I was home this past weekend for Thanksgiving, having traveled the whole 20 miles from D.C. to Northern Virginia. Even though I live and work so close to my hometown, it’s always nice to be back home with family and friends. A few years into our professional careers, most friends from high school have left the area, and Thanksgiving is one of the few times we all manage to be home at the same time.

Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, Va. (Photo: Paradise Springs Winery)

Friday after Turkey Day is traditionally reserved for Black Friday shopping, but we took a different route this year. Instead of waking up at the crack of dawn, standing in endless lines, putting our bodies at risk of losing limbs and spending money, we all decided to meet up at the local winery for a relaxing afternoon of sipping wine and catching up.

Paradise Spring Winery’s main tasting room. (Photo: Paradise Springs Winery)

Tucked away behind curving back roads and towering trees, Paradise Springs Winery, 13219 Yates Ford Road, Clifton, is a hidden gem. The décor and furnishings of the main tasting room evoke the rustic, woodsy feel you’d expect from a winery. Inviting leather lounge furniture, barrels and wood tables are scattered throughout the main floor.

Our group chose the cozy, covered patio deck as our hangout spot. With a fireplace and heat lamps, it was the perfect backdrop for a late November gathering. They have a robust lineup of varietals including four white wines and seven red wines. I split a bottle of the mélange, a popular red wine blend, with a friend and the rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out with old friends.

A 2013 melange from Paradise Spring Winery. (Photo: Lanna Nguyen/DC on Heels)

Whether you’re looking for an impromptu get-together or a more structured outing, Paradise Springs has it all. Stake out a section of tables like my group did, or call ahead and make reservations for a tasting or tour. Group tastings will set you back $15 per person and includes an entire flight of wines, a private space and a personal wine educator.

If you want the full experience, sign up for their signature tour which is offered on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and includes a stroll through the vineyard, a look at the tank room, production area and barrel room as well as a complete tasting of their entire flight of wines poured throughout the tour. Tours cost $25 per person. Prepackaged food such as cheeses, meats, soup and crackers may be purchased in the tasting room or you can bring your own picnic. My first time at the neighborhood winery was a great experience and I’ll definitely be planning a second trip come springtime.

It is Thanksgiving Weekend and that means many of you will be waiting in lines Black Friday and Small Business Saturday to get holiday bargains. But when you tire of the holiday shopping crowds, there are plenty of other things to do in the DMV this weekend.

Metro will take a short break from scheduled maintenance over the four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. On Friday, rail and bus service will operate on a regular weekday schedule with normal fare and parking rates in effect. All Metrorail trains will operate with six cars. Regular weekend schedules will be in effect on Saturday and Sunday.

ZooLights is open nightly from 5-9 p.m. except Christmas Day. (Photo: National Zoo)

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ZooLights

Once again, ZooLights decks the National Zoo out in environmentally friendly LED lights for the holidays. More than 500,000 lights will be used on everything from light-up elephants to twinkling floral displays. There will also be live performances from local artists, plenty of food and gift-worthy goods for sale.

Through Jan 1 from 5-9 p.m. at the National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!

Gaithersburg’s Winter Lights Festival is open nightly through New Year’s Eve. (Photo: City of Gaithersburg)

Winter Lights Festival

The City of Gaithersburg’s Winter Lights Festival is welcoming visitors for its 19th season. The 3.5 mile drive through Seneca Creek State Park takes you past more than 365 illuminated displays and 65 animated vignettes that light up the night. Themed areas include Winter Woods, Teddy Bear Land, Victorian Village, the North Pole, and more. Proceeds from the festival benefit local charities.

Through Dec. 31 from 6-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. Admission is $12 per car Monday-Thursday and $15 per car Friday and Saturday.

Holiday tree lighting and singalong

Last year’s Reston Town Center tree lighting ceremny. (Photo: Reston Town Center)

The main attraction at Reston Town Center’s all-day holiday celebration is the holiday tree lighting and singalong at 6 p.m. Other festivities include ice skating and a Gingerbread Mile for kids at 8 a.m., the Reston holiday parade at 11 a.m., visits and photos with Santa and a mini train ride beginning at 12:30 p.m. and carriage rides beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 28 beginning at 8 a.m at Reston Town Center, 11900 Market St., Reston. Admission is FREE!
 

