Weekend Warrior: 6 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in the Washington, DC Area

The holiday season is very busy in Washington, DC and offers an amazing variety of fun activities throughout the month of December. Many communities around the region host tree lighting ceremonies, tours of decorated historic houses, holiday festivals, live musical performances and special events. Try something new this year and enjoy the spirit of the season with family and friends.

Visit the National Christmas Tree

The National Christmas Tree and the Pathway of Peace is illuminated daily at dusk until 10 p.m. Each night in December, musical groups from the Washington, DC area entertain visitors on the Ellipse, in front of the White House. This is one of the most memorable ways to enjoy the holiday season in the nation’s capital. Although tickets are required for the Lighting Ceremony, the nightly events following are open to the general public.

Christmas Light Displays 

Celebrate the holiday season with a drive or a stroll through one of the Washington, DC area’s spectacle of lights at a local park or along the water in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia. These Christmas light displays are beautiful and a great way to share the magic and joy of a winter wonderland.

Gaylord ICE! 2015 Attraction

Step inside a winter wonderland created entirely of 5,000 BLOCKS of ice weighing 1.5 MILLION POUNDS! hand-sculpted by 40 international artisans and kept at a chilling nine degrees Fahrenheit.

Catch a Holiday Show

Washington DC celebrates the season with a wonderful lineup of holiday shows and live entertainment.Take the whole family see the Nutcracker – to marvel over Clara’s Christmas fantasy when the wooden toy soldier comes alive and takes her on a magical tour of wonderful holiday adventures or explore the magic and wonder of the story of Scrooge and the progression to Christmas past in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Attend a Holiday Concert

Get in the spirit of the season as you enjoy a musical performance of Christmas classics, sing-alongs, Hanukkah songs and much more. Live concerts are performed by a wide variety of musicians ranging from national to local talent to community groups to church choirs.

National Hanukkah Menorah Lighting

A National Hanukkah Menorah is lit on the White House grounds, at the Ellipse during the eight day Jewish holiday commemorating the Jewish Maccabees’ military victory over Syrian oppression more than 2,000 years ago. Festivities at the lighting ceremony include musical performances and hot latkes and donuts.

Information provided by About.com