Folger Shakespeare Library
Things to do the week of Dec. 29 - Jan. 1, 2026
We've gathered up things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
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Monday
Folger Frost Fair
Inspired by frost fairs held in London from the 1600s-1800s when the River Thames would freeze over, the Folger Frost Fair (open through Jan. 4) is a winter festival filled with holiday music, decorations, walk-up tours, seek-and-find games, holiday gift shopping, craft stations, printing press demonstrations and much more. The Folger Shakespeare Library offers free admission and pay-what-you-will timed-entry passes.
More Info
Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Grandma Moses: A Good Day's Work
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, who was dubbed “Grandma Moses” by the press, lived through the American Civil War, two world wars and the civil rights era. In the 1940s, she emerged as a central figure thanks to her unique tapestries of American life. The Smithsonian American Art Museum introduces her essential work to new generations with an in-depth exhibit.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Winter Wonderfest
Celebrate the season with days of magical merriment at Nationals Park, which will transform into the city's headquarters for all things thrilling, chilling and fantastically fun. Activities include a 100-foot tubing slide, a Northern Lights Experience, a winter train ride, LED see-saws, a putt-putt challenge, curling lanes, a snowball speed throw challenge and a sculpture garden. There will even be a 21-and-over area with a hidden speakeasy. Tickets are available now. Use the code "VISITDC" for $5.50 off each ticket purchased.
Tickets
Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
A Christmas Carol
In this time-honored holiday tradition in the nation’s capital, acclaimed actor Craig Wallace assumes the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a lavish Victorian-style musical production of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic. Scrooge’s riveting journey alongside the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future is a joy even if you’ve experienced it a hundred times before – especially in one of the world’s most historic theaters.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Tuesday
Photo by Ruth Orkin
Ruth Orkin: Women on the Move
The National Museum of Women in the Arts displays 21 vintage photos by Ruth Orkin. The collection documents women’s lives in the mid-20th century across images of European tourists, Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps members, Hollywood celebrities, Broadway stars and women at work in classrooms, parks and neighborhoods.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
National Building Museum
Winter Skate Spectacular
Don’t fret! The National Building Museum will bring back its indoor ice-skating rink this year. Sponsored by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District and Events DC, the Winter Skate Spectacular will offer daytime and after-hours skate sessions this year. Visitors can also enjoy The Wave, a 55-by-180-foot recycled aluminum space frame suspended in the Great Hall.
Tickets & More Information
National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
ZooLights
Join the thousands of visitors who make ZooLights, powered by Pepco, a part of their annual holiday tradition. The event includes live music performances, tasty winter treats and plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping. Environmentally friendly LED lights and dozens of glowing animal lanterns transform the Smithsonian's National Zoo into a winter wonderland. Note that timed passes are required. Admission is just $6.
Hours & Admission
Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Signature Theatre Company
Fiddler on the Roof
The welcoming environs of Signature Theatre are the perfect setting for a beautiful staging of this iconic musical. Fiddler on the Roof concerns Jewish milkman Tevye and his community in Czarist Russia as they deal with rising anti-Semitism and a world quickly changing around them. Legendary songs include “Sunrise, Sunset” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker”.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Wednesday
The Flaming Lips
The forebears of modern psychedelic rock will celebrate the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 during this special New Year’s Eve show at The Anthem. Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips’ concerts are always bombastic, colorful, festive and mind-bending, so expect an epic night of revelry.
8 p.m. | Tickets
The Anthem, 901 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Celebrate New Year's Eve in DC
Washington, DC’s restaurants, attractions and venues present you with plenty of options for celebrating New Year’s Eve in the nation's capital. Read up on some of the best ways to celebrate.
Thursday
Season's Greenings
Trade in your dreams of a white Christmas for something even better – a green Christmas. At this year's Season's Greenings exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden, displays will feature not only holiday lights, but thousands of poinsettias, unbelievable plant-based sculptures, a circuit of model trains and pollinators galore. Tickets are not required. This year's theme? Dinosaurs.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20001
Marvel at holiday displays all over the District
The National Christmas Tree, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, the CityCenterDC tree, the DC Holiday Hunt and Frosted at Franklin Park are unique city experiences that can all be enjoyed on New Year's Day.
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