Downtown Holiday Market

The Downtown Holiday Market in Penn Quarter is open through Dec. 23. (Photo: Downtown D.C. BID)

Black Friday marks the return of outdoor shopping, music, entertainment and more in Downtown D.C. at the 10th annual Downtown Holiday Market, produced by the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District. At this year’s outdoor marketplace, located on F Street between 7th & 9th Streets NW, shoppers will find more than 150 exhibitors and artisans offering a diverse array of quality items including fine art, crafts, glass, jewelry, pottery, photography and clothing. The market’s festive atmosphere will be complemented by decorative accents and lighting, tasty treats, hot beverages and live musical entertainment. Highlights include acoustic folk rock from The 19th Street Band, gypsy jazz from the Hot Club of DC, updated classics from Ian Walters & Friends, holiday and contemporary from DuPont Brass and many more.

Through Dec. 23 from noon-8 p.m. daily on F Street NW between Seventh and Ninth Streets. Admission is FREE!

Cady’s Alley Holiday Bazaar

Cady’s Alley Holiday Bazaar offers five pop-ups for holiday gift giving. (Photo: Elevation D.C. Media)

The popular pop-up holiday bazaar is now open for the festive season in Cady’s Alley. For the second year, the 8,000-square foot Cady’s Alley Holiday Bazaar indoor open marketplace features a collection of five up-and-coming online fashion and accessory brands including Pico Vela, Kim Schalk, Ikkon, Elaine B Jewelry and Stylecable. On Thursday from 7-9 p.m., the holiday emporium will host a free launch party to meet the faces behind the retailers.

Through Jan 4 at 3330 Cady’s Alley NW in Georgetown’s Design District. The bazaar is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday. Admission is FREE!

Small Is the New Black

Holiday shoppers in Old Town. (Photo: Visit Alexandria)

Head to the DMV’s “shop small” headquarters for Small Business Saturday. More than 30 independent Alexandria boutiques will offer special promotions, such as merchandise discounts, gifts with purchase, complimentary services, treats and/or festive activities for shoppers to enjoy. Alexandria was recently selected as one of three cities, along with San Francisco and New York, for the “Shop Small” street banner program, encouraging shoppers to “Find Something Extraordinary” this holiday season. The street lamp banners appear along King Street and Mount Vernon Avenue, the city’s two largest retail corridors, where 80 percent of the retailers and restaurants are independently or regionally owned. Holiday shoppers will be rewarded for their “shop local” loyalty. Starting on Small Business Saturday, shoppers may get a free Rebecca Minkoff designer “Shop Small” canvas tote bag when they bring two receipts from local Alexandria shops to the Alexandria Visitors Center, 221 King St.–one bag per customer while supplies last.

Nov. 28 in the Old Town and Del Rey areas of Alexandria. Admission is FREE!

Made in D.C. Marketplace

A vendor sells her glassware at last year’s Made in D.C. Marketplace. (Photo: Think Local First)

For the second year in a row, D.C. Brau is celebrating Small Business Saturday with a daytime Made in D.C. Marketplace at is Bladensburg Road brewery. The Fishermen Band will provide the soundtrack as you sip pints, fill growlers and shop local vendors like Crunkcakes D.C., Jerkface Artisanal Beef Jerky and Junius Cold Brew Coffee Co. D.C. Brau is also promising to unveil a surprise, which we bet involves beer.

Nov. 29 from noon-5 p.m. at D.C. Brau Brewing Co., 3178B Bladensburg Road NW. Admission is FREE!

A Very Electric Christmas

Lightwire Theater performs A Very Electric Christmas at Strathmore Saturday. (Photo: Nicholson/Carney/Popp)

Lightwire Theater’s holiday show looks like what would happen if the ZooLights display at the National Zoo came to life. A Very Electric Christmas has a plot, but all you really need to know is that his electroluminescent spectacular is performed completely in the dark and features dancing toy soldiers, caroling worms and a soundtrack filled with holiday classics.

Nov. 29 and 3 and 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $25-$42.

It may be Thanksgiving day, but this is going to be one busy weekend. There’s the Macy’s parade, turkey dinner, football, leftover, shopping, leftovers and more shopping. With many people having off Friday as well, this is going to be a marathon weekend so we’re coming to you a day early to help you plan for it.

