Washington, D.C

36 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

Published

1 year ago

December 2, 2024

Press Room

36 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

Photograph courtesy of the Wharf.

Happy December, DC!

Embrace the holiday season this week at a number of new festivities as well as beloved seasonal events. From holiday boat parades at the Wharf and in Alexandria, to a new neighborhood-wide holiday concert in Georgetown, there are joyful experiences for everyone.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

December 2–December 8

1. Wharf Holiday Boat Parade & Party. Watch more than 60 decked-out boats parade across the Washington Channel. In addition to the shimmering fleet, there will be ornament decorating, letters to Santa, holiday karaoke, meet-and-greets with Santa, live music by Yani the Band, and a fireworks finale (Sat, free, Wharf).
2. A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. If you’re a fan of iconic singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, you’ll enjoy this live narration of the rockstar’s rise to fame. The hit-packed jukebox musical arrives at National Theatre this week; viewers can clap along to popular songs like “Sweet Caroline” and “Cracklin Rosie” (Tues-Sun, $69+, National Theatre).
3. European Union Film Showcase. The AFI’s annual showcase highlights new and contemporary films. This year’s lineup screens 54 flicks, including the Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton drama The Room Next Door, and the movie adaptation of the ’70s novel The Summer Book (Wed through December 22, $15, Silver Spring).
4. Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. This vivid waterfront parade has been running for nearly 25 years. View the decorated sailboats and powerboats from any spot on the Old Town waterfront, or head to Waterfront Park for crafts and a Port City Brewing Company pop-up beer garden (Sat, free, Alexandria).
5. Rigoletto. Opera admirers can see Verdi’s mid-career masterpiece as part of InSeries’ revival at the Goldman Theater DCJCC. The playful production is set under the big top, with a circus band, and a ribald new libretto by Bari Biern (Sat-sun, December 14-15, $42+, Northwest DC).
6. Georgetown Jingle. Georgetown Glow isn’t returning this year, but there’s a new holiday event taking over the neighborhood this month. Georgetown Jingle debuts this weekend boasting 10 live holiday, jazz, pop, a cappella, and DJ music performances throughout the neighborhood. After the pop-up concerts, you can watch the St. Lucia Choir procession and sip non-alcoholic Glögg (Sat, free, Georgetown).
7. Salaam Bombay! screening with Mira Nair. Veteran film director and activist Mira Nair delivers a lecture at National Gallery of Art ahead of a screening of her breakout Indian crime drama Salaam Bombay! (Sun, free, National Gallery of Art).

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

Gilmore Girls’ Kelly Bishop chats with Dana Bash at Sixth & I about her memoir Third Gilmore Girl (Wed, $40+ for in-person ticket and book, $12 for virtual, $37 for virtual ticket and book, Downtown, virtual).
Clear Harmonies Carolers, art, and wintry cocktails are highlights of Phillips after 5’s Winter Wonderland (Thurs, $20, Dupont).
Find deals on your next read at the White House Historical Association’s Holiday Book Festival (Fri, free, Downtown).
Author Jessica B. Harris of High on the Hog discusses her new Kwanzaa project at the Smithsonian (Sat, free, but registration required, Smithsonian NMAAHC).
Browse jewelry, gourd art, and textiles at African Art Holiday Marketplace (Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art).
Attend the opening reception of “Journey to Self” to see visual art about self-discovery from seven artists at Homme Gallery (Sat, free, Downtown).
Create a flower arrangement with fellow plant enthusiasts at MoCA Arlington (Sat, $45, Arlington).

Community and heritage:

Delight in cultural cuisine, art, and goods from more than 50 embassies at The Winternational Embassy Showcase (Thurs, free, Downtown).
Sip hot cocoa with neighbors at the Columbia Heights Tree Lighting (Fri, free, Columbia Heights).
Celebrate Kwanzaa at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Community Day (Sat, free, but registration required, Smithsonian NMAAHC).
Meet Native artists and browse their handmade jewelry and beadwork at Native Art Market (Sat-Sun, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).

