Weekend Picks are endless!

There’s no excuse to stay home this weekend. So much happening, it was hard to pick the best.

The Kensington Train Show is back! Model trains will chug around the tracks at the family-friendly event. Saturday and Sunday your kids can view the trains from 11:00am-5:00pm both days. Admission is $5 for adults/$2 for children/$10 for a family. Kensington Town Hall 3710 Mitchell Street Kensington, Maryland

Maryland Renaissance Festival will be weekends of August 29-October 25. The festival is free to children 6 and under this weekend. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment for you and the kids, 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-

Various Times: Theatrical Adventure: The Cerulean Time Capsule at The US Botanic Garden
(100 Maryland Ave  SW, Washington, DC 20001)
Meet Benjamin Peale, a botanist who claims to be a time traveler from the year 2041. He needs your help to stop a critical discovery from happening in the U.S. Botanic Garden–one that will bring catastrophe and destruction to the world as we know it! Help him find the mythic “Cerulean Time Capsule” before it’s too late. Be alert. Be vigilant. Time is of the essence if you want to change the course of the space-time continuum in the name of botanical security. Don’t miss this immersive and interactive theatrical event that whisks small groups all around the Conservatory on a botanical adventure of a lifetime. Your future self is depending on you! Please note: Due to our narrow paths and the nature of this program, performance group size is limited to 12 participants per time slot. The play is a fast-moving tour through the Conservatory, but the 4pm show each day will be performed at a slower pace.

8:00am4:30mpm:ChalkFest at Reston Town Center 
(Reston Town Center: Market Street, between Library Street and Presidents Street)
ChalkFest At Reston Town Center is presented by the Initiative for Public Art – Reston (IPAR) and Reston Town Center. All are invited to create chalk drawings on Market Street. The event is open to professional artists, amateurs, businesses, families, and kids of all ages. There will be prizes for professional artists, amateurs, families and kids, in addition to the “Audience Choice Award”.

9:45am-12:35pm: Sample Classes at Imagination Stage
(4908 Auburn Ave, Bethesda, MD. 20814)
Try a sample class on us! Get an up-close and personal taste of what classes are like at Imagination Stage! (We promise you’ll have a blast!) Sample classes are about 20 minutes in length. Parents are encouraged to join the samplers for children in grades 3 or younger. Parents of children in grades 4 or older are welcome to observe the sampler, but not required.  Please note that this is NOT a drop-off event. Children MUST be accompanied by a caregiver.

10:00am-3:00pm: Women in Aviation and Space Family Day at Air and Space Museum
(Independence Ave. at 6th St., SW Washington, DC)
Come celebrate the accomplishments of women in aviation and space exploration. From the days of the earliest pilots to today’s space program, women have been making significant contributions. During the event, visitors will have the opportunity to meet female role models and learn about the women who inspired them.

10:00am-6:00pm: Ward 7 2nd Annual Business and Community Festival
Designed to bring Ward 7 closer together and to welcome visitors, the festival showcases businesses within the community. There will be a ton of kid activities and games, food trucks, and music.

11:00am-3:00pm: Sing, Talk & Read Family Festival at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
(901 G St NW)
Learn how singing, talking and reading with your baby or young child now can help them later in school. It’s never too early to give your kids a smart start. Music by Uno, Dos, Tres Con Andres, face painting, door prizes, crafts and so much more.

12:00pm-6:00pm: Columbia Heights Day
(11th St NW, from Park Rd to Kenyon St)
The fun starts with Columbia Heights’ food vendors, a beer garden, and live music. Then get to know some of the great causes organizing right here in Columbia Heights. Themed tent areas let you explore the world in our cultural section, check-out the beautiful work of local artisans, and take a moment to focus on your health and wellness. For the truly adventurous, we challenge you to run through our version of an adult warrior obstacle course, including a moon bounce! Families can also enjoy the festival together at the Bloom Bar Fun Tent and at our Fun Field (located on Harriet Tubman Elementary School yard).

12:00pm-4:00pm: Fall into Fun Fair at Michael & Sons Sportsplex
(60 Southlawn Ct. Rockville, MD. 20850)
Try sports, STEM, art, dance, martial arts, LEGO– all Free. DJ, raffles, goody bags and food.

1:00pm-7:00pm: Rosslyn Jazz Festival
(1300 Lee Highway)
The event, which is free and open to the public.Four unique acts will hit the stage, including Funk/Afrobeat ensemble The Funk Ark, internationally acclaimed Sonny Knight & The Lakers, Ethiopian pop music inspired Debo Band, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. In addition to the live music, the event will feature food truck row, an expanded beer and wine garden, activities for kids and a variety of onsite fashion trucks.

Sunday-

Various Times: Theatrical Adventure: The Cerulean Time Capsule at The US Botanic Garden
(100 Maryland Ave  SW, Washington, DC 20001)
Meet Benjamin Peale, a botanist who claims to be a time traveler from the year 2041. He needs your help to stop a critical discovery from happening in the U.S. Botanic Garden–one that will bring catastrophe and destruction to the world as we know it! Help him find the mythic “Cerulean Time Capsule” before it’s too late. Be alert. Be vigilant. Time is of the essence if you want to change the course of the space-time continuum in the name of botanical security. Don’t miss this immersive and interactive theatrical event that whisks small groups all around the Conservatory on a botanical adventure of a lifetime. Your future self is depending on you! Please note: Due to our narrow paths and the nature of this program, performance group size is limited to 12 participants per time slot. The play is a fast-moving tour through the Conservatory, but the 4pm show each day will be performed at a slower pace.

10:00am-5:00pm: Celebration of The Great Inka Road at The National Museum of the American Indian
(4th St & Independence Ave)
This bilingual, museum-wide free family day includes Andean music and dance and Inka-related activities. Also included is a “pop-up planetarium” showing the unique Inka constellations.

11:00am: Jazzy Ash at FNDTN
(3762A Howard Avenue Kensington, MD 20895)
You may remember KindieMusicDC’s article raving about Jazzy Ash or perhaps you saw her last time she was in town. Join us for a Junior Jams special event, a continental jazz brunch with Jazzy Ash! Admission includes coffee and drinks. $8 cash at the door.

12:00pm-4:00pm: Pawpaw Festival at Meadowside Nature Center
(5100 Meadowside Lane (located in Rock Creek Regional Park) Rockville, Maryland 20855)
Come get your paws on some pawpaws! Meadowside Nature Center will celebrate this delightful native fruit with music, crafts, games, expert advice onpawpaw cultivation, and most importantly a pawpaw tasting station. This year, we’ll have both pawpaw fruit and trees for purchase! $5/person (under age 3 admitted free). No registration required.

12:00pm-6:00pm: 37th Annual Adams Morgan Day
(18th Street, NW from Florida Avenue to and around onto Columbia Road)
Music, food, pet zone, kids area, arts and more!