DC Thrifty Mom’s
FREE (or Cheap) Things To Do
in the Washington DC Metro Area:
September 20 & 21, 2014
Always call or check the event website before heading out;
Event information is subject to change.
***Visit our Calendar for more FREE & Cheap happenings.***
Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play is a day to get up, get out and get active!
On Saturday, September 20, kids will shut off their computers, tablets and TVs and head outdoors for some fun in the sun!
***Washington D.C.***
The Big Build: A HANDS-ON FAMILY FESTIVAL OF TOOLS, TRUCKS, & CONSTRUCTION
National Building Museum
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Be a builder for the day at the Big Build festival! Amateur builders young and old can discover what it’s like to build a brick wall, carve stone, hammer nails, and much more as they work side by side with designers, builders, and artisans demonstrating their skills. Meet plumbers, electricians, ironworkers, landscape architects, woodworkers, and experts in many other fields to learn about their professions and hobbies.
Grow Like a Tree (Children’s Program)
Rock Creek Park – Nature Center
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 11:00 am ∙ FREE Admission
Families are invited to join Ranger Lisa for a 1/2 mile hike behind the Nature Center. Discussion and activities will be included
Junior Botanist Festival
United States Botanic Garden - Conservatory Terrace (Rain Location: Garden Court)
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Come help us celebrate the wonders of being a Junior Botanist! Adventure abounds at the U.S. Botanic Garden as you discover all the talents needed to become a Junior Botanist. Between hands-on activities and engaging discussions with USBG staff and volunteers, be sure to ponder plants with wheat experts. Then stick around and try our Junior Botanist program in the Conservatory! Please note: This program will occur rain or shine.
First Studio: An Art Exploration for 3-5 Year-Olds
Kreeger Museum
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am ∙ $0-$7
Children and an adult companion are invited to use their imagination as they explore the paintings, sculpture, and architecture of The Kreeger Museum. Each program includes a gallery tour, analysis of works of art, a story and a hands-on art-making experience.
Children’s Hawaiian Storybook Workshop with Melissa (Mokihana) Scalph
American Indian Museum
Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm & 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm ∙ FREE – limited seating
Join us in celebrating the National Museum of the American Indian’s 10th anniversary by visiting the imagiNATIONS ACTIVITY CENTER for an interactive program about Hawaiian culture. Join Melissa (Mokihana) Scalph for a reading from the book When Silver Needles Swam by James Rumford and a take-home craft project. First come, first served. Seating is limited.
Mokihana is a certified school teacher and duly graduated dancer of Halau Mohala `Ilima, a traditional hula school in Kailua, Hawai`i, under the direction of respected master Mapuana de Silva. Mokihana’s family roots go back to the garden island of Kaua`i. She has been performing and teaching hula in the D.C. area since 1981. Venues include schools, libraries, private residences, Wolf Trap Theater-in-the-Woods, the Kirov Academy of Ballet, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Historical Society of Washington D.C. and the Taste of D.C. Festival. Through her small classes and programs, Mokihana strives to dispel the stereotypical ideas about hula, and to perpetuate a correct understanding of the people, history and culture of Hawai`i through traditional hula, crafts and storytelling. Additionally, Mokihana encourages students to ask questions and read about their own family histories and cultures.
DC VegFest
Outdoors at Yards Park
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Organized by Compassion Over Killing, a DC-based animal protection charity, the DC VegFest is a FREE outdoor festival celebrating the very best of everything vegetarian in and around the nation’s capital. There are so many reasons to choose vegetarian foods—for our health, the planet, and animals—and Washington, D.C. offers wonderful opportunities to explore meatless cuisine. The DC VegFest has something for everyone to enjoy, so bring along your family and friends, including your furry four-legged companions! Rain or Shine.
