Events

Tribute at the Tomb at Mount Vernon

Recurring daily
Address: 3200 George Washington Memorial Pkwy, Mount Vernon, VA
Times: 10am - 3pm
Phone: (703) 780-2000
Admission: Included in regular admission ($17 adults, $8 children 6-11, free for children under 5)

Jan-Mar, Daily, 12pm
April-Oct, Daily, 10am & 3pm.

Recite "Washington's Prayer for His Country" and the Pledge of Allegiance as part of this tribute, offered daily at the tomb of George and Martha Washington.

Live Music at Paradise Springs Winery

Recurring weekly on Friday, Saturday
Address: 13219 Yates Ford Rd., Clifton, VA
Times: Fridays until 9pm, Saturdays 2pm-6pm
Contact: Ashley Boucher
Phone: (703) 830-9463
Admission: n/a
Enjoy your Friday evening or Saturday afternoon with live music at Paradise Springs Winery, the closest winery to Washington DC and the first in Fairfax County. After a hard week at work, relax with a picnic, good friends, and a great bottle of wine. Featuring live music every Friday evening until 9pm, and every Saturday from 2-6pm. Artists include acoustic acts, pianists, jazz bands, banjos, or other various forms. Check the website for the schedule of performing artists.

Overtures: S&R Foundation Artist Concert Series

Recurring daily
Address: 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC
Times: Varies
Contact: S&R Foundation
Phone: (202) 298-6007
Admission: Varies

Experience award-winning artists at Overtures: S&R Foundation Artist Concert Series. Overtures is a unique series that features world-class performing artists at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Evermay. The performances showcase each artist's perspective of the National Cherry Blossom Festival - be it springtime, friendship, or love of country - through their instrument and music.

The schedule of performances is as follows:
March 21: Ori Kam, Viola, at Terrace Theater, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ($30)
March 22 : Maki Mori, Soprano, at Terrace Theater, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ($30)
March 31: Andy Akiho, Steel Drum, at Millennium Stage, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (FREE)
April 1: Yu Kosuge, Piano, at Terrace Theater, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ($30)
April 4 : Keiko Matsui, Jazz/Trio, at Evermay ($50)
April 7: Urban Tango Trio at Millennium Stage, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (FREE)
May 17 & 24: Soichi and Kaori Muraji, Guitar Duo, at Evermay ($50)
May 31: Ryo Yanagitani, Piano, at Family Theater, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (FREE)

Mount Vernon in the Civil War Walking Tour

Recurring daily
Address: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, VA
Times: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Phone: (703) 780-2000
Admission: $5 in addition to Estate admission: $17 adults; $8 children (6-11); free for children 5 & under.

Mount Vernon invites visitors to experience a unique side of Civil War history at George Washington's home through a new walking tour, Mount Vernon in the Civil War, beginning April 2. Explore historic locations and listen to dramatic Civil War stories - from the life-risking efforts of the estate's earliest caretakers to battlefield cannon fire rumbling the Mansion!

These special tours are limited in capacity and cost $5 in addition to Estate admission.

Slave Life at Mount Vernon Tour

Recurring daily
Address: 3200 George Washington Memorial Pkwy, Mount Vernon, VA
Times: 2pm - 3pm
Phone: (703) 780-2000
Admission: Included in regular admission ($17 adults, $8 children 6-11, free for children under 5)

Tours of slave life and gardens enrich the visitor experience by providing in-depth knowledge of these fascinating subjects during the 45-minute guided walking tours, included with admission. The Slave Life at Mount Vernon daily tour explores the lives and contributions of the slaves who lived at Mount Vernon. 

Garden Gate Plant Shop

Recurring daily
Address: 4603 Green Spring Rd, Alexandria, VA
Times: Mon-Sat, 9am-4pm; Sun, 12pm-4pm
Phone: (703) 642-5173
Visit our plant sales area offering unusual, hard-to-find plants nurtured by Green Spring's horticultural staff. The shop specializes in plants that do well in our local growing conditions and offers plants featured in Green Spring's gardens. Friends of Green Spring receive 10% off shop plants.

