The first two weekends of December are terrible for indecisive folks. There’s so much holiday merriment taking place, often at the same time, that hard choices have to be made. That’s where we come in. Here’s a guide that includes the four — four — holiday parades happening on land and by sea on Saturday, enough holiday markets to pick up something for everyone on your list, and a wide selection of concerts to put you in a festive mood.
Thursday, Dec. 4
Heurich House Christmas Markt
Held in the walled garden of the Heurich House Museum since 2013, the annual German-inspired Christmas Markt boasts that it is D.C.’s only multiday market “consisting of ALL local makers.” Forty makers are participating over the market’s four-day run, with at least 22 ceramicists, printmakers, jewelers and artists vending at one time, while stands sell glühwein and snacks and guests can make keepsakes at crafting stations. Given that rotation, it’s helpful that purchasing a ticket allows you to enter and reenter the market on multiple days. Thursday and Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. $12-$14; $2 for children ages 2-15; free for children younger than 2.
Live! At the Library: Holiday Celebration at the Library of Congress
Kick off the season with the lighting of the Library of Congress’s literature-themed Christmas tree in the Jefferson Building’s Great Hall during the holiday edition of the Live! At the Library weekly after-hours programming. The evening, which requires free timed-entry tickets, also includes live music, seasonal cocktails, pop-up talks and a chance to view the library’s Hanukkah Menorah. Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Register online for free tickets.
Dumbarton Oaks Winter Season
The 16 acres of gardens at Dumbarton Oaks are known for their bursts of color in spring and summer — glowing forsythia, wisteria-covered arbors, flowering cherries and carpets of roses. But the beloved space takes on a new, more meditative cast in winter, when it’s easier to appreciate the garden “rooms,” ponds and terraces designed by Beatrix Farrand, the only woman among the founders of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and how they embrace the landscape. During Dumbarton’s Winter Season, which began earlier this week and runs through March 1, the gardens are open every day except Monday. Although admission is free, advance tickets are required. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m., through March 1. (Last admission at 4:30 p.m.) Free; advance tickets required and not available on-site.
Adams Morgan Holiday Lighting
Adams Morgan turns on its annual holiday light display at the plaza on the corner of 18th Street and Columbia Road with a little help from the Grinch — plus snow (regardless of the forecast), hot chocolate and live music. Wear your ugliest sweater for a chance to win prizes. The after-party is a few steps away at the Canadian-accented Le Mont Royal, with warming cocktails and house DJs accompanied by sax and vocalists. 5:30 p.m. Free.
Rosslyn Cheer: Light the Plaza
The holiday spirit arrives in Rosslyn on Thursday with the lighting of a 24-foot tree, live music, a cash bar and other activities. While Friday’s yappy hour has been canceled due to the weather, coming days bring a holiday market (Saturday and Sunday) and the twice-weekly Find Cheerio competition, where participants can search the neighborhood for a figurine of neighborhood mascot Cheerio the Penguin to win gift cards from local restaurants. 5 to 7 p.m. Free.
Showtime Holiday Bazaar
Shop for vintage clothes, collectible vinyl, flea market housewares and other finds while sipping cheap beer and listening to groovy beats at the Bloomingdale dive bar. 7 p.m. Free.
Friday, Dec. 5
Step Afrika!’s ‘Magical Musical Holiday Step Show’ at Arena Stage
After three years of sold-out shows at Arena Stage, there are even more opportunities to see Step Afrika!’s joyful, percussive “step-stravaganza” this season. The long-running production gives a holiday twist to stepping, a style of group dance defined by precision stomping and clapping that’s popular with historically Black fraternities and sororities. During the “Magical Musical Holiday Step Show,” which is performed in the round, nutcrackers parade, candy canes tap dance, and a snow shovel can become an instrument, all to a soundtrack of holiday tunes. Through Dec. 21. Tickets start at $49, and there are multiple discounts available, including a “pay your age” program for patrons 35 and younger and family four-packs of tickets for $179.
Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at Washington National Cathedral
To some, Christmas sounds like Target’s playlist of Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé jingles. To George Frideric Handel fans, it sounds like his sprawling three-part oratorio, filled with celestial choral breaks, several soloists and a bombastic energy that revisits the meaning of reverential. Those modern “Messiah” lovers have several chances to catch it live in D.C. this season, starting at Washington National Cathedral. The church’s choir is joined by the Baroque Orchestra for a rendition of Handel’s work under the cathedral’s soaring Gothic architecture. On Saturday morning, a family show breaks down what is usually a 2½-hour performance into a kid-friendly highlight reel. Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m.; family show Saturday at 2 p.m. $46-$122.
Repeal Day celebrations
On Dec. 5, 1933, the long national experiment known as Prohibition officially ended with the ratification of the 21st Amendment. Well, not in D.C., where residents were denied legal alcohol until March 1934, thanks to Congress. But no hard feelings — we’ll celebrate the anniversary anyway.
Jack Rose’s 12th annual bourbon-soaked Repeal Day Party is free to enter and features live jazz, burlesque dancers and, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., a happy hour with $12.05 cocktails made with the Adams Morgan whiskey bar’s collection of single-barrel spirits. Look for $2 oysters Rockefeller and a menu of Prohibition-era cocktails. Want to taste history in your glass? Try the guided tasting of vintage whiskeys, all at least 40 years old, in the basement. 5 to 11 p.m. Free; whiskey tasting $135.
Just up 18th Street NW, the speakeasy-inspired Code Red hosts a Repeal Day Party with live music, Prohibition trivia, and themed cocktail flights. Reservations aren’t available, but it’s worth trying your luck at the door. 5 to 9 p.m. Free.
Canal Park Ice Rink grand opening
The transformation from splash park to ice rink is complete, and the outdoor skating rink near the Navy Yard officially opens Friday afternoon with the lighting of a Christmas tree and menorah. The first 150 visitors receive a free skate rental. Rink open from 4 to 10 p.m.; lighting activities from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission $11-$13; skate rental $7.
Holiday Bazaar at Potter’s House
Shop textiles, pottery, candles, soaps, books and more from local artists and vendors at this Adams Morgan mainstay coffee shop that has, for the first year, extended its holiday bazaar to two days. Friday from 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free.
‘New Girl’ Trivia at As You Are
Did you know the “New Girl” theme was written by its star? Test your sitcom knowledge at As You Are’s trivia night, hosted by the bar’s owner. 7:30 p.m. Free.
Saturday, Dec. 6
Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade and Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
Some towns are lucky to have one holiday parade. Alexandria hosts two — on both land and water, on the same day, making for a supremely festive Saturday. The day begins at 11 a.m. with the 54th edition of the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, which celebrates Old Town’s Scottish roots with a mile-long parade of pipe and drum bands, kilted dancers, Scottish dogs, vintage automobiles, community groups, and a jolly man in a red suit. There are views up and down King Street, but the Market Square is a fine choice, since pipe bands gather there to perform a short concert after the parade ends. After dark, attention turns to the Potomac River, where dozens of seasonally decorated boats — 60 participated in 2024 — cruise up and down during the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Crowds are thickest around the end of King Street, at the Waterfront Park and Torpedo Factory, so for the best viewing experience, you might want to move to another riverside park, such as Founders Park or Shipyard Park. 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. See visitalexandria.com for maps and directions. Free.
Holiday Boat Parade and Party at the Wharf
An hour-long parade with dozens of brightly lit boats in the Washington Channel is followed by a fireworks display at the Wharf. The hours before the parade include live music, holiday karaoke, photos with Santa, ice skating and s’mores over wood-burning firepits; cover band My Hero Zero performs on the District Pier after the fireworks. 5 to 8 p.m. Parade begins at 7 p.m.; fireworks begin at 8. Free admission, with fees for ice skating and other activities.
Christmas in Middleburg
The most unusual Christmas parade in the area begins with formally attired fox hunters on horseback riding through historic Middleburg with a pack of their hounds at 11 a.m. That afternoon brings floats, marching bands, community groups, and more horses and dogs processing through the Loudoun County town at 2 p.m. Purchase parking passes early — they usually sell out. 11 a.m. Free.
Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-a-Long
The annual Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-a-Long, featuring “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band and local choral groups performing carols and seasonal tunes, could have become a casualty of the government shutdown, but it’s happily going on as scheduled at the Filene Center. Veteran Sing-a-Longers know to bring bells to shake during “Jingle Bells” and an LED candle to light during the final verse of “Silent Night.” New, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots will be collected at the gate. Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. Gates open at 3. Free; registration requested.
