Happy holidays! Felices Fiestas! Joyeuses Fêtes! Chag Sameach! Bundle up this year to celebrate the holiday season in DC! From live music, a toasty bonfire, movie marathons, and festive performances, we've curated 50-plus ways to have the best season ever. Editor’s note - 1: While mask requirements vary across the Washington region, most performing arts venues in D.C., as well as a number of bars and restaurants, require audience members to show proof of vaccination as a condition of entry. Check websites or social media before making plans. Editor’s note - 2: Holiday events are indicated by 🎅🎄🎁 and 🕎 to make it easier to find just the right awesome event for you! Nice, Ice, Baby. Ice skating has returned to DC this season and there are several ice rinks open where you can glide (or slide) including National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Georgetown's Washington Harbor, Canal Park,and The Wharf. Now (weather permitting) 🕎 Hanukkah film festival. Celebrate Hanukkah with eight days and nights of award-winning films screening at Edlavitch DCJCC. Now through Dec 5 Cinderella. Enjoy a festive take on a story classic with this updated staging of Cinderella. Led by an all-female team of creators, this festive take on the classic fairytale is inspired by Afro-Latino music and dance. Now through Dec 26 🎅🎄🎁 Life's a movie. Step into a holiday immersive experience at The Gaylord's “I Love Christmas Movies” experience. You can walk through the most iconic scenes from beloved holiday films, such as Elf, A Christmas Story, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The installation will feature replica sets with props, animatronics, audio clips, and other special effects. Now through Dec 31 Follow the clues. Listen to the audio play, examine the clues, and solve the mystery alongside your favorite detectives! Sherlock Holmes and Loveday Brooke. Each episode consists of an hour-long audio play and a physical package of clues and world building elements delivered right to your door that you an enjoy solo or with family and friends. Now through Dec 31 🎅🎄🎁 Jazzy Holiday. Celebrate the holidays in style at this Hillwood Estate event. Inspired by its exhibition on Marjorie Merriweather Post, spend an evening traveling back to the roaring 20’s, complete with Christmas trees and decor throughout the estate. Now through Jan 2022 Mammoth musical. Grab your tickets to Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, A Strange Loop, as it makes a stop at Woolly Mammoth Theatre before moving to Broadway. The comedy-drama focuses on a Broadway usher (named Usher) who dreams of writing the next great American musical. Black, queer, and grappling with a host of inherited demons, he navigates his way through the big city in this groundbreaking new show. Now through Jan 2, 2022 🎅🎄🎁 Season's greenings. The US Botanic Garden is getting decked out for the holidays. This year's display will feature festive outdoor adornments like winterberries, lighted trees and shrubs, and conifers and greenery throughout the Garden, and an outdoor train display in the gated outdoor gardens. Plus, several windows of the Conservatory will feature thousands of colorful poinsettia blooms and some of the Garden's collection of D.C. monuments and landmarks made from plant parts, such as the U.S. Capitol building and the Washington Monument. Free. Now through Jan 2, 2022 Namesake. Ever been curious about how DC's landmarks got their name? Visit the "Block by Block: Naming Washington" exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery and discover the namesakes of D.C.’s streets, avenues, neighborhoods and other public spaces. Featuring reproductions of 16 portraits, drawn mostly from the museum’s collection, the exhibition presents the faces and biographies behind some of the city’s most familiar locations. Free. Now through Jan 16, 2022 Back to the future. After 15 years, Smithsonian's Arts & Industries building reopened late last month with an epic celebration of its new exhibit. The “FUTURES” is a one-of-a-kind, forward-facing exhibit that asks us to imagine what the future could look like, all in the name of building a future that is sustainable, equitable and accessible for all. Free. Now through July 2022
🎅🎄🎁 Boozy cheers. Enjoy 25 days of Santa’s favorite holiday with a daily, rotating selection of 25 holiday cocktails thoughtfully crafted to warm the spirits at Ritz Carlton (Georgetown). Dec 1 - 25 Scientific discovery. The National Academy of Science building is closed to the public but now is your chance to access this hidden gem to see the stunning interior and the special exhibits currently on view. Free. Dec 1, 3, 8, 10 + 15 🎅🎄🎁 Light yards. The larger-than-life light installation of Light Yards is back! This year it features illuminated, 22 feet tall trees trimmed top to bottom in holiday decor and festooned lights that will cast The Yards’ Sun Deck with beautiful, colored patterns. Free. Dec 1 - Jan 1 Art cart. Hirshhorn offers themed art materials based on artwork on view with their Art Cart for young budding artist. The theme changes every week for a fun activity they can do at the museum and at home. Free. Dec 1, 8, 15, 22 + 29 ISM. Atlas Theatre presents ISM, a collection of monologues inspired by actual