See dazzling lighted sailboats at Sailing Through the Winter Solstice. Photo courtesy of the Tourism Council of Frederick County
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Main photo by Tim & Selena Middleton/CC BY 2.0
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Take a stroll through the Marshall Pond Christmas Village in Burke, VA. Photo courtesy of Kristy Case, from the Marshall Pond Christmas Village Facebook page
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The popular Sculpture Garden ice rink is back at the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art. Photo by Elvert Barnes via Flickr 2.0
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Find the perfect tree for your family at Snickers Gap Tree Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm
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Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens will dazzle the whole family. Photo by Tony Ventouris for Montgomery County Parks
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There are so many places to have breakfast with Santa throughout the DC area. Photo courtesy of Theissman's Restaurant's Facebook page
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The Washington Ballet gives The Nutcracker a historic twist at the Warner Theatre. Photo by XMB photography
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Enjoy storytime each Wednesday at the Hirshhorn. Photo courtesy of the Hirshorn Museum
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See the National Zoo in a whole new light at ZooLights. Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian National Zoo
See the National Zoo in a whole new light at ZooLights. Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian National Zoo
10/27/24 - By Jennifer Swope

November doesn't disappoint with Diwali, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and the official start of the holiday season.

Two words - Pumpkin Chunkin'. November launches with this two-day annual event at Great Country Farms where pumpkins go flying. I can't think of a better post-Halloween event to please everyone.

Want to keep it exciting in early November? Head down to Navy Yard for Side Yards, where you can watch aerialists, sword swallowers, magicians, and many more circus acts. My family loves this event, though be warned—your kid might want to try something new after seeing these acts.

Holiday light shows kick off this month, including Meadowlark's Winter Walk of Lights in Virginia and the Gaithersburg Winter Festival of Lights in Maryland. I 10/10 recommend getting tickets for one or more of the fabulous light displays in the area. Some you can walk, some you drive, but all will thrill your family.

We have so many more great events listed below for your family in November, but don't forget to check our family activity calendar every day, as we're always adding more events.

More Things To Do in DC This November With Kids:

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Head to Montgomery County for the only Thanksgiving parade in the DC metro area. Photo courtesy of Montgomery County
Head to Montgomery County for the only Thanksgiving parade in the DC metro area. Photo courtesy of Montgomery County

Top Things To Do in DC with Kids this November

Winter Lantern Festival (at Tysons Corner)

Tysons, VA - Thursdays - Sundays, October 31, 2024 - January 12, 2025
The Winter Lantern Festival is back this holiday season, with a display of electrifying lights made from more than 1,000 handmade Chinese lanterns. Guests will enter and wander through a wonderland of light and color inspired by Chinese myths, legends, and zodiacs. Attractions will include a bounce house, sugar paintings, dino ride, interactive light swings, see-saws, tunnels, and many majestic creatures. READ MORE

Día de los Muertos Block Party (at Bryant Street Market)

Washington, DC - Friday, November 1, 2024
Free
Celebrate the vibrant Mexican tradition of Día de Los Muertos at the second annual Block Party, an evening filled with music, art, and remembrance. Visitors can immerse themselves in the colorful atmosphere while honoring departed loved ones with joyful festivities. From intricate face painting to traditional altar displays, experience the rich cultural heritage of Mexico.  READ MORE

Diwali Family Fun at NMAA

Washington, DC - Saturday, November 2, 2024
Free
Bring the whole family to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. In the ImaginAsia classroom, make crafts related to light, and learn about the conservation of light-sensitive objects. Listen to stories and sketch in the South Asian galleries. READ MORE

Pumpkin Chunkin' at Great Country Farms

Bluemont, VA - Saturday & Sunday, November 2 & 3, 2024
Wondering what to do with those carved pumpkins after Halloween? Join in the Pumpkin Chunkin' fun at Great Country Farms and watch those orange faces fly! READ MORE

Side Yards

Washington, DC - Friday, November 8, 2024
Free
Side Yards is a family-friendly event in Yards Park featuring DC’s best performers. Multiple stages showcase the talents of contortionists, magicians, escape artists, sword swallowers, aerialists, lollipop lyra performers, and more. Attendees can also enjoy interactive activities including tarot card and palm reading, balloon artistry, glitter tattoos, and more. READ MORE