LINCOLN-THOMAS DAY AT FORT STEVENS
Fort Stevens, 13th and Quackenbos Streets, NW, Washington, DC
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
In 1924, the National Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs in America designated September 22 as Lincoln-Thomas Day, honoring President Abraham Lincoln and Mrs. Elizabeth Proctor Thomas, known as “the owner of Fort Stevens.” An African American farmer and landowner, Elizabeth Thomas’s property was taken by the U.S. Army to build Fort Stevens. This free event on September 20, featuring music and performances by Jubilee Voices and youth from the Brightwood community, is sponsored by the National Park Service and the Military Road School Preservation Trust.
DC State Fair with Homegrown DC
Old City Farm & Guild - corner of Rhode Island Ave NW & 9th St NW
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
It will be a one day hyper-local farmers’ market and festival, where school gardens, community gardens, and urban farms within the city can show off what they’ve grown, and we can celebrate growing healthy food right here at home. Homegrown DC will take place Saturday, September 20 from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm with food and bands to celebrate with after the market until 9:00 pm. Please join us by showing off your bountiful harvest. Each table and garden will be able to sell or donate their own produce and are encouraged to think of creative activities for participants and or provide “taste-tests” of your fresh food or of recipes made from your produce. Participation is free for buyers and sellers!
2014 H Street Festival
Between the 400 and 1400 blocks of H Street NE.
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Organized by H Street Main Street, the annual celebration highlights the development of the H Street NE Corridor and it’s vibrant businesses. The event is one of the District’s most popular festivals, and has been named Washington, DC’s best neighborhood festival by Washington City Paper for the last four years. In a city that boasts so many wonderful neighborhoods, the H Street NE Corridor has become one of the most diverse and exciting neighborhoods to live in, shop, eat and hang out. This year’s Festival will offer more entertainment than ever before, featuring more than 500 performers and artists on 14 staging areas spread throughout the event. Performances will range from jazz, pop and gospel music to fitness demonstrations, a “skills on wheels” performance and interactive art displays.
Metro Mambo: Time Machine
Presented by: Dance Place
Dance Place
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 12:30 pm ∙ FREE!
Joe Conzo, author of “Mambo Diablo: My Journey with Tito Puente” will share his recollections and rare unreleased and live recordings of music by Puente, Machito and Tito Rodriquez as part of this popular Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum program hosted by WPFW’s Jim Byers. A slammin’ dance party featuring Orquesta La Leyenda follows the presentation!
Latino Student Fund Scholarship Fair
Mary’s Center – Teen Room
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
The Latino Student Fund is hosting a FREE College Scholarship Fair for 8-12 Grade DMV students. The event will include representatives from Gates Millennium, POSSE Foundation, Coca Cola, DCTAG, Herb Block and many other scholarship providers.
3RD ANNUAL WIENER 500
Ronald Reagan Building
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
Celebrate Oktoberfest at the 3rd Annual Wiener 500 to benefit the Washington Humane Society!
Don’t miss DC’s one-of-a-kind Oktoberfest celebration! See the four legged German ambassadors take to the track and witness history in the making on our 16 foot jumbotron screen. Plus enjoy beer, food & music! The event is FREE to attend, but racers must register with a $20 donation.
Portrait Story Days: Cesar Chavez
National Portrait Gallery – 1st Floor, education center, E151
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm ∙ FREE!
(for ages 5 and up with adult) Youngsters and their families can drop in anytime to listen to a story about the labor leader and then create an artwork.
S.J. Ewing’s Australia Home Land
Hill Center
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 5:00 pm ∙ FREE but RSVP required
OnStage Ignite Artist Sarah J. Ewing, hosts a FREE evening of dance that explores the question “What defines home?” Ewing’s professional troupe, S.J. Ewing and Dancers, will perform an adaptation of Australia Home Land, commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the 2013 Local Dance Commissioning Project, in which Ewing shares cultural experiences from Australia’s history. The evening includes a performance by students from CityDance– connecting the DC youth to the Capitol Hill community through the joy of dance.
Whether you are attracted to the cultural context of Australia Home Land, or just the simple joy of dance, Ewing and friends promise a fun, thought-provoking experience. Learn more about Sarah Ewing and her work.
Petar Maric
Presented by: Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage
Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 6:00 pm ∙ FREE!
The Serbian accordionist showcases his unique range and musicality.