events within the Deaf and hard of hearing communities, where they have encountered audism, ableism, racism, and other related-” isms” in their lives based on the color of their skin, gender identity, disability, and more. Dec 2 - 12 🎅🎄🎁 Light it up. Head to Union Market for a weekly holiday light show in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Each night, guests will experience a festive light and themed music show, plus you can enjoy ornament decorating and sip on specialty hot cocktails . All donations from the evening will go to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission. Free. Dec 3, 10 + 17 Breath deep. Practice yoga, meditation and Qi Gong with Eaton Hotel in partnership with Franklin Park for a wellness series aimed to improve the mental healthcare and wellness, collective care and healing of the community. Free. Dec 3, 6, 8, 10, 13 + 15 🎅🎄🎁 Holiday spirit without booze. Celebrate the spirit of the holidays without alcohol at this booze-free event that focuses on mental health tips and setting boundaries around the holidays. You'll craft a wintery holiday cocktail, create holiday cards and take home a loaded swag bag. Dec 3 🎅🎄🎁 Ahoy, holiday boat parade. Bundle up for the annual holiday boat parade at The Wharf featuring 60+ decorated boats parading along the Washington Channel. Get into the spirit with holiday ornament decorating, family photos with Santa, and live music under our lighted Christmas Tree. The celebration will be capped off by a fireworks salute. Free. Dec 4 Hootie hoo. Bring your appetite to Metro Cooking DC, the ultimate foodie event where you'll enjoy two days of cooking demos and book signings with top Celebrity Chefs, including Carla Hall and Martha Stewart. Sample 50+ local restaurants and sip local brew sfrom the Beer, Wine and Spirits Garden. Dec 4 - 5 🎅🎄🎁 Pom-poms and tassels. Celebrate the holiday season with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival family-friendly workshop. Join Indigenous Peruvian weavers Yessica Sallo Auccacusi and Rosa Pumayalli Quispe to learn the art of making traditional pom-poms and tassels, colorful additions to gift wrapping, tree ornaments, or home decoration. Free. Dec 5 Graffiti tour. Take an exterior walking tour of the 14th Street Graffiti Museum and learn about the history of street art and graffiti from local graffiti artists. Dec 5 🎅🎄🎁 Lantern light tour. Explore historic Tudor House by candlelight, followed by a lantern-lit guided-tour of the gardens as you learn about the Peter family’s Christmas traditions. Dec 7, 9, 14 + 16 Shakespeare unplugged. Based on one audience suggestion, The Improvised Shakespeare Co. creates a theatrical experience like nothing you've experienced before. No knowledge of Shakepeare's work required; it might be better that way to be honest. Dec 7 - 19 Hip Hop appropriation. Join a distinguished panel of academics, artists, and music industry veterans for a virtual discussion about hip-hop’s influence in corporate boardrooms, living rooms, fashion runways as well as courtside. The panel will consider the complicated legacy of the co-opting of Black art, style, and innovation and how corporate branding has included hip-hop in strategies to reach a broader range of consumers and markets. Free. Dec 9 Toasty bonfire. Warm up at the Grace Street Bonfire in Georgetown and enjoy free food, drinks and treats from nearby restaurants and bakeries, live music, and a cozy fire to make s’mores. Free. Dec 10 🎅🎄🎁 Christmas drive-in movie. Hop in your sleigh (or car) and layer up in your best ski lodge gear or warmest "ugly holiday sweater" to head over to The Stacks at Buzzard Point for a Christmas-themed drive-in movie, featuring a Muppet Christmas Carol and Love, Actually. All proceeds will be donated to DC Central Kitchen. Dec 10, 11 🎅🎄🎁 Movie night. Grab some popcorn and settle in for classic and unconventional holiday movies at Sun Cinema (featuring Home Alone, Dial Code Santa Claus, Silent Night, Deadly Night). Dec 10 - 18 Left Unfinished: Recent Afghan Cinema. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan earlier this year brought an end to many things, including a thriving era of film production. Presented by the Asian Art Museum, this series of streaming films features a conversation with Sahraa Karimi, who was head of Afghan Film, the state production house and film archive, until she escaped Kabul on the day it fell. Free. Dec 10 -26 Rediscover F Street. Once the most fashionable address in the city, join Washington Walks for a special, one-time-only walking tour exploring the history of F Street, NW. Dec 11 🎅🎄🎁 Cookie, cookie starts with "C". Indulge and support Georgetown’s local businesses as you build your own holiday cookie box while walking around to visit local bakeries. Attendees should purchase tickets here prior to tour. Dec 11