Santa Fly-In at College Park Aviation Museum
Forget a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer: Santa Claus makes his grand entrance by helicopter (or plane, depending on the weather) at this beloved local tradition. The day also includes excerpts from “The Nutcracker” by the Berwyn Ballet; holiday crafts and activities; and photos with the guest of honor, who speaks English and Spanish. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Santa arrives at 11.) $10 for Prince George’s County residents; $13 for nonresidents.
Winter Festival and Christmas Tree Sale at the National Arboretum
More than 20 vendors offer local honey, plant-inspired jewelry and other wares at the National Arboretum’s Winter Festival, alongside train rides, a carousel, caroling, a clothing swap and family-focused games and arts and crafts. Refreshments come from food trucks. Visitors can also bring home a Christmas tree or holiday greenery. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free; registration requested.
‘Gremlins’ at Arlington Drafthouse
There’s no need for a “Die Hard”-style debate: “Gremlins” is one of the greatest Christmas movies, with comedic horror driving out the usual seasonal saccharine. And even after watching gremlins nearly level the town of Kingston Falls, who wouldn’t want to find a mogwai under the tree? (“Gremlins are really likable infantile anarchists — like hundreds of baby John Belushis,” Washington Post critic Rita Kempley cheered in her 1984 review.) There’s a special guest at this Arlington Drafthouse screening: Zach Galligan, who starred as Billy in “Gremlins” and “Gremlins 2,” will take questions from the audience after the credits roll. (Read this 1984 interview for Q&A inspiration.) 3 p.m. $24; $47 with meet-and-greet and autograph.
Krampusnacht at Wunder Garten
In Central Europe, there are two characters you better watch out for at this time of year. St. Nicholas (a.k.a. Santa Claus), who brings presents for good boys and girls. Krampus, on the other hand, is a horned, goatlike creature who punishes naughty children by beating them with birch rods or passing out coal. Krampus has many fans in D.C., who’ve been organizing Krampusnacht parties and parades since the early 2010s. Celebrate Krampus — the antidote to the Hallmark-ification of Christmas — at Wunder Garten, where you’ll find revelers in Krampus outfits, fire dancers and other performers, a costume contest, and a mini Krampus run. BYO sticks and chains. Proceeds benefit the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides support for LGBTQ+ youth in D.C. 7 p.m. Free.
Native Art Market at the National Museum of the American Indian
Indigenous artists from across the Americas take the spotlight at the National Museum of the American Indian’s annual Native Art Market, with both traditional and contemporary beadwork, pottery, baskets and other handmade crafts for sale. Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
Dupont Circle Holiday Pop-Up
The D.C. Holiday Market off the circle has company this weekend, when Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets hosts its ninth annual fundraiser. The pop-up market takes over the top of North Dupont Circle metro stop on the sidewalks of P Street NW. Grab a hot chocolate from a Teaism pop-up, and shop from 25 local artisans while listening to roaming carolers. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
Bridge District Holiday Tree Lot
If you haven’t visited the new Atlas Brew Works in Anacostia, here’s an excuse to go check it out. The Holiday Tree Lot is more than a place to buy a seasonal fir: There’s live music; ax throwing; stations for glitter tattoos, face painting, and writing letters to Santa; hot cocoa; and a spacious taproom with craft beer and video games. Note: While the activities are only taking place Saturday, the lot will also have trees for sale Sunday, as well as Dec. 13-14. 3 to 5 p.m. Free.
40th Annual Festival of Lights and Carols in Fairfax Old Town Square
There’s a community vibe to Fairfax City’s decades-old holiday celebration, with live music from an elementary school choir, George Mason’s Tuba Euphonium Ensemble and the local Girl Scouts. Gather around for free s’mores and warm cider, take photos with Santa, or let children make arts and crafts before the tree lighting and caroling at 5:30 p.m. The festivities overlap with the weekend-long Holiday Market in the Old Town Square, with goods and food from more than 30 vendors. Noon to 6 p.m. Free.
Bethesda Winter Wonderland and Holiday Market
The Woodmont Triangle is full of family fun during the Bethesda Winter Wonderland. Meet Santa Claus, listen to choral groups from eight local schools, watch an ice-carving demonstration, and participate in hands-on activities led by Imagination Stage, Round House Theatre and other groups. Adults can browse URBNmarket’s holiday market with 50 vendors. Noon to 4 p.m. Free.