Fiesta DC 2014 Festival
Sunday, September 21 ∙ Parade: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm & Festival: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Fiesta DC 2014 Parade will take place on Sunday, September 21, 2014, from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Parade will start at Constitution Avenue and 7th Street NW , and will travel east to 14th Street NW. Staging area will open at 8am, on 7th ST and Constitution Ave, where parade order will be organized. All performing groups must be in their assigned space in order street closures and parade to begin at 10am.
ZooFiesta
National Zoo
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
¡Celebramos! Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month at ZooFiesta. See animal demonstrations and learn about animals native to Latin America, such as golden lion tamarins, sloths, Andean bears, and anteaters. Meet Zoo experts and learn how they are working to save these species and more.
Family activities include animal feedings, arts and crafts, musical entertainment, educational activities highlighting conservation research in Central and South America, and authentic gourmet cuisine at a Latin American inspired food bazaar. ZooFiesta is free, so bring the whole familia!
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) will be around from 10am – 2pm with FREE books for kids, animal inspired activities, and giveaways for kids and families.
Want to get a head start on the fun? Download RIF’s activity sheet at RIF.org/zoofiesta and see how much you can do on your trip to the zoo!
English Country Dance in DC
Presented by: Dumbarton House
Dumbarton House
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 1:00 pm ∙ $5
English Country Dance is a social, folk dance form, which has earliest documented instances in the late 16th century and was popular well into the Baroque and Regency eras.
All are welcome – no experience necessary, just the desire to have fun.
Spider Press Demonstration
Postal Museum – World of Stamps Gallery
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ∙ FREE!
Come and see a demonstration of the type of printing press that printed the famous Inverted Jenny stamp!
Note: At 1:00 pm, there’s a FREE Highlights Tour – A friendly docent will give a 30-minute tour of the highlights of the museum. Starts at the Information Desk in the Historic Lobby
THE WASHINGTON BALLET’S ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE
TWB Northwest DC Studio
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm ∙ FREE!
Get an inside glimpse of The Washington Ballet, The Washington School of Ballet, Company dancers and students from NW and SE during Open House. Join them for an afternoon of performances, classes, make-up demonstrations, food, games and crafts. Have your photo taken with a dancer, take part in “Make a Ballet” and more. This FREE event is fun for the entire family. Download the complete schedule here.
D.C. Legendary Musicians Band
Presented by: Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage
Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 6:00 pm ∙ FREE!
Representing more than 50 years of music, this band features the talents of D.C. musicians who have performed nationally and internationally with their own bands and other renowned performers such as Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Al Green, The Manhattans, and others.
DC PUBLIC LIBRARY Activities - Find FREE things to do for kids in every library in D.C.:
September is Library Card Sign Up Month! Sign Up for a Library Card or refer someone to get a library card and be entered in a drawing for prizes at the end of the month! Its just that easy!
Mount Pleasant Library Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Author/Advocate Frida Larios ∙ Mount Pleasant Library ∙ Saturday, 2:00 pm -In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, author Frida Larios will present workshop and reading that will facilitate children’s (ages 4-11) discovery and question the unique visual world of letters and Mayan mythology. The trilingual (English, Spanish and New Language [Visual] Maya) children’s book, The Village That Was Buried by an Erupting Volcano (children’s book) and the Green Child wooden puzzle are the tools of this workshop and educational experience. In the Children’s Room on the 2nd floor of the Mount Pleasant Library.
Get Booked! Banned Books Week Photo Booth ∙ Takoma Park Library ∙ Sunday, 9:30 am – Come in and take photos of yourself with a Banned Book of your choice! The photo booth will be available all week and staff will be on hand with our iPad to take photos. You can also take selfies with your phone – just make sure you tag our Twitter handle: @dcpl or Facebook at DC Public Library. For all ages.
Back to School Party at Whole Foods Market ∙ Sunday, 11:00 am – The library is joining the Whole Foods Market in Georgetown (2323 Wisconsin Ave. NW) for a back-to-school celebration featuring healthy eating demonstrations, tasty samples, a raffle and more.Drop by the store to enjoy the festivities and sign up for a library card, check out materials, and learn more about library programs!
