Check it: This weekend we’ve got a Gingerbread House Holiday Hullaballoo in Mt. Rainier, Ella Bella Ballerina in College Park, Robots in Greenbelt, TGIF Yoga in Hyattsville, Holiday House Tour in University Park, Waterpark Fun in Chillum, a Charlie Brown Christmas in Laurel, Open Studios all along the Gateway Arts District & more! All this weekend; all here in Route One Fun!
FRIDAY
Storytime PopUp! at The Waterhole
Join us for stories, songs, fingerplays and more at this sweet collaboration between PGCMLS & Mt. Rainier’s fabulous organic juice & smoothie joint, The Waterhole. Best for 0-5 years old. Curious? Click here for video of a past collabo!
When: 10am
Where: The Waterhole, 4004 34th St., Mt. Rainier
Cost: Free (though Waterhole’s juice menu is delish…)
** Want to know what we think about the Waterhole? Read our review!
Magic: The Gathering Club
Come cast spells and battle wizards in our favorite fantasy card game. Bring your own cards or use the ones we have here. All experience levels welcome, from never-played to expert.
When: 4:30-5:30pm
Where: Hyattsville Public Library, Adelphi Road, Hyattsville
Cost: Free!
Maker Space Featuring Robots!
The Greenbelt MakerSpace is a community activity center with educational programs for both kids and adults where all can build, craft, hack, play & make! This Friday, we will have a special guest with us who will be leading a short, kid-appropriate chat about robots and will actually bring some cool robots for little makers to explore! In addition, we’ll be drawing and coloring for Color-A-Smile, as we’ve done around the holidays every year. Just bring your little ones and we’ll provide all the art/craft supplies. We’ll have all the materials – markers, paints, scissors, glue, etc. – so just show up and have fun!
When: 5-6:30pm
Where: Greenbelt Makerspace, 125 Centerway, Greenbelt
Cost: Free!
SATURDAY
Santa’s Visit – Greenbelt
Ages Pre-K+ Santa has fit time into his busy holiday schedule! FREE picture with Santa!
When: 10am-12pm
Where: Greenbelt Youth Center, 99 Center Way, Greenbelt
Cost: Free!
Breakfast with Santa – College Park
Children of all ages are invited to visit with Santa! Complimentary continental breakfast and bring your camera to capture photos with Santa. There may also be a surprise or two!
When: 10 am – 12 pm
Where: college Park Community center, 5051 Pierce Ave, College Park
Cost: Free!
Breakfast with Santa – Brentwood
Breakfast menu includes pancakes, sausages, hashbrowns, milk, juice, coffee, hot tea, hot cocoa
When: 9am-12pm
Where: BunkerHill Fire Dept., 3716 Rhode Island Ave, Brentwood
Cost: $5 ages 6-12; $3 ages 3-5; ages 2 & under are free
Early Keepers w/ Culture Queen, Kwanzaa Edition
Join ‘Early Keepers’ for this FREE, bilingual program for children 3-7 years old (parent/guardian supervision required) where young learners will explore the meaning and significance of Kwanzaa through story-telling, music, movement/dance, and arts & crafts.
When: 11:30am
Where: Hyattsville Public Library, 6530 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville
Cost: Free!
Elves’ Workshop
Get crafty with Santa’s Elves, creating holiday crafts and cookies. Pre-registration is required.
When: 1:30-3:30pm
Where: Greenbelt Youth Center, 99 Center Way, Greenbelt
Cost: $5 per person, registration required.
Gingerbread House Holiday Hullabaloo
Drop-in for our fourth annual FREE Gingerbread House Holiday Hullabaloo. With Special Guest Host Host Maureen Umeh of Fox5. This is a community event, adults, children, and families are all welcome. You may even see Santa Claus! We will be accepting toy donations for local families.
When: 12pm-3pm
Where: Art Works Now, 3711 Rhode Island Ave, Mt. Rainier
Admission: Free!
Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker
Enjoy watching ballet dancers performing to this beautiful & familiar music in a casual setting, featuring dances from “The Nutcracker” from 3 – 4 pm, followed by an Autism Friendly performance from 4 – 5 pm (free and open to all). Ideal for ages 3+.
When: 3 – 5pm
Where: College Park United Methodist Church, 9601 Rhode Island Ave, College Park
Cost: Free!
Frozen Family Fun
Bring your family to the library for games, cake, and a winter sing-a-long! Best for ages 0-5.
When: 3-4pm
Where: Hyattsville Public Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd, Hyattsville
Cost: Free!
SUNDAY
Rollingcrest’s Indoor Splash Playground!
![]() |
Credit: PG Parks & Recreation |
This is the perfect place to play indoors on a cold day and exhaust the kids! 😉 Basically, an indoor water park right here in PG. Specialized water play area for pre-schoolers with slides and spray features, family pool with water slides and spray features, a vending area and shower /changing facilities with lockers (lockers are available but require you to bring your own lock). While parts of the facility are dated but the kids always have a blast.
