Holidays At National Harbor: Family Fun Awaits

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Holidays at National Harbor are a great way to celebrate the season. Take a day trip to this waterfront playground and capture the holiday spirit with tree lighting, fireworks, Santa, movies, shopping and great dining.

Holidays At National Harbor

Celebrate the holidays at Washington, D.C. region’s premier waterfront escape. National Harbor’s popular holiday celebration takes place throughout the destination with events and activities all season long for the whole family beginning November 16, 2020.  Here are the top ways to celebrate the season at the Waterfront District at National Harbor Presented by Chase.

Tree Lighting Will Bring Out Your Holiday Spirit

Starting November 16 through January 5, ignite your holiday spirit with the nightly lighting of the 56-foot tree and two million twinkling lights in the National Harbor Waterfront District. The tree light show takes place daily, every half hour from sundown to 9 p.m.  On weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) there will be snowfall over the tree during the light show.

 Fireworks Light Up The Sky Over The Potomac River 

Every Saturday from November 16 to December 28, celebrate the holidays with a spectacular fireworks display at 5:30 p.m.

Watch a FREE Holiday Movie

Bring the whole family and enjoy family holiday movies on the plaza screen each Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Complimentary popcorn provided by Chase and the first 120 guests for each weekly movie, will receive a Chase blanket.

11/16               Planes, Trains and Automobiles

11/23               Elf

11/30               The Grinch

12/07               Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

12/14               The Polar Express

12/21               A Christmas Story

12/28               Love Actually

1/4                   The Holiday                      

Take a spin on The Capital Wheel with Santa

Purchase a ticket to The Capital Wheel and you can ride with Santa on a first-come, first-served basis every Saturday from Nov. 30 through December 21 from noon to 4 p.m. Santa will be available for pictures, wish list sharing and a once-in-a-lifetime family experience. Each climate-controlled gondola will be wrapped in holiday cheer featuring peppermint striping, Santa hats and snowflakes. Chase cardholders will also get a special discount on wheel rides throughout the Holiday Season.

Enjoy a Frozen Carousel Christmas

Purchase a ticket to the waterfront Carousel and meet an Ice Princess and her favorite Snowman on Saturdays from Nov. 30 to December 21 from noon to 2 p.m. A frosty backdrop and wintry theme create the perfect spot to meet these heart-warming characters and pose for holiday photos.

 Shop ‘til you drop

The Waterfront District makes holiday shopping a breeze. You can walk the streets filled with unique shops and boutiques such as Peeps & Company (one of only two in the country), House of Jonlei Atelier, BrookieGirl and more. These join nationally recognized brands including Alex and Ani, Build-A-Bear, Carhartt, South Moon Under and others. Select stores will offer free hot drinks like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate courtesy of Chase.

 But Wait There’s More 

Christmas On The Potomac at Gaylord National- This is our favorite event of the holiday season.  Christmas on the Potomac is highlighted by ICE! featuring Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, an indoor walk through exhibit carved from 2 million pounds of ice depicting scenes from the popular, heart-warming holiday tale. 

MGM National Harbor features a breathtaking holiday display in the conservatory and Tanger Outlets provides a shopping extravaganza with more than 85 designer brands.

National Harbor is the perfect location to enjoy a wide variety of unforgettable holiday activities and events in the Capital Region. For more information about celebrating the Holidays at National Harbor.