Meadowlark's Winter Walk of Lights

Vienna, VA - Daily, November 8, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights is an elegant garden trail decorated with thousands of sparkling lights. The half-mile walk through the enchanting Meadowlark Botanical Gardens features lighted nature themes and animated displays along a paved wheelchair- and stroller-accessible trail. Stay warm by sipping on a hot beverage (with or without spirits) while walking, and enjoy s’mores to finish out the evening. READ MORE

International Spy Museum's Parade of Trabants

Washington, DC - Saturday, November 9, 2024
Free
Celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with everyone’s favorite Cold War car—the Trabant. Visitors can check out these vintage vehicles, do some graffiti Berlin-style, and try to fit in tiny spaces like those escaping East Berlin. READ MORE

Veterans Day Weekend Activities at George Washington's Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, VA - Saturday, November 9, 2024
Celebrate military veterans of the United States Armed Forces at the home of George Washington. Visitors can watch 18th-century military drills, visit Washington’s Tomb, write letters to veterans, and more. READ MORE

National Harbor Holiday Tree Light Show

National Harbor, MD - Saturdays, November 9 - December 28, 2024
Free
Each night, families can enjoy a beautiful light show as a 60-foot Christmas tree at National Harbor lights up. On Saturdays at 5:30pm, the show is followed by fireworks. READ MORE

Veterans Day Concert at Spirit Park

National Harbor, MD - Sunday, November 10, 2024
Free
In honor of Veterans Day, join the United States Air Force Band District Brass for a special performance in Spirit Park. READ MORE

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

All National Parks - Monday, November 11, 2024
Free
On select days throughout the year, all national parks are open to the public with no admission fee. Veterans Day marks the last freebie for 2024.  READ MORE

Ice! featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas (at Gaylord National Harbor)

National Harbor, MD - Daily, November 15 - December 28, 2024
Visitors can experience the beloved holiday ICE! featuring "A Charlie Brown Christmas", a dazzling, immersive, story-driven holiday showplace complete with larger-than-life ice sculptures, thrilling frozen slides, and awe-inspiring tunnels. READ MORE

Bull Run Festival of Lights

Centreville, VA - Daily, November 15, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Experience the magic of the holidays at the Bull Run Festival of Lights, Northern Virginia’s largest drive-through holiday light experience! A family favorite for three decades, the Bull Run Festival of Lights dazzles with a 2.5-mile display of holiday and fairytale vignettes. READ MORE

Ice & Lights: The Winter Village at Cameron Run

Alexandria, VA - Daily, November 15, 2024 - January 5, 2025
(except November 18-21, 25-28)
Ice & Lights offers a fun, outdoor family experience to see unique holiday lights, take family pictures or selfies with a variety of displays, and take a spin on the outdoor ice rink. The Village opens on November 15, 2024, and ice skating begins on November 29. READ MORE

Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade

Silver Spring, MD - Saturday, November 16, 2024
Free
The streets are being overrun with turkeys, dinosaurs, penguins, and reindeer. No, the zoo hasn’t opened its gates – it's the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade! With marching bands, Bolivian dancing groups, floats, giant characters and balloons, and Santa, it is the only Thanksgiving Parade in the metro DC area. READ MORE

Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque (at Hylton Performing Arts Center)

Manassas, VA - Saturday & Sunday, November 16 & 17, 2024
Cirque Kalabanté invites the whole family to Afrique en Cirque, a unique fusion of African arts and European circus traditions that makes for a multi-sensory extravaganza like no other. With colorful costumes and scenery, daring acrobats and dancers perform gravity-defying feats accompanied by the pulsating rhythms of a live Afro jazz ensemble.  READ MORE

Disney in Concert: A Dream is a Wish (at Capital One Hall)

Tysons, VA - Sunday, November 17, 2024
Disney in Concert: A Dream is a Wish transports audiences into the musical world of classic and contemporary Disney Animated Feature films to discover that dreams really do come true. The stories of The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Aladdin, and more are told through the talents of some of the region's most brilliant young artists, with sweeping symphonic scores performed by YAA's own brilliant orchestra, singers, and dancers, plus original Disney film footage. READ MORE

Ford's Theatre A Christmas Carol

Washington, DC - Tuesdays - Sundays, November 21 - December 31, 2024
(also on December 23; not on December 24 & 25)
Experience a reinterpretation of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas story in historic Ford's Theatre. This version of Ebenezer Scrooge's story is a music-infused production, capturing the magic and joy of this Yuletide classic. READ MORE

