Weekend picks for families in and around Washington, DC

NSO Music for Young Audiences: Peter and Friends is at the Kennedy Center this weekend. Venture with a boy and his animal friends through the forest. Featuring musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra. Inspired by Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, this concert developed specifically for toddlers is sure to have audience members playing like ducks, catching a wicked wolf, and engaging with music all along the way! This wild adventure features actors, puppets, and a quintet of woodwind and brass musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra, presented in collaboration with Atlanta, Georgia’s Teller Productions. Most enjoyed by infants to 5+. Come early for a Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo”- Starting one hour before the 10:00am & 11:30am and 1:00pm performances on Saturday and the 1:00pm & 2:30pm & 4:00pm performances on Sunday hands-on activities let children get up close with the instruments they’ll see played on the stage.

Have you entered to win a family 4 pack to see The Illusionists- Magic of the Holidays at National Theatre? This is a great show for the whole family, right in time for the holidays.

Saturday

9:30am AND 11:00am: Happenstance Theater: Pinot & Augustine at the National Theatre
From Happenstance Theater, called by the Washington Post “DC’s leading peddler of whimsy,” comes the beloved pairing of Pinot and Augustine, a favorite of The National Theatre’s young audiences. Melodic surprises and physical comedy fuse to create an enthralling experience.

10:00am: Frozen 2 at Bethesda Arclight with Pearachute
It’s been six long years since we last saw Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven on their journey. Now it’s time to see what new adventures this group of friends are up to in Frozen 2! You won’t want to miss this premiere event!
Movie starts promptly at 10:00am in theater #4. Each family will receive a reusable tote filled with a craft and a $25 gift card to take home! You will have to pick-up your tickets at check-in so please make sure to go to the check-in table in the lobby. We are in theater #4, doors open at 9:15am.

10:00am-12:00pm: Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade
The streets are being overrun with turkeys, dinosaurs, penguins, and reindeer!  No, the zoo hasn’t opened their gates – it is the  Annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade!  With marching bands, Bolivian dancing groups, floats, giant characters and balloons, and Santa, the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is the only Thanksgiving Parade in the metro DC area. Held in downtown Silver Spring, the exciting parade traditionally heralds the start of the holiday season.  The parade steps off from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street and proceeds south on Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue.  The parade is rain or shine.

10:00am-12:00pm: Red Panda Art Studio Weekend Workshop: Creations from Nature
Now offering morning options on select Saturdays and Sundays to keep the creativity going on the weekends! Get ready for a full morning of hands-on exploration! This workshop designed for
ages 3.5 to 10 years old, drop-off welcome for ages 3.5+.

12:00pm-4:00pm: Open Studio: Make Your Own Japanese Scroll
Join the opening weekend of Hokusai: Mad about Painting with free family-friendly activities. Drop-in anytime to learn the basics of painting on a scroll. A teaching artist then helps you to make your own colorful scroll. Follow a scavenger hunt to explore artworks large and small by Hokusai. All ages are welcome with adult companions.

Sunday

11:00am-11:45am: Sunday Funday at Imagination Stage
You and your child will bring your favorite stories 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.

12:00pm-4:00pm: Open Studio: Make Your Own Japanese Scroll
Join the opening weekend of Hokusai: Mad about Painting with free family-friendly activities. Drop-in anytime to learn the basics of painting on a scroll. A teaching artist then helps you to make your own colorful scroll. Follow a scavenger hunt to explore artworks large and small by Hokusai. All ages are welcome with adult companions.

Winter Activities:
Enchant Christmas has taken over Nats Park! You can check out the world’s largest Christmas light maze and market through December 29.

Holidays on the Harbor– Now – January
Holiday movies and fireworks takes place each Saturday through December. Be sure and warm up inside the Gaylord Resort, see the hanging tree and Christmas Village and then bundle up to check out ICE!. Get your tickets in advance.

Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens– Now – Jan. 5
Bring the family to enjoy the magical Winter Walk of lights in Vienna, Virginia. The garden is transformed into a half-mile, animated walk of lights. Revisit perennial favorites such as the Lakeside Lights, the Fountain of Lights, and the Holiday Nature Walk – and look for new displays each year. Put on your walking shoes and bring the family to experience a Northern Virginia festive tradition. Round out your visit by roasting marshmallows, and sipping on hot beverages by the fire. (Available for purchase at Light Refreshments).

The Polar Express Train Ride– Nov. 23 & 24, 29 & 30 & Dec. 1
Cold weather may be just around the corner, but so is The Polar Express! Don’t miss out on the journey of a lifetime as scenes from this celebrated holiday classic come to life before your very eyes! The conductor will punch your golden tickets and make sure you make it to The North Pole right on time, but not before you’ve enjoyed hot chocolate, cookies, and receiving the first gift of Christmas from Santa Claus himself! So don’t wait – get your tickets to The Polar Express Train Ride 2019 at the B&O Railroad Museum: where Baltimore BELIEVES!

