Anonymous wrote:The Norwegian Christmas Tree in Union station along with the train set there are actually not crowded, indoors, and gorgeous.

There's also a lighting ceremony with musicians and such:
https://www.unionstationdc.com/events/norwegian-tree-lighting-ceremony/

This is 2023. Are they not doing it this year? Website says no upcoming holiday events.
https://www.unionstationdc.com/holiday/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You sound insufferable.

Agree. People like different things. My family does not like games, we don't have a fireplace, and we don't agree on music. We'd much rather go out and walk around one of the light displays. Just because you don't like it, doesn't make it "performative."

Word Museum is amazing. Not Christmasy but great destination for all ages.

The Botanic Gardens is lovely and has a train display over the holidays

Thank you all for the suggestions! Just booked us into Fords Theater for a Christmas Carol. It seems like exactly the quintessential DC at Christmas experience I was looking for.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've enjoyed:
- Botanical Gardens (try to go on a warmer day if possible, and going later in the day is usually less crowded). If you do that, it's an easy walk over to the Christmas Tree in front of the Capitol. Warning though that this tends to be really crowded.
- Christmas services at the National Cathedral. You need tickets and they go on sale on 11/18. Tickets are a nominal fee (like $6 or something). There are two evening ones that are really beautiful, and then a daytime one that's geared for younger kids (kids are encouraged to dress up as angles or shepherds, I think there are live animals, and there are more popular songs as opposed to more hymns).
- Agree with others that the White House Christmas Tree is lame, but each state also does a tree and that's sort of fun walking around finding your state tree. Because it's such a large space, it's not quite as crowded as other things. Good to pair with Old Ebbit, if that's on your list.
- Sometimes area movie theaters show Christmas movies, like Elf or Home Alone. I think the one at Montgomery Mall used to.

One other note. The Gaylord has a bunch of things, including Ice, which can be fun. But everything is priced separately and really expensive. We did it a couple of times but stopped because it seemed overpriced for what it is.

We go to National Harbor every year and usually just do the free stuff (and buy hot chocolate/treats.) it’s really nice for just walking around. We did do ICE last year-but only buy tickets when they’re running a sale (which they do on and off between now and Christmas.) not worth full price.

Anonymous wrote:Botanical Garden display and trains. They've changed the que up, so it's less congested and the line moves faster. (We usually split up the group, guys at Air-n-Space,[list] gals at Botanical Garden. Convenient since they are next door to each other.) Christmas Trees by State and the National Christmas Tree always works, agree that Old Ebbitt Grill is a fav w/visitors. Bull Run drive through lights was fun, esp if you have a large van so that everyone can fit in the same vehicle. The Mount Vernon Candlelight Tour is good too. The Tall Ship Providence Tour in Alexandria is well done and was a hit with our crowd last year.

Zoolights is really lame and crowded. Parking takes longer than the walk through. Not the same since FONZ is no longer involved, def skip it.

Gaylord events are pretty lame too, unless the crowd is easily impressed. We did the Cirque show in the Gaylord Atrium last year, and our crowd gave it a solid 5.

Before heading to the Tyson's skate rink/mall, I'd contact friends/relatives in security/LE for the green light.

The Lego Experience at Springfield Mall is geared towards 5 y.o. and younger. See notes above regarding malls.

BTW, I'm here looking for something new to do with Thanksgiving & Christmas crowds.

Had to laugh at this! Male cousin recently visited and wanted to go to all the places the females got to go while he was stuck at the Air and Space with the guys on every visit as a kid.

Botanical Garden display and trains. They've changed the que up, so it's less congested and the line moves faster. (We usually split up the group, guys at Air-n-Space, gals at Botanical Garden. Convenient since they are next door to each other.) Christmas Trees by State and the National Christmas Tree always works, agree that Old Ebbitt Grill is a fav w/visitors. Bull Run drive through lights was fun, esp if you have a large van so that everyone can fit in the same vehicle. The Mount Vernon Candlelight Tour is good too. The Tall Ship Providence Tour in Alexandria is well done and was a hit with our crowd last year.

Zoolights is really lame and crowded. Parking takes longer than the walk through. Not the same since FONZ is no longer involved, def skip it.

Gaylord events are pretty lame too, unless the crowd is easily impressed. We did the Cirque show in the Gaylord Atrium last year, and our crowd gave it a solid 5.

Before heading to the Tyson's skate rink/mall, I'd contact friends/relatives in security/LE for the green light.

