It is long past Halloween. Thanksgiving week has come and gone. The calendar has finally flipped to its last page. By all qualifications, it is the holiday season, and after the last holiday season was stunted by pandemic restrictions, holiday activities have returned in full-force. 

Sculpture Garden Ice Rink

Skating at the Sculpture Garden Ice Rink is a classic DC winter pastime. Each winter from November to late March, the fountain in the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art is converted to an ice rink. Entry costs $10 per person for two 45-minute sessions, and ice skate rentals cost $5. The rink opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at 9 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Downtown Holiday Market

Another DC classic, this one more festive, is the Downtown Holiday Market. Returning for its 17th iteration, this bazaar features more than 70 vendors, ranging from art, clothing, crafts and jewelry to countless food vendors. Live music will accompany the event each night, featuring dozens of local DC musicians. The Market is located on 8th and F Streets, NW in Penn Quarter, and will be open from noon until 8 p.m. every day until December 23. 

Christmas Village in Baltimore

For those willing to make the trek, the Inner Harbor is hosting the Christmas Village in Baltimore. Emulating the famous Christmas markets of Germany, many vendors will sell traditional European food and drinks, holiday gifts and ornaments out of wooden booths. Running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until Christmas Eve, the free-to-enter Christmas Village is a fantastic spot to buy handmade gifts or wolf down Belgian fries. 

Enchant at Nationals Park

While the most vaguely-named event on this list, Enchant at Nationals Park may be DC’s most grandiose holiday event. Enchant is a self-described “magical” lights show in DC’s ballpark. The event, which costs $29 dollars to enter, features an ice-skating maze, artisan markets and even Santa Claus himself. Enchant will be open from 4:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. nightly until January 2.

Bull Run Lights Festival

While the tradition of driving to admire Christmas lights is ridiculous, NoVa Parks has taken complete advantage of the custom. The regional parks authority constructed an intricate 2.5 mile-long lights show with a $30 entrance fee labelled the Bull Run Lights Festival. Despite my personal distaste for in-car lights shows, the festival has been well received in past years, and has garnered rave reviews from other Sentry staff. The festival is located in Bull Run Regional Park, opens at 5:30 p.m. nightly, closes at 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, and 10:00 p.m. on weekends and holiday nights.

US Botanic Garden Outdoor Holiday Display

Last, but certainly not least, is my favorite: the US Botanic Garden Outdoor Holiday Display. This whimsical display is the highlight of DC’s holiday season, featuring holiday decorations, Christmas trees, model trains, lights and did I mention trains? There are trains. The display is located at the Botanic Garden, which is open from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. until January 2. The model trains will begin to run at 10 a.m. daily. Tickets are not required.