10 Things You Don’t Want To Miss This Weekend In D.C.

December weekends are all about holiday fun and squeezing in all you can before the new year! To help you make the most of your weekend, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best happenings in D.C. you won’t want to miss!

1. Catch a concert at your favorite local venue

• Echostage: 10 Years of Echostage: PEEKABOO (Dec. 2), 10 Years of Echostage: Vintage Culture (Dec. 3)

2. Take in lights on the water at the District Holiday Boat Parade

Kick off the holiday season with this stunning light display on the water! The Wharf is hosting its 30th annual District Holiday Boat Parade on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The free event features more than 60 boats, decked to the bow with holiday lights, setting sail down the Washington Channel. You can watch the boats and then head to The Wharf to roast s’mores, get pictures with Santa, have a cocktail (if you’re 21 or older!), and even skate at the ice rink!

3. Head to Smithsonian’s National Zoo to experience the fun of ZooLights

ZooLights is back at Smithsonian’s National Zoo! Free admission with a timed entry pass allows you to peruse the zoos beautiful light displays, shop, and take in live performances and tasty treats after dark, including this weekend Dec. 2-4. For a full list of dates and to reserve an entry pass, please visit the zoo’s website.

4. Shop for your perfect Christmas tree

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and there’s nothing quite like a freshly-cut Christmas tree and the scent of pine to help get you into the Christmas spirit. To help you set the holidays into motion, Secret D.C. mapped out a few places where you can find your perfect Christmas tree. Here’s a sneak peak of some of the best spots to shop, and you can find the full list here:

• Dan & Bryan Christmas Trees
• Olde City Farm & Garden
• Clemsonville Christmas Tree Farm

5. Shop for the special people in your life at one of these holiday markets

With the holidays swiftly approaching, lights are up, the city’s holiday trees will soon all be lit, and it’s the perfect time to get a jumpstart on holiday shopping. What better place to do so than one of D.C.’s own holiday markets?! Get your holiday spirit on while supporting local vendors and, of course, sipping on some delicious festive beverages while you’re at it! Here’s a sneak peak of some of the most festive holiday markets, and you can find the full list here:

• Downtown Holiday Market
• Nall’s Winter Market at Union Market

6. Dazzle under D.C. Holiday Lights

D.C. Holiday Lights gets the city into the holiday spirit as it turns the various D.C. neighborhoods into twinkling wonderlands from Nov. 18, 2022-Jan.8, 2023! With eye-catching displays and a themed scavenger hunt, you can experience it all in different dazzling forms across each participating neighborhood!

7. Visit Enchant at Nationals Park

Enchant at Nationals Park is true Winter Wonderland! Held from Nov. 25, 2022-Jan. 1, 2023), Enchant whisks you away with twinkling light tunnels, a Christmas Light Maze, ice skating, a Santa meet-and-greet, a holiday market so you can shop for your loved ones this holiday season, and so much more!

8. Experience Georgetown GLOW

For the eighth year, Georgetown will alight with the holiday spirit thanks to Georgetown GLOW. From Nov. 26, 2022-Jan. 22, 2023, the beloved D.C. neighborhood will be illuminated with stunning light art installations!

9. Head to the theatre for one of these plays, musicals, or ballets

Get in on the drama with these unmissable theatre events:

• Shakespeare Theatre
  • Much Ado About Nothing
• Warner Theatre
  • The Washington Ballet: The Nutcracker
• Ford’s Theatre
  • A Christmas Carol
• Kennedy Center Opera House
  • WICKED

10. Experience Spectacular Factory: The Holiday Multiverse at Artechouse D.C.

Fully immerse yourself in art, lights, and holiday cheer with Spectacular Factory: The Holiday Multiverse at Artechouse D.C. From Nov. 19, 2022 through Jan. 8, 2023, can journey through a spectacular and dreamy immersion of “thousands of nutcrackers, thrilling train rides through wreaths, spinning candy cane carousels and more.”