Have Yourself a Merry Christmas Weekend
‘Twas the weekend before Christmas and all through the city, residents were leaving, oh what a pity. But if you are in town this weekend and not in the shopping malls trying to finish your holiday shopping, there are a few things to do in the area. And don’t forget about the ongoing holiday displays all over the DMV, most of which remain open through year’s end, although many will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Metro is giving the DMV a Christmas present with no work on the Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow or Green Lines this weekend. All will operate on regular weekend schedules. Only the Red Line will single track between Medical Center and Grosvenor with trains running every 15 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont and every 8 minutes between Farragut North and Silver Spring. On Christmas, Metro will be open from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. and operate on a Sunday schedule with off-peak fares and free parking.
Water-Skiing Santa
A tradition since 1986, the Water-Skiing Santa zips around the Potomac River on water skis joined by his wakeboarding reindeer and flying elves while a jet-skiing Grinch buzzes around the holiday gang. Frosty the Snowman and Jack Frost also join in the fun. The festivities take place along the Old Town Alexandria Waterfront between King and Oronoco Streets, which includes Founders Park and the Alexandria City Marina. Afterwards, Santa Claus and the crew will mingle with families at the Waterfront Pavilion behind the Torpedo Factory.
Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. at the Alexandria city Marina, 0 Cameron St., Alexandria. Admission is FREE!
Holiday Trains & Planes
Train buffs young and old only have two more days to head to the College Park Aviation Museum, where the National Capital Trackers create Holiday Trains & Planes, a display of model railroads complete with tunnels, depots and villages. After enjoying the train display, check out the aircraft at the historic airfield, which was founded in 1909.
Dec. 22 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Dec. 23 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive, College Park. The display is include with museum admission of $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for children 2 and older.
Downtown Holiday Market
This is your last chance to pick up eclectic gifts from dozens of pop-up tents at the Downtown Holiday Market located in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. Local musicians perform live seasonal music and there is locally roasted coffee and made-before-your-eyes mini-doughnuts, creating a holiday atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else in the DMV. Catch this can’t-miss holiday market before it closes on Saturday.
Dec. 22 and 23 from noon-8 p.m. at Eights and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Kids 3 and older will be enthralled by the penguin puppets in this musical adaption of Richard and Florence Atwater’s popular children’s book, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which was also turned into a Jim Carrey movie. The family-friendly story is all about a painter name Mr. Popper, whose predictable life is turned upside down when a package full of penguins arrives on this porch.
Through Dec. 31 at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 1:30 and 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $25-$30.
Les Miserables
The Tony Award-winning musical Les Miserables comes to the DMV after a two-and-a-half year on Broadway. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, it tells the story story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption. It features songs like I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, Stars, Bring Him Home and One Day More. With its inspiring story and thrilling songs, this legendary play is sure to satisfy, whether it is the first time you have seen it or the 32nd.
Through Jan. 7 at 2 and 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Sundays at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays at National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $38.75-$228.75.
Magical Musical Holiday Step Show
D.C.’s Step Afrika!, the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, puts on its Magical Musical Holiday Step Show extravaganza. The family-friendly show, which begins Friday and runs through Dec. 30, combines clapping, stomping and stepping for a dazzling array of percussive dance. Furry friends from the animal kingdom and a dance party hosted by DJ Frosty the Snowman are also on the docket. Arrive in the lobby 30 minutes early to decorate your own musical instrument so you can make music with Step Afrika! During the show.
Through Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays except Dec. 24, as well at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 27, at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $45-$18 or $100 for a family fun pack of two adult and two children tickets.
Great Russian Nutcracker
The Music Center at Strathmore hosts the Moscow Ballet for three spellbinding performances of the classic Russian tale, the Great Russian Nutcracker The show features larger-than-life props including puppets and nesting dolls, a 60-foot Christmas trees and hand-crafted costumes and sets. The Moscow Ballet is one of the most acclaimed in the world, meaning you will be able to witness masters of the craft just outside of D.C. city lines.
Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 23 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $48-$88.
An Irish Carol
Set in a modern Dublin pub, An Irish Carol is an homage to Dickens’ classic, told as only the Irish can. The play follows one evening in the life of David, a wealthy pub owner who has lost touch with his own humanity in the interest of self-interest and material success. But on this Christmas Eve – challenged by a voice from the past, provoked by those in the present and faced by the prospect of a lonely future – his life could change forever. With searing, fast-paced dialogue and a classic Irish sensibility, Matthew Keenan’s play is perfect for holiday laughs, and intended for audiences 16 and older.
