MEADOWLARK’S WINTER WALK OF LIGHTS Nov. 8 – Jan. 5 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm Meadowlark Botanical Gardens 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna, Virginia 22182 Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights is one of the most amazing light displays in the area. Bring your family and friends to be dazzled by the magical Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia. Every year, the garden is transformed into a half-mile, walk of lights. Revisit perennial favorites such as the animated Lakeside Lights, the Fountain of Lights, and the Holiday Nature Walk – and look for new displays each year. Put on your walking shoes and bring the family to experience a Northern Virginia festive tradition. Round out your visit by roasting marshmallows and sipping on hot beverages by the fire. Additional fee. Special events occur on some nights. Meet a friendly amphibian on Nature Nights, create a holiday decoration on Craft Night, or take a photo for your family holiday card on Funny Photo Nights. Timed tickets are required. Cost: $8.00- $16.50. Visit novaparks.com to purchase tickets or for more information. I.C.E.!® FEATURING DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! Nov. 15 – Dec. 30, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, Maryland 20745 Watch how the Grinch tries to steal Christmas from the Whos of Who-ville through interactive ice sculptures and displays. Experience favorite scenes from this Christmas classic such as the Grinch lurking through the chimneys of the Who-ville homes, the Grinch’s heart growing three sizes, and sitting down at the Whos’ feast where the Grinch carves the roast beast. All hand-carved from two million pounds of ice! Also, experience a two-story ice slide and a stunning crystal clear ice sculpture Nativity scene. Additional activities include a spectacular Christmas tree suspended over an indoor garden atrium, Reindeer Rush Ice Tubing, Cirque Dreams Unwrapped holiday show, ice skating, a gingerbread decorating corner, Ms. Claus’ storytime, feast with the Grinch, and of course a visit with Santa. Additional cost for all activities. Cost: $25.00- $40.00 per person. Visit ChristmasOnThePotomac. com for tickets or for more information. FORD’S THEATRE-A CHRISTMAS CAROL Nov. 21 – Dec. 31 Ford’s Theatre 511 10th St. NW, Washington, DC 20004 Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Originally conceived by Michael Baron, this music-infused production captures the magic and joy of Dickens’s classic. Recommended for ages five and older. Cost: $36.00- $124.00. Visit fords.org to purchase tickets or for more information. THE WASHINGTON BALLET – THE NUTCRACKER Nov. 23 – Dec. 29 Warner Theatre 513 13th Street, NW Washington, DC 20004 Enjoy this Washington DC holiday tradition ballet production of the journey of a young girl on Christmas Eve with heroic toy soldiers, sword-fighting mice, the glittering Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and crowd-pleasing waltzes. Cost: $67.00 – $200.00. Visit warnertheatredc.com to purchase tickets or for more information. NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE Dec. 1 – Jan. 1 Presidents Park, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20500 Celebrate the holiday season with a visit to the famous National Christmas Tree located on the Ellipse in front of the White House. Every year one-of-a-kind ornaments representing every U.S. state are created by people across America and displayed on smaller trees surrounding the National Christmas Tree. Musical entertainers from Washington, DC, and across the country perform holiday music throughout the season. Be sure to check nps. gov to apply for the online lottery to receive free tickets for the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and a chance to see the President and the First Family. Visit thenationaltree. org for more information. CHRISTMAS VILLAGE AT THE LEESBURG ANIMAL PARK Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 19270 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg, Virginia 20175 Celebrate the holidays with your favorite animal friends. Leesburg Animal Park decorates its new indoor facility with beautiful holiday décor, and the outdoor area is decorated with thousands of lights. Event activities include holiday pictures with the animals, holiday arts and crafts, bonfire and marshmallow roasting, indoor play zone, animal feeding, and much more. Visit leesburganimalpark.com to purchase tickets or for more information. HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES Dec. 7, 14, 21 4:30 pm – 9:30 pm Reston Town Center, 11900 Market Street, Reston Virginia 20190 Enjoy a ride with friends and family through the lights of Reston Town Center in a horsedrawn carriage. Departures on Market Street near Clyde’s restaurant on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cost: $5.00 per person. All proceeds benefit local charities (children five and under ride free). Enjoy music and dance performances presented by local community groups on select