Cartoons and Coffee

Recurring weekly on Saturday
Address: 2910 District Ave, Merrifield, VA
Times: 9am
Admission: Free

A chance for guests to share favorite cartoons, like The Jetsons and Scooby Doo in the park near the Angelika Film Center at the new Mosaic District in Merrifield, VA.

MADE: In America; All-American House at Woodlawn

Recurring daily
Address: 9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA
Times: Wednesday through Monday, 10am - 4pm
Phone: (703) 780-4000

Join us to see Woodlawn transformed from a historic house museum into a comfortable and stylish home for 21st century living!

The Student Design House is a project of MADE: In America to showcase emerging American designers and the American-made products of the 2012 award- winning manufacturers. The competition is open to teams of students currently enrolled in accredited post-secondary design programs in colleges and universities in the mid-Atlantic region. The Woodlawn teams are: University of North Carolina at Greensboro; George Washington University; Montgomery College; and the Corcoran College of Art + Design. All teams, except for the Corcoran, will re-imagine Woodlawn for 21st century living. The Corcoran team will virtually re-image Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey, displaying their work in one of Woodlawn's rooms.

The competition is structured to provide students an opportunity to tackle a real design project in a time frame and under circumstances they will face as professional designers. To ensure their success, teams are required to have at least one faculty advisor supervising their project and they will be assigned a MADE: In America design mentor and a sponsor showroom that will provide furniture and accessories. The rooms will be judged by a team of noted designers. The winning team will be presented with an award at an opening reception. All team members will receive certificates of participation.

The competition provides students with the opportunity to work and get to know leading industry professionals; acquire invaluable experience working directly with manufacturers and showrooms; add an impressive credential to their portfolios; and introduce their work to the public as they embark on their professional careers. School officials will be recognized at the awards ceremony and presented with a recognition certificate. Participating schools will also have opportunities to host on-site events for current and potential students.

Members of the prestigious Congressional Club are being invited to serve on an Honorary Steering Committee, chaired by legendary interior designer, Alexa Hampton. Among the Club's distinguished members are accomplished interior designers, architects, and artists who will share their professional expertise and offer guidance in creating the Student Design House. Nationally recognized and award-winning interior designer, Barbara Hawthorn, is also advising the student competitors.

Rocklands BBQ Memorial Day Weekend

Recurring daily
Address: 13219 Yates Ford Rd., Clifton, VA
Times: 11am-7pm
Contact: Drew
Phone: (703) 830-9463
Memorial Day Weekend featuring the famous Rockland's BBQ Sandwiches & LIVE MUSIC. BBQ sandwiches and traditional sides will be offered for sale at Paradise Springs Winery on all days May 24-27. Come by, eat some delicious BBQ on Memorial Day Weekend, and taste some of the delicious wines!

The 15th Annual Ride of the Patriots® Celebration Weekend

Recurring daily
Address: 9739 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA
The Ride of the Patriots is an exciting four-day event spanning the entire Memorial Day weekend. All activities for the weekend are at or begin at Patriot Harley-Davidson, located just West of Fairfax Circle on Fairfax Boulevard (Map). The event starts on Friday evening at 5:30 pm, May 24th with a Chapter ride to the Candlelight Vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Activities continue on Saturday, May 25th, with the Patriot Harley-Davidson Open House (9:00 am -6:00 pm) where you may have your National H.O.G. membership card swiped to receive a commemorative pin for Rolling Thunder XXV, buy a Ride of the Patriots 2013 commemorative T-Shirt from the dealership and the Ride of the Patriots 2013 commemorative coin and pin at the Chapter H.O.G. booth. Visit the Patriot Harley-Davidson website for open house details. Of course the most visible event is on Sunday at Patriot H-D when we honor our heroes and ride to Rolling Thunder. The weekend finale is a Chapter ride in the Falls Church Memorial Day Parade.

