colonial village! Young visitors can camp out on the frontier, design a hat at the milliners, harvest crops at the farm, and other fun activities. Come for an hour or stay for the day.
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Weekend Picks June 24-26

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma celebrates its tribal history and heritage with two days of artist demonstrations and hands-on activities for children at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet and greet Choctaw princesses and other featured guests Friday & Saturday from 10am-5pm. 

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Friday-

Movie Nights in the Heights- Minions
(Harriet Tubman Elementary School)
This is the final installment of our June series of “Movie Nights in the Heights”. The gates open at 5:30pm. We will have games and activities for guests to enjoy together before the movie from 6pm to 7:30pm. Feel free to bring a picnic. The movie will begin at sundown. We’ll be screening Minions. Come and join us for a night of fun!

Four Mile Summer Movie Festival at Four Mile Conservatory Building- The Goonies
(4109 Mt Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305)
Movies begin at dusk (around 8:00) and have Spanish subtitles, bring  blanket or chair. Admission is free, so is popcorn and drinks. Presented by National Community Church.

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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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Weekend Picks June 10-12

Celebrate Fairfax is Northern Virginia’s largest community-wide celebration and will take place June 10-12, 2016 at the Fairfax County Government Center. The 25-acre site was magically filled with fascinating sights and sounds of more than 300 exhibitors, food vendors, and interactive activities. Celebrate Fairfax! showcases live concerts on eight stages, Innovation Health Children’s Avenue, a petting zoo, the Fairfax County Karaoke Championship, carnival rides, and great festival foods. Another fun free activity for kids is the Fairfax Express Trackless Train Ride and nightly fireworks.

Also worth checking out is the Lake Anne Chalk Festival, happening Saturday & Sunday.

The weekend is supposed to be sunny and hot. Cool down at  a splash park, water park or pool!

Washington Nationals take on the Phillies with day games on Saturday and Sunday!

 

Friday-

5:00pm-8:30pm: Jazz in the Sculpture Gardenth-1
(7th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW)
The Jazz in the Garden Series begins its 15th season in May. The free concert series features jazz artists performing a wide variety of styles—salsa, blues fusion, xylophone, Afrofunk, and more—every Friday evening from 5:00 to 8:30 in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. You can purchase food and adult beverages or bring your own picnic (but no adult bevvies are allowed in).
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