Friday through Sunday
Cool Cars
The Washington Auto Show is underway now through February 5th at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Check out more than 700 new makes and models from over 42 manufacturers, celebrity appearances, contests and giveaways, advanced technology superhighway and more! I just wanna see the new Dodge Dart! Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for ages 6-12, ages 5 and under get in free. Check the website for details.
www.washingtonautoshow.com
Local Theater
Wayside Theatre in Middletown, VA presents, "Smoke on the Mountain, a Musical", January 28-March 10. This musical features the Sanders Family and their blend of gospel and bluegrass music, along with their hilarious storytelling. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm. Tickets are $25-$30 for adults and $10 for children.
www.waysidetheatre.org
Glen Echo Fun
Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, MD has lots of fun activities for the entire family, including dances, puppet plays, art shows and displays, and much more. Check the website for details.
www.glenechopark.org
Don't Miss These Exhibits
The Textile Museum in Washington, DC presents the exhibition, "Dragons, Nagas and Creatures of the Deep". The exhibit features textiles depicting fantasy creatures. Open February 3 to January 6, 2013. An $8 donation is suggested for visitors.
www.textilemuseum.org
The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC presents the exhibit, "Shadows of History: Photographs of the Civil War From the Collection of Julia J. Norrell". Norrell, a Washington collector, has landscapes, potraits of soldiers, and photographs of the death and destruction in the aftermath of battles. Open February 4-May 6, 2012. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students/seniors, under 12 get in free.
www.corcoran.org
The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC hosts an exhibit of the photographs of Annie Leibovitz. Leibovitz is best known for her magazine covers and potraits, but in this exhibit, Leibovitz captures nature with her lens, from Niagara Falls to Old Faithful and scenes fro the homes of Thomas Jefferson and Georgia O'Keeffe, among others. "Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage" runs January 20 to May 20, 2012. Free.
www.americanart.si.edu
If you were ever a Girl Scout, then you'll want to check out the National Potrait Gallery's exhibit about its founder on the 100th anniversary. "Juliette Gordon Low and the 100th Annivesary of Girl Scouts" runs through January 6, 2013. Free.
www.npg.si.edu
The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC presents the exhibit, "A Song For The Horse Nation", which explores the relationship between horses and Native Americans with decorative regalia, hunting apparel, weaponry and photographs. Runs through January 7, 2013. Free.
www.nmai.si.edu
Ice Skating
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink in Washington, DC is scheduled to open November 19 & 20 for the season. The rink is open everyday, except Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, students and children, for a two-hour session. Skate and locker rentals are also available. Enjoy ice skating, view the magnificent works of sculpture and enjoy music from their state-of-the-art sound system. Check the website for more details.
www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.shtm
What Could Have Been
The National Building Museum in Washington, DC presents the exhibition, "Unbuilt Washington", November 19-May 28, 2012. This exhibition showcases architectural designs and urban planning proposals for the District that never came to be. There are drawings, reproductions, models and other renderings from the late 18-century to the present. While you're there, check out the other great exhibitions, like "LEGO Architecture", "Cityscapes Revealed", "Washington: Symbol and City", "Investigating Where We Live" and the Building Zone for kids ages 2-6. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and ages 3-17, free for ages 2 and younger. Check the website for details.
www.nbm.org
The News of 9/11
The Newseum in Washington, DC features the 9/11 Gallery, the first permanent museum exhibit about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The gallery features some physical piece from each of the attack locations; the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvannia. Plus, there are newspaper front pages from around the world and a film documenting the challenges that journalists faced covering the attacks. Admission is $21.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors, $12.95 for ages 7-18, children 6 and under get in free. Opening daily, 9am-5pm.