Enchant Christmas at Nats Park– Nov. 22 – Dec. 29
Unwrap new traditions and make memories big and small as you wind your way through a luminescent land of beautiful arches, larger-than-life sculptures and decadent delights. Welcome to Enchant. Where magical memories are made. 2.5 million Christmas lights in 90,000 square feet of pure holiday magic with incredible food and beverage to accompany the experience. This is the World’s Largest Holiday Light Maze and Market debuting at Nationals Park. Tickets for Enchant start at just $19.00, and include access to the 200-foot long Ice-Skating Trail, Ice Bars, Artisanal Holiday Market.

Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens– Nov. 22 – Dec. 31 (closed Nov. 25-28 & Dec. 24 & 25)
Step into a magical winter wonderland illuminated with more than one million dazzling colorful lights shaped into hand-crafted, original art forms of flowers, animals and other natural elements. Stroll from garden to garden enjoying twinkling tree forms, fountains, sparkling snowflakes overhead and more.

Bulls Run Festival of Lights- Nov. 22 – Jan. 5Experience the Bull Run Festival of Lights, 2.5 miles illuminated by holiday light displays. Drive the festival route from the comfort of your car; turn out your headlights and just follow the magical glow. After viewing the lights, bring your family and friends to the holiday village to enjoy rides, refreshments, and of course, photos with Santa Claus. The festival happens annually at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, Virginia. Avoid crowds and go Mon-Thurs at a discounted rate.

A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theatre: Nov. 21-Dec. 31, 2019
Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Originally conceived by Michael Baron, this music-infused production captures the magic and joy of Dickens’s Yuletide classic. Acclaimed actor Craig Wallace returns to play Ebenezer Scrooge. This annual production has been a Washington tradition for more than 35 years. Length: 2 hours with one intermission. Recommended for ages 5 and older.

Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker at Warner Theatre: Nov. 23-Dec. 29, 2019
Set to Tchaikovsky’s magical score, this celebrated classic comes to life with intricate, stunning set designs, original period costumes and over 100 dancers including students and trainees from The Washington School of Ballet. It has become the signature Nutcracker of the nation’s capital. With over 40 scheduled performances, The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker will transport audiences of all ages into a winter wonderland that has become a lasting holiday tradition not to be missed. This year they will also celebrate the 75^th Anniversary of the Washington School of Ballet.

Weekend Theatre:
The Velveteen Rabbit at Adventure Theatre
Margery Williams’s classic toy story gets a vibrant retelling in this brand new adaptation. When the Child gets the Rabbit for Christmas, she is at first disappointed in her gift. But as the two quest and adventure through her storybooks, both Rabbit and Child grow and care for each other. And they discover that love is the greatest force in the Universe and can make impossible things Real. Recommended for all ages.

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe at Imagination Stage
Leap through the wardrobe and into a winter wonderland in this dance-based adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s treasured novel from the Chronicles of Narnia. A remount of Imagination Stage’s Helen Hayes award-winning 2012 production, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe tells the story of four siblings who journey from war-torn England to a magical land frozen in eternal winter, where the powerful lion Aslan leads them on a journey to discover their destiny. Music, modern dance, and breathtaking puppetry tell a story of love, sacrifice, and redemption. Best for ages 5+.

Inside Out at Imagination Stage
It’s bedtime! But instead of getting ready, two children use their imaginations to turn their room into a wonderland of mess! While playing dress-up, a glove becomes a dancing fish, a shirt becomes a fantastic creature, and a sock dance rocks the closet. In this interactive show, discover the joy of turning things inside out! *ASL-Interpreted performance November 24, 2019 at 11:15 a.m. * For purchasers of the Sunday, November 3, 2019, 10:00 a.m. performance of Inside Out , please join us for a free post-show workshop. Information on how to register for this free event can be found in the confirmation email of your November 3, 10:00 a.m. purchase. Best for ages 1-5.

The Jungle Book
A musical adaptation of one of the most well-loved books in the English language in 2015. Danger lurks everywhere for young Mowgli as he learns the “laws of the jungle” from his friends Akela, the wolf, Baloo, the bear, and Bagheera, the panther, who warn him that Shere Khan, the tiger, wants to eat him. But when Mowgli is forced to leave his friends and return to the village from which he came, he soon learns that man is the most dangerous creature of all. With sensitive themes about loyalty, honor, courage, and persistence, the Jungle Book stories have irresistible appeal for audiences of every generation.