Family fun in Northern Virginia: "3 Days 'til Christmas!" performance

Over the weekend we went to see a wonderful play over at the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus called "3 Days 'til Christmas". This was a spur of the moment decision as  I decided the day before to search for a play to see and found this one in a web search, we read the description and immediately bought some tickets as a surprise for our daughter. 

The show, put on by Encore Theatrical Arts Project (ETAP), was fantastic.The show is an original holiday story. The singing, acting and dancing were beautiful and very professional. The performers in the show ranged from (approximately) 6th to 12th grade with three adult special guest performers. The show is fun for all ages.

The opening scene shows some of Santa's elves at the North Pole sad that all of the kids are on the naughty list, no one is going to get presents! Reginald, who is in charge, is upset that children are breaking the toys. After starting in the present, the story then flashes back 3 days to explain the events leading up to the current. In between is lots of entertainment, many laughs, with a happy ending of course. Did I mention the costumes? These were beautiful too.

We all really had a great time. What also made it special is there is a Girl Scout "behind the scenes" tour before the performances. Since there were not too many kids at the later show, our family was invited to come along (the kids in this group even got the chance to appear on stage during song #2). It was neat to learn about what goes on backstage with this type of show and speak with the producer, the backstage crew and some of the performers.

Based in Northern Virginia, ETAP, a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing new talent, is now in its 19th year. Many of the organization's graduates have gone on to become Radio City Rockettes, appear on Broadway, perform on various cruise lines and more. 

We happened to catch the second to last day for 2014's holiday performance, but ETAP has a new show every year, so if you missed it this year, keep an eye out for next year.

My family was already asking if we could go back and see next year's Christmas show.

My response? "Absolutely!"

(No photos or video allowed during the show, however, Fox News also reported on this and included a video segment of the show).

Photos on Friday: Holiday Festivities in Washington DC

This week's Photos on Friday takes a jump downtown to Washington D.C. The District is no New York City in terms of decorations, however, it is festive in its own more subtle way. 

I enjoy walking around the quiet streets this time of the year and looking at the pretty decorations.

I haven't been downtown for the last two months, but for today's Photos on Friday I thought I'd share some photos from earlier years.

Close up look at the Congressional tree

U.S. Treasury

One of my favorites - an ornament at the United States Botanic Garden

Family-friendly New Year's Celebrations in Northern Virginia

If you haven't decided how you will spend your last days of the year, there are lots of options in the Washington D.C. metro area. 

Many of the regional Christmas and holiday events are still open for seasonal tours, such as ICE!, "Seasons Greetings" at the U.S. Botanic Garden, and Mount Vernon, to name a few.

There are also many cool family-friendly things to do to ring in the New Year. Here are some things going on in the area:

First Night Alexandria

Every year the City of Alexandria hosts a big celebration with entertainment and fireworks. Visitors will experience live music, comedy, and kid-friendly events. For more details on location, current price (children under 12 are free and, in the past, they've given passes to active duty military), entertainment and event times, check the FAQ page and schedule. The fireworks, which are displayed over the Potomac River, are free. This is an all-day event (starts in the afternoon) and is a long-running tradition.

City of Falls Church Watch Night Celebration

This annual tradition spans a 4-block area and celebrates the incoming year with live music, interactive fun, inflatables, swing dancing, face painting, karaoke, DJ dancing, puppet shows and more. The party starts at 7 p.m. If you are arriving by Metro, there will be a free shuttle to take you from the East Falls Church station (on the Orange/Silver lines) to the celebration. For more information see the official website.

First Night Vienna

Vienna also holds its annual First Night event. This one is advertised as being fun for all ages. There will be music, food, lots of fun for the kids (check the link for details), moonbounces and more. This event is free and looks to be very family-friendly.

Bull Run Festival of Lights

The Bull Run Festival of Lights also runs through early January.  This is a drive-through tour. There is also the annual carnival at the end of the 2+ mile drive. This event is held at Bull Run Regional Park in western Fairfax County. (Tip: Car lines here during peak times can get long - I learned last year Christmas is extremely busy - we ended up turning around - so plan well this time of year). The gates open at 5:30 for admission, we lined up this year around 5 p.m. and were maybe the 15th car in line, not too long of a wait.

The "Winter Wonderland" segment of the lights was my favorite. This photo doesn't do it justice.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens' Winter Walk of Lights

Meadowlark Gardens also hosts its light festival until just after the New Year. I haven't been to this one yet, but have heard some nice kudos for it. The website notes there are "more than exquisite 500,000 lights and displays" to enjoy. This is a walk, not a drive-through of the lights, so be sure and dress warmly (it's a little over a half mile). Meadowlark recommends purchasing tickets in advance.

There are a number of other family-friendly events, such as First Night Warrenton,  ArtSpace in Herndon, First Night Winchester, and First Night at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.  

Thank you for visiting my blog. Happy New Year!

Photos on Friday: Christmas in Northern Virginia

I can't believe it's already mid-December already! While Christmas is almost upon us, there are still a lot of wonderful events, parades, Christmas markets and other happenings taking place in Northern Virginia in the upcoming weeks.  

Today's Photos on Friday highlights some of this festivity. Here are a few Christmas trees I've spotted in Northern Virginia over the years.  

A Victorian Christmas at Sully Historic Site

Tree lighting in Old Town Alexandria (always a fun evening!)

Mount Vernon has a number of beautifully (themed) decorated Christmas trees each year

It was raining heavily on my trip, but it was clear Old Town Winchester gets all dressed up for the holidays.

Exploring Winchester: Old Courthouse Civil War Museum

Old Courthouse in Winchester

In the northwest area of Virginia is the historic City of Winchester. Until recently, I'd only casually driven this city, usually on my way to other destinations. This past weekend, however, we did drive west and explore Winchester. One of our stops was the Old Courthouse Civil War Museum.

The structure was built in 1840 and not only served as a courthouse, but also a prison and hospital during the Civil War. 

Due to its location, the building had been under both Confederate and Union control at various times during the war. According to the museum, Winchester changed hands more than 70 times in those years. 

Photos on Friday: Garden Railway model train exhibit at USBG

This week's Photos on Friday revisits the holiday festivities taking place at the United States Botanic Garden. I'd written a more detailed post in recent weeks on what you'll see at the conservatory during the holidays. Today I wanted to share a few more photos from my last visit, focusing on the Garden Railway model train exhibit. 

A train comes zooming by at the Garden Railway model train exhibit

Percy (I think that's this train's name?) takes a turn around the Zebra Zone

Looking up at one of the train overpasses

Have a great weekend everyone!

Family holiday fun in D.C.: ICE! 2014

Photo credit: dbking on Flickr taken in 2010

In mid-November the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center kicked off its annual ice extravaganza at the Marriott hotel at the National Harbor. 

Every year the center has its ice show, this year's theme is "Frosty the Snowman". Frosty wasn't brought to life with an old top hat. 

According to the official website, he  brought to life through careful sculpting of over 2 million pounds of ice.

This year also features a live carving zone where visitors can see the artisans, who hail from Northeast China, at work.

This is a pretty popular event and one I've always wanted to go to. Last year some of my family took a trip down to the National Harbor, but we were unable to accompany them. My family came back saying how beautiful it was and how much they loved it.  Hoping to be able to go myself this year. I was reading up on how it's all put together and it sounds spectacular. If I get down there, I'll be sure and post a review, along with some pics.

This year's prices vary depending on the day of your visit (peak vs. non-peak). Check the official website for more information. There are also some discounts available if you qualify.

The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center is located at 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, Md. Just a hop, skip and a jump from downtown.

Photo credit: dbking on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootbearwdc/4253873188/sizes/z/in/photostream/ taken in 2010