There’s nothing I look forward to more than finding something new to do with my family on a Saturday, so planning kid-friendly weekend activities has become something of an obsession for me. I used to spend hours every week scrolling through different websites looking for the best things to do near our home in Arlington Virginia.
And I was never happy with any of the sites I went to. Facebook was dominated by strip club barkers who thought I might be tempted by $5 Mojitos. Eventbrite was great for finding odd events, but often the best events were already sold out by the time I found them. Kid-friendly DC was spot-on but not as comprehensive. So one day, I thought, why not combine the best of all my sources in a single site?
I set out to create a hand-curated list of not only the most popular events in Washington DC, but also some quirky gatherings – like an eccentric in the Palisades who invites the public into his salon to experience a maestro performing on his meticulously-restored antique harpsichord. Or the Maori tattoo artist flown in from New Zealand by the Smithsonian to tattoo the milky-white butt of a forty-year-old dad in front of an audience of hundreds.
I still spend hours — literally hours — every week planning my weekend. And I do it, in part, so you won’t have to. Beyond the honest reviews — I accept no money to write about events — you’ll also find a cool planning tool that allows you to expand all the events you’re interested in and collapse the rest so you can give your family or friends a couple of options.
Once you’ve made up your mind, click the icon to send the directions into your car or mobile device. And if you’re not ready to leave yet click the icon to add it to a calendar that you can share with your partners in adventure.
This is, in many ways, my love song to Washington, DC, which I believe to be the greatest city in the world. What makes it the greatest city in the world is that it encompasses the world. With embassies and free museums you can explore the world without ever traveling more than a few miles from home. But if you must leave I’ve also assembled some of the best event blogs in other cities to help you in your travels.
Happy loafing!