nights throughout the holiday season. Visit restontowncenter.com for more information. WOLF TRAP HOLIDAY SING-A-LONG Dec. 7, 2019 4:00 pm Wolf Trap Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia 22812 Kick-off the holiday season with family and friends at Wolf Trap’s Annual Holiday Sing-A-Long. This musical celebration hosts a performance by the United States Marine Band, which encourages the audience to participate with a concert of Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs performed by a local choir and vocal groups from the metropolitan Washington area. Wolf Trap will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots at the entrance to the Filene Center before the concert. Donations are voluntary and not required. There will be a ‘Jing-A-Long’ during the singing of Jingle Bells, so remember to bring a bell and your holiday cheer. Also, don’t forget to bring a candle and join the tradition of exiting the Filene Center with a candlelight processional during the last verse of “Silent Night.” Admission is free. Visit wolftrap.org for more information. HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS Dec. 7 5:30 pm City of Alexandria Marina, 0 Cameron Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Every year dozens of festively illuminated boats float past spectators on the docks of the Alexandria Marina during the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. The brightly lit boats are creatively decorated as they compete in front of a panel of judges. The Torpedo Factory, located near the parade route, will hold its annual Holiday Open House, offers a variety of holiday festivities and live music. Santa will arrive by fireboat to visit with children dockside at the gazebo and will be available for photos. Visit visitalexandriava.com for more information. VIENNA BOYS CHOIR CHRISTMAS IN VIENNA Dec. 13 8:00 pm George Mason University Center for the Arts Concert Hall, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 There is no sound more celestial than the angelic voices of the Vienna Boys Choir, who return for their annual holiday concert to celebrate the magic of the season. The world’s foremost children’s choral group performs a delightful program of classical masterpieces, contemporary pop favorites, Austrian folk songs, and beloved Christmas carols with their signature old-world charm and youthful vocal purity. This ensemble of sopranos and altos, comprised of boys between the ages of nine and fourteen, is enormously popular across the globe. Cost: $33.00 – $55.00. Visit cfa.gmu. edu for tickets or more information. LEESBURG HOLIDAY PARADE Dec. 14 6:00 pm Ida Lee Recreation Center, 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 The holiday spirit will be in full swing as Leesburg hosts its annual holiday parade. The parade will usher Santa and his friends down King Street, through Historic Leesburg. The show will begin at Ida Lee Drive and end at Fairfax Street. Parade participation is open to the public and includes local businesses, civic groups, teams, organizations, and community groups. Visit leesburgva.gov for more information. HOLIDAY LIGHTS TOURS Dec. 14-15 5:00 pm Bush Tabernacle, 250 South Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, Virginia 20132 Take a free bus ride to view the holiday decorations and lights throughout the town of Purcellville. The tour is approximately forty- five minutes long, and a fantastic way to see the best holiday lights in Purcellville. While you wait, warm your hands by the fire pit and enjoy hot chocolate and s’ mores. Tickets are free and handed out on a first-come, firstserved basis one hour before the tour. Visit purcellvilleva.gov for more information. FIRST NIGHT ALEXANDRIA Dec. 31 2:00 pm – 12:00 am King Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 First Night Alexandria is an annual New Year’s Eve music festival, and the largest family-friendly and alcohol-free New Year’s Eve party in the Washington, D.C. region. This annual New Year’s Eve bash celebrates the New Year through the performing arts with more than one hundred performances at coffee shops, retail stores, hotels, museums, and public buildings all over Old Town Alexandria showcasing local and regional music. A special Kids Karnival location features an area for younger children to enjoy, which includes face painting, balloons, special hosts in costumes, carnival- style games, dancing, and a special early countdown at 9:00 pm. The evening finishes with a spectacular fireworks display on the Potomac River at the foot of King Street. Cost: $25.00- $35.00 for adults, children twelve and under, and active military get in for free. Visit firstnightalexandria.org for tickets or more information. FALLS CHURCH WATCH NIGHT Dec. 31 7:00 pm – 12:00 pm 100 West Broad Street, Falls Church, Virginia 22046 Ring in the New Year in downtown Falls Church at this free annual family-friendly event. Local organizations and businesses provide family fun for all ages. Bring family and friends and enjoy a great evening with all types of live music, an