Theater and shows:

Keegan Theatre’s An Irish Carol puts a modern Dublin twist on Dickens’s classic holiday tale (Wed through December 31, $64, Dupont).
A Swingin’ Little Christmas is a comedy-cabaret packed with musical classics from the ’50s and ’60s (Wed, $28+, Bethesda).
Philadelphia’s BalletX arrives in DC for a four-day contemporary dance showcase (Wed-Sat, $40+, Kennedy Center).
Grammy Award-winner Patrick Page stars in All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain (Fri through December 29, $39+, Downtown).
Join a live Hamilton Sing-Along at Penn Social (Sat, $17+, Penn Quarter).

Music and concerts:

Don your ugly holiday sweater and listen to National Symphony Orchestra play seasonal tunes at the Anthem (Wed, $25+, Wharf).
Veterans and service members can snag tickets to a complimentary holiday concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and Broadway’s Jessica Vosk (Thurs, free, Kennedy Center).
EDM DJ Tiësto spins electric hits at Echostage (Thurs-Fri, $65+, Langdon).
Underground Richmond rapper Nettspend brings his hype rhymes to the Fillmore (Fri, $41+, Silver Spring).
The Folger Consort performs carols in A Mass for Christmas Eve (Fri through December 15, $20+, Capitol Hill).
DC native Billy Woods raps live at Union Stage (Sun, $25+, Wharf).

Get involved:

Shop books on DC housing at Solid State Books to help raise funds for Everyone Home DC (Tues, free, H Street Corridor).
Put your barista skills to the test for a good cause. Proceeds from this latte art-making competition will support the Sexual Violence Protection Association (Tues, free to attend, $5 for participants, Columbia Heights).

Budget-friendly:

Things to do with kids:

See outdoor illuminations and zoom down the eight-lane Penguin Plunge at Winter City Lights (through December 29, $27 for adults, $23 for seniors $18 for ages 4-12, Olney).
Kids can take a train ride through Met Park, and capture memories with Santa at The Lodge (Sat, free, Arlington).
Youngsters can play in a bounce house, drink hot chocolate, and decorate stockings at Jingle Bell Bash (Sat, free, Tysons).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.

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Washington, D.C

‘Strong smell’ shuts down flights at major DC-area airports for the second time this month

Published

4 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

‘Strong smell’ shuts down flights at major DC-area airports for the second time this month

Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.

A reported “strong smell” at a key air traffic control center disrupted flights Friday evening at major airports across the Washington, D.C., region for the second time in two weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (CHO) and Richmond International Airport (RIC), the agency told FOX Business in an email.

The FAA said the disruptions were due to a “strong smell” at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center, which manages airspace in the region.

GROUND STOP LIFTED AT MAJOR DC-AREA AIRPORTS AFTER CHEMICAL ODOR DISRUPTS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

An FAA air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

It was not immediately clear what caused the smell.

Ground stops at Dulles, Reagan National and BWI remained in effect until around 8 p.m. ET before being lifted, according to the FAA’s website.

NEWARK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS LOST RADAR, RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH PLANES FOR OVER A MINUTE, SPARKING CHAOS

The FAA said the disruption was due to a “strong smell” at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center. (Flightradar24)

As of 8:30 p.m., Reagan National was experiencing ground delays, while BWI continued to see departure delays.

Earlier this month, a ground stop was similarly issued at several airports in the Washington, D.C., region after a chemical odor was detected at the TRACON center.

FATAL LAGUARDIA COLLISION RENEWS FOCUS ON RUNWAY INCURSION RISKS ACROSS US

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy speaks at a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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The temporary ground stop March 13 similarly affected DCA, IAD, BWI and RIC, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time.

Duffy said the smell came from an overheated circuit board, which has since been replaced.

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Washington, D.C

50 years of DC Metro: A look back in photos

Published

16 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

50 years of DC Metro: A look back in photos

One family, four generations with DC Metro

As Metro celebrates 50 years of service, one D.C. family is marking the milestone with a legacy of their own — four generations who have all worked on the system, helping keep the region moving for decades.

WASHINGTON – D.C. residents got on their first Metro train 50 years ago on March 27, 1976. Here’s a look back at the beginning.

