101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in the Washington DC Metro Area - 2024 | What’s happening in DMV

101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in the Washington DC Metro Area - 2024

KidsOutAndAbout is the DMV's online guide to everything for kids, teens, and families! The activities we've listed here are confirmed for this year, but many require reserving ahead of time, and please keep in mind that events could be canceled... so click through to make arrangements. Enjoy the holidays!

If we're missing an activity that should be on our list, please email Mindy Mangan at mindy@kidsoutandabout.com. Please make sure to include a link to the event when you email. Thank you!

If you don't already receive our free weekly e-newsletter for the Washington Metro Area, sign up today to make sure you're in the know about free stuff, festivals, classes, camps, vacation ideas, and all the best events near you! In the meantime, enjoy the ideas below for holiday family fun in 2024!

Santa Sightings

Multiple dates starting Nov 2, 2024 Santa's Wonderland 2024 | Bass Pro Shops
Multiple dates starting Nov 7, 2024 Tysons Corner Center | Santa Photos
Multiple dates starting Nov 9, 2024 Springfield Town Center ::: Photos with Santa
Multiple dates starting Nov 11, 2024 Springfield Town Center ::: Family Pet Photos with Santa
Nov 23, 2024 Magic of Merryland Holiday Tree Lighting Festival
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride | B&O Railroad Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 Santa Trains - Walkersville Southern Railroad
Nov 30, 2024 City Market at O Holiday Tree Lighting & Celebration
Nov 30, 2024 Storytime with Santa
Dec 1, 2024 Santa Claus is Coming to the Old Town Bowie Welcome Center
Dec 7, 2024 Breakfast with Santa at Ada's on the River
Dec 8, 2024 Mayor's Christmas Parade | Visit Baltimore
Dec 13, 2024 Kris Kringle Procession sponsored by Wawa - Celebrate Frederick
Dec 14, 2024 Milk and Cookies with Santa – McLean Center
Dec 14 & 15, 2024 Sensory Friendly Santa at the Mill | Park Authority
Dec 14 & 15, 2024 Santa at the Mill | Park Authority

  

Old-Time Christmas

Nov 16 & 21, 2024 Holiday Entertainments | George Washington's Mount Vernon
Nov 23 & Dec 28, 2024 Holiday Traditions | George Washington's Mount Vernon
Dec 7 & 8, 2024 Candlelight House Tour sponsored by Visit Frederick - Celebrate Frederick
Dec 14, 2024 Christmas in Camp - City of Alexandria, VA

 

Light Displays

Multiple dates starting Nov 8, 2024 Winter Walk of Lights | NOVA Parks
Multiple dates starting Nov 15, 2024 Bull Run Festival of Lights | NOVA Parks
Multiple dates Starting Nov 15, 2024 Ice & Lights | NOVA Parks
Multiple dates Starting Nov 15, 2024 Christmas Town: Virginia's Largest Christmas Celebration | Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Nov 15, 2024 Tysons Corner Center | Events | Holiday Kick-Off Celebration 2024
Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024 DowntownDC | Frosted at Franklin Park 2024: Illumination
Nov 23, 2024 18th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting | Capitol Hill BID | Washington, DC
Nov 23, 2024 2024 Holiday Tree Lighting & ALX275 Closing Event
Multiple dates starting Nov 25, 2024 Light Yards - The Yards
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 Winter Lights Festival | Gaithersburg, MD
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 Winter Glow | George Washington's Mount Vernon
Dec 5, 2023 Fairmont's 20th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony | Washington DC
Dec 6, 2024 Columbia Heights Tree Lighting Ceremony - District Bridges
Dec 7, 2024 The Holiday Boat Parade & Party at The Wharf
Dec 8, 2024 Del Ray Holiday Season Kickoff | Visit Alexandria
Dec 11, 2024 Festival of Lights - Celebrate Frederick
Dec 27 & 29, 2024 Reindeer Railway: Evening Train Rides & Holiday Lights | B&O Railroad Museum

 

Holiday Theatre

Multiple dates starting Nov 21, 2024 A Christmas Carol – 2024 – Ford's Theatre
Multiple dates starting Nov 27, 2024 Philadelphia Ballet: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® | Kennedy Center
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 ARTfactory Rooftop Productions presents Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024 Time For Christmas - Encore Theatrical Arts Project
Dec 8, 2024 Adagio Dance Studio presents Winter WonderDANCE | Atlas Performing Arts Center
Dec 14, 2024 Atlas Presents Navidad Flamenca (Flamenco Holidays) 2024 | Atlas Performing Arts Center

 

Holiday Concerts

Nov 29, 30 & Dec 1, 2024 NSO Pops: Elf in Concert | Kennedy Center
Dec 1, 2024 Mariah Carey Christmas Time | Capital One Arena
Dec 7, 2024 Georgetown Jingle | Georgetown DC - Explore Georgetown in Washington, DC
Dec 13, 2024 A Very Merry ALX Jazz Fest | City of Alexandria, VA
Dec 14, 2024 Atlas Presents Tara Hoot: A Hoot for the Holidays! | Atlas Performing Arts Center
Dec 14 & 15, 2024 Joy of Christmas - Cathedral Choral Society
Dec 15, 2024 Capital City Symphony: Sing! CCS’s Annual Holiday Concert | Atlas Performing Arts Center
Dec 17, 2024 Hot 99.5's Jingle Ball | Capital One Arena
Multiple dates starting Nov 20, 2024 Riverside Christmas Spectacular (2024) — Riverside Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 23, 2024 Trans-Siberian Orchestra | Capital One Arena