Family Biking Workshop ∙ Georgetown Library ∙ Sunday, 1:00 pm - Join us at the Georgetown Neighborhood Library as Kidical Mass DC and WABA present this workshop on family biking around our city. Kidical Mass is a national movement to encourage parents and children to bike together. Kidical Mass DC organizes monthly family bike rides and produce the annual ABC’s of Family Biking, an event to help families learn about tools and skills that facilitate biking together in DC.
We’ll go over the ins and outs of riding confidently and comfortably with children, equipment, packing and preparation and next steps.
Heure du Conte: French Storytime ∙ Northeast Library ∙ Sunday, 2:00 pm – Attendees are exposed to French vocabulary through story, song, rhyme and crafts during this interactive story time. Ages 2 – 6 are encouraged, though all ages are welcome. Please note that story time will be done entirely in French unless otherwise specified.
Imagination Club ∙ Capitol View Library ∙ Sunday, 3:00 pm – Make something special. We provide the material, you provide the imagination! An open program for children ages 3 – 8. Registration is not required. Drop in and be creative.
***Maryland***
Honey Harvest Festival
National Wildlife Visitor Center
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm ∙ FREE Admission, though there is a $3 charge for shuttle tours
Join the Maryland State Beekeepers Association as they celebrate the Annual Maryland Honey Harvest Festival! Discover the busy world of bees and other pollinators while enjoying arts and crafts, honey tastings, candle making demonstrations, refuge habitat shuttle tours and much more! All ages.
18th Annual Baltimore County African American Cultural Festival
Towson Courthouse Patriots Plaza
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Baltimore County’s African American Cultural Festival celebrates its 18th yearin 2014. Annually, the festival celebrates the rich and thriving traditions of the African American community. Drawing in renowned and local entertainers, small and large businesses, and approximately 50,000 attendees, the festival continues to be a vibrant extravaganza that has become one of Baltimore County’s treasures.
The festival is free, family-oriented and is always held in Towson, MD at the Courthouse Square Plaza. The festival serves as vehicle to showcase Baltimore County’s communities and its residents. It also serves as a means of raising funds to support charitable programs charged to the festival such as scholarships, summer camps, and historical preservation projects. The festival is one of the only festivals in the Mid-Atlantic corridor that does not promote or endorse alcohol or tobacco products.
Monarch Fiesta Day
Black Hill Regional Park
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Celebrate the Monarch butterfly’s inspiring metamorphosis and incredible journey! We’ll have exhibits, face painting, story times, crafts, movies, monarch tagging and more! All programs are free and first-come, first-served. No registration required.
Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play
National Children’s Museum
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm ∙ NCM will also offer a $2 discount on all ticket categories on Saturday, September 20.
Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play is a day to get up, get out and get active! On Saturday, September 20, kids will shut off their computers, tablets and TVs and head outdoors for some fun in the sun! NCM will be open all day from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., but in addition to the indoor fun, come join us in the outdoor space next to National Harbor’sHampton Inn between Waterman Passage and Waterfront Street for parachute play between 11 a.m. and noon. Don’t miss Big Apple Circus: Circus-To-Go & NCM READS SERIES: LUCKY’S TAP DANCING FEET by Quynn Johnson
“Train Days”
Gaithersburg Community Museum
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Visitors are invited to view BANTRAK N-Gauge model train displays, explore a caboose, visit the 1918 steam locomotive on display in the adjacent History Park, and shop for train-related items in the Museum gift shop. With any luck visitors can also enjoy the sights and sounds of the actual CSX, Amtrak and MARC trains that rumble past the Museum on a regular basis.
Bluebird Blues Festival
Prince Georges Community College
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
The Bluebird Blues Festival is an annual celebration held at Prince George’s Community College in September. It has become one of the county’s premier events. Each year, the festival attracts an average of 12,000 people, dozens of vendors, and national blues acts.
The festival includes two stages, a main stage with a headline performer and three nationally known artists; the smaller stage features three additional acts and a blues workshop conducted by a blues scholar.
