cmt

I was just asked to help come up with some suggestions for fun activities for a group that will be in DC on a Saturday evening in late May. (I'm not totally unfamiliar with DC, but generally when I'm there it is daytime, and by nighttime I'm always back in Maryland, where I stay at a friend's house when visiting the area.)

The group could be about 10 to 15 people, but possibly fewer or more, depending on whether people decide to go out as a group or separate and go out on their own in the evening. It's a group of mostly middle-aged, mostly women, reasonably physically fit but mostly not really athletic, who will have participated in dragon boat races that day and will do so again the following day. http://www.dragonboatdc.com/

I'm looking for something interesting and not too expensive (or free) to do as a group that evening. Some things that could be of interest: historic walking tours, memorials, free outdoor concerts. The group would be based in Georgetown. Some will have cars, but in general, getting around by Metro would be preferable. Anything special on for Memorial Day weekend, specifically May 28? (I may not actually be with the group that night, but I'm helping with the planning.)

uhoh_busted

There are more and more sidewalk eateries in DC than there once were...It might be tough seating a group of ten, but I'd head up Connecticut Avenue to just before and after Dupont Circle. If there are any free concerts that weekend (and it is highly likely there will be) they will be on the mall. A picnic on the mall listening to a concert is always a lot of fun. There is a half-price tickets shop in DC, I'll have to check my work PC because it is stored as one of my Favorites links, and post back tomorrow or later in the week.

wliwl

I would recommend visiting Dumbarton Oaks Gardens but I think they are only open until 6:00pm. They are great.

http://www.doaks.org/Gardens.html

flygirl

Arlington Cemetery would be a special place to visit over Memorial Day wkd.

There is also a monuments by moonlight tour that I hear is quite good, have not done it although I may have to - nothing like playing tourist in your own town.

uhoh_busted

You can walk in their location:
407 Seventh St, NW
or try to arrange something by web
like little cockroaches, your former students are tracking you down one by one...
http://cultural-alliance.org/tickets

sallyjane3

If you are so inclined, there's a tea and tour and then a labryinth walk at The National Cathedral on the last Tuesday of each month.

sallyjane3

Sorry, didn't pay attention enough to the date/day. Need to go eat dinner, I guess.......

weski

Sat. night may be the time the National Symphony does its dress rehersal for their Mem. Day concert. Check the Post on Friday for the weekend activities. Nice to get a picnic and listen to them practice with fewer throngs on the Capital steps. Speaking of which, there is a satire group singing humorous songs about the political scene - they have shows on sat. nights at the Reagan building - the Capitol Steps. Also, go by the monuments, especially WWII memorial at night - absolutely beautiful. theaters will also have shows, of course.

cmt

Thanks for the ideas so far. I'd still welcome any other suggestions, which I will then pass along to the group.

cmt

Does anyone haappen to have handy any advance listings of activities next month, or any other suggestions?

beanweb24

You can find activities for your travel dates at washingtonpost.com. From the front page, click on "entertainment guide."

Jayneann

We just returned from DC and highly recommend taking the Moonlight Old Trolley Tour!! Our tour driver, Mr. Map, was so informative and entertaining plus he claims to be a native of DC! It was one of the highlights of our trip!!!

stever

HIGHLY recommend seeing the Vietnam Vets Memorial at night and the FDR momument at night. They are beautiful and gut wrenchingly moving, when combined with the Korean War Memorial right next door! They're all lit up and amazing... Best stuff to see in DC in my opinion, and free of course.

Cheers,
Steve
Maryland

cmt

Here's some information that I gathered. About half of it is made up of links to sites that list things to do in DC, but some of it, like the concert dress rehearsal, is specific to that weekend.

Washington Post entertainment guide: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...ide/index.html (Check this closer to next weekend.)

Visitors’ Guide: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...de.htm?nav=toc

DC weekend city guide: http://aolsvc.digitalcity.com/washington/best/

Metro system: www.wmata.com/default.cfm

Paris on the Potomac: http://www.washington.org/parisonthepotomac/date.htm (various France-related exhibits and programs ending this month)

Current activities in DC: http://www.washington.org/index.cfm?...TOKEN=60748786

Public dress rehearsal of May 29 Memorial Day concert takes place Saturday evening, May 27, on the West Lawn.

Monuments by moonlight: http://www.affiliate.viator.com/broc...1016&AUID=2310 and http://shophta.com/acb/stores/15/pro...&Product_ID=54

Washington After Dark Tour: http://www.affiliate.viator.com/broc...1016&AUID=2310

Memorials (on your own): http://travel.discovery.com/destinat...s_31010_1.html

Trolley tour (only 9 to 5): http://shophta.com/acb/stores/15/pro...Product_ID=101

National theater: http://www.tickco.com/venue_schedule...al-theater.htm

Memorial Day weekend concerts, memorial events, and other events: http://www.letsgo.com/DC/01-DiscoverDC-112

Other Memorial Day weekend events: http://www.washington.org//SiteSearc...=81&SRA=Events

Smithsonian: http://www.si.edu/

Suggestions on Fodors forum: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34604126

Gardens: http://www.travelterrific.com/spring...s_sp00_01.html

Zoo: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm

Interesting restaurants near DC: Bethesda, MD, has a lot of ethnic restaurants all concentrated in one large section of the city. I’ve enjoyed Nam and Green Papaya, both Vietnamese. Falls Church, VA, a little west of DC, has a large southeast Asian population and many Vietnamese restaurants (I’ve never been there, but have heard from a friend and from a NYTimes article that they’re very good.)

Event calendar: http://www.monthlybuzz.com/events.html

cmt

Can anyone suggest anything specific not incorporated in my list?

starrsville

I'd been to DC before, but seeing the monuments at night turned out to be my favorite experience (and my nephew - young at the time).

I'd do one of the night tours that have been mentioned before.

cmt

Cross-referencing a similar thread posted by someone else, which may get some useful replies: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34623155