Tag Archives: DC

National Cherry Blossom Festival 2018

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event which celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. This year’s festival will be MARCH 17-APRIL 15!

The predicted peak blooming period of the cherry blossoms for this year is APRIL 8-12.

Here are some of the highlights:

Smithsonian Kite Festival – Saturday, March 31, 2018
Washington Monument Grounds
10 am-4:30 pm

Petalpalooza Fireworks Festival – Saturday, April 7, 2018
Waterfront Park – 600-900 Water Street, SW
1-9:30 pm
Fireworks at 8:30-9:30 pm

Cherry Blossom Parade – Saturday, April 14, 2018
Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW
10 am- 12 pm

There are many more great events, visit the festival website for more information.

Helpful links:
Cherry Blossom Festival Website
National Park Service Bloom Watch
Metro Website (use the trip planner feature on this website to find the metro options, taking metro is much better than driving for the festival events)

Photo & Video: National Cherry Blossom Festival 

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival will take place June 29-July 4 and July 6-9. 

The Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage. This year will be the 50th anniversary of this popular event. Attracting more than one million visitors yearly, the two-week long celebration is the largest annual cultural event in the United States.

The Festival is held outdoors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 12th Streets and inside the Arts & Industries Building. There is no admission charge. Visitors should dress for hot and humid weather. Parking around the Mall is extremely limited, so visitors are advised to use public transportation. Smithsonian is the closest Metro station to the Festival site. L’Enfant Plaza, National Archives, and Federal Center stations are within a half-mile. For general Smithsonian visitor information, http://www.si.edu/Visit or call 202.633.1000 (voice).

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special events taking place most evenings beginning at 5:30 or 7 p.m. View the schedule here.

I highly recommend that you visit their website to plan your visit http://www.festival.si.edu/

Options for those Last Few Education Hours

3324251659_c5b4e7da64How many total classroom hours do you need?

  • Standard au pairs must complete 72 hours or 6 credits or 7.2 CEUs.
  • Educare companions must complete 144 hours or 12 credits or 14.4 CEUs.

Certain combinations of classes can leave you just a few hours short of the requirement.

Here are several options for completing those last few hours. Prices listed are correct as of February 10, 2017 and are subject to change. Consult the university websites for full information.

Virginia International University Saturday Museum Classes
5 hours (.5 CEUs) for $40 (+$20 reg. fee)
Held almost every Saturday morning (10:30am) in DC. Metro accessible locations.
Students will spend a day at a different museum each week and participate in an interactive, themed museum tour facilitated by an ESL instructors.

University of Virgin Islands Experience America through Art Galleries & Museums
5 hours (.5 CEUs) for $40
Held once per month on a Saturday (10 am or 1:30pm) in DC. Metro accessible locations.
Students self guide through a local museum over a 3 hour period and complete an outside assignment. The assignment is creating a detailed pictorial report of the visit, due within 7 days of the course.

University of Virgin Islands Fitness Fridays
2 hours (.2 CEUs) for $20
Held once per month on a Friday evening (8 pm) in DC. Metro accessible location.
A fitness class where students will stretch, move and exercise. Register early, space is limited.

Local Community Colleges
Check on our Resource Page under Education Options for links to local community colleges. In the Non-Credit or Continuing Education Catalogs, they will have a variety of small courses in a variety of subjects.

Photo: Ian Lee (Flickr)

Visiting Baltimore By Train

If you want to visit Baltimore, but are worried about driving there or if you don’t have access to a car, the MARC train is a great option.  Here is some information on how you can enjoy visiting Baltimore via public transportation. Prices and info are accurate as of Dec 3, 2016. Please check links to verify prices and schedules before you go.

Getting from DC to Baltimore
The MARC Train Penn Line runs from Union Station (DC) to Baltimore Penn Station. Cost for a one way ticket ($6-8.) Considering cost of gas and parking in the city, if you drive, makes the train a pretty good deal.

View the schedules here –> Weekend Penn Line & Weekday Penn Line

On Saturdays, there are currently running 9 trains from about 9 am (1st train northbound from DC) to about 9:00 pm (last train southbound from Baltimore.)  On Sundays, there are currently running 9 trains from about 10:30 am (1st train northbound from DC) to about 5:00 pm (last train southbound from Baltimore.) It is very important to be sure of the time of the final train back from Baltimore to DC. 

On Weekdays, the MARC Penn Line runs from about 5:45 am (1st train northbound from DC) to about 9:15 pm (last train southbound from Baltimore.)

In our cluster area, here are your options:

  1. Take the Metro Red Line to Union Station and get on the MARC Penn Line there.
  2. Take the Metro Orange Line to New Carrollton and get on the MARC Penn Line there.
  3. Drive or take a bus to Bowie State Station (off Rt 197) and get on the MARC Penn Line there.

Free Way to Get Around Baltimore 

Baltimore offers a FREE Charm City Circulator service that features 4 shuttle bus lines and 1 water taxi line. The shuttle buses run about every 10 minutes. Visit the website here to view the maps: Charm City Circulator 

To visit the Inner Harbor take the Purple Line from Baltimore Penn Station to stop #302 – S. Calvert St. & W. Pratt St.

