Tag Archives: christmas tree

DC’s Winter Lights

Looking for something fun to do on a cold winter night? Check out these free events designed to help you enjoy DC ~ even with the earlier sunsets.

Light Yards

Light Yards DC

Dec 7 to Jan 4 | 6 – 10 PM

#LightYards has two must-see, worldwide traveling light installations:

  • The Pool (by Jen Lewin Studio) invites visitors to hop, skip, and jump across 106 interactive circular pads of light.
  • Angels of Freedom (by OGE Group) aims to reveal the inner beauties of everyone by visually turning visitors into real-life angels.

ZooLights

Photo: Jim Jenkins, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Nov 23 to Jan 1 (except Dec 24, 25 and 31) |5 – 9 PM

#DCZooLights includes live music performances, tasty winter treats and plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping. More than 500,000 environmentally friendly LED lights transform the Zoo into a winter wonderland complete with two dazzling laser light shows set to music.

New this year:

  • Gingerbread Village
  • Reindeer Game Fun Zone
  • Interactive Light Display
  • Grump Holiday Market (Dec 6, 7, 8)

National Christmas Tree

The 96th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting at The Ellipse in President’s Park on November 28, 2018, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi)

Nov 29 to Jan 1 |10 am-10 pm weeknights/11 pm weekends

The National Christmas Tree will be lit every day starting from approximately 4:30 p.m. as part of the “America Celebrates” display at President’s Park (White House). The walkway surrounding the National Christmas Tree features 56 state and territory trees decorated with handmade ornaments that are unique to each tree. Please visit the National Park Service website for the most up-to-date information.

US Capitol Christmas Tree

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building in Washington DC, December 6, 2018. (Forest Service photo by Cecilio Ricardo)

Dec 7 to Jan 1 |Nightfall-11 pm

This year’s 80-foot-tall #uscapitolchristmastree traveled over 3000 miles from the Willamette National Forest in Oregon to Washington, DC,  aboard a 106-foot-long truck and trailer. Seventy smaller companion trees from Oregon also decorate government buildings and public spaces around Washington, DC. Oregonians contributed 10,000 handmade ornaments celebrating the state’s cultural history and people, landscapes, natural resources, and fish and wildlife. Click here to learn more.

Georgetown GLOW

Image: Bekah Richards (Flickr)

Dec 1 to Jan 6 | 5 – 10 PM

#GeorgetownGLOW invites visitors to reimagine the season of light through outdoor public art. Click here for more information about this year’s art installations and to download a map.

Looking for more fun ways to celebrate the holiday season in DC?