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MLK Weekend 2024 in DC: 16 Best Things To Do with Kids

There are so many ways to honor MLK throughout DC this weekend. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial photo by Martin Secor, courtesy of the National Park Service
There are so many ways to honor MLK throughout DC this weekend. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial photo by Martin Secor, courtesy of the National Park Service
1/10/24 - By Jennifer Swope

Looking for the best things to do in DC for MLK weekend 2024? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

The DC area is particularly meaningful in the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Annual MLK Peace Walk & Parade, as well as events at the National Museum of African American History & Culture and the Reston Community Center, are great ways for families to celebrate.

Want to take action? Participate in the MLK National Day of Service or help clean up a local park in Alexandria, Virginia or Montgomery County, Maryland. Read on for details on these events and other family-friendly activities this MLK weekend 2024.

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The MLK DC Peace Walk & Parade draws over 1,000 participants. Photo by Ted Eytan, via Flickr. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The MLK DC Peace Walk & Parade draws over 1,000 participants. Photo by Ted Eytan, via Flickr. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Things to Do in DC this MLK Weekend 2024 with Kids

LuminoCity Winter Light Festival

Gaithersburg, MD - Thursday - Monday, January 11-15
LuminoCity brings its winter wonderland experience to the DC area this season. This luminescent adventure has three themed rooms—Winter Fantasy, Wild Adventure, and Sweet Dreams. LuminoCity contains the magic of unicorns, a glowing bamboo forest, shining pandas, and a captivating donut tunnel for vistors to slide down.  READ MORE

Jungle Discovery

Bethesda, MD - Friday - Sunday, January 12-14
Jungle Discovery at Imagination Stage, in collaboration with Port Discovery Children's Museum, is an engaging and immersive interactive experience for children ages 3-6 and their adults. Participants enter a fantastical jungle world where they can dress up as exotic creatures and explore the beautiful flora and fauna, play in the jungle leaves, add flowers, play with sound using a rain stick, draw on the Mirror Mural, and make a warm nest to hide in. There are plenty of fun surprises in this multi-sensory environment. READ MORE

MLK Service Cleanups with Montgomery Parks

Mongtomery, Co., MD - Friday - Monday, January 12-15
Free
Recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day through a volunteer park cleanup at parks across Montgomery County. Participants can help clear litter from streams, beautify green spaces, and do other things to protect natural spaces and wildlife. READ MORE

Jurassic Quest Baltimore

Timonium, MD - Friday - Monday, January 12-15
Play with baby dinosaurs, excavate fossils, train a raptor, and stroll among life-size animatronic dinosaurs including Apatosaurus, Spinosaurus, T-Rex, and a 50-foot-long Megalodon.  READ MORE

Disney's Finding Nemo Jr. The Musical

Arlington, VA - Fridays - Sundays, January 12-21
This beloved story follows Marlin, an anxious and overprotective clownfish, who lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his child Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. When Nemo is captured, Marlin decides to face his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as the optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. READ MORE

DAR Museum's Family Day

Washington, DC - Saturday, January 13
Free
Visitors of all ages are invited to explore the DAR Musuem and participate in kid-friendly activities and games.  READ MORE

Saturday Morning Live! at the National

Washington, DC - Saturday, January 13
Free
Saturday Morning Live! returns to the National Theatre. Enjoy wow-inspiring children’s entertainment of all sorts, including interactive performances, puppets, dance, and music, all designed to light up imaginations and celebrate a world of wonder.  READ MORE

Watson Adventures’ Wizard School Scavenger Hunt (at National Gallery of Art)

Washington, DC - Saturday, January 13
Follow in the footsteps of young wizards on a field trip to the National Gallery in search of art that echoes characters, places, and enchanted objects in the famed Harry Potter books and movies. The hunt is not an addition to or variation on Harry’s adventures. Instead, references to the books provide a surprising bridge to many strange and wonderful works of art. READ MORE

National Portrait Gallery Weekend Workshop

Washington, DC - Saturday & Sunday, January 13-14
Free
Calling all artists! Get creative during free drop-in workshops for all ages. Learn about artists and changemakers and create art inspired by their stories. READ MORE

Mouse on the Move

Bethesda, MD - Saturdays & Sundays, through February 11
Two adventurous mice are ready to explore the world beyond their tiny mouse-hole. They decide to go to the moon, since it is cat-free and made entirely of delicious cheese, or so they've heard. In this multi-sensory experience, children receive a small suitcase of props with which they help the actors tell the story.  READ MORE

MLK Birthday Celebration Especially for Youth (at Reston Community Center)

Reston, VA - Saturday - Monday, January 13-15
Children can rotate through a series of activities including a performance, an age-appropriate video, and arts and crafts. All activities are based on the history of Dr. King and the civil rights movement.  READ MORE

The Annual MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade

Washington, DC - Monday, January 15
Free
Coordinated by the Coalition for Peace, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Peace Walk is held annually on the MLK holiday. Over a thousand Peace Walkers join in the two-mile walk along MLK Ave in Southeast DC. READ MORE

The People's Holiday

Washington, DC - Monday, January 15
Free
The National Museum of African American History & Culture's annual community program honors Dr. King's commitment to racial equality, justice, and service. Highlights of the day include original performances by students from Duke Ellington School of the Arts, an opportunity to make a button inspired by Dr. King, an invitation to write a dream on a community board, and other activities to honor Dr. King. READ MORE

MLK Day of Service – Mount Vernon Trail

Alexandria, VA - Monday, January 15
Free
The Friends of Mount Vernon Trail are improving the new Long Bridge Connector Trail that connects to the Mount Vernon Trail in Arlington. Volunteer to remove invasive vegetation growing into the trail. Anyone and everyone can volunteer.  READ MORE

MLK National Day of Service

Various Locations - Monday, January 15
Free
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day each year, all Americans are encouraged to step up to make communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. Examples include cleaning up a public space, mentoring a young person, or helping those who are food insecure. READ MORE

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

National Parks - Monday, January 15
Free
It's National Public Lands Day, and that means your admission is FREE! On select days throughout the year, all national parks are open to the public with no admission fee. READ MORE

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