All Day

2023 Bull Run Festival of Lights

Bull Run Regional Park 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Enjoy a 2.5 mile drive-through of festive light displays, walk-through a Christmas Village and Carnival. The show is open nightly from November 11, 2022 through January 8, 2023. Times vary on weekday and weekends. PLEASE NOTE: YOU ONLY NEED TO BUY ONE TICKET PER VEHICLE.

$30 – $75

2023 Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens 9750 Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Enjoy even more lights this year as Meadowlark Botanical Gardens sparkles with displays of flowers, animals, trees, and holiday scenes along the Winter Walk of Lights .6-mile trail. Times and prices vary by weekday or weekend. See website for all details.

$18 – $22

2023 Ice & Lights: The Winter Village at Cameron Run

Cameron Run Regional Park 4001 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Ice & Lights offers a fun, outdoor family experience to see unique light displays, take family pictures or selfies with a variety of displays, and take a spin on the outdoor ice rink.  Tickets are available for the Village or Village and Ice Skating daily through January 1st.  Prices and times vary from weekdays to weekends.

$8 – $20

Search for Santa’s Critters

Potomac Overlook Regional Park3 2845 N. Marcey Road, Arlington

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Santa’s animal friends are lost in our park and need rescuing! Go on a scavenger hunt to locate the critters so they can help Santa deliver candy and treats for the holidays! $5 per child.  Appropriate for families and children of all ages.  Children must be accompanied by an adult. Check in at the nature center anytime ...

$5

Search for Santa’s Critters

Potomac Overlook Regional Park3 2845 N. Marcey Road, Arlington

(VA) (NOVA Parks) Santa’s animal friends are lost in our park and need rescuing! Go on a scavenger hunt to locate the critters so they can help Santa deliver candy and treats for the holidays! $5 per child.  Appropriate for families and children of all ages.  Children must be accompanied by an adult. Check in at the nature center anytime ...

$5

Solstice Celebration – A Naturalist Walk Along the C&O Canal

C&O Canal

(MD) (Nature Forward) The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is arriving. Whether you call this astronomical event the shortest day of the year—or the longest night of the year—it’s a good occasion to push away from your computer and join fellow nature lovers on a hike in a beautiful place. Our outing starts at the Widewater area along the ...

$35 – $49

Solstice Celebration – A Naturalist Walk Along the C&O Canal

C&O Canal

(MD) (Nature Forward) The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is arriving. Whether you call this astronomical event the shortest day of the year—or the longest night of the year—it’s a good occasion to push away from your computer and join fellow nature lovers on a hike in a beautiful place. Our outing starts at the Widewater area along the ...

$35 – $49

Winter Solstice Hike and Vigil with Ward 8 Woods

(DC) (Ward 8 Woods) Join Ward 8 Woods staff, Board members and supporters in our annual tradition marking the shortest day and longest night of the year. We’ll take a slow contemplative walk along the heights of Fort Stanton Park, tune into the earths' rhythms, and celebrate the lives of OT Blount and Chuck Jenkins, Ward 8 Woods staff who ...

Free – $20

Winter Solstice Hike and Vigil with Ward 8 Woods

Fort Stanton Park 1755 Galen Street SE, Washington

(DC) (Ward 8 Woods) Join Ward 8 Woods staff, Board members and supporters in our annual tradition marking the shortest day and longest night of the year. We’ll take a slow contemplative walk along the heights of Fort Stanton Park, tune into the earths’ rhythms, and celebrate the lives of OT Blount and Chuck Jenkins, Ward 8 Woods staff who ...

Free – $20

Zoo Lights at the National Zoo

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

(DC) (Smithsonian) Washington, D.C.’s beloved Smithsonian’s National Zoo holiday tradition is back and brighter than ever! Dozens of dazzling displays and half a million environmentally-friendly LED lights illuminate the Zoo's pathways. Visitors can stroll through immersive lantern displays showing rainforest, grassland, desert, ocean and polar habitats and the animals that call them home. Live musical performances, delicious treat offerings and ...

Zoo Lights at the National Zoo

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

(DC) (Smithsonian) Washington, D.C.’s beloved Smithsonian’s National Zoo holiday tradition is back and brighter than ever! Dozens of dazzling displays and half a million environmentally-friendly LED lights illuminate the Zoo’s pathways. Visitors can stroll through immersive lantern displays showing rainforest, grassland, desert, ocean and polar habitats and the animals that call them home. Live musical performances, delicious treat offerings and ...

Capital Nature