orchestra with swing dancing, karaoke, inflatables, a climbing rock wall, a fire truck obstacle course, Extreme Air Jumper, puppet shows, face painting, a Caricaturist, balloon artist, food trucks and much more. Free popcorn, hot chocolate, and soup while supplies last. Fire pits for warming. Free balloons for the countdown wave. Visit watchnightfallschurch.com for more information. FAMILY NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION AT FRANKLIN PARK Dec. 31 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville, Virginia 20132 All ages can ring in the New Year with this family-friendly celebration featuring entertainment by Mark Nizer. Making the impossible possible, this one-man show produces a spectacular New Year’s Eve performance. Don’t miss the combination of original comedy, worldclass juggling, music, and technology that promises a spellbinding evening. Party favors for everyone, refreshments, simple party crafts, photo booth, and more. There will be a countdown at the end of the party. Cost: $10.00. Visit franklinparkartscenter.org for tickets or for more information. WINTER ICE FEST Jan. 18, 2020 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Village at Leesburg, 1602 Village Market Blvd S.E., Leesburg, Virginia 20175 The Village at Leesburg is inviting the community to enjoy some frosty fun at their annual Winter Ice Fest and Mega Block Ice Carving Competition. Watch world-renowned ice carvers in action as they compete for prizes. Bundle up and stroll the boulevard, complete with an iceless ice skating rink, music, and warming stations. Take pictures with the gigantic Village at Leesburg’s signature sculpture in the plaza and other custom sculptures outside the boutiques and stores. Visit villageatleesburg.com for more information. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING MARCH AND CELEBRATION Jan. 20 10:00 am Loudoun County Courthouse, 407 East Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176 Family, friends, and community organizations from all over Loudoun County will come together on the Loudoun County Courthouse lawn to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King with an educational program and inspirational speech followed by a march to honor him. The march begins at the Loudoun County Courthouse and proceeds along Market Street to the Douglass Community Center. Refreshments, performances, and music at the Douglas Community Center following the march. Visit leesburgva.gov for more information. ALL THINGS S.T.E.A.M. Jan. 23 4:45pm – 5:45pm Herndon Fortnightly Library, 768 Center Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170 Come explore the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics through hands-on activities. Children will have fun learning about S.T.E.A.M. with a new topic each month. Ages Kindergarten thru fifth grades. Registration required. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov to register or for more information. HIPLET BALLERINAS Jan. 25 6:00 pm The Alden, 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, Virginia 22101 This dance group fuses classical pointe technique with African, Latin, Hip-Hop, and urban dance styles that are rooted in communities of color. The show is specifically designed to make ballet accessible to all, by mixing it with current popular songs that will be familiar to audiences who don’t normally attend ballet performances. Cost: $30.00. Visit mcleancenter.org for tickets or more information. MCLEAN CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL Jan. 26 11:00 am – 5:00 pm McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean, Virginia 22101 This chocolate festival features dozens of vendors providing chocolate samples and items for sale. Watch a demonstration of how chocolate was made in Colonial America, and learn the history of chocolate. The event also has a children’s room with games and musical entertainment, including The Sunshine Gang, which performs classical music from the sixties to rock and roll from the eighties. The event is sponsored by the local Rotary Club of McLean. Cost: $2.00. Children under three free. Visit mcleanchocolatefestival.com for more information. BEAU SOIR ENSEMBLE Jan. 29 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Fairfax County Library, 10360 North Street, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Brighten up your winter evening with this elegant flute, viola, and harp trio. Their classical music exposes audiences to contemporary music and new artists, while also performing various known composers. The group also includes historical information and descriptions of techniques with each performance. Light refreshments provided. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov for more information. Always confirm information before attending an activity in the event details have changed after publication. All events can be submitted to events@poshseven.me. Please provide all events twelve weeks in advance of the issue you wish to publish in.
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