The Silver Spring Christmas Market and Holiday Craft Fair
Date: December 1, from 12 pm - 4 pm
Location: One Veterans Place, Corner of Ellsworth and Fenton Silver Spring, MD 20910 Veterans Plaza
Cost: Free
Visit Veterans Plaza for a festive celebration featuring seasonal artisans, delicious treats, and the joyful spirit of the season.
Date: Nov. 23 to March 2
Location: ice skating rinks at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden, Washington Harbour in Georgetown, Canal Park in Capitol Riverfront and The Wharf
Cost: Varied
Lace up some skates and triple axel 'round the District at popular ice skating rinks.
Date: December 7 - January 1, 2025, from 10am-10pm (11pm on Friday and Saturday)
Location: The Ellipse at The White House and President’s Park
Cost: Free
The National Christmas Tree is an entire event, filled with a Yule log, a manger, and 56 smaller trees surrounding the big one, dedicated to each state and territory and displaying themed ornaments. The tree lights do turn off and the pathways are closed at night so you are not able to visit in the middle of the night
Date: December 5
Location: 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004 The Ronald Reagan Building
Cost: Free
The Winternational Annual Embassy Showcase takes place in Washington DC, an event that takes place at the Ronald Reagan Building and in which the embassies of different countries from around the world participate and present their nations through gastronomy, art, music, and dance.
Date: October 4 – April 13 from Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: 707-709 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Cost: Free
For the duration of the 2024-25 NBA and NHL seasons, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Ted and Lynn Leonsis, and Jeff Skoll present a landmark exhibit featuring more than 150 photographs by legendary photojournalist Harry Benson, renowned for his chronicles of culture, politics, music, movies, television, and sports. The gallery, produced by Ted Leonsis and Jeff Skoll, is located next door to Capital One Arena at 707-709 7th Street NW and spans two floors across 10,000 square feet. The free exhibit includes photographs of every President and First Lady since Dwight Eisenhower, iconic images of legendary athletes and musicians, a behind-the-scenes look at The Beatles' arrival to the United States, stunning moments from the Civil Rights Movement, and much more.
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage - YahZarah in collaboration with The Apollo
Date: December 5 Thursday at 6pm
Location: 2700 F St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20566 Kennedy Center (In-Person and Livestream)
Cost: Free
YahZarah is a District of Columbia–born Ghanian singer and songwriter hero is perfect for the times today. Her voice has been recognized in groundbreaking musical compositions with Erykah Badu. She’s also performed her music live on stage with The Roots, and traveled the world as a member of rock icon Lenny Kravitz’s band.
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage - CLH Trio
Date: December 7 Saturday at 6pm
Location: 2700 F St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20566 Kennedy Center (In-Person and Livestream)
Cost: Free
Guitarist & Composer, Connor Leeds Holdridge and his trio perform an intimate set of blues-infused originals with the occasional deep cut from his favorite records.
Date: November - December 15, 2024, from Mon-Fri, 12 PM to 8 PM I Sat/Sun, 11 AM to 8PM
Location: 1500 block of 19th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20001
Cost: It’s Shopping
This market offers all kinds of products: crafts, clothing, groceries, and artwork are just a few of the things you can find. Ideal to buy your Christmas gifts for all the members of the family. Besides shopping, you can enjoy the most delicious gastronomy. The Downtown Holiday Market also hosts jazz, country, rock, soul, and of course, of course, Christmas carols.
Date: October 8 – January 4 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Cost: $6
Zoolights is an event held at the National Zoo year after year. It mainly consists of decking it out with the most beautiful light decorations you can imagine. The brightest lights decorate the paths of the park and its resting areas and everywhere you go you will come across brilliant animal sculptures. In addition to this light show, there are also some musical performances. Of course, the more than 500,000 LED lights that make up this annual spectacle are totally respectful of the environment and the zoo's species. This is one of the plans to do with children in Washington DC, but, no doubt, adults will also enjoy in a big way.
Date: November 28, 2024 – January 5, 2025
Location: 100 Maryland Avenue SW Washington, DC 20001
Cost: Free
Washington Botanical Garden dresses in lights to celebrate Christmas. It is one of the most beautiful places you can't miss during your visit to this city. In addition to seeing some 26,000 plants and numerous plant species, it has a special room dedicated to the deserts of the planet, where you can appreciate succulents, shrubs, and flowering plants characteristic of these regions. Also during this month, there are a series of festive concerts and an annual exhibition with the best plant species and miniature replicas of emblematic buildings, such as the Smithsonian National Museum of History.
Date: December 7 at 5:30 p.m.
Location: 760 Maine Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024 The Wharf Waterfront
Cost: Free
Boats, sailboats, and even local fire boats star in this event and light up the sky with their decorations full of luminaries. The parade is complemented by other attractions on both banks of the river: festivals, live music, ice skating, and numerous food stalls. Admission to this event is completely free.
Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade
Date: December 7 from 11AM -1PM
Location: Old Town Alexandria
Cost: Free
The Old Town Alexandria district presents its Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend, where you can enjoy a series of colorful events, live traditional Scottish music, and more than 100 Scottish soldiers dressed in their classic kilts.
The streets of Old Alexandria are filled with the unmistakable sound of bagpipes, while around the event you can enjoy the most delicious food, wine, and beer.
In addition, there are activities designed for the little ones, such as games, music,c and the presence of Santa. Live a different experience and enjoy the most interesting Scottish tradition in DC.
National Gallery of Art: Of the nation and for all the people
Date: First Saturdays, December 7 from 10AM - 5PM
Location: Third and Ninth Streets at Constitution Avenue, NW The National Mall
Cost: Free
Temporary exhibitions span the world and the history of art, and free programs, including lectures, tours, concerts, films, and family activities, are offered year-round. The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden.
Family Program: Hanukkah Cheer
Date: December 25, 2024 from 11am – 3 pm
Location: 575 3rd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 Capital Jewish Museum
Cost: Free
Embrace the holiday spirit with family-friendly crafts and activities.
Date: December 25, 2024 from 4pm – 5:30pm
Location: On The Ellipse
Cost: Free (request tickets)
The National Menorah is Hailed by international media as “the most prominent public Chanukah event in the world” the annual lighting ceremony of the National Chanukah Menorah, on the Ellipse, just across from the White House, helps launch and strengthen the celebration of “Chanukah – Festival of Lights” in all 50 states and over 100 countries globally.
