Weekend picks for families in and around Washington, DC

Get in the Fall spirit {despite the weather} and head to an orchard to pick some apples or a farm to grab that porch worthy pumpkin!

While the beautiful Glen Echo Park Carousel building is being restored and renovated, the Glen Echo Park Partnership (along with Talk of the Town) is sponsoring some great activities. Click here for all of the details. Free activities run from 11:30am-3:30pm.

For more than forty-two seasons the Maryland Renaissance Festival has provided a unique outdoor entertainment experience to patrons from all over the world. Weekends through October 20 you can join the joust, enjoy a turkey leg, listen to live music, kids can play on a huge pirate playground or ride a pony, watch puppetry and theatrical shows, dress up in costume if you please; you won’t be alone.

Friday

6:00pm-9:00pm: Parents Night Out at My Gym Bethesda
Drop your kids off for three hours of nonstop action at My Gym including fitness games, active play, pizza and fun! Potty independent, ages 3yrs – 10yrs welcome. Cost is $40 Members, $45 Non-members, sibling discount.

Saturday

9:00am: Rock Creek Park Day
Happy Birthday, Rock Creek Park! Celebrate Rock Creek Park’s birthday & National Public Lands Day with speakers, volunteer activities (invasive plant management, plantings, trash cleanup, etc), information booths, ranger-led talks about recreational opportunities (hiking, biking, camping tips), fun facts about history in Rock Creek Park, and more!

9:00am-3:00pm: 6th Annual DC Parent and Family Engagement Summit
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is pleased to announce that the summit will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. During the summit, parents from across the District will learn best practices and strategies to engage, inform, and empower them to support learning at home and school. This year’s summit was planned by DC parents and has something for every family, whether they are getting ready to enroll their child in pre-K or preparing for the college and career transition. Register here.

9:30am AND 11:00am: Saturday at the National Theatre: Christylez Bacon
D.C.’s own Human Beatbox, Grammy®-nominated Progressive Hip Hop Artist Christylez Bacon, combines rhyming, storytelling, and interactive call and response choruses to deliver a message of cultural acceptance and unification, all within a mosaic of musical styles ranging from jazz to hip hop. Tickets may be reserved beginning the Friday, one week prior to the performance. There will be a limited amount of walk-up tickets will be available on-site on the day of the show. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to the performance time to take place in the “Stand-by line.” Program is best suited for children ages 4 to 10 years.

10:00am-2:00pm: Thinking of You at Capitol Hill Day
The National Postal Museum is participating in Capitol Hill Day celebrating  Thinking of You Week with the support of the Greeting Card Association.  Participate in activities that will invite you to exercise your creative side while reaching out to the people important to you. Story time for the youngest visitors at 10:30 and 11:30 am. Customize a wide selection of free greeting cards provided by GCA. Address envelopes in a new way during an artist-led activity that encourages creative design. Want to make a child smile? Send a postcard to a child staying at the Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health.

10:00am-12:00pm: Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District  in Milian Park 
The always popular petting zoo will be there alongside the FRESHFARM MVT Market. Enjoy getting to know the adorable bunnies, llamas, goats, donkeys and sheep from Leesburg Animal Park. The event is free and open to the public. In addition, DC Public Library will also be joining for a library takeout! They will have books to checkout, crafts for kids and other fun activities.

10:00am-11:00am: First Studio at Kreeger Museum
Children ages 3-5 are invited to use their imaginations as they explore paintings, sculpture, and architecture. Each First Studio includes a gallery tour, a story, and a hands-on art-making experience.

10:15am-11:45am: Toddler Trailblazers at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center: Bicycles
The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center opens its doors on the weekends to local families. Their unique programs combine playful classroom activities with visits to nearby museums. Each program is developed especially for the age group and with a unique theme. Let’s go ride a bike! This class will help prepare your toddler for future bike rides as the class learns about the parts of the bicycle before heading to the National Museum of American History to sit on some high-wheeler bicycles. 

