Ongoing

Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights is an elegant garden trail aglow with countless sparkling lights. Take an evening stroll through the enchanting Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, adorned with lighted trees and displays featuring nature, winter, and holiday themes. The half-mile paved trail is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Sip on a cozy, hot beverage (with or without spirits), or ...

$20

Bull Run Festival of Lights

Bull Run Regional Park 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Every year from November until just after New Year’s Day, you can experience the Bull Run Festival of Lights, 2.5 miles illuminated by holiday light displays. Drive the festival route from the comfort of your car. This year, don't miss the carnival at the end of your drive for holiday shopping, a petting zoo, and more festive ...

$32 – $80

Zoo Lights

Smithsonian's National Zoo 3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington

(DC) (Smithsonian National Zoo) Celebrate the holidays at ZooLights! Enjoy twinkling lights and a festive atmosphere as this beloved winter classic returns to the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Journey through magical displays of glowing animal lanterns, watch live musical performances, sip hot cocoa and other festive treats, and explore the Zoo under the dazzling glow of one million environmentally-friendly LED lights. ZooLights ...

Free – $9

Garden of Lights at Brookside

Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Let the magic begin! Tickets are now on sale for Brookside Gardens’ dazzling Garden of Lights — where winter nights sparkle with more than a million twinkling lights. The Garden of Lights display transforms Brookside Gardens into a magical winter wonderland. Stroll through the one-half mile, outdoor, walk-through exhibit and enjoy the twinkling lights and glimmering one-of-a-kind ...

$16 – $19

Season’s Greenings: Dino-Mite!

US Botanic Garden 100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington DC

(DC) (US Botanic Garden) Celebrate the holiday season in our annual holiday display “Season’s Greenings” with the Conservatory full of poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants. In the outdoor gardens, find festive lights and decor throughout plus our model train show. This year, G-gauge model trains will chug through displays of dinosaurs made from plant parts, including ...

Tai Chi at Brookside

Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Tai Chi is an ancient, Chinese form of exercise perfect for adults seeking stress reduction while strengthening muscles, improving balance and increasing flexibility. The Forms are repetitive patterns that emphasize slow, flowing motions and controlled movements. Classes will help beginners to learn the Forms while providing regular practitioners the guidance of an experienced instructor. No walk-ins will ...

$14

Festive Fresh Wreaths

Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Make a long-lasting beautiful wreath using fresh greens! Learn to make an evergreen wreath for your front door, complete with a pinecone and bow accents. Fee includes all materials for one wreath. Instructor: Jason Gedeik, Brookside Gardens staff.

$55

Midweek Meander Along the Canal

Riley's Lock, C&O Canal

(MD) (Nature Forward) Enjoy a leisurely late fall stroll on relatively close-in portions of the C&O Canal’s historic towpath which see less foot and bicycle traffic on weekdays than weekends. The focus of these naturalist-led walks will be the rich natural history of the varied habitats along the Potomac River and the Canal. We’ll proceed at a “naturalist’s shuffle” pace, ...

$33 – $46

Exhibit: Dazzling Diversity

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History 1000 Madison Drive NW, Washington

(DC) (Smithsonian Natural History Museum) Celebrate the vast and varied insect world through the pages of early natural history books from the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. Dazzling Diversity provides a glimpse into the wealth of recorded scientific knowledge in these books, and the continuing relevance of historical science to contemporary biodiversity research. It offers a snapshot of different classes of ...

Festive Fresh Wreaths

Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Make a long-lasting beautiful wreath using fresh greens! Learn to make an evergreen wreath for your front door, complete with a pinecone and bow accents. Fee includes all materials for one wreath. Instructor: Jason Gedeik, Brookside Gardens staff.

$55