Children can participate in face painting, roving artists, tattoo art and many other events sponsored by the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Children’s activities are held in Hallam Theatre.
Food and craft vendors offer an array of unique items and cultural delicacies from around the world. The event is free and open to the public. Alcohol and pets, excluding service animals, are not permitted. Bring your chairs and join us as we celebrate the blues! Performers & Schedule
Hispanic Heritage Celebration
Potomac Landing Community Center
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm ∙ $5.00/person; Free for ages 3 & under
join us as we celebrate the contributions and heritage of the Hispanic Community. Enjoy games, food, arts & crafts, music and entertainment.
COME MEET PEPPA THE PIG!
Westfield Annapolis – DINING CAFÉ
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
Peppa the Pig is joining us for a special meet-and-greet. She will make her appearances at 11am, 12 noon, and 1pm.
Come have your face painted and your picture taken with Peppa!
Fall Fest
City Park in Hagerstown, Maryland
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
The event has three featured events, family activities, hayrides and much more.
Stuart Little
Adventure Theatre MTC
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 11:00 am & 2:00 pm & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 11:00 am ∙ $19 [Discount Tickets]
Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Shy and thoughtful, Stuart’s greatest adventure comes when his best friend, a beautiful little bird named Margalo, disappears from her nest. Determined to track her down, Stuart ventures away from home for the very first time in his life. He finds adventure aplenty. But will he find his friend?
Based on the Award Winning Book by E.B. White ∙ Adapted for the Stage by Joseph Robinette ∙ Directed by Colin Hovde ∙ Starring Chris Dinolfo ∙ Recommended for All Ages. Performances continue through Sunday, October 26, 2014.
Rapunzel
The Puppet Co. Playhouse
Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 11:30 am & 1:00 pm ∙ $10 [Discount Tickets]
A “bewitching” tale by Duane T. Bowers, of the Grimm’s fairytale, featuring the music of Jacques Ibert. Witch Wartsmith wants a baby, and after bargaining for little Rapunzel, must go to great lengths to keep her out of the hands of a handsome prince. The Puppet Co. uses “coloring-book” charm and the simplicity of hand puppets in a production designed to delight its younger audiences. Performances continue through Sunday, October 12, 2014.
Food for Thought Festival
National Colonial Farm
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm ∙ $5 per person; Members and Children under 10 are FREE
Join the Accokeek Foundation at Piscataway Park as we explore the intricacies of the local food movement through discussion, theater, DIY workshops, games and – of course – food. Held on the green pastures of the historic National Colonial Farm, this fun and interactive event will feature nationally and locally recognized writers, activists and performers inspiring us to eat sustainably and well.
Free Family Sundays
Bladensburg Waterfront Park
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 9:30 am – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Enjoy our Free Family Sundays with a one-hour canoe, kayak, or paddle boat rental!
Please note: Children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult.
Hispanic Festival
Lane Manor Park
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Bring the family and celebrate the rich heritage of our Hispanic communities! From carnival games, crafts, entertainment, delicious ethnic food and more, there’s something for everyone. Bring a friend or neighbor and enjoy the day!
Lessons from the Past
Kingsley Schoolhouse
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE!
Come and enjoy activities for the entire family! Listen to live music, meet and greet former students, enjoy guided tours of the schoolhouse, and play old fashioned games.
Family Sundays
Baltimore Museum of Art
Sunday, September 14 ∙ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm ∙ FREE!
The BMA is the place to be for free family fun! Every Sunday, enjoy different activities—sketching tours, hands-on workshops, gallery tours, and more—designed just for families. SEPTEMBER’s Theme: Meeting the Old Masters - September 21: Tell a Story in Faux Stained Glass
Movies on the Potomac – Neverland: Peter Pan
National Harbor
Sunday, September 21 ∙ movies start at 6:00 pm ∙ FREE!
Meet us at the Plaza’s big screen for a FREE evening of ocean breezes and all-ages fun! Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the show! And visit The Black Dog for Dog Adoption Day, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
***Virginia***
45th Annual Bluemont Fair
Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm ∙ $5 (ages 10+), under 10 FREE!
