📍 Washington DC · Maryland · Virginia
The best things to do with your kids this week
Every Tuesday, we curate the top family events across the DMV, from free outdoor festivals to hands-on workshops. Never miss a weekend adventure again.
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🦊 Finn's Picks This Week Sept 2-7
FREE
Greenbelt Labor Day Festival
Four days of carnival rides, a pet show, a diaper derby and the 70th annual parade on Sunday. Free, and the most wholesome thing on the calendar.
Labor Day Art Show at Glen Echo
The 55th edition fills the Spanish Ballroom with 400+ artists. Free to walk through, and the carousel is spinning right outside.
Finding Dory at the Georgetown Waterfront
Finding Dory turns 10, screened free on the waterfront with the Potomac behind the screen. Bring a blanket and get there by 6:30.
Bluey's House Opens at CAMP Tysons
A life-sized walkthrough of the Heeler house: the games from the show, dancing, and a Bluey and Bingo meet-up to finish. Timed tickets, book ahead.
Maryland Renaissance Festival
Jousting knights, turkey legs, acrobats and a pirate playground, open Saturday, Sunday and Labor Day Monday. Kids 6 and under always free.
DC State Fair
Fifty-plus contests, from pie eating to best slime, plus a Kids Zone and local vendors. Free, downtown, and a straight shot on the Metro.
NSO Labor Day Concert
The NSO plays free at DAR Constitution Hall. Reserve tickets, but arrive early: a reservation is not a seat and unclaimed ones go at 7:45.
FREE
Kensington Labor Day Parade
The 59th annual parade, from Plyers Mill Road to Noyes Library, with a community festival on Armory Avenue after. Free.
Gaithersburg Labor Day Parade
Eighty-eight years running: marching bands, antique cars and community floats around Bohrer Park. Two hours, free, and there is always candy.
Butterfly Experience (Final Days)
Last week. The conservatory closes for the season Monday, so this is the final chance to have a butterfly land on a very still kid.
Curious George (Final Days)
Also closing Monday. Pulleys, a produce stand, mini golf and a rocket, built for the 3 to 7 crowd. Museum closed Tuesdays.
Maryland State Fair (Weekend 2)
The second of three weekends, running Thursday through Labor Day Monday. Livestock barns, a midway, and fried everything.
FREE
Old Post Office Clocktower
The free Park Service ride up the 1899 clocktower, with the whole city at your feet. Go at 9am and you'll nearly have it to yourselves.
FREE
DC Spray Parks & Splash Pads
Labor Day weekend is the traditional last call for the outdoor pools, but the splash pads keep running into the fall. Our tested favorites.
Meet Finn the Fox, your kid's new adventure buddy
Finn is a curious little fox who explores real places across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. His first adventure? The National Zoo. 15 coloring pages with a story, interactive prompts, and real animals your kids will recognize from their own visits.
🦊 Coming Up Next
See all August events →
FREE
DC State Fair 2026
A real state fair packed into one free Sunday downtown: giant vegetables, baking contests, 50+ local vendors, live music, and kids' activities at Anthem Row.
FREE
H Street Festival 2026
A mile of H Street NE closes for 15 stages, 200 vendors, food, and family activities. Free. Go at noon with kids, before the crowd peaks.
Mount Vernon Colonial Market & Fair
Costumed artisans demo blacksmithing, weaving, and pottery at George Washington's estate. Admission covers the mansion grounds, gardens, and farm animals.
FREE
Fiesta DC 2026
A free Latino culture weekend: Saturday street festival on Pennsylvania Ave, then Sunday's Parade of Nations on Constitution. Brazil is the 2026 country of honor.
FREE
Takoma Park Folk Festival
Seven stages of folk, blues, bluegrass, and world music at Takoma Park Middle School, plus a Children's Nook with face painting. Free, rain or shine.
FREE
Marine Corps Sunset Parade
Free 45-minute show at the Iwo Jima Memorial: the Drum and Bugle Corps, then the Silent Drill Platoon spinning rifles in perfect silence. Monuments glowing behind.
