the carolove DC Christmas

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It’s really beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in The District. Kendall and I got our tree up on Sunday and attended an advent service at St. John’s Georgetown. We ran into some  family friends of mine while running errands after church and there was something just so Christmas-y about that- hugging an old friend under one of the wreaths on Wisconsin Ave. Silver Bells, anyone?

There is SO much to do around this time of year in DC that I thought it might be helpful if I narrowed it down for you.

  • ZooLights is one of my favorite events in DC in general! I go every year at least once. It’s free and makes for a great date and/ or outing with friends.
  • Danielle Sauter of Blonde In The District & Bianca Perez of FromNothing2Something invite you to kick off this festive season at the first ever Winter Glam Wonderland! This glamorous party will feature everything you need to get you through the holiday season, all while looking fabulous. Bourbon Adams Morgan will be converted into a one-stop-holiday-shop and proceeds from this event will go towards helping My Sister’s Place DC, providing safe and confidential shelter to battered women and children. They will also be accepting donations to support the women and children of the shelter.
  • On Thursday, December 15, Streetsense is hosting their second annual Streetmarket, a curated holiday pop-up. The event is open to the public, and will feature a mix of local retailers including Maketto, Mallory Shelter Jewelry, Whistle + Wild, Curated, Honeycomb, Cherry Blossom Creative, Typecase Industries, Sword & Plough, Foxwood Co., Sill Life, Love Rocks, Be Clean, and Hollow Wood.
  • The Downtown Holiday Market is celebrating its twelfth year. This event boasts one of the most spectacular outdoor shopping environments in the region. It opened Friday, November 25, and will run continuously through Friday, December 23.  Hours will be from Noon to 8 pm each day.
  • The Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek State Park is something I’ve done since I was little. It’s a drive-thru light show about 40 minutes outside of the city. We like to crank up the Christmas tunes as we drive through and if it’s warm enough, we’ve even driven with my convertible top down.
  • The National Cathedral is one of my favorite buildings in the world, and they have a whole selection of Christmas programs to chose from.
  • I found out last year that I am wayyy out of ice skating practice when my roommate and I hit up the Georgetown rink. But it’s fun to try right? I’m fond of the rink at Washington Harbour because it’s surrounded by bars to warm up in after, but there are 8 rinks around the DC area.
  • If you haven’t seen A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theater, you really should! It’s such a gorgeous theater and a wonderful tradition. I’ve been a few times but not since middle school and I keep thinking that I need to go back.
  • The Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the D.C. area’s great community traditions. The Festival features over 650,000 lights, December 1st through January 1st, nightly performances in indoor theater, Christmas trees decorated in international themes, an exhibit of crèches from around the world, and a life-sized outdoor nativity.

I never get to it all, but there are some things I just won’t miss! What are your favorite DC Christmas traditions? (for my non-DC friends, I’d love to hear what you’re up to this season as well!)




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