Sapphic Holiday Market at Metrobar
More than a dozen LGBTQ-owned businesses will set up an open-air market at Metrobar, where patrons can shop repurposed leather, “port-rats” (live drawings of you imagined as a rat), “sustainably sourced oddities,” beaded jewelry, chain-mail accessories, “affirmative candles” and more. A specialty cocktail menu includes whiskey-spiked hot chocolate (the Sleigh My Name) and a hot red sangria. 1 to 5 p.m. Free.
Les Couleurs De Noël at the Embassy of Haiti
Browse jewelry, original art, traditional clothing, housewares and food and drinks from Haitian artists and businesses during the Embassy of Haiti’s holiday market. Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
Dacha Holiday Market
Spin the prize wheel, sip hot drinks and listen to live acoustic music while you browse goodies at Dacha’s Navy Yard location’s annual holiday market. Whiskey distillers Old Forester offer on-site tastings, and the vendor lineup includes local artists, vintage sellers, potters, textile crafters, jewelers, florists, hot-sauce distributors and more. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
The Lodge at National Landing
Holiday karaoke, an ugly holiday sweater competition for dogs and free train rides are among the attractions at National Landing’s “ski-inspired winter festival” at Metropolitan Park. Listen to live jazz on one stage, watch local baristas participate in a peppermint mocha latte competition on another, or browse a market with a dozen vendors. There are crafting activities for all ages, stations for face painting and writing letters to Santa, and bars with treats for adults and canines. 1 to 7 p.m. Free; registration requested.
’80s Mayhem Holiday Dance Party at the Black Cat
Fair warning: The ’80s Mayhem Holiday Dance Party is not the place to go if you’re participating in Whamageddon. You might also want to swerve around the Black Cat if you’re trying to avoid “Merry Christmas Everybody,” “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” or “Christmas in Hollis.” The long-running retro dance party dishes up holiday hits and deep cuts, alongside the usual Day-Glo, dance floor fillers from DJs Steve EP and Missguided. 9 p.m. $29.90.
Waredaca Brewing 10th anniversary
Waredaca Brewing became Montgomery County’s first farm brewery when it opened in December 2015, adding beer-making facilities to a decades-old equestrian facility. It’s a wonderful place where you can linger at a picnic table, with watermelon gose or hazy IPA in hand, looking out over horse pastures and ponds. This weekend, Waredaca celebrates a decade in business with a full day of partying. Pick a three-hour time slot — 1 to 4 p.m. or 5 to 8 p.m. — and tickets cover food and drinks, as well as live music, raffles and a commemorative glass. Just note that, while Waredaca is kid-friendly most of the year, owners say the party is 21-and-over only. 1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. $65.
Holiday Illumination at Battleground National Cemetery
Each December, Union soldiers who fell in the only Civil War battle fought in D.C. are remembered during a special ceremony on hallowed ground. Glowing lanterns illuminate Battleground National Cemetery, the resting place of 40 soldiers who died during the Battle of Fort Stevens in July 1864, as well as one veteran who died decades later. The cemetery, located on upper Georgia Avenue NW, is one of the smallest national cemeteries in the country. 5 p.m. Free.
From Marcy to the Party: Jay-Z birthday bash at Metrobar
Happy Birthday to Shawn Carter, who turns 56 on Thursday. We don’t know what the rapper-producer’s plans are, but DJ Kay B Hart is throwing Hov a party at Metrobar with hits and cuts from across his multi-decade career. 7 p.m. Free.
Sunday, Dec. 7
Repeal Day Ball at Ned’s Club
The DC Craft Bartenders’ Guild’s Repeal Day Ball is the biggest Prohibition-themed event in town, and this year’s edition — the 16th — finds an all-star collection of local bartenders pouring more than 30 cocktails throughout the exclusive Ned’s Club while musicians like the Gracie Jay Trio and Les Greene perform. Many guests don 1930s outfits to match the theme. 7 to 11 p.m. $140-$225.
