Holiday Activities In DC

Image from Aru Dell’Arte

On Friday, December 23rd, enjoy the 21st century rendition of The Nutcracker. The Aru Dell’Arte Dance Company will dazzle audiences with glamorous Christmas festivities through a sophisticated, modern story twist! Once upon a time – more than magic was about to happen the night before Christmas. This show presents themes of human compassion, love, and friendships while spinning a well-known holiday tale and putting out fun, cool vibes. Moving past outdated scenes from the original Nutcracker, the company is excited to present diversity of characters, elevate female-lead roles, and include gender-neutral approach in dance partnering. The show also features works of recognized visual and installation artists from Washington, DC. Following the performance, there will be a 30-minute reception featuring various artworks and a silent auction in support of the local art community. Read more about the performance and find tickets here.

On Tuesday, December 20th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, tour Arlington’s best holiday lights by bike! Join BikeArlington and TREK Bicycle Arlington Clarendon for a fun and festive bike ride around Arlington to see some homes in their holiday splendor. Feel free to dress your bike in lots of lights as well! Helmets and lights are required for this ride. BikeArlington and Trek Bicycles Clarendon will have some lights on hand just in case you need a set. The pace will be slow and social through mostly flat roads. This will be a no-drop ride of about 5 miles. The ride will start and end at TREK Bicycle Arlington Clarendon with refreshments and free bike checks at 6:00 PM. At 6:30 the bike ride will start, and at 8:00 PM everyone will return to Trek Bike for refreshments. This ride is very popular so register fast here for free to join in on the holiday cheer.

On Monday, December 19th at 6:00 PM at the LYCEUM, enjoy the lighting of a six-foot menorah, Hanukkah music, food like potato latkes, hot chocolate, donuts, and chocolate gelt, and dreidels and a free light stick for every child at this Old Town Alexandria festival. Admission is free, but online registration is required. The festival is suitable for all ages, so it is the perfect festive event for the entire family. Reserve your spot before it’s full and read more about the Hanukkah Festival in Old Town Alexandria here.

Multi-platinum, progressive rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) announced its highly anticipated 2022 winter tour, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve – the Best of TSO & More”. After its first year off the road in more than two decades, TSO made a triumphant return to touring in 2021 with a 25th anniversary celebration of “Christmas Eve and Other Stories”. For 2022, TSO brings a completely updated presentation of the unforgettable, multi-generational holiday tradition, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve”, to 60 cities across the nation. The concert will take place on Monday, December 26th at 3:00 PM and at 7:30 PM at the Capital One Arena. Get your tickets here.

On Tuesday, December 20th at 6:00 PM, visit the Clarendon Menorah Lighting and Community Celebration. This outdoor event will feature a nine foot menorah, potato latkes, hot chocolate, music, and beautiful lights for all to enjoy. Make sure to visit the Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington this year. This event is free, but there is limited capacity and attendees must register online in advance. Read more about the event here.

Explore the World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze and help Santa find eight gifts hidden by the mischievous Eddie the Elf in time for the Christmas delivery! Held at Nationals Park, Enchant Christmas will also feature an ice skating trail, live entertainment, food and drink, a Christmas market and Santa and Mrs. Claus. This maze and market is located at Nationals Park and has various days and times available for visits until December 29th. Find out more details about the event, visiting times, and ticket information here.

Image from Enchant Christmas

Explore the World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze and help Santa find eight gifts hidden by the mischievous Eddie the Elf in time for the Christmas delivery! Held at Nationals Park, Enchant Christmas will also feature an ice skating trail, live entertainment, food and drink, a Christmas market and Santa and Mrs. Claus. This maze and market is located at Nationals Park and has various days and times available for visits until December 29th. Find out more details about the event, visiting times, and ticket information here.On Wednesday, December 21st from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, head on over to the Canal Park Ice Skating Rink to celebrate Hanukkah on the ice with friends, family, and neighbors! The Festival of Lights is back at the Canal Park Ice Rink with Free Skate Rentals for the first 100 attendees to glide around the outdoor menorah along with free donuts, dreidels and gelt – plus a signature Capitol Riverfront holiday beanie for the first 75 attendees! Learn more here.

Bring the kids to the Kennedy Center for an unforgettable holiday experience as the Choral Arts Chorus fills the concert hall with holiday classics just for them! A Merry Christmas will bring you on a merry tour of Christmas favorites that will have your family singing all the way home. This one hour concert on Saturday, December 24th at 11:00 AM is perfect for children ages 5 and up. Read more about the program here.

Image from The Kennedy Center

Christmas Eve is on Saturday, December 24th this year, and you may want to get outside in the brisk weather and enjoy the beautiful, holiday scenery. Located at Hains Point, come out and enjoy the scenic, flat 5k & 10k in the heart of DC near the Nation’s Capital. The 10k race starts at 7:45 AM and the 5k starts at 8:00 AM. Read more about registration and prices, the course, and other important details about the race here.

One of the most beautiful times to visit the monuments is during the winter, especially when there is snow on the ground and holiday lights shining throughout the city. Bundle up and join us on one of our guided monument tours throughout the nation’s capital. The National Mall features various must-see monuments and memorials like the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial. A great spot is the US Capitol where visitors can see the pathway lined with trees that beautifully contrasts with the white of the monuments, the Capitol’s architecture, and the winter snow. If you’re looking for a fun and educational way to explore the city’s iconic and historical sites, check out one of our narrated golf cart tours.

These tours are a fun and stress-free way to visit all of the popular sites in DC without needing to create a plan or research on your own. Capitol Express Tours is a local business that will take you to see the iconic monuments and memorials within the city on ​​our narrated tour down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol and through the heart of the National Mall where you can see various monumental landmarks, memorials, and other sites that show the interesting details of the nation’s capital among the beautiful winter scenery. Book your tour now!