FREE
DC Jazz Bops! Kids Concert
DC JazzFest's free 50-minute kids concert at M Street Landing, 11am both mornings. Reserve $0 tickets and stay for lunch at the Wharf.
Virginia Scottish Games
Caber toss, border collies working sheep, and pipe bands at Great Meadow. The heavy athletics need no explaining to a six-year-old. Bring shade.
FREE
National Harbor Kids Day on the Plaza
Free waterfront fun every Tuesday at 10:30am through Aug 25: story time, music, dance, and meet-and-greets with police and fire crews.
Little Red Riding Hood & the 3 Little Pigs
Two fairy tales, one misunderstood Wolf, 45 minutes. The Puppet Co.'s new show at Glen Echo, with the carousel right outside.
Butler's Orchard Blueberry Picking
Pick-your-own blueberries from late June into early August. Low bushes make it easy for toddlers to reach the fruit themselves. Pay by the pound.
FREE
Fairfax Summer Entertainment Series
Free concerts, kids' puppet shows, and outdoor movies at 20 parks across Northern Virginia all summer. Bring a blanket and a picnic.
FREE
Friday Night Concerts at Yards Park
Free Friday night music down on the Capitol Riverfront. A local band on the boardwalk, a grassy lawn for picnics, and water features for the kids to run through.
FREE
Bison Standing Strong at Natural History Museum
New exhibition featuring a life-size bull bison, the giant B. latifrons skull "Junior," and traditional Indigenous artworks. Family programming day on May 12.
FREE
Free Outdoor Movies at the REACH
Friday night movies on the Kennedy Center's REACH lawn. Wonka, The Lion King, The Incredibles, and more. Bring a blanket and picnic.
FREE
McKee-Beshers Sunflower Fields
Four fields of sunflowers hit peak bloom mid-July in Poolesville. Free, no permit needed, and the best family photo stop of the summer. Bring bug spray.
Peach Picking Near DC
Peach season runs early July through August at Homestead Farm and Butler's Orchard. Low trees, easy picking for little kids. Check the farm's site before driving.
FREE
Art All Night DC 2026
Two nights of free art, music and performance in every DC ward. Go between 6 and 9pm with kids, then head home before the crowd shifts.
DC Bike Ride 2026
Twenty car-free miles past the monuments, finishing with a festival on Pennsylvania Ave. Kids 3-7 ride free, ages 8-17 half price. Passes sell out.
FREE
Adams Morgan Day 2026
18th Street closes to cars for DC's oldest neighborhood festival. Food, stages and kids activity tables. Come at noon, before it gets shoulder to shoulder.
Cox Farms Fall Festival 2026
Hillside slides, a hayride with scenes along the route, and unlimited apples and cider with admission. Tickets are online only and October sells out.
Butler's Orchard Pumpkin Festival
Pick your own pumpkins, hayrides, jump pads and the twisted corn maze. Go on a weekday afternoon in late September and skip the October crowds.
FREE
Bethesda Row Arts Festival
180+ artists fill the streets of downtown Bethesda. Free, compact, and steps from the Red Line. Go before noon with kids and be done by lunch.
The Great Frederick Fair
Nine days of rides, livestock barns, and dairy bar milkshakes an hour from DC. Kids 10 and under free; adults $8 in advance.
FREE
Homecoming at Lincoln's Cottage
Free family day at the Lincolns' Civil War cottage in Petworth: pony rides, a petting zoo, crafts, and picnic lawns. Runs 10am-3pm.
GCF Pumpkin Harvest Festival
Wagon rides to a real u-pick patch in Bluemont, plus pig races, five mazes, and P-Rex the pumpkin-eating dinosaur. Weekdays are cheaper and quieter.
FREE
Clarendon Day 2026
Arlington's biggest street festival wraps around the Clarendon Metro: KidZone, live music, and restaurant booths. Free. Ride the train in.
Top 25 Things to Do
with Kids in DC
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