www.newseum.org
Remembering Patsy
The Patsy Cline Historic House is now open on Kent Street in Winchester, VA. The museum is the place Patsy called home from 1948-1957, along with her mother, sister and brother. The are four rooms on the tour, the living and dining rooms, kitchen and bedroom and reflects the 1950s and the life of Patsy's family. Tours of the house are conducted by volunteer docents and take about 35-45 minutes. The house is open through October 31st from 10am-4pm. Tuesday through Saturday, and 12noon to 4pm on Sunday. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4 for ages 11-18, free for military and ages 10 and younger.
www.celebratingpatsycline.org
Those Wonderful Flying Machines
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC opens a new exhibition called, "Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight". This exhibit looks at the decades of the 1920s and 1930s in aviation, and at the birth of modern rocketry, with a collection of aircraft and objects. The exhibit has four major sections: Military Aviation, which looks at the feats of Army, Navy and Marine pilots and more; Black Wings, which focuses on African-American aviators; Civilian Aviation, which traces the progress of private and commercial flight from barnstormers to pioneers like Lindbergh and Earhart; and Rocket Pioneers, which looks at the first dreamers of space flight and those who helped make it a reality. Free. Open daily, 10am-5:30pm.
www.nasm.si.edu
The Real Thing
When the Berlin Wall fell 20 years ago, the symbol of oppression took its place in history while a people discovered new freedoms. The Newseum in Washington, Dc has a permanent exhibit, The Berlin Wall Gallery, which features the largest diplay of portions of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany. You'll see eight, 12-foot high concrete sections of the wall and a three-story East German guard tower that stood near Checkpoint Charlie. The gallery tells the story of how news and information help to topple the oppressive East German government. (Friends tell me if you are interested in news, broadcast and print, this museum is well worth the price of admission.) Admission is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors, military and students with i.d., $12.95 for ages 7-18 and free for kids 6 and younger. Open daily, 9am-5pm.
www.newseum.org
A Free Look at the Stars
The first public telescope is now open at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. It is located in its own observatory right outside the museum. The 16-inch telescope can be used Tuesdays through Sundays from 10am-2pm, weather permitting. The planentarium also has a new program, "Journey to the Stars"; narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, it tells the story of the life cycle of stars. Free. The museum is open daily 10am-5:30pm.
www.nasm.si.edu
Ford's on Lincoln
The new Ford's Theatre Museum is open is Washington, DC, and tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's life in Washington, DC, from the beginning of his presidency to his tragic end at the theatre. There's displays of the Gettysburg Address, a mock train car like the one Lincoln arrived in, a re-creation of Mary Surratt's house, a replica of Lincoln's White House office, videos, election paraphernalia and other artifacts. The museum is open daily, 9am-5pm. Admission is free, but requires a timed-entry ticket. The ticket includes entry to the museum the theatre, and the Peterson House, where Lincoln died.
www.fords.org
America's Museum
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has re-opened after being closed for rennovations. Come see the new home of the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired our national anthem; there's hands-on space for kids and families called "Spark! Lab", and "Invention at Play", an interactive exhibit for the whole family, plus, many new exhibits to explore. Where else can you see all of this, plus Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" AND Kermit the Frog? Admission to the museum is free!
www.americanhistory.si.edu
Explore The Ocean
The Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is open in Washington, DC. It is the largest permanent exhibit in the museum and the biggest renovation since the museum opened in 1910. You can see the remains of large, prehistoric fish, see a 45-foot model of a whale, check out plenty of ocean life in the 1,500 gallon aquarium containing an Indo-Pacific coral reef with more than 1,000 specimens of 50 species of live fish and other marine life. There's a film by an underwater cinematographer, a video following a dive through the zones of the open ocean to the bottom in a submersible and much, much, MUCH more! Admission is free. The museum is open daily, 10am-5:30pm.
www.mnh.si.edu
Beautiful Butterflies!
