Family-Friendly November

Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, and the winter holiday season will follow right after that, can you believe it? You’re going to need some help tracking down some events to keep the kids entertained between now and then, so we’re here with five family-friendly events to help you stay busy (in a good way) while embracing the spirit of the season.

11.10

Movie Night in Barton Park

Bundle up and bring the whole family to a free outdoor screening of “Frozen 2” in Arlington’s Barton Park, presented by real estate company The Keri Shull Team. Be sure to show up hungry, because there will be food trucks parked nearby, offering up treats both sweet and savory. Free. 5 p.m. 2401 10th St. Arlington, VA; kst.house // @kerishullteam

11.12

Chores & S’mores at Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center
Give the kids a one-of-a-kind experience at Hard Bargain Farm, happening as a part of their monthly family fun series. The folks at the Alice Ferguson Foundation need your help with their chores around the farm, including milking their dairy cow, collecting eggs from their chickens and helping feed the rest of the barnyard animals. All that hard work will be rewarded by a post-chores bonfire, complete with s’mores! $15. 4 p.m. 2201 Bryan Point Rd. Accokeek, MD; fergusonfoundation.org // @alicefergusonfoundation

11.13

Sweet Potato Fest at Honey’s Harvest Farm
Celebrate the sweet potato harvest at Honey’s Harvest Farm with their 4th annual Sweet Potato Fest, featuring plenty of activities beyond picking tuberous root vegetables out of the ground, including face painting, bounce houses and corn pools. Parents can shop local vendors, enjoy live music, chef demos and more! $0-$25. 11 a.m. 5801 Brookswood Rd. Lothian, MD; honeysharvest.com // @honeysharvestfarm

11.25 – 12.31

Winter Lights Drive at Seneca Creek State Park
We can’t believe it either, but the holidays are just around the corner, which means it’s time to start making plans to go check out some spectacular lights displays. Gaithersburg’s Seneca Creek State Park has become one of the go-to spots in the DMV area, they’ve been decking their grounds out with massive amounts of Christmas lights annually since 1995. Grab a ticket and fill up the van with kiddos and get ready to embrace that holiday spirit! $15-$25. 6 p.m. 11950 Clopper Rd. Gaithersburg, MD; gaithersburgmd.gov

11.26

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Family Event at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer
You’ll be glad you made the trip up to Bethesda for this family-friendly event featuring live jazz from the Eric Byrd Trio, playing songs from the “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” soundtrack, as a part of the long-running series Music at Redeemer. There will also be refreshments, contests, and a screening of the half hour long Thanksgiving special. What else could you want? $1-$15. 3 p.m. 6201 Dunrobbin Dr. Bethesda, MD; musicatredeemer.org // @musicatredeemer

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Matt Byrne