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 ...

Winter Festival at the National Arboretum

US National Arboretum 3501 New York Ave NE, Washington DC

(DC) (Friends of the National Arboretum) Get in the holiday spirit at the National Arboretum! FONA’s Winter Festival returns this year. Buy your Christmas tree and shop from 30+ local artisans in the gift vendor village, take a holiday train ride around the Capitol Columns, and enjoy free family-friendly activities! There will also be plenty of hot chocolate and caroling ...

Winter Waterfowl Hike

Riverbend Park 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great Falls

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Hike with a naturalist to search winter waterfowl along the Upper Potomac River. Bring binoculars and spotting scopes. Ages 8+.

$10

Bird Walk at Lake Needwood

Lake Needwood Boathouse 15700 Needwood Lake Cir, Rockville

(MD) (Montgomery Bird Club) Join members of the Montgomery Bird Club at Lake Needwood. The walk will be led by a knowledgable birder who knows local birds and their habitats. We will learn to find and identify birds, to observe their behavior and habitat, and to distinguish local residents from migrating birds. The club organizes several walks each month throughout ...

Bird Walk at Kenilworth

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 1550 Anacostia Ave, NE, Washington DC

(DC) (National Park Service) We invite you to join National Park Service volunteer and expert birder Molly Hermann for an engaging bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. This event is open to all, including those new to birding. We encourage participants to bring water, sunscreen, and binoculars if available. A limited number of binoculars are available for loan with a photo ID. ...

Sunday Morning Bird Walk at Kenilworth

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 1550 Anacostia Ave, NE, Washington DC

(DC) (National Park Service) We invite you to join a National Park Service volunteer birder for an engaging bird walk at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. This event is open to all, including those new to birding.  A limited number of binoculars are available for loan with a photo ID. We will gather in front of the visitor center. The walk will ...

Seed Cleaning at Earth Sangha

Earth Sangha 51011 Backlick Rd, Annandale

(VA) (Earth Sangha) Help Earth Sangha clean and prepare native seeds for spring planting. Seed cleaning will take place every Sunday through the winter.

Weed Warrior Workday at Parklawn

Parklawn Community Garden 12718 Veirs Mill Rd, Rockville

(MD) (Montgomery Parks) Join Maria, Weed Warrior Supervisor, for a non-native, invasive plant removal workday in Rock Creek Stream Valley Unit 6. We will focus on non-native, invasive vines, especially wisteria (Wisteria sinensis and Wisteria floribunda).  Native Virginia creeper and poison ivy are also present and beneficial, so we will avoid those. We will meet in Rock Creek Stream Valley ...

Invasive Plant Removal at Kenilworth

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 1550 Anacostia Ave, NE, Washington DC

(DC) (Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens) The National Park Service Invasive Plant Management Team has resumed normal operations and will be hosting a volunteer event in the western section of Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens. We’ll be removing woody invasive shrubs in the park to make room for native flora and fauna.

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 ...

Naturally Crafted

Riverbend Park 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great Falls

(VA) (Fairfax County Parks) Using found natural objects and recycled materials we will craft unique pieces of art for you and your family to take home and proudly display. Materials included in price. Ages 5 to Adult.

$12

Winter Tree Identification Walk

Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park 3608 Military Rd, Arlington

(VA) (Arlington Parks) Arlington hosts a diverse cast of over 50 native tree species! Join us for a light walk to learn how to identify trees without leaves or flowers, by looking at their buds, bark, and other features. Teens age 14 and up are welcome to attend with a registered adult.

$6

Winter Sowing

Gatehouse at Morven Park 17195 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg

(VA) (Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy) Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Wildlife Sanctuary Ambassador and Virginia Master Naturalist Brian Magurn at the Gatehouse in Morven Park for hands-on training for winter-sowing native plant seeds in containers. We will plant native plant seeds in recycled plastic containers that you will bring. We’ll provide the soil, and will have some seeds to share. It’s ...