A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

Address: 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA
Times: 5:45 pm
Phone: (703) 255-1900
Admission: $25 to $60
Be part of the audience as the iconic Garrison Keillor leads an ensemble cast through his entertaining radio variety show filled with special guest performances, comedy sketches, musical interludes, and Keillor’s signature monologue, “The News from Lake Wobegon.”

Cooking Class with Chef Roberto Gerbino

Address: 11990 Market St (Reston Town Center), Reston, VA
Times: 12pm
Phone: (703) 437-5544
Admission: $45+ includes lunch/wine/recipes

Learn to cook:
Insalata di Farro e Fave (Farro and Fava bean salad)
Pasticcio di Pesce (Fresh pasta in creamy seafood sauce)
Tiramisu (sweet cream layered on top of rum and coffee soaked lady fingers)

RSVP 703.437.5544
Online reservations cannot be accepted 

Cool Cow Comedy

Address: 9601 Ox Rd, Lorton, VA
Times: 8:00pm
Contact: Workhouse Arts Center
Phone: (703) 584-2900
Admission: TBA
Cool Cow Comedy continues to bring its monthly comedy series to the Workhouse Arts Center again for two shows on Saturday, May 25. Cool Cow's dedication to ambiance and high powered comedy has driven its on going success. Cool Cow features comedian from all over the country with credits that include Comedy Central, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, SiriusXM, Caroline's on Broadway, Warner Theater, DC Improv, MTV, HBO and more super impressive things! Cool Cow Comedy: National comedy on your local stage.

Cures from the Quarter

Address: 3650 Historic Sully Way, Chantilly, VA
Times: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm tours
Phone: (703) 437-1794
Admission: $7 adults, $6 students (16+), $5 seniors and youth

At the slave quarter learn how enslaved African Americans maintained their health. Discover the differences and similarities between preferred healthcare methods of slaves and their masters. Included in the Forgotten Road Tour. Ages 5 yrs - adult.

Memorial Day Parade

Address: 5831 Dunker Church Road, Sharpsburg, MD
Times: Time Varies
Phone: (301) 432-5124
Admission: See website

Watch one of the oldest, continuous Memorial Day parades in the Town of Sharpsburg followed by a commemoration held in the National Cemetery

Sunset Celebration at Mount Vernon

Recurring daily
Address: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, VA
Times: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Phone: (703) 780-2000
Admission: $18, adults; $12, children ages 6-11; and free for five and under

Historic Mount Vernon invites visitors to sip wine while watching the sunset on George Washington's home! Sunset Celebration at Mount Vernon, an event over Memorial Day weekend (May 25 - 26), offers a rare opportunity to visit Mount Vernon after the daytime crowds have departed. Visitors may take evening tours of the Mansion, relax and enjoy wine and desserts available for purchase on the lawn overlooking the Potomac River. Delight in 18th-century music, dancing, games, and wagon rides. Stroll the lantern-lit grounds from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and immerse yourself in the 18th century as the sun sets on the plantation with costumed residents like the charming Lady Washington. This family-friendly event celebrates the beginning of summer on the plantation.

Tickets are $18, adults; $12, children ages 6-11; and free for five and under. This event requires a separate ticket from daytime Estate admission. Annual passes are not valid for this event. All activities, with the exception of food and wine, are included with admission to this event. Tickets may be purchased online in advance at MountVernon.org or at the Ford Orientation Center ticket window until 8:00 p.m. the evening of the event. Guests must be prepared to show identification to purchase wine.

USCIS NATURALIZATION CEREMONY

Address: 10709 Gunston Road, Lorton, VA
Times: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Phone: (703) 550-9220
Admission: Admission will be free until 1:00 p.m., with limited seating available to the general public.
Gunston Hall will be the setting as thirty naturalization candidates raise their right hands and become new American citizens on Saturday, May 25 at 11:00 a.m.  In honor of Memorial Day, several of the participants currently serve in the United States Armed Forces.