The Lego Experience at Springfield Mall is geared towards 5 y.o. and younger. See notes above regarding malls.

BTW, I'm here looking for something new to do with Thanksgiving & Christmas crowds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about going to see the annual production of "A Christmas Carol" at Ford's Theatre? You get the benefit of a Christmassy play and get to visit a historical DC landmark all in one. We went once and enjoyed it. I don't recall the tickets being particularly pricey, either. You could combine it with a nice dinner.

Ooh! Not OP but this is a good idea. Going to Ford's Theater is always special. It's so gorgeous and historic.

Man, i just tried booking Old Ebbitt grill for before the show dinner, and it was already all booked! But stealing the idea as well.

Anonymous wrote:We've enjoyed:
- Botanical Gardens (try to go on a warmer day if possible, and going later in the day is usually less crowded). If you do that, it's an easy walk over to the Christmas Tree in front of the Capitol. Warning though that this tends to be really crowded.
- Christmas services at the National Cathedral. You need tickets and they go on sale on 11/18. Tickets are a nominal fee (like $6 or something). There are two evening ones that are really beautiful, and then a daytime one that's geared for younger kids (kids are encouraged to dress up as angles or shepherds, I think there are live animals, and there are more popular songs as opposed to more hymns).
- Agree with others that the White House Christmas Tree is lame, but each state also does a tree and that's sort of fun walking around finding your state tree. Because it's such a large space, it's not quite as crowded as other things. Good to pair with Old Ebbit, if that's on your list.
- Sometimes area movie theaters show Christmas movies, like Elf or Home Alone. I think the one at Montgomery Mall used to.

One other note. The Gaylord has a bunch of things, including Ice, which can be fun. But everything is priced separately and really expensive. We did it a couple of times but stopped because it seemed overpriced for what it is.

We've enjoyed:
- Botanical Gardens (try to go on a warmer day if possible, and going later in the day is usually less crowded). If you do that, it's an easy walk over to the Christmas Tree in front of the Capitol. Warning though that this tends to be really crowded.
- Christmas services at the National Cathedral. You need tickets and they go on sale on 11/18. Tickets are a nominal fee (like $6 or something). There are two evening ones that are really beautiful, and then a daytime one that's geared for younger kids (kids are encouraged to dress up as angles or shepherds, I think there are live animals, and there are more popular songs as opposed to more hymns).
- Agree with others that the White House Christmas Tree is lame, but each state also does a tree and that's sort of fun walking around finding your state tree. Because it's such a large space, it's not quite as crowded as other things. Good to pair with Old Ebbitt, if that's on your list.
- Sometimes area movie theaters show Christmas movies, like Elf or Home Alone. I think the one at Montgomery Mall used to.

https://dctemple.org/festival-of-lights/


I think the lights are DC temple are the best in town

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I enjoy games and Christmas movies too but it doesn’t have to be one of the other. You can do 2-3 Christmas experiences outside your home and still have many many days/nights of being at home.

Will your family be visiting right around Christmas Day itself, or earlier in the month? The American Holiday Festival with the US Army band is held earlier in the month (I think it’s the first weekend in December), and it’s free and fun to watch. The audience skews a bit older, but it’s fun and the performers are very talented.

Anonymous wrote:The Norwegian Christmas Tree in Union station along with the train set there are actually not crowded, indoors, and gorgeous.

There's also a lighting ceremony with musicians and such:
https://www.unionstationdc.com/events/norwegian-tree-lighting-ceremony/

I’m glad this is back! We went when my oldest was a toddler and liked it but they stopped during the pandemic and I don’t even think it was back last year.

I have found that our favorite things have been free. I’m not a miser or anything but it just feels very Christmas-y and serendipitous kind of wandering around taking in all the free decorations and fun things. We’ve loved the Capitol tree, Botanical Gardens, the gorgeous tree at the embassy of Canada, water skiing Santa (and there are other characters running around and giving out candy) in Alexandria, Georgetown Glow, National Harbor tree lighting, and a service at the National Cathedral. We did really enjoy the mini-Nut and will go to the Nutcracker when my youngest is old enough to sit through it. But I don’t think I want to pay for another drive through light show when we had so much fun just doing a tacky lights tour based on a listing online. We liked Ice at the Gaylord ok but the crowd was insane. We’ve done the winter market in Baltimore and while I wasn’t super impressed my kids loved it. DH and I loved the candlelight tour of Mount Vernon. The Celtic Christmas concert at Dumbarton is nice.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You sound insufferable.