WEEKENDS ON WEDNESDAYS

WEEKENDS ON WEDNESDAYS

Jingle Bell Run

Dec 1, Ellicott City: The Arthritis Foundation’s original Jingle Bell Run is a fun way to get decked out and be festive, while racing to raise funds and awareness to cure America’s #1 cause of disability. Put on your favorite holiday costume. Tie jingle bells to your shoelaces. ’Tis the season to live it up and be jolly for a reason!

Symphony of LIghts

Now- Dec 30, Columbia: Enjoy a drive through the Howard County General Hospital Symphony of Lights, a time-honored holiday tradition, in the comfort of your car. This family-oriented spectacular offers a dazzling display of more than 100 larger-than-life animated and stationary holiday light creations, made up of more than 300,000 bulbs.

Natural Holiday Sale

Dec 1, Columbia: Come enjoy our annual Holiday Sale- fun for the whole family! Browse locally crafted natural gifts while enjoying music and refreshments. Children will enjoy creating whimsical critters from cones, pods and seed heads with the help of our naturalists!

Celebration in the Woods

Various dates, Columbia: Join the Inner Arbor Trust and Downtown Columbia Partnership for Celebration in the Woods, a joyous, seasonal celebration of winter in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. Stop in for crafts, performances, and to enjoy our artist-created trees.

Downtown Holiday Market

Now-Dec 23, DC: Celebrating its fourteenth year, this event boasts one of the most spectacular outdoor shopping environments in the region.

Nationals Winterfest

Dec 1&2, DC: Winterfest is coming home - to Nationals Park - for the holidays! The annual weekend-long festival is a celebration of baseball and the holidays with presents and Presidents. This year's Nativity scene includes both indoor and outdoor programs so fans can enjoy many of your favorite activities from last year along with several new additions only available at Nationals Park.

Zoolights

Now-Jan 1, DC: Join the thousands of visitors who make ZooLights a part of their annual holiday tradition. A free event, ZooLights includes live music performances, tasty winter treats and plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping. More than 500,000 environmentally friendly LED lights transform the Zoo into a winter wonderland complete with two dazzling laser light shows set to music. 

A Jazz Family Christmas

Dec 1, DC: Join the Kennedy Center and NPR for this annual holiday tradition highlighting jazz pianists and their favorite seasonal music! This year, Jason Moran will be joined by Booker T. Jones and James Francies, among others. This perennially sold-out event will be recorded for future broadcast on NPR and streaming online.

Holiday Boat Parade

Dec 1, DC: Join us as we celebrate the holidays and see the beautifully decorated boats pass by. Get into the spirit as you decorate ornaments. Warm up by our fire pit and visit our lighted Christmas Tree. Go ice skating and bring the whole family to meet Santa and make memories during this annual DC tradition.

Georgetown Glow

Dec 1-Jan 6, DC: Experience the sparkle of the season at Georgetown GLOW, the region's only curated exhibition of outdoor public light art installations. Set against the historic backdrop of DC's oldest neighborhood, it's a whole new way to shine.

MetroCooking DC

Dec 1&2, DC:  Join us for the 13th annual MetroCooking DC Show! The ultimate foodie outing returns to the Washington Convention Center. Whether you’re an aspiring home cook or expert entertainer, the two-day culinary extravaganza provides a one-of-a-kind experience for all food and entertaining enthusiasts. Enjoy cooking demos and book signings with top Celebrity Chefs. Sample from over 50 local restaurants in the Grand Tasting Pavilion.Learn new techniques and tips in the Taste Talk Workshops. Sharpen your skills in the pop-up cooking school. Meet your favorite James Beard award-winning chef and see them whip up delicious dishes live on the James Beard Stage. Plus, shop from hundreds of specialty food vendors in the exhibitor marketplace! Chances are, you’ll discover a new favorite hot sauce!

Christmas Bazaar

Dec 1, DC: The SWEA Washington DC Christmas Bazaar is a popular event and kick starts the season. Talented artisans and vendors offer everything from gifts, crafts, textiles, books and homemade bread to Kosta Boda and Orrefors glassware, and our Swedish delicacies, such as “fika” and “glögg”, is certain to get you in the spirit of the season. The event ends with the traditional caroling by our Swedish St Lucia Procession.

Christkindlmarkt

Nov 30-Dec 2, DC: Each December, the Heurich House Museum celebrates the winter season and honors the Heurich family’s German heritage with a holiday artisan market in our garden. This holiday shopping event features goods from over 40 local artisans from DC, Maryland, and Virginia and a tour of our seasonally decorated historic house.

Cinderella

Now-Jan 6, Bethesda: This wacky retelling of the beloved fairy tale takes Cinderella on a royal adventure complete with a wisecracking rat, evil stepsisters, and a smitten prince. When Cinderella’s stepmother forbids her from attending the ball, her fairy godmother convinces her that if the shoe fits- wear it! True love may await her if only she can put down her sword. Just the right fit for the holiday season!

Winter Wonderland

Dec 1, Bethesda: Celebrate the holiday season in Veterans Park in downtown Bethesda with a variety of performances, live ice sculpting, a visit from Santa Claus and more!

USNA Glee Club Messiah

Dec 1&2, Annapolis: Continuing a long-standing tradition, the USNA Glee Club combines with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, and soloists from the Metropolitan Opera Company to present selections from Handel's beloved Messiah on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

Christmas Village

Now-Dec 31, Baltimore: Coming to the Inner Harbor from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve in 2018, Christmas Village will feature 50 vendors selling authentic European food, ornaments and arts & crafts from all over the world!

Festival of Wreaths

Now-Dec 2, Westminster: The Festival of Wreaths has been a Westminster holiday tradition for 21 years. This silent auction of more than 150 uniquely decorated theme wreaths is always a hit. Come and see all the amazing creatively on display. Vote for your favorite wreaths. While you are here you can bid on wreaths for yourself and as gifts for others.

Miracle on 34th Street

Now-Dec 31, Baltimore: Over the years, many visitors from around the world have visited the lights on 34th street and left many messages in the books that the Hosier’s, the lovely couple who started it all, leave on their porch for people to sign and share. The street has been nationally recognized by Nightline, The Travel Channel, the Maryland Lottery, and Home and Garden to name a few. Some of the favorites are the hub cap Christmas tree, bike rim snowmen, overhead trains, and the Big Red Lighted Crab.

Holiday in the Park

Now-Jan 1 select days, Bowie: Holiday in the Park is back at Six Flags America. It's the most magical time of the year filled with enchanting experiences that will help create those special family fun outings again and again. Our breathtaking winter wonderland features a variety of delightful and interactive activities to help capture the holiday spirit.

A Christmas Carol

Now-Dec 30, Olney: Experience the unforgettable characters and vivid imagery as Charles Dickens originally intended  – in his own words – and rediscover this timeless classic presented in a masterful solo performance. Adapted from Dickens’ original novella and reading tour, Morella’s solo version will transport you back to Victorian England and into the heart of this classic morality tale. This critically acclaimed production has become a holiday must-see.

Joshua Bell

Nov 30, Dec 2, Baltimore: One of today's hottest young conductors, Romanian-born Cristian Măcelaru is joined by world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell in Saint-Saëns' technically brilliant Violin Concerto No. 3 and Ravel's hair-raising Tzigane, perfectly designed to show off Bell's sheer talent. Vaughan Williams' dramatic Symphony No. 4, one of the most revered symphonies of the 20th century, is also on the program.