Speakers will include Sarah Taylor, District Director for the Washington District Office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; Wylie Raab, First Regent of Gunston Hall;  David Mercer, a Principal of the Mercer-Trigiani law firm in Alexandria, VA and Community Activist; and Linda T. "Toddy" Puller, Virginia State Senator. 

The Color Guard of the U.S. Sea Cadet Corps, Alexandria Division, will lead the procession to the outdoor stage located in front of Gunston Hall, and ten members of the MV Brass will play America the Beautiful, marches and classic American music to enhance the day's events.  Refreshments will be served to all attendees following the ceremony, which is sponsored by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America, District of Columbia Society.

ViVa! Vienna! Festival

Recurring daily
Address: 245 Maple Ave W, Vienna, VA
Times: Saturday & Sunday 10am-10pm; Monday 10am-6pm
Phone: (703) 255-4742
Admission: Free to attend; Food and Rides cost extra
ViVa! Vienna! - a family and community oriented celebration of Memorial Day and the greater Vienna Community spirit.  Amusement rides, food, crafts, vendors and entertainment - fun for all ages!  Vendors include handcraft artisans, retail vendors, professionals, political parties and candidates, and community and non-profit organizations.  50,000 guests and over 300 vendors.  100% of proceeds go to charitable, community and humanitarian organizations.

Walking Tour: All The President's Pups

Recurring weekly on Saturday
Address: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, VA
Times: 10am - 12pm
Phone: (703) 780-2000
Admission: $5 in addition to Estate admission for humans. Dogs are free!

Dogs welcome! This special walking tour covers 1.25 miles of Mount Vernon terrain stopping at five historic locations, including the West Gate. Learn about canine life at Mount Vernon, from the first president's dogs to the dogs that live at Mount Vernon today.

It is well documented that the first president loved dogs. After the Revolutionary War, Washington tried to improve the quality of his hunting dogs through breeding. According to the American Kennel Club, Washington is the father of the American Foxhound.

All The President's Pups walking tour takes place on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m., May 25 through June 29.

Cost: $5 in addition to general admission for humans. Admission for dogs is free.

Note: extended walking on uneven terrain; 90 minutes. All dogs must be leashed with their owner at all times. Meet at the Bowling Green Gate, Map #26

President Lincoln's Cottage Signature Cottage Tour

Recurring daily
Address: Upshur St. NW and Rock Creek Church Rd. NW,, Washington, DC
Times: First tour at 10am, Last tour at 3pm
Phone: (202) 829-0436
Admission: Adult: $12; Children (6-12):$5;
The Signature Cottage Tour, an innovative small group tour in which a professional guide uses "historical voices" and images through multimedia technology to bring the stories of Abraham Lincoln and his family to life.

Hoecakes & Hospitality: Cooking with Martha Washington

Recurring daily
Address: 3200 George Washington Memorial Pkwy, Mount Vernon, VA
Times: 9am - 4pm
Admission: Included in regular Estate admission: adults, $15.00; children ages 6-11, $7.00; and children under 5 are admitted free.
George and Martha Washington welcomed thousands of guests to Mount Vernon in the more than forty years they lived here. How did Martha manage to feed so many in a world without refrigerators, microwaves or running water?

Experience a behind-the-scenes look at the Washingtons' kitchen through the new exhibition, Hoecakes & Hospitality: Cooking with Martha Washington. On display inside the Donald W. Reynolds Museum, this temporary exhibition explores how foods were prepared and presented at 18th-century Mount Vernon. Before appearing in dining rooms, crispy hoecakes, smokes hams, frozen ice creams, and other foods required the work of gardeners, housekeepers, enslaves cooks, butlers and waiters - all under Martha Washington's careful supervision.

Following food from the Estate's field to kitchen to table, visitors will see recipes and cookbooks that Martha treasured, pots that simmered in her kitchen, and fine tablewares that made Mount Vernon's dining room fit for a president. For the first time ever, visitors to the Museum will experience scents as they explore the exhibition - smelling cinnamon, coffee, and warm bread. Open through August 11, 2013.

Entrance to the Donald W. Reynolds Museum is included in regular Estate admission.