Through Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, as well as Dec. 26, 27 and 31, 3 p.m. Sundays (except. Dec. 24) and 2 p.m. Dec. 23 at the Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35-$50 and many dates are already sold out.
Messiah Sing-Along
It wouldn’t be the holiday season without Messiah, Handel’s oratorio, that is, which is de rigueur this time of year for orchestras. If you want to participate rather than just listen, there is the Kennedy Center’s annual singalong led by conductor Nancia d’Alimonte with member of the Opera House Orchestra and a 200-voice choir including the Fort Washington Community Chorus, Heritage Signature Chorale, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church Choir, the Northern Virginia Chorale and The Arlington Chorale. Be sure to arrive early: Tickets will be distributed in the Hall of Nations beginning at 4:30 p.m., with a limit of two per person.
Dec. 23 at 6 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Admission is FREE, but tickets are required and will be distributed beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Seasons Greenings
Most area museums and attractions are closed on Christmas Day. If you are looking for somewhere to take the kids, consider the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Seasons Greenings display, which this year features roadside attractions. The holiday model train display features replicas of American roadside attractions created with plant material including D.C.’s The Big Chair and Colorado’s Coney Island Hot Dog Shop as well as D.C. landmarks, such as the U.S. Capitol and the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Jan. 1 at the U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
All-Star Christmas Day Jazz Jam
After the presents are open and the food is put away, head to the Kennedy Cente’r s Millennium Stage for the 19th annual All-Star Christmas Day Jazz Jam hosted by local jazz vibraphonist Churck Redd. He will be joined by drummer Lenny Robinson, trumpeters Robert Redd and Tom Williams, bassist James King and vocalist Delores King Williams.
Dec. 25 at 6 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
Ongoing Events
Ai Weiwei: Trace from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Jan. 1 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
An American in Paris at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sundays through Jan. 7 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $59-$175.
Architecture of an Asylum: St. Elizabeths 1852-2017 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 15 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors, students and children.
Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through July 14 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!
Crazy for You at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday through Jan. 14 at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $40-$89.
Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 15 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice across Asia from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 29, 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
The First Lady of Song: Ella Fitzgerald at 100 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Apr. 2 at the National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
The Faces of Battle: Americans at War, 9/11 to Now from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Jan. 28 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: The Utopian Projects from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Mar. 4 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
In the Tower: Anne Truitt from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Apr. 1 at the National Gallery of Art East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Making Room: Housing for a Changing American from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 16 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for seniors 60 or older, students, and children ages 3-17.
Mark Bradford: Pickett’s Charge from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 12 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Apr. 15 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Mural from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 11 a.m-6 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 28 at the National Gallery of Art East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Murder Is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at the Renwick Gallery, 1700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
FINAL WEEKEND! Nina Simone: Four Women at 8 p.m. Dec. 22 and 23, 2 p.m. Dec. 23 and 24 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 24 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $71-$111
Nothing to Lose (But Our Chains) at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 31 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. Tickets are $20-$76.
FINAL WEEKEND! Pajama Game at 8 p.m. Dec. 22 and 23, 2 p.m. Dec. 23 and 24 and 7:30 p.m Dec. 24 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $50-$99.
Parallax Gap from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily through Feb. 11 at the Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW. Admission is FREE!
Portraits of the World: Switzerland from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 12 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Recent Acquisitions from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 4 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Remembering Vietnam from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 6, 2019, at the National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Rick Araluce: The Final Stop from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 28 at the Renwick Gallery, 1700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Secrets of the Lacquer Buddha from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through June 10 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Subodh Gupta: Terminal from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Sept. 3 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Tamayo: The New York Years from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Mar. 18 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Twist Your Dickens at 8 p.m. Dec. 22, 23 and 26-31 and 3 p.m. on Dec. 22, 23, 30 and 31 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $49-$79.
Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 21 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
What Absence Is Made Of from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through the summer of 2019 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 7th Street and Independence Avenue Sw. Admission is FREE!
Imaginary World of the Nutcracker from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. (21+ only) through Jan. 7 except Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1 at Artechouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students, senior and military and $8 for children 12 and younger.
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.