10:30am-11:15am: Saturday Song Circle at Imagination Stage
You and your child are invited to a fun, interactive musical experience! An Early Childhood Teaching Artist explores a popular children’s book, Giraffes Can’t Dance, with your family through song and musical instruments, and you will receive a list of all the songs to practice at home.

11:00am-5:00pm: Barracks Row Fall Festival 
At each Fall Festival our activities and booths blend urban diversity with the curiosities of small town fairs. Kids will be entertained throughout with magicians, The Great Zucchini, a donkey procession and more. Food vendors, beer garden, tours and more for adults. There’s no fair like this fair anywhere!

11:00am-4:00pm: Leesburg Airshow
This event provides a wonderful opportunity to see a snapshot of the general aviation world. The static display area, located on the airport’s aircraft parking ramp, will feature many unique, experimental and antique aircraft. The airshow exhibitors will showcase the many facets of general aviation, such as flight training, corporate transportation and emergency rescue operations. In addition, there will be inflatables for the kids, and a variety of food vendors. The skies above Leesburg will come alive with skydiving and aerobatic performances.

11:00am-10:00am: Fredrick’s Oktoberfest
Kids Zone will be welcoming kids from 11:00am-6:00pm. With performances by Mr. Jon at 2:00pm & 4:30pm. There will also be arts and crafts and a bounce house all day.

1:00pm-5:00pm: Tenleytown Block Party 
Join the annual fun, family-friendly and completely free Tenleytown Block Party!  Free grilled burgers/hot dogs/drinks/desserts and more. Food trucks, free ice cream by local area favorite food truck cotton candy, shaved ice & popcorn, children’s ferris wheel and a 24 ft rock climbing wall face painting, balloon artists & airbrush tattoo artists. The fan zone features an eating area with live viewing of NFL games, shaded seating, rides and amusements for all ages. Live dJ/music, tour a police car and more! 

Sunday

9:00am-5:00pm: Fall Fun Fest at the Armed Forces Retirement Home
(see image above for details)

10:00am-11:30am: Rocknoceros at Capitol Cider House
Get ready to twist, shake, rattle, and role as Rocknoceros gets the family on their feet dancing to upbeat tunes. Coach Cotton, Williebob, and Boogie Woogie Bennie have been making award-winning music for the whole family since 2005. They are one of DC’s most well-loved bands. Tickets required for all ages. All adult ticket holders will be able to enjoy our normal weekday happy hour. Doors open at 10am. Full food and drink menus will be available. This is a family-friendly event.

11:00am-11:45am: Sunday Funday at Imagination Stage
We invite you and your child to bring your favorite stories, Dragons Love Tacos, to life through dramatic play activities, music, movement, and visual art. Each session you leave with a special take-home item which was used or created that day, as well as a Parent Pack to extend the experience at home. These popular workshops are themed around beloved children’s books.

2:00pm-6:00pm: Hill Center’s Annual Family Day + Concert
There will be a team of coppersmiths and blacksmiths, horse-drawn wagon rides, interactive games and crafts, Turley the Magician, face-painting, and balloon animals from Balloons by Brenda. At Hill Center, they like to celebrate our history while looking towards the future & will have Winks Photo Booth on site for photos and on the spot prints. Turley the Magician, one of the DC’s most renowned family performers, will entertain and dazzle people of ages with his incredible show at 2:30pm. At 4:00pm, King Bullfrog will hit the stage with high-energy original, folk and blues songs carefully tailored to get children dancing and delight grownups.

6:00pm: Movies on the Potomac at National Harbor: Dumbo
Nothing says summer like an evening under the stars—and there’s no better way to enjoy the season than Movies on the Potomac at National Harbor. Pack your picnic blankets, grab food to go from one of the delicious dining establishments, and meet at the Plaza’s big screen for a FREE evening of fun for all ages! 

-Have you entered to win tickets to Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville at National Theatre?

-Follow us on social media- Facebook & Instagram. We always add even more events on both outlets; don’t miss them!