Connecticut Avenue; NW; looking south. evening traffic-jams are aggravated by metro subway construction in Washington D.C. ca. 1973 (Photo by: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

View of the Metro Center subway station (at 13th and G Streets NW) during its construction, Washington DC, November 16, 1973. (Photo by Warren K Leffler/PhotoQuest/Getty Images)

Standing in the cavernous tunnel, planners wearing hard hats discuss the construction progress of the Metro Center subway station at the intersection of 13th and G Streets in Washington, DC, November 16, 1973. (Photo by Leffler/Library of Congress/In

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 07: FILE, Metro construction miners and blasters on a jumbo drill outside the hole they are working on at Rock Creek Parkway and Cathedral Ave NW in Washington, DC on November 7, 1973. (Photo by James K.W Atherton/The Washin

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 4: FILE, View of the Post Office at North Capital and Mass Avenue NE, and 1st NE where subway tunnels were being constructed in Washington, DC on March 4, 1974. (Photo by Joe Heiberger/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 29: FILE, Workers rig a pipe at the entrance to the Rosslyn Metro Station in Washington DC on August 29, 1974 (Photo by Larry Morris/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 27: FILE, The crowd at Rhode Island Station on opening day of the Washington Metro on March 27, 1976. (Photo by James A. Parcell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 28: FILE, Reverend Leslie E. Smith of the Episcopal Church, right, and George Docherty of New York Avenue Presbyterian church hold a joint service at the new Metro Center station in Washington, DC on March 28, 1976. (Photo by D

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 1: FILE, An aerial view of metro construction where it crosses the Washington Channel. The Potomac River, the Pentagon and Northern Virginia can be seen in the distance. (Photo by Ken Feil/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 27: FILE, A packed train of commuters on the Silver Spring metro on the Red Line on January 27, 1987. (Photo by Dudley M. Brooks/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 4: FILE, Thousands of people press their way into the Smithsonian Subway station after the Independence Day fireworks in Washington, DC on July 4, 1979. (Photo by Lucian Perkins/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityNewsWashington, D.C.

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Washington, D.C

Pop-up museum in DC features the scandal that changed American history – WTOP News

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Pop-up museum in DC features the scandal that changed American history – WTOP News

Among the liquor store, barber shop and dry cleaners at the Watergate Complex’s retail plaza, there is a new pop-up museum dedicated to the scene of the crime that toppled Richard Nixon’s presidency.

The temporary exhibit features the work of artist Laurie Munn — portraits of members of the Nixon administration and those connected to the Watergate break-in. The exhibit features members of Congress, the media and some who were on President Nixon’s enemies list.(WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

Keith Krom, chair of the Board of Directors of the Watergate Museum, told WTOP the exhibit was first featured in the gallery in 2012 for the 40th anniversary of the break-in at the Democratic National Committee.

“When she (Munn) learned about our museum effort, she offered to reassemble them as a way for us to expand awareness of the museum,” Krom said.

Krom, who lives in the Watergate, said his favorite portrait is of one of the special prosecutors, whose firing sparked the “Saturday Night Massacre” in 1973.

“I had the pleasure of being a student of Archibald Cox,” Krom said. “He served as my mentor for my third-year writing project.”

Krom said during this time, at the Boston University School of Law, he spent a great deal of time with him.

“I didn’t realize how much he must have gone through. Here he was, this one man, who was challenging the president of the United States over something pretty serious,” Krom said.

The pop-up opened in October and was recently extended to stay open until April 25. Krom said the hope is to find it a permanent location within the Watergate Complex, where they can “present the history of Watergate, but with two perspectives.”

The first would be on the building’s “architectural significance to D.C.,” he said.

“You may not like the design, you actually may hate it,” Krom said. “But you cannot deny that it changed D.C.’s skyline.”

The secondary focus would, of course, be on the mother of all presidential scandals that changed the course of American history.

“That’s where that suffix ‘-gate’ started and continues to be used for almost every scandal that comes out today,” Krom said.

The inspiration for the museum spawned from an interaction from a tourist outside the Watergate.

“He says, ‘This is the Watergate, right?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s one of the buildings,’” Krom recalled.

The tourist then asked Krom, “So where’s the museum?”

“I was like, ‘Oh, we don’t have a museum.’ And he literally just looked at me and said, ‘That’s so sad.’ And he got on his bike and rode away,” Krom said.

While the self-proclaimed political history nerd said he “still gets goose bumps” when he drives by the Capitol at night, Krom hopes that when people leave the museum, “they’ll walk away with a new appreciation for how our government works, the guardrails that are in place.”

“Maybe an understanding that those guardrails themselves are kind of frail, and they probably need our collective help in making sure they last — that’s what we hope to accomplish,” Krom said.

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