Newseum Summer Fun Deal

From the Newseum website:

The Newseum offers everything from the Berlin Wall and Pulitzer Prize-winning photos to interactive games. This summer, there’s one more great reason to visit — kids get in free! July 1 through Labor Day, the Newseum waives admission for youth visitors age 18 and younger. Up to four kids visit for free with each paid adult or senior admission, or Press Pass membership.

Whether you have just a few hours or want to spend all day, you’ll find something for everyone in the Newseum’s 15 theaters and 15 galleries. Time running short? Remember to save your admission ticket and come back the next day for free!

SUMMER FUN DEAL TICKET PRICES

Adults (19 to 64)
$22.95 plus tax

Seniors (65+)
$18.95 plus tax

Youth (7 to 18)
Free

Children (6 and younger)
Free

  • Summer Fun Deal tickets are not good in conjunction with other discounts
  • Up to four discounts per transaction
  • All ticket sales are final
  • Summer Fun Deal tickets purchased online must be used between July 1 and Sept. 5, 2016
  • There are no refunds for no-shows or unused tickets

Smithsonian Folk Life Festival

The Folklife Festival will take place June 29-July 4 and July 7-10. 

Smithsonian Folklife Festival imageThe Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage.  Attracting more than one million visitors yearly, the two-week long celebration is the largest annual cultural event in the United States.

The Festival is held outdoors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the Smithsonian museums. There is no admission charge. Visitors should dress for hot and humid weather. Parking around the Mall is extremely limited, so visitors are advised to use public transportation. L’Enfant Plaza is the closest Metro station to the Festival site. National Archives, Smithsonian, and Federal Center stations are within a half-mile. For general Smithsonian visitor information, http://www.si.edu/Visit or call 202.633.1000 (voice).

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special events taking place most evenings beginning at 6:30 p.m. View the schedule here.

I highly recommend that you visit their website to plan your visit http://www.festival.si.edu/

Outdoor Movies in DC Area

17724871620_62f5c46ae0_zIf you are looking to enjoy a movie outdoors this summer, there are lots of local options to consider.

DC Outdoor Films website offers a very comprehensive list which includes locations in DC, Maryland and Virginia.

 

Here are a few popular ones:

Golden Cinema Series
Golden Triange BID offers outdoor movies Friday nights through July.

Movies on the Potomac
National Harbor offers movies on Sunday nights through September 29.

Screen on the Green 
Outdoor movies on the National Mall in DC

Drive-In Movie 
Don’t forget about Bengie’s Drive-in Movie Theater in the Baltimore area. It’s a good hour drive from most of our cluster, but well worth it for the experience if you’ve never been to a drive-in movie. Check out my blog post about Bengie’s Drive-in.

Outdoor Movies in DC Area

17724871620_62f5c46ae0_zIf you are looking to enjoy a movie outdoors this summer, there are lots of local options to consider.

DC Outdoor Films website offers a very comprehensive list which includes locations in DC, Maryland and Virginia.

 

Here are a few popular ones:

Golden Cinema Series
Golden Triange BID offers outdoor movies Friday nights through July.

Movies on the Potomac
National Harbor offers movies on Sunday nights through September 27.

Screen on the Green 
Outdoor movies on the National Mall in DC

Drive-In Movie 
Don’t forget about Bengie’s Drive-in Movie Theater in the Baltimore area. It’s a good hour drive from most of our cluster, but well worth it for the experience if you’ve never been to a drive-in movie. Check out my blog post about Bengie’s Drive-in.

 

 

Newseum KIDS FREE Summer Fun Deal

From the Newseum website:

Now through Sept. 1, 2014

The Newseum offers everything from the Berlin Wall and Pulitzer Prize-winning photos to interactive games. And this summer, there’s one more great reason to visit — kids get in free! July 1 through Labor Day, the Newseum waives admission for youth visitors age 18 and younger. Up to four kids visit for free with each paid adult or senior admission, or Press Pass membership.

Whether you have just a few hours or want to spend all day, you’ll find something for everyone in the Newseum’s 15 theaters and 15 galleries. Don’t miss “Anchorman: The Exhibit,” on display through Aug. 31, 2014, featuring props from the hit movies and a look at real 1970s news teams. Also see “One Nation with News for All,” opening May 16, 2014, a new exhibit that tells the dramatic story of how immigrants and minorities used the power of the press to fight for their rights and shape the American experience.

Time running short? Remember to save your admission ticket and come back the next day for free!

July 4th Celebration in Washington, DC

Washington, DC is a spectacular place to celebrate July 4th! The National Mall is the center of all of the Independence Day Celebrations in DC. There are events all day, beginning with a parade along Constitution Avenue and ending with a fireworks display over the Washington Monument.

Sara, a host mom in our cluster has shared some links with information to help au pairs plan for the upcoming holiday.

Great list of local activities:
http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/4thofJuly.htm

Getting to the National Mall & security info:
http://dc.about.com/od/4thofjuly/a/GettingtoMall.htm

The Capitol Fourth concert has a dress rehearsal on July 3, that while secure and crowded, is easier to attend than the concert on the 4th, as with July 4th, the gates open at 3:00:
http://thedistrict.com/sightseeing/events/a-capitol-fourth-4th-of-july/

A blog post that may be of interest:

http://blogs.rollcall.com/after-dark/washingtons-independence-day-patriotismpalooza/