About Washington, DC

Planning Ahead for the Holidays

2009-11-10T14:04:41Z

The holidays are approaching and there will be tons of great things to do in the Washington, DC area. While shopping, planning menus and attending parties, remember to take some time to enjoy some of the special seasonal offerings around the region. By searching through my holidays guide you can find everything you need to know to plan ahead throughout the year. The following resources provide suggestions for the best of the holiday season:

Planning Ahead for the Holidays originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 14:04:41.

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Thanksgiving Dinner in the Washington, DC Area

2009-11-10T07:46:35Z

Looking for an interesting place to eat out on Thanksgiving? Here are some suggestions of nice restaurants in the Washington, DC area to enjoy your holiday meal. Find Thanksgiving dinner or brunch, buffets and a la carte menus at the finest restaurants in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Make your reservations now to get the seating time of your choice.

Read More About Washington DC Restaurants and Dining

Thanksgiving Dinner in the Washington, DC Area originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 07:46:35.

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Veteran's Day Events in Washington, DC

2009-11-09T07:57:31Z

America honors its veterans each year on November 11, Veterans Day, which marks the anniversary of the day World War I ended in 1918. Washington, DC celebrates Veterans day with special wreath laying ceremonies at many of the city's monuments. Here is the schedule of Veterans Day events in Washington, DC. Join your fellow Americans in honoring veterans for their patriotism and willingness to serve in the military and sacrifice for our country.

Flag at Arlington National Cemetery
Photo � Rachel Cooper, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Monuments and Memorials in Washington, DC

Veteran's Day Events in Washington, DC originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 07:57:31.

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Getaway Idea - Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg

2009-11-08T07:52:18Z

Christmas is a wonderful time of year to visit Colonial Williamsburg, America's largest interactive history museum, located just a few hours south of Washington, DC. The Christmas season comes to life with Colonial Williamsburg's world-renowned holiday decorations and 18th century seasonal programming. Beating drums, trilling fifes, firework displays, theatrical programs and interpretive characters take visitors back in time to celebrate the holidays as our forefathers did during colonial times. See a guide to Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg and find out about special holiday programming. Note: The Grand Illumination is coming up on December 6, 2009.

_{Photo © Rachel Cooper, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

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Williamsburg Christmas Decorations - Photos

Getaway Idea - Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 07:52:18.

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Washington DC Events - Weekend Picks

2009-11-06T06:10:24Z

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

Washington Craft Show - November 6-8, 2009. Washington Convention Center. The annual craft show features contemporary crafts created by more than 180 artists including metal, leather, basketry, jewelry, ceramics, glass and more.
Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show - November 7-8, 2009. Washington Convention Center. Attend a consumer event focusing on food and entertaining with more than 150 exhibitors including specialty food companies, caterers, party planners, personal chefs, kitchen planners and appliance manufacturers.
FotoWeek DC - November 7-14, 2009. The second annual celebration of photography in Washington, DC, will feature programs including a photo contest and juried exhibition, gallery openings, lectures, educational workshops, portfolio reviews, book signings and more.

Berlin Wall Family Day at the Newseum - November 8, 2009, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with fun-filled activities and events for the entire family.
Pumpkin Madness Days at Cox Farms - November 4-8, 2009. Centreville, VA. Last chance of the season to enjoy a hayride and smash a pumpkin. The local farm closes the fall festival with a special event where pumpkins meet their fate by being squished, hurled, smashed, thrown, and dropped.
Kids Euro Festival - Through November 10, 2009. The event includes more than 150 free performances around the city staged through the cooperation of the 27 Washington-based European Union embassies and more than a dozen major local cultural institutions. Geared to children ages 6-12.
DRACULA, A Family Musical - Weekends through November 8, 2009, 1:30 p.m. The Shops at Georgetown Park, 3222 M Street, NW Washington, DC. Georgetown Theatre Company presents a 40-minute family-friendly haunted show based on the novel by Bram Stoker.
Rockville American Indian Festival - November 7, 2009, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Montgomery County Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, terrace and lobby levels. The Grand Entry, featuring a parade of dancers, posting of the colors and presentation of the proclamation, will begin at noon. The festival will also include musical performances, crafts and educational speakers.
American Freedom Festival - November 7, 2009, 7:30 p.m. George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA. Montgomery Gentry, Lee Ann Womack and Phil Vassar headline in the concert and tribute to America's Armed Forces. The Festival will be broadcast throughout the world to over 350 military bases in over 170 countries on the Pentagon Channel.

More Upcoming Events

November Festivals and Events

Thanksgiving in the Washington DC Area

Holiday Craft Shows in the DC Area

Washington DC Events - Weekend Picks originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 06:10:24.

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Did You know that the National Building Museum has a long history with veterans?

2009-11-05T05:45:42Z

Built in the 1880s as an office for the U.S. Pension Bureau, architect Montgomery C. Meigs designed the building that is now the National Building Museum with soldiers in mind. Architectural features were designed to honor the brave fighters of the Civil War and to accommodate the wounded veterans who frequented the building to collect their pensions.