See more than 400 live tropical butterflies at the new Butterfly Pavilion at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Timed-entry tickets to see the butterflies are $6 for adults, $5.50 for seniors and $5 for ages 2 to 12; younger get in free. It's all part of a new exhibition, "Butterflies and Plants: Partners in Evolution", about how plants and insects have evolved together. Admission to this exhibition, as well as the rest of the museum, is free! The museum is open daily, 10am-5:30pm. (p.s. - on Tuesday, you can visit the Butterfly Pavilion for free, too)
www.mnh.si.edu
Beautiful Trail
the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Tour is a 4-mile trail through beautiful, government protected land adjacent to the Patuxent River. Bike or hike the trail Friday and Saturday to see wildlife, maybe even a bald eagle! Signposts along the way reveal the history of the area, and describe the enviromental role played by estuaries and marshes. The self-guided tour takes you through the Patuxent River Park and the Merkle Widlife Sanctuary and Visitor's Center. About a mile from the start, you can climb a 60-foot tower at the edge of the marsh and stand level with the tops of trees. Free. Sunday, the trail is opened to cars. Friday-Saturday, 8am-6:30pm; Sundays, 10am-3pm.
http://www.pgparks.com/Things_To_Do/Nature/Chesapeake_Bay_Critical_Area_Tour.htm
Friday and Saturday
Just For Laughs
Riot Act Comedy Theater in Washington, DC presents "DC Shorts Laughs: The Films". Two-hour showcases will feature 6-8 films from the DC Shorts Film Festival's best comedies and 2 stand-up routines from Riot Act comedians. There are 5 different showtimes to take in the 38 short films and 4 comics over two days. Tickets are $15 for each showcase. Friday and Saturday
www.riotactcomedy.com
Classic Movies
The American Film Institute's Silver Theatre in Silver Spring,MD has some great retrospectives happening this month: "Gene Kelly Centennial Retrospective" will feature some of the most loved movies by this great actor-dancer-choreographer, like "Singin' In The Rain", "On The Town", "An American In Paris" and more. "Bigger Than Life: The Films of Nicholas Ray" includes "Johnny Guitar", "Rebel Without A Cause", "Knock On Any Door" and others. Book lovers will love "Charles Dickens in the Cinema: A Bicentennial Retrospective", with films including "A Tale of Two Cities", "David Copperfield", "Great Expectations", "Oliver Twist" and more. And for you and your sweetheart, there's "Screen Valentines: Great Movie Romances", like "The African Queen", "Dirty Dancing", "The Notebook" and more. Check the website for dates, showtimes and ticket prices.
www.afi.com/silver
The Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater in Culpeper, VA presents two classic films this weekend: Friday, it's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" from 1939 and Saturday, it's "Swiss Family Robinson" from 1960. Check the website for details.
www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/schedule.html
Be Bond
The International Spy Museum in Washington, DC presents the program, "Spy At Night". Enjoy cocktails and food from Zola Kitchen while you wait for you turn to try your spy skills. There are a variety of challenges, including deciphiring secret codes, spy trivia and more. On Fridays, there is a spy trade craft demonstration. Tickets are $22. Friday and Saturdays, 6-10pm.
www.spymuseum.org
Saturday and Sunday
At Green Spring Gardens Park
Saturday, it's the 7th Annual Seed Exchange. There will be lectures, seed swaps, expert advice and more. Bring your extra seeds to swap with others. The $15 per person fee includes lectures, goody bag and seed swap. Saturday, 12:30-4pm.
Saturday also features a Family Fun Workshop-Valentine Workshop. Learn fact and folklore about Cupid and Valentine's Day. Participate in Valentine crafts and make something special for someone. $8 per person. Saturday at 2pm.
Sunday, it's a look at George Washington's Garden. The presentation is an informative and entertaining look at the gardening world of our first president, and will talk about the beauty, use and importance of Mount Vernon's gardens and landscape and the years that people have studied, researched and restored the gardens. $12 per person. Sunday at 1:30pm. Green Spring Gardens Park is located in Alexandria, VA.