Enjoy old-fashioned fun at our country fair held in the historic village of Bluemont, in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Visit the website for details about the 10K race, Children’s Fair, and more!
2nd Annual Arlington Festival of the Arts (Arlington, VA)
Highland Street in the Clarendon district of Arlington
Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
The Arlington Festival of the Arts is coming back to the Clarendon District this fall!
Leesburg Fine Art Festival
Market and King Street, Leesburg
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
historic Leesburg will play host to an outdoor art gallery featuring jewelry, sculptures, photography, ceramics and more.
Dulles Day Festival & Plane Pull
Dulles Airport
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 11:00 am – 4:00pm [Gates open at 10:30 am & close at 3:45 pm] ∙ FREE Admission!
The Dulles Day Festival & Plane Pull® is Special Olympics Virginia’s “heaviest” fundraiser, pitting teams of 25 against one another to see who can pull a 164,000+ pound Airbus 12 feet the fastest. Whether you’re pulling the plane or cheering from the sidelines, there’s plenty to do at the Plane Pull, aside from pulling the plane! From the annual car show and live music by UDOVOODOO and the Happy Hour Boys to the concessions, exhibitors and military and civilian aircraft displays, it’s a guaranteed good time. Please note: no backpacks, coolers, firearms or pets (except for service animals) will be allowed. Be sure to check out the Kids Truck Pull and Aircraft Displays. Directions & Arrival Information here.
KORUS Festival
Bull Run Park Special Events Center
Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21 ∙ FREE Admission!
Celebrating Korean American Heritage. Kid’s Zone! This year we have several exciting activities and games in the Kid’s Zone. Fun for the whole family! Stop by the Korean Cultural Center’s Booths to learn about Korean culture and play traditional games. Reminder that this is an outside Festival. Please plan accordingly: hat, sun screen, umbrella, jacket, bug spray, folding chair, blanket, etc. There will be ATMs available on site.
Stories at the Museum: Zeppelins
Arlington Historical Society
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 1:30 pm – 3:30 PM ∙ FREE Admission
This program for families and children will feature a reading of a selected history themed book, and families will have the opportunity to do a make-and-take craft activity related to the story. Participants are welcome to tour the museum to see objects featured in the stories.
The programs are free and open to all. Stories will be read at 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., and crafts will take place throughout the afternoon.
Autumn Chores
Claude Moore Colonial Farm
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 1:00 pm – 4:00 PM ∙ $3/ADULTS -$2/CHILDREN & SENIORS
There are always plenty of chores to do around a farm; but winter preparations require extra help! Come help the farm family prepare for the cold months ahead by learning how to split logs into rails for fencing, process flax to make thread for sewing, clearing brush and preserving the last of the gardens bounty.
Regular admission fee, clothing that can get dirty is recommended.
Children’s Theatre: ”Alice In Wonderland”
Workhouse Arts Center
Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 1:00 pm ∙ $10-$13
An original musical adaptation inspired by the classic Lewis Carroll stories. Poor Alice has found herself lost in strange land filled with wondrous inhabitants! Featuring songs based on the poetry from the original text, the Cheshire Cat, the Red Queen, the White Rabbit and the rest of the zany cast will be on hand as Alice adventures through Wonderland. Will she ever find her way home again, or was it all just a dream..?! Performances continue through Sunday, September 28 2014.
National Gymnastics Day Celebration
Loudoun Gymnastics
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE!
National Gymnastics Day Celebration is a FREE Family Event for children ages 18 months and up. Come and explore our state of the art facility, learn how to do a cartwheel, practice your handstands, jump and hop on a 40 foot long trampoline! Gymnastics is an Olympic Sport and our Team Gymnasts will be highlighting their talents in an exhibition from 2:45 until 3:15. Come see our Competitive Boys, Girls and Trampoline & Tumbling Team show off their skills on all of the Olympic Events including Bars, Beam, Floor, Vault, Rings, Pommel Horse, Trampoline and MORE! Water and light snack provided.
