The start of the new year has passed and with it the hustle and bustle of seasonal activities. Whether or not you’ve been successful in keeping your resolutions, you’re faced with a great deal of cold weather between now and Valentine’s Day. Here are plenty of fun activities to keep you busy as winter drones on.
Cozy Date Night
It’s not too early to set the mood for Valentine’s Day with a date night done right. Make an excuse to hold hands and cozy up to your significant other as you take laps around the ice at the top of the Watergate Hotel. Nothing says romance like panoramic city views as you circle around the rooftop. Or take a dinner cruise on the Potomac River with Entertainment Cruises’ Odyssey Dinner Cruise. Inspired by Parisian dinner boats, this ambling cruise past DC landmarks sets the perfect ambiance for an enchanting evening.
Get Moving
Go for a stroll through CityCenterDC and play pop-up golf at CitySwing from 10am to 9 pm any day, now through March 31. Get active with classes and events at Flywheel Sports. Or schedule a winter walking tour for two, now through February 28th. Or if you’re feeling particularly adventuresome, lace up the running shoes and put on some cold weather gear to join City Running Tours. Become a tourist in your own city and rack up the miles on your watch.
Festive Chinese New Year
Celebrate the Chinese New Year on February 5. Spend the Year of the Pig in DC, and you can see wax figures of Carina Lau and Liu Xiang at Madame Tussauds DC from Feb 5-March 31. Plus, the Chinatown Community Cultural Center will feature a lot of great events and cultural performances on February 10 from 12-5 pm.
Get in Out of the Cold
When it snows, there’s always a snow day special. Check out these places that have offered anything from happy hours to early openings to food and drink discounts in the past: Jack Rose, Meridian Pint, and Osteria Morini. Or head to a toasty restaurant like Masseria, which has patio fire pits, or Farmers Fishers Bakers, whose year-round outdoor patio features warm fires.
Local Arts, Theatre, & Cuisine
Discover the theatre, local arts, and culinary treasures in the upcoming months in DC:
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Now through March 10 at 8 pm, check out Ain’t Misbehavin’ from The Fats Waller Musical Show at Arlington’s Signature Theatre for boogie-woogie fun. Get tickets here
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
February 5-10 at The Kennedy Center – Opera House, celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary as they push the art form while still honoring classics like Ailey’s masterpiece, Revelations.
Finding Neverland
Opens February 26 until March 3 at The National Theatre, be immersed in the magical story behind one of the world’s most beloved characters, Peter Pan.
Self Guided Hot Chocolate Tour
Love the sweet taste of cocoa on your tongue? Check out Washington.org’s picks for the best hot chocolate in the district and try them all. We’ll leave the rankings up to you.
Explore DC art galleries
The National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, are home to thousands of works of art with rotating exhibits curated to blow your creative mind.