April Family-Friendly Events Guide

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Spring is here!! Finally, the weather is getting warmer, flowers are blooming, and trees are starting to show their new leaves. The beginning of spring offers so many opportunities to spend time with your family. This guide to area family-friendly events highlights many ways to get out and about this month.

Cherry Blossoms: A DC Highlight

The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20th to April 14th this year. Several festival events are included in this guide, but there are many more. Find out about all Festival events here. Need guidance for navigating the Festival with kids? Check out our article, How to Enjoy Cherry Blossoms with Kids. If you want to avoid the crowds around the Tidal Basin, you can find other places to enjoy the blooms in 12 Unique Places to Enjoy Cherry Blossoms. We also have put together a guide to Easter Pictures and Egg Hunts in the DC Area. Wherever this month takes you, we hope that your family shares unforgettable experiences as you plant a garden, take a hike, fly a kite, stomp in puddles, or clean up your community. Don’t forget: Earth Day is April 22nd!

National Cherry Blossom Festival Tidal Basin Welcome Area & ANA Stage

Now – April 7
West Basin Drive, SW
Washington, DC
Enjoy live performances that celebrate the positive relationship and fruitful partnership between the U.S. and Japan. Over 100 performances of a wide variety of genres will be held throughout the festival. The Welcome Area will be open from 10am – 6pm and performances can be seen from 12pm – 6pm. Take the kids by to earn a Bloomin’ Junior Ranger badge and to enjoy other family-friendly activities.

ISEKAI: Blooming Parallel Worlds

Now through June 1
ARTECHOUSE
Washington, DC
ARTECHOUSE is once again bringing a joyous exhibit to celebrate spring and cherry blossom season. This family-friendly, immersive experience will wow visitors with its virtual world of cherry blossoms inspired by the Isekai genre of anime. Tickets can be purchased online. Children 3 and under are FREE. Family packs and discounts for military, first responders, students, and locals are also available.

Eye Spy Trains

Saturdays and Sundays in April
Wheaton Regional Park
Wheaton, MD
Does your little one love trains? If so, hop aboard the Wheaton Miniature Train for this annual event. As you ride the train around the park, visitors will search for a bunch of hidden characters along the tracks. A limited number of tickets will be available onsite, so visitors are encouraged to buy tickets in advance online. While at the park, take the opportunity to ride the 108-year-old Ovid Hazen Wells Carousel.

Easter Monday at the Zoo

April 1
National Zoo
Washington, DC
Easter Monday at the Zoo is a family-favorite tradition. Take your kids to the Great Meadow between 10am and noon where they will embark on an Easter egg scavenger hunt. The hunt will be comprised of 15 interactive tables where they will learn about the zoo and careers involving animals. Once complete, participants will get a special prize. This is a FREE event, but you must reserve entry passes. Also, don’t miss special demonstrations throughout the zoo.

Washington School of Ballet: Don Quixote

April 5 – 7
Atlas Performing Arts Theater
Washington, DC
The legendary story of Don Quixote is being brought to the stage in this family-friendly production that is recommended for kids age 6 and older. This is an exciting adaptation designed to showcase the talent of the Professional Training Division dancers and students of The Washington School of Ballet.

Japanese Game Day

April 6
National Harbor
Oxon Hill, MD
Learn how to play a number of Japanese games at this event hosted by Katsucon. Tabletop games including Riichi Mahjong and Karuta card game will be available for all ages to learn and play. At 4pm, stay at the National Harbor to enjoy a FREE screening of “Belle,” a fantasy movie about growing up in the age of social media.

Petalpalooza

April 6
Capitol Riverfront at the Yards
Washington, DC
This FREE, family-friendly event will celebrate spring with a full day of live music and fun activities along the banks of the Anacostia River. This day-long event will offer entertainment on multiple outdoor stages, interactive art installations, a beer garden, family-friendly hands-on activities, and more. It will be capped off by the National Cherry Blossom Festival Fireworks Show set to music starting at 8:30pm.

Solar Eclipse Festival

April 8
National Mall (between 4th and 12th Streets NW)
Washington, DC
Have you caught solar eclipse fever? Well, join others in the fervor on the National Mall where various agencies such as NASA and NOAA, in coordination with various Smithsonian Museums, will host a FREE family-friendly outdoor festival. There will be activity stations and telescopes safe for eclipse viewing. Take note that the maximum eclipse over our area will be at 3:20pm, when the Moon will cover 87% of the Sun.

STEM Expo 2024

April 8 – 10
Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
National Harbor, MD
The Navy League of the United States is hosting its 7th STEM Expo to encourage kids from 5th to 12th grade to pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering, and math. Students and parents will enjoy workshops, explore career information, learn from live demonstrations, and much more at this FREE event.

Stargaze at the Udvar-Hazy Center

April 12
Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center
Chantilly, VA
Learn about the planets, stars, and the moon with the Museum staff and members of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club during this evening of stargazing. Attendees can use the Club’s telescopes and receive expert help. This event is FREE and open to the public. It is also weather permitting.