Shoppers fill Macy’s during the Black Friday sales on Nov. 23, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Kelly/Getty Images)

Shop ’til you drop

It may be Thanksgiving, but it is also the unofficial start to Christmas shopping. Forget Black Friday, most stores will be open today trying to get you to open your wallet and drop some cash. Kmart opened at 6 a.m. and will be open until 11 p.m. on Friday. Toys ‘R Us opens at 5 p.m. and Walmart stores open at 6 p.m. Most other stores including Macy’s, JC Penney and Sears open at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving eve and remain open overnight until closing Friday. The new Tanger Outlets at National Harbor, Potomac Mills and Arundel Mills all open at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving and remain open until 10 p.m. on Friday. Tanger is offering an extra 20 percent discounts until 3 a.m. and an extra 30 percent off from 3 a.m.-6 p.m. with a coupon from the website. Happy shopping!

Black Friday Alexandria

< Over 50 local businesses are offering Black Friday Discounts in Alexandria. (Graphic: Shop Local Alexandria)[/caption]

For the fourth year, over 50 independent boutiques in Alexandria will open early for Black Friday Alexandria so you can kick-off the shopping season with one-of-a-kind shopping steals. Alexandria retailers will open early on Black Friday offering once-a-year deals sure to lure shoppers to Old Town, Del Ray and other parts of the city. Participating stores will open at 6 a.m. offering 30 percent discounts from 6-8 a.m., 20 percent from 8-10 a.m. and 10 percent starting at 10 a.m. The City of Alexandria is offering free parking at parking meters and in all city-owned garages and parking lots as a special incentive for shoppers. The Free King Street Trolley will begin operating at 6 a.m. so shoppers can bag even more bargains. Several eateries will be opening up early too to satisfy shoppers hunger pains. For example, Misha’s Coffee will open at 6 a.m., Jackson 20 will host a Black Friday Brunch from 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Society Fair opens at 7 a.m. and will offer 10 percent off all day and Union Street Public House is opening for breakfast at 9 a.m. and offering shoppers 10% off meals.

Nov. 29 beginning at 6 a.m. in the City of Alexandria.

9th annual Downtown Holiday Market

Shoppers at last year’s Downtown Holiday Market. (Photo: Downtown Holiday Market)

More than 150 exhibitors and artisans (rotating on a weekly basis) will sell high-quality gift items including fine art, crafts, jewelry, pottery, photography, clothing, tasty treats and hot beverages beginning Friday at the ninth annual Downtown Holiday Market produced by the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District. There will also be live entertainment from a wide selection of musicians and bands.

Beginning Nov. 29 through Dec. 23 from noon-8 p.m along F Street NW between 7th and 9th Streets in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. To get there, that the Metrorail to the Gallery Place station (red, yellow and green lines).

City of Alexandria annual tree lighting

The City of Alexandria will light its Christmas tree on historic Market Square. As the official kick-off to the holiday season in Alexandria, the ceremony includes a performance from Alexandria Harmonizers and the Alexandria Choral Society, a special visit from Santa Claus and community caroling. Santa and Mrs. Claus are back in Old Town to take pictures with children every Saturday and Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. on Market Square. Free.

Small Business Saturday

Small business Saturday is Nov. 30. (Graphic: Small Business Administration)

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses across the country. This day is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Founded by American Express in 2010, it is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and e-commerce stores respectively. By contrast, Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local.

Nov. 30 at small businesses across the country.

ICE! featuring ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Santa and his sleigh at Gaylord National’s ICE! (Photo: Rachel Cooper)

See Ma in her kerchief, Pa in his cap and Saint Nick with his eight reindeer as part of Gaylord National Resort’s Christmas on the Potomac. You’ll marvel at colorful, life-size ice sculptures depicting the classic holiday poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, all brought to life in amazing detail and artistry. Be amazed by hand-carved ice sculptures standing more than 20-feet high, and take a ride down a two-story-tall ice slide. It’s all part of the fun as you stroll through ICE!. New in 2013: enjoy a special bonus scene featuring Christmas in New York City — an all-new, larger-than-life interactive ICE! display featuring the iconic sights and sounds of The Big Apple during the holiday season. The award-winning attraction is carved by a team of 40 master ice artisans from Harbin, China. These talented craftspeople spend more than a month in National Harbor creating our one-of-a-kind display.