Cute Animals Stop, Drop & Roll
Presented by: Jane Franklin Dance
Penrose Square on Columbia Pike
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 7:00 pm ∙ FREE!
At the dog park, most people know the names of the dogs, but not the name of their owner. This casual community of animal lovers and Jane Franklin Dance spark a connection with those who share a common interest. Stop, Drop & Roll is for two groups in an opposing structure of athletic-inspired movement! Have you ever gone to a ball game and marveled at the timing and chance moments of teamwork? A movement plan explores competition and random opposition.
Touch A Truck
Northern Virginia Community College – Manassas Campus
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm ∙ $5
Grab your family and friends and ZOOM on over to Touch a Truck on Sunday, September 21st at the Manassas campus of NOVA. It promises to be a great family event where children, of all ages, will be able to get behind the wheel of their favorite vehicles and meet the people who help to build, protect, and serve our community. $5 entry begins at 10am and the first 100 children to arrive will receive a FREE diecast car!
All proceeds will support Discovery Junction Children’s Museum (DJCM) in its goal of opening a children’s museum in Prince William County. DJCM will be home to hands-on interactive exhibits designed to spark creative and critical thinking. Exhibits will focus on aspects of current and historical local significance, imaginative play, the arts, and sciences
Manassas Latino Festival
Harris Pavilion in old town Manassas
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 12:00 pm – 5:30 pm ∙ FREE Admission
Join us in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and enjoy the performances.
Summer Movies at Stonebridge
Potomac Town Center
Sunday, September 21 ∙ 7:00 pm ∙ FREE!
Summer Movie Nights at Stonebridge every Sunday at 7 pm through August on the Jumbo Tron! Tonight’s Double Feature: Monsters, Inc/ Monsters U
Arlington Kids’ Stuff Sale
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
Celebrating 25 Years!
This premier consignment sale is held twice a year—in the Spring and Fall. Over 100 consigners participate in each sale. We offer a wide selection of seasonal kids’ clothes and shoes, toys, books, movies, large and small equipment, strollers, bicycles, maternity clothing and lots more! For close to 25 years, this consignment sale is trusted by many of our regular customers as a well-organized, reliable source of all kid-related items! Due to stairs and tight spaces, strollers are not allowed at the sale.
Children’s Consignment Sale
Abiding Presence
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 8:00 am – 2:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
FALL SALE
Fairfax County Mothers of Multiples – Consignment Sale
nZone in Chantilly
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
The Consignment sales are very large and very well organized events with more than 150 families consigning items. All families have twins, triplets, or more, so there is an unbelievable amount of baby and kid merchandise. At past sales, we have sold more than 15,000 items and 90% of items were $5.00 or less!
TotSwap
Montgomery County Fairgrounds
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
This sale will feature Fall & Winter items ONLY! Note: 50% off Many Items on Sunday
McLean AAUW 45th Annual Used Book Sale
McLean Community Center
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm & Sunday, September 21 ∙ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
The 2014 AAUW Book Sale is amazingly well stocked with tens of thousands of books, plus hundreds of musical CDs and DVDs of television series and movies. Recent editions of histories, including many military histories, biographies, political analyses, as well as gardening, health, general literature and business and economics books are abundant. All travel books have been published between 2009 and 2014. Not to be missed is a terrific assortment of treasured collectibles and special art books, a huge and very complete collection of mystery stories and lots of children’s and adult general interest books.
On Sunday most books are $10 a bag. Credit cards will be accepted.
Proceeds support American Association of University Women’s Educational Opportunities Fund and local scholarships.
Native Plant Sale
Long Branch Nature Center & Park
Saturday, September 20 ∙ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm ∙ FREE Admission!
Want to improve your yard for local birds and butterflies? Then its time to Grow Native!
We are offering a great selection of plants that are ac-customed to local climate and wildlife. We have natives for sun to shade, even deer resistant plants. These are just a few of what we have to offer! We’ll also have a wider selection to choose from on the day. Rain date – Sunday, September 21.
Enjoy your weekend!
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