Family Day: National Library Month

April 13
Library of Congress
Washington, DC
Join the Library of Congress from 10:30am until 3:30pm to celebrate libraries and their importance in our lives. Family-friendly activities will be available, including organizing your own mini collection. This event is FREE, but you must reserve timed-entry passes online.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade

April 13
Constitution Avenue NW (between 7th and 17th Street)
Washington, DC
This parade is a cornerstone of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Cheer on a variety of marching bands and performers, giant helium balloons, and fun floats.  This year’s signature performers are the iconic The Sugarhill Gang and American Idol finalist, Colin Stough. Kids and kids at heart will delight in cheering on this year’s Grand Marshals, Mickey and Minnie Mouse! Spectators can purchase tickets for reserved grandstand seating, but some areas of the route are FREE for the public to view the parade (space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis).

Jacqueline Woodson’s Block Party

April 13
REACH Plaza at the Kennedy Center
Washington, DC
The Kennedy Center’s Education Artist-in-Residence, award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson, will host this family-friendly day of fun. There will be games, performances, double dutch and rollerskating demos, music, and more. This is a FREE event. Reservations are recommended, though not required.

Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival

April 13 – 14
Pennsylvania Ave NW (between 3rd and 7th Streets)
Washington, DC
This annual event draws 40,000 visitors each year and is the biggest celebration of Japanese culture in the U.S. It attracts artists, performers, and restaurants that showcase Japanese culture and tradition from across the U.S. and the world. Tickets are required for this two-day event and are available online. Kids 12 and under are free and do not need a ticket. Check out the event website to learn more about Featured Exhibits.

DC Emancipation Day Celebration

April 14
Freedom Plaza
Washington, DC
DC Emancipation Day annually commemorates the ending of slavery in the District on April 16, 1862. Enjoy a celebratory parade along Pennsylvania Avenue, a lineup of exciting performers at Freedom Plaza, and cap the day off with a fireworks display.

Earth Day Celebration

April 14
Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op
Takoma Park, MD
The TPSS Co-op’s Earth Day Celebration celebrates our planet and helps us learn how to be better stewards of our planet. Enjoy live music, vendor food, and lots of local, earth-friendly organizations.

Honor Earth: An Earth Day Celebration

April 20
Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum
Washington, DC
This family-friendly event will give attendees an opportunity to honor and celebrate Earth. You can take part in a number of family-friendly activities  and learn how to care for plants. You can register online for this FREE event.

Earth Day Cleanup

April 20
Various Sites Around the Anacostia River Watershed
DC, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County
Get hands-on at this giant volunteer event organized by the Anacostia Watershed Society. Over 2,000 volunteers will pick-up trash and serve 30 locations along the Anacostia River and its tributary streams. Volunteers (including children) must register online by April 16th. Please take note that some sites are not recommended for younger children and those locations are clearly marked on the map of volunteer sites.

ALX Dog Walk

April 20
Oronoco Bay Park
Alexandria, VA
Take a walk with your favorite pup(s) at the annual ALX Dog Walk in historic Old Town Alexandria. Over 500 dogs (!) and their people are expected to join in the 2-mile walk. This year, NBC Storm Team4 Meteorologist Chuck Bell will emcee this super fun event. Participants will enjoy activities for dogs and kids, a gift bag, a judged dog competition, and more.

Georgetown French Market

April 26 – 28
Wisconsin Ave NW (from O St NW to Reservoir Rd)
Washington, DC
Take the family to the 21st Annual Georgetown French Market to enjoy a mime, live music, stilt-walkers, and more. Over 40 local boutiques, galleries, and cafés will participate in this Parisian-inspired open-air market. Make sure you enjoy the food and drink specials offered by neighborhood restaurants that will feature French delights such as pastries, croissants, macarons, and lunch items grilled outside.

STAR Fest

April 27
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Washington, DC
If you have kids up to age 5, head over to DC’s main library for this celebration of singing, talking, and reading (STAR). This FREE family festival will offer loads of activities that will show you how to, and the benefits of, complementing reading with singing, talking, writing, and playing. You can look forward to live music, story times, writing stations, face painting, and more…even a bubbleologist!

DC Chocolate Festival

April 27
La Maison Française at the Embassy of France
Washington, DC
Satisfy your sweet tooth at the 7th Annual DC Chocolate Festival. Held at the Embassy of France, this festival celebrates chocolate and the artisans who make it. Attendees can expect to taste a lot of chocolate, but also learn about cacao and making chocolate. Tickets are available online. All ages are invited to attend. Kids age 12 and over need a ticket.

Carousel Days

April 27
Glen Echo Park
Glen Echo, MD
Carousel Day is a huge family festival at Glen Echo Park. The 103-year-old Dentzel Carousel will open for the season and there will be FREE activities for families throughout Glen Echo Park.

April family-friendly events

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Julie Hart
Julie is a proud born and bred Texan, but has called DC home since 2001. She studied at the University of Texas and then moved to DC to get her MPA at the George Washington University. Julie worked for ten years for a Member of Congress, where she loved working to impact public policy. In 2013, her world turned inside out when she gave birth to twins and decided to become a stay-at-home mom. Currently Julie lives in the H Street Corridor with her husband, two kids, and their increasingly grouchy senior dog, Presley. Yes, please: movie dates with her husband, trying new restaurants, exploring DC with her kids, last minute road trips, being outdoors, festivals (of any kind), girls’ night out, and a rainy day with “Pride and Prejudice.” No, thank you: hot and humid summers, mistreating animals, Legos (ouch!), public speaking, laundry, raw fish

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