Fifth Anniversary Feast at St. Vincent Wine
Peyton Sherwood and Frederick Uku took over an empty bar in D.C.’s Park View neighborhood in 2019, planning a spacious wine garden inspired by New Orleans’ Bacchanal. They weathered the pandemic and emerged with one of D.C.’s nicest backyards, as well as one of the city’s most convivial wine programs. St. Vincent Wine celebrates its fifth anniversary with a bacchanalia: A day party with unlimited wine and snacks, a chocolate fountain, live jazz, a tarot reader and a mini holiday market — all filling the outdoor space and the upstairs lounge. 1 to 5 p.m. $105.60.
D.C. Public Library Winter Festival at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
There are so many festive things to do at the D.C. Public Library’s Winter Festival that you might not know where to start. A “Nutcracker” story time with performances by the Washington School of Ballet and a movement class? Decorating cookies or a seasonal mug to keep? A puppet show by the Blue Sky Puppet Theatre? Warming up at the hot cocoa station? Having your face painted? Meeting a nutcracker, snowman or Wizards mascot G-Wiz? From dancing to reading to coloring, there’s really something for every kid — and their parents, too. 1 to 4 p.m. Free.
NMWA Makers’ Market
The twice-monthly Community Day at the National Museum of Women in the Arts means free admission, free tours and gallery talks, and free art-making activities. The first Sunday in December will be extra special, as the museum’s Great Hall is filled with a selection of vintage items and handmade art, ceramics and jewelry from women and gender-expansive vendors. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free; reservations recommended.
Congressional Cemetery Holiday Market
The Washington region is overflowing with holiday markets this weekend, but you won’t find another in a setting like this. Historic Congressional Cemetery hosts more than three dozen makers and vendors selling pet products, children’s clothes, whiskey, honey, candles and art. Bring your pup for a stroll around the grounds while you shop. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
Sari Sari Holiday Market at Maketto
The H Street market and Michelin-recognized eatery is the venue for a market by SAMASAMA, an arts collective highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander artists. For five hours, attendees can shop for kimchi, ceramics, small-batch cocktails, matcha, art and more; donations will be accepted for Philippine Typhoon Relief. Keep the party going at Sulod speakeasy, H Street’s new Filipino-Creole cocktail bar, for Filipino Tastemakers’ Holiday House Party. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
Monday, Dec. 8
Repeal Day History Tour at Union Pub
Let D.C. historian and tour guide Robert Pohl teach you about Prohibition, and D.C.’s indifference to it, during a Repeal Day History walk across Capitol Hill. The fun starts over drinks at Union Pub before participants visit Prohibition-related sites on the way to Barrel, where another vintage cocktail awaits. The best outfits win prizes. 5 to 8 p.m. $40.
Tuesday, Dec. 9
‘Season’s Greenings’ extended hours at the U.S. Botanic Garden
We shouldn’t have to convince you to go see the U.S. Botanic Garden’s “Season’s Greenings” holiday display, which features an outdoor model train set up with locomotives chugging past various dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops, made out of plant materials. But there’s something even more special about visiting the Conservatory at night, marveling at the poinsettias and wandering past models of local landmarks as musicians perform. The Botanic Garden stays open late on select Tuesdays and Thursdays, with vendors serving food and drinks during the concert. 5 to 8 p.m. Free. Also happening Dec. 11, 16, 18 and 23 and Jan. 1.
12th annual Embassy Winternational Showcase at the Ronald Reagan Building
Washington’s most international marketplace feels like a mix of a cultural festival and upscale travel conference. Browse displays from more than 60 embassies, such as Algeria and Zimbabwe, with displays of traditional clothing, art and food — much of it for sale — as well as demonstrations of handmade crafts and music. It’s about soft diplomacy as much as holiday shopping: Start chatting with someone behind a booth, and you might wind up meeting an ambassador. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
Epiphany Choir Christmas Concert at the Church of the Epiphany
The Civil War-era Church of the Epiphany, known for its free lunchtime concerts for downtown office workers, wraps up its fall season with a performance of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” by the Epiphany Choir and a chamber orchestra. Dec. 9 at 12:10 p.m. Free.
Sip and Swap at Femme Fatale
Clear out five fashion items from your dresser or closet and bring them to Cleveland Park’s Femme Fatale for a clothing swap, featuring nonalcoholic beverages. Leave with five new-to-you pieces. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free.
The post The 44 best things to do in D.C. this weekend and next week appeared first on Washington Post.
