DC at Christmas

[Anonymous]

We have family visiting for Christmas. A mix of grandparents, aunts, uncles, grown children, and our 8-10 year olds. Would love some recommendations of fun things to do in DC over the holidays.

It has been a really hard year for our family and we need to make some new, special memories.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Make a dinner reservation downtown and then walk to the white house to see all of the state trees.

Nighttime tour of the monuments.

The museums will all be open outside of Christmas day.

[Anonymous]

Think there was a thread on this a month or so ago so search for that.

We like:
Brookside garden holiday lights (way better than the ones in VA in my opinion)
Capitol’s Xmas tree.
Lunch at Old Ebbitt
Zoo lights was fun when kids were younger
Botanical gardens lights in DC
Ice skating at one of the big indoor rinks in suburbs
Non-Xmas but fun: Spy Museum is great

Never did but heard it’s cool:
Tea at the Willard which is all fancy for Xmas

Overrated:
- National Xmas Tree by the WH - it is an ugly metal one with fake little ones with ugly decorations all around it. Tried it a few years but always really underwhelming
- “Christmas market” in DC. It’s like one super crowded block with barely any food/drink so lines are really long. Philly’s is much better.

[Anonymous]

Enchant at Nats Park? Holiday show at Kennedy Center/National Theater?

[Anonymous]

Lunch in Old Town Alexandria

[Anonymous]

We always go to afternoon tea at the Willard because we like to see the decorations. That reminds me, it fills up fast, I should make a resy now.

[Anonymous]

Might sound strange, but Arlington Cemetery will be decorated with Christmas wreaths. Good views and good for walking - we go there often.

[Anonymous]

Bull Run festival of lights

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We always go to afternoon tea at the Willard because we like to see the decorations. That reminds me, it fills up fast, I should make a resy now.

PSA for anyone who wants to do this: I think I just got the last reservation in December.

[Anonymous]

Botanic Gardens has a Christmas train set up. It's fun to walk through.

[Anonymous]

That Christmas Market in DC was the worst. Terribly crowded and vendors offering nothing special

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That Christmas Market in DC was the worst. Terribly crowded and vendors offering nothing special

+1
I posted above about this but super agree with this. Definitely don’t go to it. It sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That Christmas Market in DC was the worst. Terribly crowded and vendors offering nothing special

+1
I posted above about this but super agree with this. Definitely don’t go to it. It sucks.

Everything "Christmasy" is like this. Overpriced, and overcrowded. Everyone trying to cram in all these "experiences" to make "memories." It isn't actually any fun. We prefer to make our memories at home, in front of a fire, playing games and drinking cocoa and listening to Christmas music. We MAY go to one of the lights shows, but we do it literally before Thanksgiving so its not too crowded and hopefully less frigid. Or coming home from ordinary activities we'll detour into a neighborhood near ours and view the lights. I started enjoying Christmas (and life) SO MUCH MORE when I realized that all of these performative "look at me enjoying life!" activities aren't actually necessary or even very effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Enchant at Nats Park? Holiday show at Kennedy Center/National Theater?

+1

[Anonymous]

Book a reservation at Filomena.