Finn at The Kennedy Center

Washington, DC - Fridays - Sundays, November 22 - December 22, 2024
From the creator of Doc McStuffins and Vampirina, Finn is filled with quirky sea-creature characters and catchy tunes. Hilarious and heartwarming, this world-premiere musical chronicles the coming-of-age journey of a young shark following his dreams. READ MORE

ZooLights at the National Zoo

Washington, DC - Thursdays - Sundays, November 22, 2024 - January 4, 2025
(also on December 23 & 30; not on November 18, December 5 & 12, January 2)
This annual festive event features a variety of attractions including light shows, musical performances, inflatable slides, a train ride, and an outdoor market. ZooLights does not feature animals, and all indoor exhibits are closed. Attractions may not be open when temperatures are 35 degrees or below.  READ MORE

Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens

Wheaton, MD - Daily, November 22, 2024 - January 5, 2025
(except on November 25-28, December 24 & 25, January 1)
Brookside Gardens transforms into a dazzling winter wonderland with over one million colorful lights. The display includes original works depicting animals, flowers, and other natural elements, as well as computerized light displays complete with music and fog. READ MORE

Winter City Lights (in Olney, MD)

Olney, MD - Fridays - Sundays, November 23 - December 29, 2024
(also on December 12, 18, 19, & 23-26)
The largest light show in the DC and Baltimore areas, Winter City Lights is one of the most technologically advanced Christmas light experiences in the US. It includes a 1.5-mile-long trail of Christmas lights and displays through the woods, a 52-foot-high programmable Christmas lights tree and light show, an eight-lane snow tubing ride, 14 bonfires, and more. READ MORE

Philadelphia Ballet: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® (at The Kennedy Center)

Washington, DC - Wednesday - Sunday, November 27 - December 1, 2024
Full of warmth and holiday cheer, George Balanchine’s beloved classic The Nutcracker returns in a whimsical production from Philadelphia Ballet (formerly Pennsylvania Ballet). Marvel at the magic of swirling snowflakes, dancing candy canes, and enchanted toys. READ MORE

Reston Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting

Reston, VA - Friday, November 29, 2024
Free
The Reston Holiday Parade marches down Market Street in Reston Town Center. Featuring balloons, marching bands, antique cars, and more, the half-mile parade ends with the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus via horse-drawn carriage. Following the parade, kids can meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Fountain Square at 6pm. READ MORE

NSO Pops: Elf™ in Concert (at The Kennedy Center)

Washington, DC - Friday - Sunday, November 29 - December 1, 2024
Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. This holiday season relive this heartwarming holiday classic on a giant screen as every note of John Debney’s wonderful score is played live to picture in: Elf™ in Concert! READ MORE

Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival

Gaithersburg, MD - Daily, November 29 - December 31, 2024
(except on December 25)
The popular drive-thru winter lights display at Seneca Creek State Park includes more than 450 illuminated displays and beautiful lighted trees. READ MORE

The Nutcracker (at The Puppet Co. Playhouse)

Glen Echo, MD - Thursdays - Sundays, November 29 - December 29, 2024
The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo Park presents its 36th annual performance of The Nutcracker, featuring the familiar story of Clara and the nutcracker prince with some nursery rhyme spin. READ MORE

The Polar Express™ at the B&O Railroad Museum

Baltimore, MD - Fridays - Sundays, November 29 - December 22, 2024
(also on December 12, 18, & 19)
Climb aboard The Polar Express™ at the B&O Railroad Museum for a Christmas memory you’ll cherish forever. Experience this beloved holiday tradition with a magical train ride to the North Pole, while enjoying hot chocolate and cookies served by singing chefs and receive the First Gift of Christmas from Santa. When you arrive at the North Pole, you will delight in a winter wonderland complete with dancing elves, holiday crafts, a sleigh ride, photo ops with Old St. Nick, s'mores by the firepit, and delicious treats at the Candy Cane Café.  READ MORE

Sesame Street Live! Say Hello at Capital One Hall

Tysons, VA - Saturday, November 30, 2024
Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, and their friends from Sesame Street are coming to your neighborhood to say hello! At Sesame Street Live! Say Hello, sing, dance, and play alongside favorite furry friends, all while following Elmo’s puppy, Tango, in a fun game of hide-and-seek. Put on some dancing shoes and head to where the air is sweet for this all-new celebration on Sesame Street. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Lerner Town Square at Tysons II
National Parks - Multiple Locations
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts