- Updated: 7/1/2026
Note: This weekly listing is full of events happening throughout the weekend for kids (ages 3+) – teens. I place a special emphasis on literacy, STEM & other educational based events as well as family fun festivities. Please click the links to review the most up-to-date information prior to heading out!
Coming Up this Weekend
Friday, July 3, 2026
Washington, DC
- Friday (7/3) | Animation Celebration online via National Museum of the American Indian
- Animated short films by Indigenous filmmakers, featuring colorful folktales, humorous encounters, and lighthearted lessons.
- Friday (7/3) at 10:00 am | 4th of July: Stamped Stories at National Children’s Museum ($) ♥
- Use letter stamps to design and print custom note cards, experimenting with arrangement, repetition, and composition to communicate short messages. Through hands-on printmaking, explore how early printing technologies helped people share ideas and how contemporary printmakers continue to use type and design as creative expression.
- Friday (7/3) at 10:00 am | Books and Beyond with a Ranger at Rock Creek Nature Center in NW (Best for ages 0-5)
- This program includes nature books, animal puppets, body movements, and songs.
- Friday (7/3) at 10:00 am | Open Studio: In Suspense! at Hirshhorn Museum
- Use pipe cleaners, coated wire, aluminum foil, and other loose parts to explore suspension and build your own hanging sculptures!
- Friday (7/3) at 12:00 pm | Grand Opening of The Playground at National Building Museum ($) ♥
- Friday (7/3) at 2:00 pm | 4th of July: Morse Code Message Necklaces at National Children’s Museum ($) (Best for ages 3+) ♥
- Create personalized necklaces using Morse code to encode their names, messages, or secret words. Using pony beads to represent dots and cut straw segments to represent dashes, explore early systems of communication and learn how information can be translated into patterns, symbols, and sequences.
- Friday (7/3) at 4:00 pm | Concert: Mighty Young Composers! at Hirshhorn Museum
- The Mighty Young Composers! 2026 cohort of rising 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders will present their own original compositions, performed by members of the National Symphony Orchestra and the 21st Century Consort.
- Friday (7/3) at 8:00 pm | Women’s Soccer ~ Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash at Audi Field in SW ($)
Maryland
- Friday (7/3) at 10:00 am | Summer RailQuest STEM Workshop at National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville ($) (Best for ages 7-13) ♥
- Participants will explore the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics behind rail transportation through engaging experiments, interactive activities, and museum experiences.
- Friday (7/3) at 10:30 am | The Puppet Co. presents The Little Prince at Glen Echo Park ($)
- Friday (7/3) at 3:00 pm | Independence Day Chill-ebration at Roosevelt Center in Greenbelt ♥
- A cool event ideal for families with young children, nervous dogs, or anyone with sensory sensitivity. Includes arts activities, free screening at Greenbelt Cinema + performances!
- Friday (7/3) at 7:00 pm | Adventure Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler at Glen Echo Park ($) ♥
- Friday (7/3) at 7:00 pm | Montgomery County 250th: Shine Together at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington ♥
- Includes fireworks!
- Friday (7/3) at 8:00 pm | Glow Swim at Donald M. Wade Aquatic Center in Waldorf ($) (Best for ages 5+)
Northern Virginia
- Friday (7/3) at 1:00 pm | 4th of July Hot Dog Cupcake Studio Class at Tiny Chefs ($) (Best for ages 5-12) ♥
- Celebrate the 4th of July with a playful twist in this festive cupcake decorating class! Kids will turn cupcakes into “hot dogs” using creative decorating techniques and sweet toppings.
- Friday (7/3) at 8:00 pm | 257th Army Band at Lubber Run Amphitheater in Arlington
- The 257th Army Band from the District of Columbia National Guard performs a wide variety of music from Rock, Pop, to Patriotic, and more, with multiple different ensembles.
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Washington, DC
- Saturday (7/4) | Animation Celebration online via National Museum of the American Indian ♥
- Animated short films by Indigenous filmmakers, featuring colorful folktales, humorous encounters, and lighthearted lessons.
- Saturday (7/4) at 8:30 am | July 4th at the National Archives ♥
- Includes live music, ceremony, meet famous historic figures & enjoy interactive activities!
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:00 am | Open Studio: In Suspense! at Hirshhorn Museum
- Use pipe cleaners, coated wire, aluminum foil, and other loose parts to explore suspension and build your own hanging sculptures!
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:00 am | Capitol Hill 4th of July Parade in SE
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:00 am | Folklife Marketplace at Arts + Industries Building
- Visitors can shop, attend hands-on workshops with local and visiting artists, enjoy music and interviews, as well as explore Folklife Festival history in the Storied Objects exhibition. There’s also a printmaking and painting demo with Julia Chon throughout the event!
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:00 am | 4th of July Activity: Paper Pinwheels at National Children’s Museum in NW ($) ♥
- Design and construct your own paper pinwheels using pre-cut templates, hole punches, brass fasteners, and popsicle sticks. After assembling your pinwheels, test how movement and airflow make their designs spin, exploring basic engineering concepts through hands-on making and play.
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:00 am | What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? at Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in SE ♥
- Hear recitations by a Frederick Douglass Reenactor and the winners of the Frederick Douglass Oratorical Contest, tour Cedar Hill, and participate in a public reading of the Declaration of Independence!
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:00 am | Opening Weekend for The Playground at National Building Museum ($) ♥
- Step inside nine unique activations that bring the outdoors in, reimagining the infrastructure and materials of the built environment around us.
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:30 am | Apple Camp: Create Superhero to Help Others on iPad at Apple Georgetown in NW (Best for ages 6-10)
- Kids will work together using iPad to design superheroes and send them on a mission to help others. They’ll share their talents and ideas as they take photos, draw, use emoji, and more to create a superhero crew with Freeform and Apple Pencil Pro.
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:30 am | Summer Storytime & Face Painting at Politics and Prose on Connecticut Avenue NW
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:30 am | July Family Day: The Declaration of Independence at Library of Congress in SE ♥
- Explore the Constitution with Library staff and write thank you letters to veterans with the National Veterans Memorial Museum. Also, check out their newest exhibit Fashion at the Library of Congress.
- Saturday (7/4) at 11:00 am | Palisades 60th Annual Fourth of July Parade on Whitehaven Parkway in NW ♥
- Saturday (7/4) at 12:00 pm | Sweet Land of Legacy: Ice Cream Social & Art Workshop at Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum in SE ♥
- Following the ice cream social, families will participate in a hands-on art workshop, creating red, white, and blue legacy-inspired artworks that explore their roots, values, and dreams for the future.
- Saturday (7/4) at 1:00 pm | We Sing America: Planet Word Celebrates the 4th of July at Franklin Park in NW
- The afternoon features Washington, D.C.’s own Nolan Williams Jr., who will lead the crowd in a celebration of the songs and voices that have shaped America.
- Saturday (7/4) at 2:00 pm | 4th of July Activity: Burger Flip Challenge at National Children’s Museum in NW ($) ♥
- Use pre-built adjustable seesaws to launch “burger ingredient” pieces into a stacking target. By changing the fulcrum position on the lever arm, learners will explore how force and balance affect motion. Different weighted burger components (such as bun, patty, lettuce, and tomato) will respond differently, encouraging experimentation, prediction, and playful engineering problem-solving.
- Saturday (7/4) at 5:00 pm | Fourth at the Wharf
- Music, games, specialty drinks, and spectacular views of the National Park Service fireworks launched from the National Mall.
Maryland
Prince George’s County
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:00 am | Salute to America Walk and Picnic at National Harbor
- Step out with National Harbor for a one-of-a-kind walk halfway across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to salute our nation’s capital in honor of America 250 and the Fourth of July.
- Saturday (7/4) at 1:00 pm | Red, White, & BBQ: America 250 – Live Music & Cookout Party at Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar National Harbor ($) ♥
- An all-ages indoor BBQ party packed with live music, crowd sing-alongs, and high-energy entertainment everyone can enjoy!
- Saturday (7/4) at 1:00 pm | School of Rock July 4th Performances at National Harbor
- Get in the Fourth of July spirit with live performances from School of Rock on the Plaza Stage.
- Saturday (7/4) at 3:00 pm | July 4th Independence Day 250 Celebration Fireworks at Buddy Attick Lake Park in Greenbelt ♥
- Includes art activities, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, The National Anthem & performances!
- Saturday (7/4) at 5:15 pm | Young Frankenstein at Greenbelt Cinema ($)
Maryland
Montgomery County
- Saturday (7/4) at 9:00 am | Takoma Park Fourth of July Parade and Street Party ♥
- Street party begins at 6:00 pm with live music, food trucks, & kids activities!
- Saturday (7/4) at 7:00 pm | Germantown Glory at South Germantown Recreational Park in Boyds
- Includes fireworks at 9:15 pm.
- Saturday (7/4) at 7:00 pm | Independence Day Celebration at Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park in Rockville
- Enjoy live music and a 20-minute fireworks display.
More Maryland Events
- Saturday (7/4) at 10:00 am | 250th All-American Bash at B&O Railroad Museum ($) ♥
- Includes live music + younger guests can enjoy a full lineup of lawn games and hands-on arts and crafts activities. Your little ones can make their very own 4th of July Fireworks ring out of pipe cleaners. Plus, there will also be a temporary tattoo station (supplies limited — the early bird gets the worm!).
- Saturday (7/4) at 5:00 pm | Howard County’s July 4th Fireworks at Columbia Lakefront
- Includes food trucks and two music performances!
Northern Virginia Events
- Saturday (7/4) at 9:00 am | An American Celebration at Mount Vernon Estate ($)
- Full day of patriotic events, including daytime fireworks over the Potomac, historic demonstrations, family activities, and a moving naturalization ceremony.
- Saturday (7/4) at 11:00 am | BondVet presents All Day Forth of July at Shipgarten in McLean
- An unforgettable 4th of July celebration packed with food, drinks, music, and nonstop summer vibes in our open-air bier garden.
- Saturday (7/4) at 3:00 pm | Celebrate America 4th of July in Manassas ♥
- Visitors will enjoy family-friendly activities, food, vendors, and the BEST firework display in Northern Virginia to fire off at 9:15 p.m.
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Washington, DC
- Sunday (7/5) | Animation Celebration online via National Museum of the American Indian ♥
- Animated short films by Indigenous filmmakers, featuring colorful folktales, humorous encounters, and lighthearted lessons.
- Sunday (7/5) at 10:00 am | Free Community Day at National Museum of Women in the Arts
- Sunday (7/5) at 10:00 am | Opening Weekend for The Playground at National Building Museum ($) ♥
- Step inside nine unique activations that bring the outdoors in, reimagining the infrastructure and materials of the built environment around us.
- Sunday (7/5) at 10:00 am | Folklife Marketplace at Arts + Industries Building
- Visitors can shop, attend hands-on workshops with local and visiting artists, enjoy music and interviews, as well as explore Folklife Festival history in the Storied Objects exhibition.
- Sunday (7/5) at 11:00 am | Family Day: Building the Next 150 Years at Capital Jewish Museum ($) (Best for ages 5-13) ♥
- Bring the whole family to learn about the past, build on the present, and imagine the future with the help from the National Building Museum.
- Sunday (7/5) at 12:00 pm | Patchwork of the People at Rock Creek Nature Center
- Throughout 2026, Rock Creek Park’s rangers are offering a variety of programs to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. You can be a part of this commemoration by creating a design for a community quilt!
- Sunday (7/5) at 1:00 pm | Family Funday at Nationals Park ($)
- Washington Nationals v. Pittsburgh Pirates ~ includes kids run the bases, kids zone & more!
- Sunday (7/5) at 2:00 pm | Kung Fu Panda at The Miracle Theatre in SE ($)
Maryland
- Sunday (7/5) at 10:00 am | The Puppet Co. presents Tiny Tots starring Ingrid & Mollie at Glen Echo Park ($)
- Sunday (7/5) at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm | Adventure Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler at Glen Echo Park ($) ♥
- Sunday (7/5) at 11:30 am & 2:30 pm | The Puppet Co. presents The Little Prince at Glen Echo Park ($)
- Sunday (7/5) at 6:00 pm | Summer Sunset Concert Series: “Sol y Rumba” at Allen Pond Park in Bowie
- Get ready for a summer full of live music, good vibes, food trucks, and community fun! The Sunday Sunset Concert Series continues with a performance by “Sol y Rumba” (Latin music).
- Sunday (7/5) at 6:00 pm | Movies on the Potomac: Back to the Future at National Harbor ♣
Northern Virginia
- Sunday (7/5) at 10:00 am | SPARK! Not Your Usual Art Market in Shirlington
- SPARK! is a fun inclusive outdoor market with handpicked art and food vendors, and programming including poetry, music and art making.
- Sunday (7/5) at 11:00 am | Halau O’Aulani at Lubber Run Amphitheater in Arlington ♥
- Hālau O ʻAulani is a non-profit organization, also recognized as a school, that focuses on teaching and perpetuating the Hawaiian culture.
- Sunday (7/5) at 11:00 am | Swedish Marching Band Concert at John Carlyle Square Park in Alexandria
- Experience the music, energy, and excitement of Göta Lejon, the Marching Show Band from Gothenburg, Sweden! Talented young performers are traveling from Sweden to entertain audiences of all ages with a lively marching band and dance performance.
- Sunday (7/5) at 12:00 pm | Mill in Motion at Colvin Run Mill in Great Falls ($)
- Explore 200-year-old Colvin Run Mill as we grind grain using the power of the waterwheel. Hear and smell the grindstones at work. Learn how automated gristmills revolutionized flour production.
- Sunday (7/5) at 12:00 pm | 4th of July with Uncle Sam & Eagle at Shipgarten in McLean
- Includes moon bounces, playground sets, Photo Booth, outdoor games & activities, giveaways & food!
- Sunday (7/5) at 1:00 pm | PINGO! Plastic Free Bingo at Beatley Jr. Central Library in Alexandria
- The PINGO card gives kids concrete ways to reduce plastic use while raising awareness of the plastic problem. Anyone who completes five actions a row can bring their card back to Beatley Library for an upcycled prize.
- Sunday (7/5) at 2:00 pm | Family Day with Jr. Docents at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum in Alexandria ($) ♥
- In addition to stationed tours, Jr. Docents offer additional hands-on activities and a chocolate-making demonstration.
- Sunday (7/5) at 3:00 pm | Builders’ Club at Central Library in Arlington (Best for grades K-5)
Sensory Friendly & Accessible
- Friday (7/3) at 3:00 pm | Independence Day Chill-ebration at Roosevelt Center in Greenbelt
- A cool event ideal for families with young children, nervous dogs, or anyone with sensory sensitivity. Includes arts activities, free screening at Greenbelt Cinema + performances!
For Tweens & Teens
Maryland & Northern Virginia
- Friday (7/3) at 1:00 pm | Summer at the Rec at Arlington Mill Community Center in VA
- free, drop-in summer program provides a daily hot lunch (that’s actually good) and activities chosen by teens like music, games, cooking, art, and sports. Learn new skills at our weekly DJ and Music Production classes, game with friends in our state of the art esports lounge, get some energy out in the gym, or enjoy a space just to chill and be yourself.
- Friday (7/3) at 6:00 pm | Toby’s Dinner Theatre presents: Mean Girls in Columbia, MD ($)
- Friday (7/3) at 7:00 pm | Community Center Teen Nights in PG County MD
- Teen nights are held at 25 participating community centers across Prince George’s County. Find one near you!
- Sunday (7/5) at 10:30 am | Toby’s Dinner Theatre presents: Mean Girls in Columbia, MD ($)
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