Free for newsletter subscribers
Get the DC Holiday Planner
- All 17 Christmas light shows near DC, side by side
- A December calendar for the fridge
- Santa, holiday trains, Nutcrackers and Noon Year's Eve
- A print version and a phone version
Already get our Tuesday email? Enter the same address and you'll go straight to the download page.
What's inside the planner
- 17 light shows side by side: dates, prices, and whether it's a walk or a drive-through.
- 9 places to see Santa, from Tysons to the Wharf Boat Parade and Burke Lake's Winter Wonderland.
- Holiday trains: both Polar Express rides, Holly TrolleyFest and the free model trains at the Botanic Garden.
- 4 Nutcrackers for little kids, including one-hour and sensory-friendly shows.
- Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Noon Year's Eve for kids who won't make it to midnight.
- Ice rinks that work for little skaters and our checklist for a night at the lights.
Why we made it
Every December I end up with twenty tabs open, trying to remember which light show needs a timed ticket, which one you drive through and when the zoo is actually open. So we checked every date on the organizers' own sites and put it all in one planner. Print it for the fridge or keep the phone version for the car.
It's free for anyone on our Tuesday email, which is a short list of family events around DC, Maryland and Virginia for the week ahead. If a date changes or a new one gets posted, that's where you'll hear about it first.
Ready for the lights?
Sign up and the download page opens right away.
Already a subscriber? Use the same email and you'll go straight to the planner.
Want to look around first?
The full guides are on the site: Christmas lights near DC, family events in November, ice skating with little kids and this weekend.
Questions Parents Ask
Is the DC Holiday Planner free?
Yes. You sign up for our free Tuesday email with family events around DC, Maryland and Virginia, and the download page opens right after.
I already get your newsletter. How do I get the planner?
Enter the same email address in the form on this page. You'll go straight to the download page and you won't be signed up twice.
Can I print it?
Yes. The print version is 9 letter-size pages, and there's a phone version with the same content if you'd rather keep it on your phone.
Are the dates up to date?
We checked every date and price on the organizer's own site on November 2, 2026. Plans change, so check the event page the day before you go. New dates go out in the Tuesday email.