Happy December, DC!
Embrace the holiday season this week at a number of new festivities as well as beloved seasonal events. From holiday boat parades at the Wharf and in Alexandria, to a new neighborhood-wide holiday concert in Georgetown, there are joyful experiences for everyone.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
December 2–December 8
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- Wharf Holiday Boat Parade & Party. Watch more than 60 decked-out boats parade across the Washington Channel. In addition to the shimmering fleet, there will be ornament decorating, letters to Santa, holiday karaoke, meet-and-greets with Santa, live music by Yani the Band, and a fireworks finale (Sat, free, Wharf).
- A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. If you’re a fan of iconic singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, you’ll enjoy this live narration of the rockstar’s rise to fame. The hit-packed jukebox musical arrives at National Theatre this week; viewers can clap along to popular songs like “Sweet Caroline” and “Cracklin Rosie” (Tues-Sun, $69+, National Theatre).
- European Union Film Showcase. The AFI’s annual showcase highlights new and contemporary films. This year’s lineup screens 54 flicks, including the Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton drama The Room Next Door, and the movie adaptation of the ’70s novel The Summer Book (Wed through December 22, $15, Silver Spring).
- Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. This vivid waterfront parade has been running for nearly 25 years. View the decorated sailboats and powerboats from any spot on the Old Town waterfront, or head to Waterfront Park for crafts and a Port City Brewing Company pop-up beer garden (Sat, free, Alexandria).
- Rigoletto. Opera admirers can see Verdi’s mid-career masterpiece as part of InSeries’ revival at the Goldman Theater DCJCC. The playful production is set under the big top, with a circus band, and a ribald new libretto by Bari Biern (Sat-sun, December 14-15, $42+, Northwest DC).
- Georgetown Jingle. Georgetown Glow isn’t returning this year, but there’s a new holiday event taking over the neighborhood this month. Georgetown Jingle debuts this weekend boasting 10 live holiday, jazz, pop, a cappella, and DJ music performances throughout the neighborhood. After the pop-up concerts, you can watch the St. Lucia Choir procession and sip non-alcoholic Glögg (Sat, free, Georgetown).
- Salaam Bombay! screening with Mira Nair. Veteran film director and activist Mira Nair delivers a lecture at National Gallery of Art ahead of a screening of her breakout Indian crime drama Salaam Bombay! (Sun, free, National Gallery of Art).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Gilmore Girls’ Kelly Bishop chats with Dana Bash at Sixth & I about her memoir Third Gilmore Girl (Wed, $40+ for in-person ticket and book, $12 for virtual, $37 for virtual ticket and book, Downtown, virtual).
- Clear Harmonies Carolers, art, and wintry cocktails are highlights of Phillips after 5’s Winter Wonderland (Thurs, $20, Dupont).
- Find deals on your next read at the White House Historical Association’s Holiday Book Festival (Fri, free, Downtown).
- Author Jessica B. Harris of High on the Hog discusses her new Kwanzaa project at the Smithsonian (Sat, free, but registration required, Smithsonian NMAAHC).
- Browse jewelry, gourd art, and textiles at African Art Holiday Marketplace (Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art).
- Attend the opening reception of “Journey to Self” to see visual art about self-discovery from seven artists at Homme Gallery (Sat, free, Downtown).
- Create a flower arrangement with fellow plant enthusiasts at MoCA Arlington (Sat, $45, Arlington).
Community and heritage:
- Delight in cultural cuisine, art, and goods from more than 50 embassies at The Winternational Embassy Showcase (Thurs, free, Downtown).
- Sip hot cocoa with neighbors at the Columbia Heights Tree Lighting (Fri, free, Columbia Heights).
- Celebrate Kwanzaa at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Community Day (Sat, free, but registration required, Smithsonian NMAAHC).
- Meet Native artists and browse their handmade jewelry and beadwork at Native Art Market (Sat-Sun, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).
Theater and shows:
- Keegan Theatre’s An Irish Carol puts a modern Dublin twist on Dickens’s classic holiday tale (Wed through December 31, $64, Dupont).
- A Swingin’ Little Christmas is a comedy-cabaret packed with musical classics from the ’50s and ’60s (Wed, $28+, Bethesda).
- Philadelphia’s BalletX arrives in DC for a four-day contemporary dance showcase (Wed-Sat, $40+, Kennedy Center).
- Grammy Award-winner Patrick Page stars in All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain (Fri through December 29, $39+, Downtown).
- Join a live Hamilton Sing-Along at Penn Social (Sat, $17+, Penn Quarter).
Music and concerts:
- Don your ugly holiday sweater and listen to National Symphony Orchestra play seasonal tunes at the Anthem (Wed, $25+, Wharf).
- Veterans and service members can snag tickets to a complimentary holiday concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and Broadway’s Jessica Vosk (Thurs, free, Kennedy Center).
- EDM DJ Tiësto spins electric hits at Echostage (Thurs-Fri, $65+, Langdon).
- Underground Richmond rapper Nettspend brings his hype rhymes to the Fillmore (Fri, $41+, Silver Spring).
- The Folger Consort performs carols in A Mass for Christmas Eve (Fri through December 15, $20+, Capitol Hill).
- DC native Billy Woods raps live at Union Stage (Sun, $25+, Wharf).
Get involved:
- Shop books on DC housing at Solid State Books to help raise funds for Everyone Home DC (Tues, free, H Street Corridor).
- Put your barista skills to the test for a good cause. Proceeds from this latte art-making competition will support the Sexual Violence Protection Association (Tues, free to attend, $5 for participants, Columbia Heights).
Budget-friendly:
- Lake Anne Jingle on the Lake celebrates Christmas with a Santa boat parade and choir performances (Sat, free, Reston).
- There will be free laughs at Kelly’s Irish Times live comedy show (Thurs, free, NoMa).
Things to do with kids:
- See outdoor illuminations and zoom down the eight-lane Penguin Plunge at Winter City Lights (through December 29, $27 for adults, $23 for seniors $18 for ages 4-12, Olney).
- Kids can take a train ride through Met Park, and capture memories with Santa at The Lodge (Sat, free, Arlington).
- Youngsters can play in a bounce house, drink hot chocolate, and decorate stockings at Jingle Bell Bash (Sat, free, Tysons).
If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
