See a guide to the top events going on this weekend in Washington, DC and the surrounding communities:

• National Christmas Tree - Through Jan. 1, 2010. The Pathway of Peace is illuminated each evening from dusk until 11 p.m. Seasonal displays include a Yule log, Santa's workshop and a large-scale model train. Musical performances are performed weeknights from 6-8:30 p.m. and weekends from 4-8:30 p.m. See photos from this year's lighting ceremony.
  
  
• Hanukkah Events in the DC Area - Celebrate the 8 day festival of lights with many events in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Don't miss the lighting of the National Hanukkah Menorah on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009.
  
  
• Christmas Light Displays Throughout December. Celebrate the holiday season with a drive or a stroll through one of the Washington, DC area's spectacle of lights at a local park or along the water in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia.
  
  
• Washington Jewish Film Festival - Dec. 3-13, 2009. The event includes 62 features, documentaries and shorts from 20 countries, in eight venues around the Washington DC area.
  
  
• Capital Irish Film Festival - December 10-20, 2009. The festival features 18 screenings of more than 60 new Irish films at E street Cinema, the Goethe Institut and The Shop at Fort Fringe.
  
  
• Holiday Shows - Washington DC celebrates the season with a wonderful lineup of holiday shows and live entertainment. See the schedule of performances around the region.
  
  
• Christmas at Mount Vernon - through Jan. 6, 2010. Learn about the Christmas traditions of George Washington and his family, meet historic characters and tour the Mount Vernon Estate by candlelight. Candlelight tours run through Dec. 13.
  
  
• Christmas Town at Busch Gardens - Through Dec. 27, 2009. The Williamsburg, Virginia amusement park is transformed into a Christmas wonderland, combining an immersive holiday experience with one-of-a-kind shopping and dining opportunities, all-new holiday shows and a spectacular light-dancing Christmas tree.
  
  
• Holiday Concerts - Enjoy a variety of musical performances including Christmas classics, sing-alongs, Hanukkah songs and much more.
  
  
• ICE! - Christmas at the Gaylord National Resort - Through Jan. 10, 2010. The award-winning holiday attraction is a winter wonderland created entirely of 5,000 BLOCKS of ice weighing 1.5 MILLION POUNDS! hand-sculpted by 40 international artisans and kept at a chilling nine degrees Fahrenheit. New in our region this year, this is an interactive holiday attraction you won't want to miss.
  
  
• Holiday Model Train Exhibits - Toy train displays are a family favorite for the holiday season. Visit these holiday model train exhibits in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.
  
  
• Capitol Hill Ugly Holiday Sweater Bar Tour - Dec. 12, 2009. Dust off ye ol snowman-sequined cardigan and wear it out to all your favorite bars with hundreds of other festive partiers.
  
  
• Annapolis Christmas Lights Boat Parade - Dec. 12, 2009, 6-8 p.m. Eastport Yacht Club Parade of Lights. Annapolis City Harbor. Enjoy a parade of lights when more than 70 power and sailboats show off their holiday decorations. See more about Christmas Events in Annapolis
  
  
• Leesburg Holiday Parade and Festival - Dec. 12, 2009, 10 a.m. Catch your Christmas spirit and bring the whole family to see Santa and his friends parade down King Street, through the heart of historic Leesburg.
  
  
• Arlington Wreath Laying Ceremony - Dec. 12, 2009. Holiday wreaths adorn 5,000 headstones at Arlington National Cemetery.
  
  
• Discovery Theater's Seasons of Light - Dec. 1-22, 2009. This seasonal favorite at the Smithsonian's children's theater celebrates the warmth of many holidays filled with light. Learn the history and customs of Devali, Ramadan, Sankta Lucia, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Christmas, and the First Nations tradition of the Winter Solstice.
  
  
• Target to Go - Dec. 11-13, 2009, 10 a.m-8p.m. M St. & Wisconsin Ave. Washington DC. Target is hosting a 3 day holiday shopping event in Georgetown, featuring a range of gift items from toys to gadgets to beauty to fashion items. Read more about Holiday Shopping in the DC Area.
  
  
• Holiday Cinema - Dec 12-24, 2009. AFI Silver Theatre, Silver Spring, MD. See a variety of Christmas movies, including classic favorites, comedies and romantic holiday dramas. Take a break from your holiday shopping and enjoy a few hours of family entertainment.
  
  
• Russian Winter Festival at Hillwood Museum & Gardens - Dec. 12-13, 2009. 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW Washington, DC. This annual tradition gives guests the chance to meet Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden and enjoy festive music and entertainment.

More Upcoming Events

December Festivals and Events

Best Christmas Events for Kids in the DC Area

New Years Eve in the DC Area

Each year Worcester Wreath Company (the wreath company that provides holiday greenery for L.L. Bean) makes and decorates holiday wreaths and places them on over 5,000 headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. Morrill Worcester - President of Worcester Wreath Company, based in Harrington, Maine, started this annual event in 1992 to honor our nation's fallen heroes. The Arlington Wreath project, coordinated with the Cemetery Administration and the Maine State Society, adorns the white tombstones with evergreen wreaths and red bows to recognize sacrifices our Veterans and their families have made for our country. The annual wreath-laying ceremony will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2009.

_{Photo © Worcester Wreath Company}

How does the daily diet of a gorilla compare to that of human? Why do snakes eat less in winter than in summer? Families will get the chance to participate in hands-on learning experiences and find out at the National Zoo during ZOOTRITION Night on Saturday December 12, 2009 from 6-8:30 p.m. The special event features giveaways, demonstrations by the Zoo's commissary staff and Giant nutritionists, animated lights, 500 carolers from Giant stores across the DC area (performing at 8 p.m. at Lemur Island), and other live entertainment. ZOOTRITION Night is part of the month-long ZooLights, the National Zoo's winter celebration, which runs through January 2nd. Throughout ZooLights, the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat will be open for extended hours for those who wish to bid farewell to Tai Shan before he departs for China in early 2010.

The 2010 Washington, DC Entertainment Book makes a great gift! Purchase this discount coupon book for a small fee and save money on hundreds of Washington, DC area restaurants, attractions, car rentals, kids' activities and much more. The discounts will quickly pay for the book and save you a lot more. See the details and learn about more discount coupons for Washington, DC.