March Festivals and Special Events in the Washington, DC Area

The Washington, DC area and its surrounding communities in Maryland and Virginia host lots of annual festivals and special events. All dates, prices, and activities mentioned are subject to change, so please check the official web site or call to confirm information. Please note that most of these events are held each year and the dates are updated as available.

Washington, DC Independent Film Festival
March 4-15, 2009. See the latest feature, short, animation and documentary films by local, national, and international filmmakers

Dance Bethesda
March 6-7, 2009. Dance the night away at downtown Bethesda studios! Join Bethesda's dance studios for FREE lessons, parties and performances.

Women's History Month
March is Women's History Month. Washington, DC is the home to the many important sites that are dedicated to preserving and honoring the contributions of women. This month is a great time to visit these museums and historical sites.

Lincoln Bicentennial
through April. Washington, DC will host a citywide four-month celebration marking Lincoln’s 200th Birthday with more than 80 exhibitions, performances, lectures, and guided tours honoring Abraham Lincoln. Major events will include a re-enactment of Marian Anderson's Easter Concert, Emancipation Day Parade and the Re-dedication of the Lincoln Memorial.

DC Environmental Film Festival
March 11-22, 2009. Times and locations vary. See documentary, feature, animated, archival, experimental and children's films from around the world at a variety of venues around Washington, DC.

National Capital Boat Show
March 13-15, 2009. Dulles Expo Center, Willard Road off Route 28 in Chantilly, Virginia. (703) 378-0910. Explore fishing boats, ski boats, runabouts, motor yachts and personal watercraft, and see displays of marine products and services.

Saint Patrick's Day Parades
Dates vary by location. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at a parade in Washington, DC, Alexandria, Virginia or Gaithersburg, Maryland. Enjoy a day of Irish music, dancing and fun. See also Irish Restaurants and Pubs.

National Shamrock Festival
March 14, 2009. Enjoy a day of family fun at the largest Saint Patrick's Day party and street festival in the DC area featuring more than 50 live bands.

Refuge System Birthday Bash
March 14, 2009. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Live animals, children's crafts and tram tours, at the Patuxent Research Refuge of the National Wildlife Visitor Center, on Powder Mill Road between Route 197 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Laurel, Maryland. (301) 497-5763.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
The Circus comes to town and parades through Capitol Hill. March 17, 2009, 10 a.m. Performances are at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC March 19-22, 2009 and at the Patriot Center, in Fairfax, Virginia April 8-11, 2009. Acrobats, animal-trainers and clowns perform in three rings.

The Washington Home and Garden Show
March 19-22, 2009. Washington. Convention Center. Visit hundreds of displays and see thousands of products and millions of flowers for the home and garden.

National Marathon
March 21, 2009, 7 a.m. RFK Stadium. The National Marathon is a Washington, DC race produced by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance to raise funds for local youth organizations.

National Cherry Blossom Festival
March 28 - April 12, 2009. See the blossoming of thousands of cherry trees on the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. The capital welcomes spring with this annual tradition begun by the gift of 600 trees to the United States from Japan in 1912. Don't miss the parade, kite festival, concerts, fireworks and cultural events.

Smithsonian Kite Festival
March 28, 2009. As part of the festivities at the National Cherry Blossom Festival, kite enthusiasts compete and show off their kite flying skills on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

More Washington, DC Area Event Calendars

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