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp
Exploring The Night Sky
There are some cool things happening in the night sky. The Rock Creek Nature Center Planetarium presents two shows Saturday and Sunday; "The Night Sky" at 1pm, for ages 4 and older and "Exploring the Universe" at 4pm, for ages 7 and older. Free planetarium tickets are distributed 30 minutes before each show. Admission to Rock Creek Park and to the Planetarium are free.
www.nps.gov/rocr/planyourvisit/planetarium.htm
Friday
Saturday
For The Family
The National Potrait Gallery, Smithsonian Museum American Art Museum, Anacostia Community Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture and other Smithsonian affiliates are hosting a Black History Month Family Day. There will be performances, workshops, arts & crafts activities, a puppet show and more. Admission is free. Check the website for details. Saturday, 11:30am-3pm.
www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage
The National Theatre in Washington, DC presents "Saturday Morning at the National", free performances for children on Saturdays at 9:30 and 11am. Admission is free, but tickets are required on a first-come, first-seated basis. Tickets are distributed 1/2 hour prior to performances, one ticket per person in line. Saturday, February 4th, it's "The Fisherman and His Wife", a modern spin on the classic fairytale by Acting for Young People about what happens when a magical fish grants your wishes.
www.nationaltheatre.org/saturday/saturday.htm
Let's Go Shopping!
The Alexandria Boutique Warehouse Sale is Saturday, 9am-4pm. Deep discounts are promised from some of Alexandria's finest boutiques.
www.oldtownboutiquedistrict.com
The McLean Community Center in McLean, VA hosts the 5th Annual McLean Jewelry Showcase, featuring 40 juried artisan jewelers with hand-crafted, unique jewelry. Everything from casual pieces to family heirlooms, in all prices ranges, will be on display and for sale. Admission is $3. Saturday, 11am-5pm.
www.mcleancenter.org
Folk Festival
The Folklore Society of Greater Washington presents the Mid-Winter Festival, featuring music, dancers, workshops, performances, storytelling, concerts and more. You can purchase tickets for a full day or a half day. Tickets are $20 for adults for a full day, $13 for half day; $10 for child full day, $5 for half day. Family of four full day pass is $55 and $35 for a half day. The event takes place at Takoma Middle School in Takoma Park, MD. Check the website for details.
Saturday, 12noon-10:30pm.
www.fsgw.org
Steppin' Out
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity presents: "Alpha Phi Alpha Step Show" at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Come out to see some awesome step dancers in action! Tickets are $20. Saturday at 7pm.
www.lisner.org
Stars for Free
The John C. Wells Planetarium at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA offers free, full-dome shows to the public on Saturdays from November 19-May 12, 2012. The shows are held from 2:30pm and 3:30pm. Seating begins 10 minutes before showtime on a first-come, first-served basis. Each show is followed by a 25-minute "star talk", with updates on the night sky, including constellations, planets and any comets that might be streaking by. Great for the whole family! Check the website for details.
www.jmu.edu/planetarium
Super Science
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA presents "Super Science Saturdays", the second Saturday of each month. There will be demonstrations and hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, all related to aviation and space exploration. Each program will feature a unique theme. Admission is free. (Parking is $15.) Saturdays, 10am-3pm.
www.nasm.si.edu/events/superscience/
Mmmmmm, Chocolate!
Take the Washington Chocolate-tasting tour! There are two tours; Dupont Circle tours at 12:45pm and Uptown tours at 2:45pm. These 2-1/2 hour walking tours will take you to historic areas, rich in architecture, culture and chocolate! You'll learn the history and life of chocolate, see how fine chocolates are created, sample (of course!) and much more. Experts are happy to answer your questions. Just don't drool on the guides! :) Cost of the tours is $48; $35 for kids-Dupont tour only. Saturdays, 12:45pm and 2:45pm.
www.dcmetrochocolatetours.com
Sunday
Concert At SU
Step Afrika, the percussive dance group based in Washington, DC will perform at Armstrong Concert Hall on the campus of Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. The performance if free and open to the public. Sunday at 2pm.
www.su.edu/about/media-hub.cfm
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