Experience Civil War Photography: From the Home Front to the Battlefront

Recurring daily
Address: 1000 Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington, DC
Times: 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Daily
Phone: (202) 633-1000
Admission: FREE

Learn how Americans personally experienced the Civil War through photographs of the era. Stereo-view photographs, viewing devices, and 3-D images created from the photos (glasses provided) are on view to explore this new and innovative technology of 150 years ago. A camera, glass-slide negatives, and a video reveal how the photographs were created.

The photographs are divided into the following three sections:

• Smithsonian Castle; Washington, DC; and the National Mall
• Beginnings of American photojournalism and battlefield photography
• Homefront experience through photography

No photography permitted.

National Treasure Tour at Mount Vernon

Recurring daily
Address: 3200 George Washington Memorial Pkwy, Mount Vernon, VA
Times: 11:30am - 4pm
Admission: $5 per tour, in addition to regular Estate admission: adults, $17.00; children ages 6-11, $8; and children under 5 are admitted free.

Mount Vernon's popular "National Treasure Tour" returns beginning March 1.  The tour is dedicated to the behind-the-scenes filming of the blockbuster movie National Treasure: Book of Secrets at Mount Vernon. The National Treasure Tour combines Hollywood and history, giving visitors stories about the filming and also information on how the locations were used during George Washington's time.  Included in this approximately hour-long walking tour is the Mansion's basement and cornerstone, the setting for a pivotal scene. Fans of the movie will recognize the space as the location where Nicolas Cage's character kidnaps the president.

This special tour costs $5 per tour in addition to Estate admission. Please be aware that this is an extensive walking tour that covers steep steps in the Mansion and a walk down a long hill to the wharf.

Pope-Leighey House Guided Tours

Recurring weekly on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Address: 9000 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA
Times: 10am - 4pm (tours on the hour and half hour)
Phone: (703) 780-4000
Admission: $8.50/adult, $4/child (k-12)
During the 1930s, Frank Lloyd Wright set his formidable attention towards designing affordable middle-class residences. More than 100 of these modest homes, referred to as Usonian, thought to mean "the United States of North America," were constructed between 1936 and Wright's death in 1959, including the Pope-Leighey house (1940). Commissioned in 1939 by Loren Pope, a journalist in Falls Church, the residence was sold to Robert and Marjorie Leighey in 1946. The house was in the path of an expansion of Highway 66, so in an effort to preserve the building, Mrs. Leighey gave the property to the National Trust, which relocated it to nearby Woodlawn and granted her lifetime tenancy. Mrs. Leighey occupied the house at Woodlawn, until her death in 1983. Unusually, the house required a second move due to the instability of the clay soil, and was relocated about thirty feet up the hill in 1995-96.

Garden and Landscape Tours

Recurring daily
Address: 3200 George Washington Memorial Pkwy, Mount Vernon, VA
Times: 11am - 12pm
Admission: Included in regular Estate admission: adults, $15.00; children ages 6-11, $7.00; and children under 5 are admitted free.

This 45-minute guided walking tour examines Washington's brilliant design for the grounds around Mount Vernon. Visit the gardens he created, see some of the original trees, and learn how he merged areas for work and leisure to create a master plan for his beloved home.

Dinner for the Washingtons Walking Tour

Recurring weekly on Sunday, Saturday
Address: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, VA
Times: 12pm - 1pm
Phone: (703) 780-2000
Admission: $5 in addition to Estate admission: $17 adults; $8 children (6-11); free for children 5 & under.

Ever wonder what George Washington ate for dinner? The Dinner for the Washingtons walking tour goes behinds the scenes to find out how food was prepared and served before the era of microwaves and TV dinners.  The one-hour walking tour showcases food, hospitality, and dining at Mount Vernon by taking an in-depth look at locations around the Estate, including the basement cellar. The tour concludes in Mount Vernon's greenhouse with a toast to Washington and a sample of food based on an 18th century recipe.

This special tour costs $5 per tour in addition to Estate admission.