 

Christmas Tree Experience

Multiple dates starting November 29, 2024 Hartland Orchard, Markham, VA
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 Linden Hill Christmas Tree Farm - Upper Marlboro, Maryland 
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 Christmas Trees - Gaver Farm LLC
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 Christmas Trees | Valley Star Farm

 

Ice Skating

Year Round  Capital Clubhouse
Multiple dates starting Nov 9, 2024 Inner Harbor Ice Rink 2024 — Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore
Multiple dates starting Nov 11, 2024 Ice Skating & Fun - Reston Town Center
Multiple dates starting Nov 23, 2024 Ice Rink at the Sculpture Garden
Multiple dates starting Nov 27, 2024 Ice Rink - The Wharf DC
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 Ice Skating at Ice & Lights: The Winter Village at Cameron Run

 

Hanukkah

Dec 8, 2024 Del Ray Holiday Season Kickoff | Visit Alexandria
Dec 25, 2024 National Menorah – The world's Premier Chanukah Celebration
Dec 27, 2024 Hanukkah | The Maryland Zoo

 

Kwanzaa

Dec 5 & 19 NMAAHC Kids Connect: Joyous Kwanzaa! | National Museum of African American History and Culture
Dec 14, 2024 Kwanzaa Workshop | City of Alexandria, VA
Dec 20 - 22, 2024 The Dance Institute of Washington: The Spirit of Kwanzaa | Atlas Performing Arts Center
Dec 26, 2024 Kwanzaa | The Maryland Zoo

 

Shopping & Craft Fairs

Nov 2, 2024 DPW's Annual Bazaar - Darnestown Presbyterian Church
Nov 9, 2024 Annual Holiday Craft Fair & Food Drive! Falls Church, VA
Nov 14-16, 2024 Museum Shop Holiday Market
Nov 16-17, 2024 38th Annual Holiday Craft Show | City of Fairfax, VA
Nov 16, 2024 Arts + Crafts Market | Bowie, MD
Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024 DC Holiday Market
Multiple date starting Nov 29, 2024 Springfield Town Center - Holiday Market
Nov 30, 2024 Old Town Manassas Christmas Market and Holiday Craft Show
Nov 30 - Dec 1, 2024 National Harbor Christmas Market and Holiday Craft Show 
Dec 7 & 8, 2024 Children's Holiday Shopping at Historic Colvin Run | Park Authority
Dec 6, 2024 Holiday Book Festival & Closeout Sale!
Dec 6 - 13, 2024 Christmas Markt – Heurich House
Dec 7 & 8, 2024 Children's Holiday Shopping at Historic Colvin Run
Dec 6-8, 2024 McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival – McLean Center
Dec 7-8, 2023 DC | Native Art Market
Dec 7, 2024 Chevy Chase Winter Market - District Bridges
Dec 14, 2024 Holly Jolly Holiday Market - District Bridges
Dec 14, 2024 Cleveland Park Winter Market - District Bridges

 

New Year's Eve

Dec 31, 2024 Noon Yards Eve - The Yards
Dec 31, 2024 Midnight Noon | Maryland Science Center
Dec 31, 2024 Noon Year's Eve | B&O Railroad Museum

 

Miscellaneous 

Multiple dates starting Nov 15, 2024 Holiday Village & Carnival | NOVA Parks
Multiple dates starting Nov 15, 2024 Mrs. Claus' Christmas Traditions | Gaylord National Tickets
Multiple dates starting Nov 15, 2024 ICE! in National Harbor, MD | Christmas at Gaylord National
Nov 23, 2024 Holiday Gingerbread House Decorating – McLean Center
Multiple dates starting Nov 23, 2024 Christmas Village in Baltimore | Location, Dates, Hours
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024 Holly-Days | The Maryland Zoo
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024 Holiday Bricktacular | LEGO Discovery Center Washington, D.C.
Dec 4, 2024 "Frederick During the Holidays" Art Exhibit - Celebrate Frederick
Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2024 FairfaxFCPA - Holiday on the Farm
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024 Holiday Art Competition Reception - Celebrate Frederick
Dec 7, 2024 Georgetown Jingle | Georgetown DC - Explore Georgetown in Washington, DC
Dec 7, 2024 Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade
Dec 7, 2024 Grinchmas | City of Alexandria, VA
Dec 7, 2024 Winter Explorations at The Village Center
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024 Special Events Winter Wonder Lab | Children's Science Center
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024 Winter Wonderland at Burke Lake
Dec 8, 2024 Healing with Horses
Dec 8, 2024 Old Town Gingerbread Decorating | City of Alexandria, VA
Dec 11, 2024 Stuff the Train Dance Party | B&O Railroad Museum
Dec 15, 2024 Alexandria Holiday Invitational Cheer Competition | City of Alexandria, VA
Dec 20 - 22, 2024 Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon | George Washington's Mount Vernon
Dec 21, 2024 Quad State Holiday Pup & Pickle Fest 2024
Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024 Holiday Festival of Trains | B&O Railroad Museum
Dec 24, 2024 Waterskiing Santa Show | Visit Alexandria

 


Below are items that have been posted to our calendar. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to postClick here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!

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