There is nothing like winter in the city. The cold seems to sharpen everything, as steam rises above the taxi-cabs and wind drags newspapers through the streets. From skating to shopping, the season is filled with a variety of activities that remind Washingtonians why they love their city and how to enjoy it despite the chill. When asked what they most look forward to this winter, Stone Ridge girls gave a wide range of answers– the most popular of which are listed below– that are sure to fill your calendars into the new year.
1. The National Sculpture Garden Ice Rink: Located just off the Smithsonian Mall and connected to the National Gallery of Art, this garden is usually home to a large fountain, around which a variety of summer activities revolve. From November 14th to March 16th however, it is transformed into a swanky ice rink, complete with glittering lights, a café and decorated evergreens. Students are charged a discounted price of $7.00 for two hours on the ice, plus $3.00 for skate rentals. A wide range of lessons are offered weekly, including Figure 8 Basics, Hockey Basics, and more advanced Adult Classes. With holiday music on constant repeat, the Sculpture Garden rink is guaranteed to provide hours of festive fun!
2. Zoolights: Running from November 28th until January 1st, the National Zoo’s “Zoolights” is perhaps one of the most popular and highly anticipated holiday events in the area. Visitors enjoy over 500,000 eco-friendly LED lights, suspended as if by magic in the dark to create larger-than-life illustrations in dazzling color. What’s more, Zoolights is completely free!
3. Museums: Museums of course, provide year-round entertainment, but they receive especially high turnout during the winter, when the windswept Mall is left deserted in favor of the Smithsonian’s many warm corridors and exhibitions. Among the most popular are the American History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Natural History. Each offer thought-provoking displays– such as an exhibit on Edgar Degas’ early statutes or a survey of the 1960’s automobile trends–that are complemented by stellar cafeterias, knowledgeable staffs, and enormous gift shops.
4. Downtown DC Holiday Market: The red tents of this Penn Quarter bazaar have long been beloved reminders of the season for locals. Boasting the products of more than 180 artisans–from jewelry to pottery to clothing–the market stretches along F Street, from 7th to 9th. Virginia Rayder, ‘15, shares that “on my last birthday, which is around Christmas, we went to breakfast and saw something going on. We walked through the market and noticed all the chocolate, good quality jewelry and enormous gingerbread men.” Opened daily from November 28th until December 23rd, the Holiday Market colors Washington in the golds, greens and reds that stand out defiantly against the winter gray.
5. Baked and Wired: Tucked back on one of the many winding streets just above where Georgetown proper melts into the Potomac River, Baked and Wired sells a variety of delicacies, from exotic teas to enormous, wickedly delicious cupcakes. The bakery comes alive in the winter, as M Street shoppers pause from their wind-bitten retail flights to warm themselves with steaming mugs of thick chocolate or bitter coffee. Open daily, Baked and Wired also hosts art installations and live music, infusing the already vibrant eatery with even more color.
6. Snowball Fights on the National Mall: When the first winter storm sweeps across the city, causing cabin fever to people indoors and paralyzing the Metro, the Washington DC Snowball Fight Association will begin to stir. The organization is responsible for arranging enormous snowball fights across the city, particularly popular on the National Mall, which draw hundreds of friendly fighters — from children to the elderly. Watch their Facebook page as temperatures drop and flakes begin to fall for details on the next event.
7. The Nutcracker: This timeless and beloved ballet has been a staple of Washington’s winter for a decade, transforming the Warner Theatre on 13th Street into a wonderland of swirling snowflakes and twisting dancers. For their ten year anniversary, The Washington Ballet will bring the show to life once again with even more gusto, color, and talent. It will feature the international dancers, breathtaking choreography and astounding music of Tchaikovsky as it has in year’s past with a new, local twist — historical figures, cherry blossoms and subtle touches of the city– as a sign of gratitude and affection towards their loyal audience. The Nutcracker runs from December 4th to the 28th and is sure to amaze audiences with its powerful display of the sheer poetry of the human body.
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