Cherry Blossom in Washington, DC. © Robert Dodge

What a busy weekend! Between National Cherry Blossom Festival and Easter events, you’ll have so many options to choose from! Check out fun and free things to do with kids this weekend in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

On a sad note, there’s a possibility that the government will shut down. If it does, then Smithsonian museums will be closed. National Cherry Blossom Festival events will most likely be postponed as well. Please check the official event websites to see if activities will still be held. I will make updates to the best of my knowledge.

FREE: Petal Fest & Performance Stage – Washington, DC
Friday, April 8: 12 pm – 8 pm
Saturday, April 9: 12 pm – 6 pm

See live performances on Woodrow Wilson Plaza at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on Friday evening with performers from Washington, DC, community performance groups and local officials. On Saturday, enjoy performances with a jazz theme. Free admissions.

The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center is located at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC (map it).

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Easter Egg Hunts in Washington DC Metro

It is late and I am a little dizzy from making a list of egg hunts in the area since there are so many of them. Lucky us who live in the DC metro! Check out these fun (and some are free!) Easter egg hunts and other eggstravaganza events in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

If you know of other family-friendly Easter events in the DC metro area, please leave a comment below or contact me directly!

WASHINGTON, DC
FREE: Easter Eggstravaganza at Capitol Hill – Washington, DC
Saturday, April 23: 1 pm – 3 pm

Take pictures with a life-size Easter Bunny, go on Easter egg hunt, get your face painted, play games and enjoy cotton candy. Sponsored by National Community Church. Free admissions.

Lincoln Park is located on East Capitol Street between 11th and 13th Streets, Washington, DC (map it).

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It’s time to spring forward this Sunday, so don’t forget to change your clocks after you tuck your kids into bed on Saturday night. Other than doubling your caffeine dose on Sunday, check out many free activities going on in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland this weekend. Happy almost Spring, everyone!

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Gaithersburg, MD. Image from GaithersburgMD.gov.

FREE: St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Plaza Party – Gaithersburg, MD
Saturday, March 12: 10 am – 1 pm

Watch the 11th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade from 10 am to 12 pm this Saturday at Washingtonian Center. See Celtic dancers, bagpipe bands, clowns, fire trucks and more in the parade. Enjoy live music and family activities in the plaza area after the parade.

Washingtonian Center is located at 209 Boardwalk Place, Gaithersburg, Maryland (map it).

Raptors Upclose – Washington, DC
Friday, March 11: 10:15 am and 11:30 am

Get ready to get up close and personal with birds of prey. Learn about the raptors, including the different species, falconry as a sport and raptors’ relationship to humans. Call 202-633-3030 to get your tickets.

S. Dillon Ripley Center at Discovery Theater, 3rd Sublevel, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington, DC (map it).

More Fun Things to Do with Kids in Washington, DC >>

It’s Super Bowl weekend! Between getting ready for a Super Bowl party and getting some rest for yourself after all that shoveling last week, keep your kids entertained with tons of fun stuff to do this weekend. Check out top ten things to do with kids in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland this weekend.

By the way, it is now the Year of the Rabbit … Happy Chinese New Year!

Matt Pauli, Treasure Quest! Image from NationalTheatre.org.

FREE: Treasure Quest! at National Theatre – Washington, DC
Saturday, February 5: 9:30 am and 11 am

Meet Captain Nobeard, a bumbling scoundrel of a buccaneer who has lost his treasure and map. Join him to regain his gold! Free admissions. Tickets are first-come, first-served, and are distributed about 30 minutes prior to performance. One ticket per person in line.

National Theatre is located at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC (map it).

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Aayla Secura at Air and Scare at National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA

I have never seen so many little Jedi before! We stopped by Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum earlier today for their Air and Scare event. My daughter dressed as Cinderella and I dressed as Snow White, but I think next year, we need to dress up as Star Wars characters to fit in the whole theme of the event. There were Stormtroopers and Jedi everywhere!

We got to the museum a little after the event started at 2 pm and I’m glad that we did. There was a line to get through the gate and another line to get in the museum. When we left around 4:15 pm, we saw the line of cars went all the way back to Route 28, at least a mile away from the ramp to the museum.

The museum was packed with families. There were plenty of photo ops with Star Wars characters as well as treat stations. Darth Vader was a big hit, of course. Many of the treat stations were demonstrations or interactive exhibits, not candies. But the treat stations with candies had the good treats with Twix, Snickers, M&Ms and other Mars candies.

Air and Scare at National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA

The flight simulators were free, too. There was a long line for both simulators, so we decided to skip it. There were other exhibits throughout the museum where you got to be a pilot and fly a plane.

This is a fun event for families, so try going next year if you missed it this year. It’s an almost free event (free admissions to the museum, but there is a $15 parking fee per car) and it’s different than other trick-or-treat events in the Washington, DC, metro area. You don’t have worry about the weather either, in case it gets bad; we were lucky today as it was sunny and mild earlier this afternoon. Just get there early before the line gets too long if you go next year and don’t forget to dress up!

Check out some more pictures on my Facebook page.