Winter Weather & Events Blow Into the DMV
Although the calendar doesn’t yet say Winter, the temperatures this weekend does. Almost as if it was planned, Ice!, the gigantic ice show, opens at Gaylord National Resort this weekend and so does the ice skating rink at Washington Harbour in Georgetown. This weekend also brings many holiday shopping opportunities such as the annual Museum Shop Around at Strathmore, the Northern Virginia Christmas Market at the Dulles Expo Center, and Fifth Street Folly and Emporiyum at Union Market. If you’re not quite in the mood yet, you can keep warm at the Smithsonian’s Ballywood film festival or the American Festival Pops Orchestra’s concert at George Mason University.
Silver and Yellow line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. On Saturday, Blue ine trains will operate every 12 minutes between Van Dorn Street and Largo Town Center and every 20 minutes at Franconia-Springfield. Orange Line trains will operate every 12 minutes between Vienna and Stadium Armory every 12 minutes on Saturday and every 20 minutes between Stadium-Armory and new Carrolton. Both lines will operate every 12 minutes on Sunday. Green Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between Branch Ave and College Park with buses running between College Park and the closed Greenbelt Station both Saturday and Sunday. Red Line trains will operate every 16 minutes with additional trains providing service every 8-10 minutes between Grosvenor and NoMa-Gallaudet from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Ice! returns to Gaylord National Resort this weekend with a Frosty the Snowman theme. (Photo: Gaylord National Resort)
Ice!
Ice!, the life-sized ice show returns to Gaylord National Resort, this year featuring Frosty the Snowman, everyone’s favorite snowman. Carved from over 2 million pounds of colorful ice, enjoy larger than life scenes from the classic tale, side down two-story high ice slides and watch artisans in action at the new Frostbite Factory, an interactive live carving area. As part of Christmas on the Potomac, the Gaylord atrium is also transformed into a winter wonderland with a free nightly indoor snowfall at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m., more than 2 million lights that illuminate the glass atrium and outdoor garden areas, the free fountain show with the water and lights “dancing” to the music of the Christmas story at 7 and 9 p.m. and classical Christmas carols at 6 and 8 p.m. There is also a 60-foot-tall Christmas tree made of synthetic “candy” glass suspended from the center of the atrium. Photos with Santa start at $25 and are available through Christmas Eve from 1-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Nov. 27-27 and Dec. 12, 22-23 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 20-Jan. 4 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, 201 Waterfront St.,Oxen Hill in National Harbor. Adult tickets range from $34-$21 and childen’s tickets range for children 3-11 range from $28-$14 depending on dates. Tickets and the schedule are available here.
Museum Shop Around
Stacked Bangles by SSD, artist Melissa Lowery (Photo: Strathmore)
Strathmore celebrates 25 years of its artsy holiday bazaar Museum Shop Around, featuring pop-up shops from 20 of the DMV’s favorite cultural institutions. This community favorite has built a reputation for infusing the holidays with the unexpected, heartfelt, handmade and art-inspired—a virtual treasure trove of holiday gifts. Organizations bringing their shops on the road include The Kennedy Center, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, The Phillips Collection, National Building Museum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Popcorn Gallery at Glen Echo Park, National Geographic Museum, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Foundation for the National Archives, American University Museum – Katzen Arts Center, Just Imagine! The Shop at Imagination Stage, Brookside Gardens, Supreme Court Historical Society, International Spy Museum, Audubon Naturalist Society, Herb Cottage at Washington National Cathedral, Montgomery County Historical Society, President Lincoln’s Cottage, the College Park Aviation Museum, and, of course, Strathmore.
Nov. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Nov. 16 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Admission is $8 if purchased online and $9 at the door. Admission is valid for all days of Museum Shop Around.
Ice skating at Washington Harbour
The ice skating rink at Washington Harbour in Georgetown opens this weekend. (Photo: Washington Harbour)
The ice skating rink at Washington Harbour is open! The fountain at the Washington Harbour in Georgetown has transformed into a shimmering ice skating rink at the edge of the majestic Potomac River. This rink’s bigger than New York’s Rockefeller Center. Be sure to pick up your skates at the new skate shop, conveniently located next to the ice rink and join the fun!