When: Noon – 4:45 pm
Where: Rollingcrest Chillum Splash Pool, 6122 Sargent Road, Chillum
Admission: 2 & under are free! Ages 3-17: $5. Adults:$6
Smaland at College Park’s Ikea
Credit: Ikea |
Free, 1 hour, supervised, enclosed, safe & clean play area near the entrance. Enjoy some shopping or just relax/eat/peoplewatch at the restaurant upstairs while your young one(s) has a blast at Smaland. Children must be potty trained and be 37” to 54” tall (so children typically b/w ages of 3-6). Tips: (1) Best to arrive earlier on in the day as day progresses, so do the entrances lines; & (2) Join Ikea Family & kids get extra 30 minutes to play (depending on capacity) & you get free coffee!
When: 10:30am – 7pm
Where: 10100 Baltimore Avenue, College Park
Admission: Free!
Lunchtime Holiday Concerts with PGCPS
Show our awesome, local PGCPS students some love this holiday season and make an effort to check out one of their many holiday concerts happening conveniently at PG Mall. All ages.
When: Dates b/w December 2nd – 16th, and times b/w 11 am – 1 pm (best to check site)
Where: PG Mall, Hyattsville
Cost: Free!
University Park Candlelight Holiday House Tour & Boutique
Join us for this festive tour of lovely homes bedecked for the holidays. Maps will be available at individual houses on the tour during event hours and signs will be posted in the front yards of featured homes.
When: December 9th, 7 – 10 pm
Where: University Park
Cost: Tickets available now for $18, call (301) 864-9264 or (301) 277-0414. Tickets are also available at the door for $20.
Romeo & Juliet
See a post-apocalyptic Romeo and Juliet, performed by the Maryland Shakespeare Players!
When: 7 pm
Where: The Clarice, Cafritz Foundation Theatre
Cost: Free!
TGIF Yoga at Love Studios
Unwind at this relaxing class as we gently move our bodies in a soothing and kind way. Great for beginners and those who with no yoga experience.
When: 7:30-8:30pm
Where: Love Yoga, 5111 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville
Cost: $10
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
SATURDAY
Otis Street Art Project – Open Studio
Time to check out Otis Street Arts Project and other local PG studios as they join in the Gateway Open Studios Tour and open their magical doors to you for a sneak peek into their work. Save the Hirshhorn for another weekend & treat yourself to an exploration of innovative and intriguing work by local artists including Sean Hennessey, David Mordini, Art Drauglis, Alma Selimovic, Svetlana Durkovic, Liz Lescault, Heborn Chism, Jenna North, M.L. Duffy, Gloria Chapa and Chris Bohner.
When: 12 – 5pm
Where: 3706 Otis Street, Mt. Rainier
Cost: Free!
![]() |
Credit: Otis Street Art Project |
Don’t get stuck at crowded malls this season buying generic gift sets for your loved ones… Come to the Brentwood Arts Exchange Holiday Craft Fair and Beer Tasting Lounge! While you finish your holiday shopping, stop by the beer tasting lounge.
When: 11 am
Where: Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave, Brentwood
Old Greenbelt Theatre’s Family Series Movie
Watch “A Christmas Story” at the Old Greenbelt Theatre. Ralphie, bb-guns, bullies & delicious theatre popcorn – what more do you need on a Saturday afternoon?!
When: 1:00 p.m.
Where: Old Greenbelt Theatre, 129 Centerway, Greenbelt
Cost: Adults, $7; Kids, $6.
Green Owl Design Annual Holiday Party
Up your cool kid cred and head to Green Owl Design’s holiday party. See why this local interior design firm which incorporates local art has been written up by the Washington Post, Home & Design, Paintzen and Hyattsville Life & Times.
When: 6pm
Where: Green Owl Design, 5303 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville
Cost: Free!
Highlight Hyattsville for the Holidays
Your beloved local businesses are rallying to bring you a fun-filled week of neighborly holiday festivities for the whole family. Green Owl Design, Tanglewood Works, Three Little Birds Sewing Co, Artists & Craftsman Supply, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, DC Glassworks, Franklin’s Restaurant & Brewery and Arrow Bicycle will be extending hours, offering workshops for all ages and hosting receptions to gather and celebrate all the innovative and artistic businesses that are blossoming in the Gateway Arts District. Get a stamp each time you visit one of the participating “Highlight Hyattsville” businesses represented by a circle on the map. Get all the stamps and be entered to win a prize donated by a local business.
When: December 10th – December 17th
Where: Above locations
SUNDAY
Upcycled Ornaments with Tanglewood & Three Little Birds
Come check out this family friendly holiday event as part of the Highlight Hyattsville for the Holidays Week. 3 Little Birds is bringing fabric and notions and Tanglewood Works is supplying salvaged materials so we can all make some fantastic DIY ornaments for the season.
When: 2 -5pm
Where: Tanglewood Works, 5132 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville
Cost: Free!
Romeo & Juliet
Come out and see a post-apocalyptic Romeo and Juliet, performed by the Maryland Shakespeare Players!
When: 7 pm
Where: The Clarice, Cafritz Foundation Theatre
Cost: Free!
![]() |
Credit: M-NCPPC |
A Charlie Brown Christmas with the Eric Byrd Trio
The Eric Byrd Trio returns to celebrate the music from the Peanuts’ Charlie Brown Christmas show. By bringing fresh arrangements to these familiar songs, it gets everyone in the holiday mood. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!
When: December 11th, 3 & 6 pm performances
Where: Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel
Cost: $15
Event information is subject to change or weather cancellation.
Leave a Reply