From festive gardens to historic houses to manufactured holiday buzz, the Nation’s Capital turns even more beautiful over the holidays with a variety of seasonal displays and exhibits. In addition to the National Christmas Tree Lighting (December 1), here are just some of your festive options.
From last year’s City Center DC Ice Sculpture display. Photo courtesy of Clare Zenczak.
Ice Sculpture Display @ CityCenterDC
Lest we forget, Christmas means shopping, and the mixed-use development in downtown Washington presents an ice gallery of 20 fashion themed ice sculptures on December 10. If your holiday includes dreams of “a Hermes Birkin bag and a Jo Malone London perfume bottle,” make them come true—on ice! CCDC also gives physical form to your digital ephemera with the Hashtag Mailbox, which prints mailable postcards of social media posts when posted using the hashtag #CityCenterDC. The installation will be available for use during the weekends of December 2nd, 9th and 16th.
The Ice Sculpture Display will be on view on December 10 from noon-5 p.m. at CityCenterDC, 825 10th St NW. Free.
Tunnel Vision of The Yards by Rudi Riet
Mistletoe Installation @ The Yards
This weekend, Southeast will arguably become Washington’s most kissable quadrant with eight larger-than-life mistletoe designs. Visitors are of course encouraged to Instagram the Dickens out of them.
December 3-31 at The Yards, 301 Water Street SE.
Festival of Lights @ Watkins Regional Park
It’s not Christmas in Prince George’s County without Upper Marlboro’s Festival of Lights, now celebrating its 30th year. This drive-through event features over a million lights and one of the tallest tree displays in the state.
Friday, November 25, 2016-Sunday, January 1, 2017 from 5-9:30 p.m. at 301 Watkins Park Drive (Route 193), Upper Marlboro, MD. $5 (per car or van)-$30 (per bus).
A “modern ice palace” called Prismatica will be located at the Georgetown Waterfront. (Courtesy of Georgetown Glow)
Georgetown Glow @ Various locations in Georgetown
Georgetown sparkles yet again with this third annual festival of outdoor light installations. Special events include a curator’s tour (Thursday, December 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.), a silent disco outside Grace Church (Saturday, December 10, from 7-10 p.m.) and a bike ride (Wednesday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m.).
December 2, 2016-January 1, 2017 at locations throughout Georgetown. Free. See a map of artists and light installations here.
Season’s Greenings: National Parks and Historic Places @ U.S. Botanic Garden
The Botanic Garden’s annual holiday exhibit opens Thanksgiving Day and includes wreaths, garlands, a model train show, and one of the largest indoor trees in the area, decorated with ornaments celebrating our National Parks.
November 24, 2016 through January 2, 2017 at the U.S. Botanic Garden (100 Maryland Ave. SW). Free. Open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most Tuesdays and Thursdays in December, the Conservatory will be open until 8 p.m. for live seasonal music concerts and after-dark holiday exhibit viewing.
(Photo courtesy of the Hillwood Museum)
Russian Winter Festival @ Hillwood
Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Forest Hills estate holds one of the greatest collections of Russian imperial art outside of the motherland. Hillwood’s holiday programs include a festive family play produced by Flying V Theatre, a Mummer’s parade by Happenstance Theater, lively Russian folk dances, a workshop to make your own Russian headdress, and admission to the museum and its 13 acres of formal gardens.
December 10 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hillwood (4155 Linnean Ave NW.) $18.
Georgetown’s historic Tudor Place remembers Christmas, 1945 in a special exhibit (Tudor Place)
Home for the Holidays: Christmas, 1945 @ Tudor Place
Tudor Place, a historic Georgetown house completed in 1816, debuts a new exhibit that remembers a holiday that President Truman called, “the Christmas that a war-weary world has prayed for.” Wartime artifacts will be on display, and during evening events, Tudor Place’s five and a half acre will feature festive Christmas lights.
December 1-31 at Tudor Place (1644 31st Street NW). Admission $10. Guided tours are available Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday noon-4 p.m. Candlelight tours will be held December 6, 8, 20, and 21 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Check their website for more holiday programs.
(Photo by Erin)
The Zoo’s annual holiday light show includes a ride on the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Choo-Choo, snowless tubing down 150-foot tracks, 58 animal figures on the Speedwell Foundation Conservation Carousel, a visit with nocturnal animals, and lots and lots of lights.
November 25 to January 1 (except December 24 & 25) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Smithsonian’s National Zoo (3001 Connecticut Ave. NW) Free, but expect to pay for parking if you drive.
The Lock Ness Monster makes an appearance at Brookside Gardens’ annual holiday display. (Photo by wainscotte)
Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens
In Montgomery County, Christmas means a giant illuminated Loch Ness Monster at Wheaton’s 50-acre garden. This is the 19th annual holiday light display, for Brookside, and it coincides with its popular Garden Railway exhibit and a conservatory winter display.
November 25, 2016 – January 1, 2017 at 1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD. $25 per Car/Van Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. $30 per Car/Van Friday-Saturday, 5:30 – 10:00 p.m. Open every night except December 24 & 25. Conservatory hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day.
The ‘Miracle on 7th Street’ at Mockingbird Hill last year. (Photo by Joy Asico)
D.C. has plenty of great cocktail bars, but the city lost it’s collective shit last year when mixology mastermind Derek Brown (Columbia Room, Southern Efficiency) unveiled Miracle on 7th Street, a holiday-themed pop-up bar housed inside Mockingbird Hill. The bar was transformed into a legitimate winter wonderland complete with lights, tinsel, and even ornamental gold reindeer. People ate (and drank) it up. It returns in an expanded form this year, taking over Mockingbird Hill, Eat the Rich, and Southern Efficiency starting the day after Thanksgiving.
Miracle on 7th Street will open on Black Friday and run through New Year’s Eve at 1843 7th Street NW.
From the Pentagon Row Outdoor Ice Skating Plaza Facebook page.
Frost Fest @Pentagon Row
Pentagon Row’s annual holiday celebration revolves around its popular skating rink, with an on-ice firework display and Santa Claus on skates, live entertainment, a DJ, food samples, and a chance to win a shopping spree. Note: this event has already taken place.
December 3, 2016 from 5-8:00 p.m. at Army Navy Drive and South Joyce Street, Arlington, VA. Free.
(Photo by Jon Grant)
Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
There’s nothing like spending the Fourth of July watching fireworks burst over the Potomac River in reflections that double the spectacle. Imagine a floating Christmas parade? Now in its 17th year, this Alexandria waterfront event features illuminated boats cruising on the river for a panel of judges. Note: this event has already taken place.
December 3 at 5:30 p.m. at Alexandria’s waterfront at the foot of Cameron Street near the Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA. Free
This post has been updated with additional displays and events.