On November 8, 2009, in honor of Veterans Day, the National Building Museum will offer a concert with the Navy Band, family activities, and special tours of its facility. Bring the family, a blanket, and picnic (food can be purchased in the cafe in the Museum's Great Hall) and enjoy a free, noon-time performance by the United States Navy Band Cruisers. Visitors can also take special tours and learn about the history of the Pension Building. The tours will focus on aspects of the Museum's historic home that are especially relevant on Veterans Day, such as:

The 1,200-foot-long terra cotta frieze along the building's exterior, which depicts Union infantry, cavalry, artillery, navy, quartermaster, and medical units.
Special consideration had to be made to prevent fire and protect the soldiers' records in the "New Pension Office," which led to Meigs' decision to construct the building out of bricks--15,500,000 in total.
The stairs between the first three floors of the building were constructed especially wide and low to accommodate wounded soldiers on crutches.

Did You know that the National Building Museum has a long history with veterans? originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 05:45:42.

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A Christmas Carol 2009 in Washington DC

2009-11-04T12:08:32Z

Ford's Theatre in Washington DC produces "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and adapted by Michael Wilson from November 23, 2009, to January 3, 2010. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Signature Theatre's Michael Baron directs a new staging that captures the magic and joy of Dickens's classic. Acclaimed Washington stage actor Edward Gero (Shakespeare Theatre Company's "King Lear," Round House's "Nixon's Nixon") plays Scrooge. This timeless tale of "A Christmas Carol" has been invigorated with fresh staging, additional carols and joyful dancing for the 2009 holiday season.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or TicketsNow.com

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Holiday Shows 2009 in Washington DC

Holiday Concert Guide for the DC Area

A Christmas Carol 2009 in Washington DC originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 12:08:32.

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Tickets for the 2009 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

2009-11-03T12:23:29Z

Tickets for the National Christmas Tree Lighting will be distributed in a new way for 2009 - a lottery system. The lottery system closed at 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, November 6. Successful ticket seekers will be notified by email or US mail (if applied by phone). Status of the lottery will be available beginning on November 9, online at www.thenationaltree.org or by calling (877) 444-6777. Tickets will be mailed to the lottery winners by November 15. Tickets are required for every attendee, including children.

The lighting ceremony for the National Christmas Tree will be held on Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. The holiday tradition marks the beginning of the four week Christmas Pageant of Peace. Read more about the National Christmas Tree and the Pageant of Peace.

Photo � Terry Adams/National Park Service

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Top 10 Washington DC Holiday Activities

Tickets for the 2009 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 12:23:29.

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Kaleidoscope - Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill and Olivia Newton-John Perform in Washington DC

2009-11-03T07:20:52Z

This Thanksgiving Day, a television performance will debut of "Kaleidoscope" - a holiday variety special featuring Olympic skating champions and GRAMMY Award-winning music artists. The program is designed to recognize women and the key role they play in the battle against cancer - as patients, caregivers, and advocates. The show will feature the historic return to the ice of the legendary Scott Hamilton in his first television performance since being diagnosed with a brain tumor five years ago. Hamilton and Dorothy Hamill will skate to the music of fellow cancer survivor Olivia Newton-John and one of America's foremost music producers David Foster. Also performing are Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi, two-time Olympic Medalist Nancy Kerrigan and Olympic figure skating hopefuls Johnny Weir and Rachael Flatt.

"Kaleidoscope" will be taped from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC on November 16, 2009 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the performance at Verizon Center are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com. The show will air nationally on FOX on Nov. 26, 2009 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. (EST), immediately following the FOX Thanksgiving Day football telecast.

© Kaleidoscope

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November Festivals and Events in Washington DC

Kaleidoscope - Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill and Olivia Newton-John Perform in Washington DC originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 07:20:52.

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Pumpkin Madness Days at Cox Farms

2009-11-02T12:10:11Z

Have you ever squashed a pumpkin? Have you wanted to hurl one or stomp on one after Halloween was over? At Cox Farms in Centreville, Virginia, the grand finale of the season is Pumpkin Madness Days, November 4-8, 2009, when pumpkins meet their fate by being squished, hurled, smashed, thrown, and dropped. Visitors can also enjoy all of the usual attractions at the fall festival including hayrides, giant slides, farm animals and their babies, rope swings, live entertainment and the Cornundrum. Pumpkin Madness visitors are encouraged to bring their "used" jack-o-lanterns with them for smashing fun. Methods of pumpkin recycling include: the Pumpkin Catapult which sends the pumpkins flying all the way to the farm pond; Pumpkin High Drop; Pumpkin Squisher; Pumpkin Bowling; Pumpkin Toss; and Wall of Spikes. See Photos of Pumpkin Madness Days.

Photo © Cox Farms

Pumpkin Madness Days at Cox Farms originally appeared on About.com Washington, DC on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 12:10:11.

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