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 post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!