DC love. Head to Culture House to check out the "For the Love of DC" event the voices and works of 25 up-and-coming local artists cultivating the scene in the District. Free. Dec 11 Wild night at the inn. The Anacostia Playhouse is back with their madcap musical celebration, A Snowy Nite at the Dew Drop Inn, a cabaret-style tribute to the Juke Joint, to those iconic nightspots that were known for good food, music. It features songs made famous by Big Mama Thorton, Fats Waller, Etta James, and Dinah Washington, just to name a few. Dec 11 - Jan 9, 2022 Yaas queens. Praised for its “authentic, soulful, and orchestral sound,” the Sting Queens trio alongside the Capital City Symphony present a live concert of “Our Favorite Things,” featuring works from their second album, which premiered in November 2020. Dec 12 Ugly Sweater Drag Bingo. Dig into your closet for your ugliest sweater and join Desiree Dik for Drag Bingo at Red Bear Brewing Co. where you'll enjoy 4 games of bingo and 2 rounds of drag, all in 2 hours! Free. Dec 14 The go-go beat goes on. GRAMMY-award winning musician Dante Pope leads an outdoor, percussion-based workshop in Franklin Park to teach young musicians about the percussive instruments that play a part in a creating the sound that is GoGo! Sticks will be provided. Free. Dec 14 Wind down Wednesday. The holiday season means time in the kitchen. Whether you cook for a crowd to show love or alone as an act of self-care, this Portrait Gallery online event will set you up with some cocktail and appetizer recipes to get you ready for the holidays as they dive into the sights, sounds, and smells in the portrait of legendary freedom fighter Leah Chase, who fed a revolution and proved that good food can be an act of resistance. Free. Dec 15 🎅🎄🎁 Holiday movie classic. The Kennedy Center hosts a screening of Elf as part of their December Traditions programming. A limited number of advance reservations are available, but most seats will be be available for walk-ups on the day of the performance. Free. Dec 15 Art underground. Subterranean art space Dupont Underground hosts Underground Natives Showcase, a celebration of art created by the young minds around us, transcending mediums and genres. Enter a space for up-and-coming artists, designers, musicians and performers. Dec 16 In the pocket. Groove to the far out sounds and immersive audio visual experience of Goodbye Futureman with Data Recovery Project and live painting by Zhenya Parish at 7 Drum City's The Pocket live music venue. Dec 17 Frederick Douglass in Capitol Hill. Learn about Frederick Douglass as a resident of the Historic Capitol Hill neighborhood and his activism as a Washingtonian on a walking tour of the neighborhood with local historian and author John Muller. Dec 18 Storytime. After screening 150 stories, Story District returns to present some of best ones of the year in this year’s Top Shelf — a combination of hilarious and poignant true stories about petty squabbles and major life changes, bad dates and bad asses, weird propositions and hard-won battles. Dec 18 Happy birthday, Jane Austen. Celebrate Jane Austen's birthday with an afternoon tea followed by a self-guided tour at Hillwood Estates. Dec 18 Bet you think this song is about you. Rapper Playboi Carti brings his NARCISSIST tour to DC Armory on his first headline tour since 2018, when he took several cities by storm in support of his sophomore album Die Lit. His follow-up album Whole Lotta Red features 24 tracks with appearances by rap superstars Future, Kid Cudi and Kanye West. Dec 18 🎅🎄🎁 Spirit of Kwanzaa. The Dance Institute of Washington celebrates the seven principles of the African American winter holiday tradition of Kwanzaa through dance, music, drumming, spoken word, singing, and live video. Dec 18 + 19 🎅🎄🎁 Story of "It's a Wonderful Life." It's a Wonderful Life is a time-honored holiday classic, but it wasn't an overnight success. A flop when it was first released in 1946, it took years to become an iconic holiday film. Lecturer Brian Rose examines the fascinating story of It’s a Wonderful Life, looking at the challenges of how it was made, its surprisingly dark portrait of small-town life, and how it evolved into the ultimate portrayal of holiday goodwill and cheer. Dec 20 Art guided meditation. Relax, relate and release with a virtual meditation session led by a local yoga teacher and hosted by the Phillips Collection. Sessions are inspired by a calming artwork from their permanent collection as you practice techniques for mindful looking and thinking that we can carry with us wherever we are. Free. Dec 22 🎅🎄🎁 Holiday movie marathon. Get ready for Santa with a marathon of seven holiday movies with the DC Public Library at Parklands-Turner Neighborhood Library. Free. Dec 23 Politically incorrect. Called "SNL on steroids," political sketch troupe The Constituents return to Union Stage for A Happy Holiday Hangover, a bipartisan roast including Tucker Carlson, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Candace Owens, Bernie Sanders, and some guy who thinks he won the 2020 election. Dec 26 Take a bath in the forest. No, it's not what it sounds like. Forest bathing is a meditative practice that helps you disconnect from the hustle and bustle of daily life and reconnect with nature. Visit the National Arboretum for a 2-hour session to close out the year and prepare to welcome a new one. Donation welcome. Dec 31 🎅🎄🎁 Night of LOLs. Comedian Gina Brillon, known for her appearance on "America's Got Talent" and her hit her Amazon Prime special "The Floor is Lava" rings in the new year with two shows at DC Improv. Dec 31 Curious? There's more!
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