Through Jan. 5 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor. Hours vary. Tickets for adults are $34 for peak days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas week), $27 off-peak; children ages 3-11 are $27 peak, $19 off-peak; military adults are $30 peak, $22 off-peak; military children ages 3-11 are $25 peak, $15 off-peak. Marriott Rewards members receive 20 percent off non-peak days. Tickets may be purchased here.

ZooLights

The entrance of ZooLights at the National Zoo. (Photo: Mike Becvar)

ZooLights is brighter than ever! More than 500,000 environmentally-friendly LED lights transform the National Zoo into a winter wonderland. Lit animal silhouettes, musical light displays and a new garden scene light sculpture make for truly magical sights! Thaw your paws in exhibit buildings and see nocturnal critters! The Small Mammal House, Great Ape House, Reptile Discovery Center, Think Tank and Kids’ Farm will be open every night and will be offering special demonstrations and talks.

Nightly (except Dec. 24 and 25) from 5-9 p.m. at the National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free admission. There are fees for Zoo Tubing on Lion/Tiger Hill, carousel rides, train rides and parking.

Turkey and mashed potatoes are just a couple of things to look forward to next week. Black Friday is just around the corner. The holidays are a great time to show your significant other that you care about them by giving them a great present for Christmas, Hanukkah or any other holiday you may celebrate. It’s time to put down the fork and get serious about what to get your sweetheart for the holidays.

Be sure to buy your partner a unique present this holiday season. (Photo: Shutterstock)

For her

Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to buy women gifts for the holidays. Women, especially those that love shopping, may come off as having so many things that it feels like you are just repeating a gift from previous years. This year, buy her a nice brass or metallic household gift such as an antique candelabra, silver spoon collection or beautiful antique teapot. Antiques are great because they are unique and could very well turn into family heirlooms.

If she is very into designer brands, check out Tiffany and Co.’s accessories department. Although well-known for their silver jewelry, Tiffany’s has a great array of different household accessories that are sure to charm your significant other. A pretty cheese serving set ($305)  is a fun piece to have during tea time or wine and cheese night with the ladies. It’s sure to be an attention grabber. If you’re looking for an additional present, pair the cheese carving set with a rustic Brooklyn Slate Co. cheese board.

For him

It can also be tricky to shop for men. The typical tie and cuff links present has become stale, and it’s time to give our guys some great new gifts. Vinyl records of your boyfriend’s favorite bands make for fun memory lane trips that you two can take together. And they look cool on bookshelves with some vinyl record bookends. You can do-it-yourself or find some at Etsy.com.

If you’re not big into DIY, check out these vinyl record bookends on Etsy. (Photo: retrograndma/Etsy.com)

Another present that your guy may enjoy is a portable speaker. Portable speakers are a very popular item this season and there is a great variety of choices. Beats by Dr. Dre and Mini Jambox are just two of the most popular portable speakers out there. If you can brave the Black Friday crowd, then head to Best Buy for some deals on speakers. If not, you can always wait for Cyber Monday deals to hit the web to get a good deal on gadgets.

The holiday shopping season can be overwhelming. However, don’t forget that it is the thought that counts. When shopping, remember who the recipient is and what he or she likes the most. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and get a one-of-a-kind present. But don’t stress on thinking that your partner may not like the present. If you put thought and care into picking it out, your girlfriend or boyfriend will most likely love it.

It’s that time of year! We stuff ourselves with turkey, mashed potatoes and all the fixings to ensure we have enough energy for shopping and crossing gifts off the list for loved ones! Get out your notebook – I’m giving you a local Black Friday preview – with sales (and extras) galore!

Black Friday steals will be everywhere on the streets of Old Town Alexandria beginning bright and early at 6am. About 50 stores are participating in the events for the third year in a row. The city will also have free parking in garages and meters for the day! (Hello more money to spend!) For details on participating stores and a peek at sale items, click here.

Want to get out and shop earlier? Potomac Mills mall in Virginia will open at midnight on Friday for 22 hours of non-stop shopping. Consumers will find amazing deals at the more than 200 discount outlets including J.Crew factory, Nordstrom Rack and the newly opened LOFT outlet. Just look for the “Super Sale” sign in the store window. For hours, flyers and more visit the Potomac Mills website.

And for extra store opening hours and deals in DC, click here.

Happy Shopping!

By: Alissa Kelly, Fashion Editor