Through March at Washington Harbour, 3050 K St. NW. The rink is open Monday-Thursday from noon-9 p.m., Friday from noon-10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, children/seniors/military are $9 and skate rental is $5. Thursday is College Night with $2 off with student ID and 8-10 p.m. Saturdays is Rock N Skate with skating to today’s hits.
Northern Virginia Christmas Market
The Northern Virginia Christmas Market comes to Dulles Expo Center this weekend. (Graphic: Events Management Group)
The Northern Virginia Christmas Market brings together 250 artisans featuring quality fine arts and crafts, Christmas collectibles, handcrafted edibles and thousands of home decorating ideas for the holidays. New to this year’s show is Vintage Alley, a showcase area dedicated to upcycled gifts, re-purposed home good, vintage and shappy chic creations and reclaimed furniture in bright new hues and textures.
Nov. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Nov. 16 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Dulles Expo Center, 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Va. Admission is $8 for adults at the door and free for children 12 and under. Get $1 off admission with a canned food donation to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. Free parking and second day return.
Union Market hosts Fifth Street Folly and Emporiyum this weekend. (Photo: Union Market)
Fifth Street Folly
Union Market is hosting Fifth Street Folly, a weekend-long street party, and everyone is invited. In addition to the ongoing shopping space, Thread, and the ticketed Gilt City Warehouse Sale, the venue will host a pop-up beer garden featuring Bluejacket brews and Red Apron hotdogs, a pop-up from Boston skincare shop Follain and a clothesline art sale called Hanging on a Line.
Nov. 14-16 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Most events are FREE!
Emporiyum
Emporiyum, a market and food show, debuted in Baltimore in April. Now it comes to Union Market. (Photo: Emporiyum)
Emporiyum, a two-day, food-fueled marketplace that brings together more than 60 acclaimed artisans from around the U.S. Items that will be available include Crack Pie, a mix of butter, sugar and eggs from New York’s Momofuku; Baltimore-style pit beef from chef Spike Gjerde’s Woodberry Kitchen; Tsukemen buns made with lemongrass, pork, shrimp and ramen broth from East Side King in Austin, Texas; and cocktail mixers from Bittermilk in Charleston, S.C. Local favorites Astro Doughnuts, Toki Underground and Runningbyrd Tea Co. will be there also.
Nov. 15 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Nov. 16 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Maurice Electric Warehouse at Union Market, 500 Penn St. NE. General admission tickets are $20 and VIP tickets, with an extra hour of shopping starting at 10 a.m., are $40 in advance. General admission tickets at the door are $40.
Beyond Ballywood Film Festival
Meet the Patels kicks off the festival at 1 p.m. (Photo: Smithsonian)
The Beyond Ballywood Film Festival is one day film festival of compelling short and feature films about the life and culture of Indian immigrants and Indian Americans. Topics explored in the films include migration and assimilation, identity, intergenerational and intimate relationships, aging, gender roles and cultural connections to the United States and the homeland. The film fest compliments the museum’s exhibit, Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation, a groundbreaking exhibition showing at the museum through Aug. 15 that explores the heritage, daily experience and numerous, diverse contributions that Indian immigrants and Indian Americans have made to shaping the U.S. See the full schedule here.
Nov. 15 from 1-9:15 p.m. at Baird Auditorium of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural Histrory, 10th & Constitution Ave. NW. Enter from Constitution Avenue. Admission is FREE!
American Festival Pops Orchestra: Litghts, Camera, Action!
The American Festival Pops Orchestra performs at George Mason University Center for the Arts on Saturday. (Photo: George Mason University)
The American festival Pops Orchestra plays the best of pop culture, with a set list taken from film, television and Broadway. They professional musicians be joined by featured pianist Normal Douglas Zimdahl, who will perform her own work, Norma’s Jazz Classic.
Nov. 15 starting at 8 p.m. at George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax. Tickets are $29-$48.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.
