🌸 Turkey Trots + Winter Wonderfest at Nats Park

Good morning, DC. Tomorrow you feast—today, we give you reasons to burn calories before relatives start asking about your life choices. We’ll be off on Friday, so enjoy your holiday and we’ll see you back here on Monday.

In today’s District Download:

Let’s get to it.

The Nationals finally figured out what to do with their stadium when it's too cold for baseball: turn it into a winter playground with a hidden speakeasy for the adults who have to supervise. Winter Wonderfest opens Friday at Nationals Park, featuring a six-lane snow tubing hill, glowing curling lanes, LED seesaws, and train rides through a sculpture garden showcasing local artists. A Northern Lights-inspired pop-up adds the requisite Instagram backdrop, while a tucked-away cocktail lounge exists because someone understood that watching kids tube down fake snow requires fortification. The whole operation runs through December 30 at $29.50 per person—considerably cheaper than another round of "What should we do with your aunt while she's here?" If you're hosting out-of-town guests this weekend, this solves the post-Thanksgiving activity problem and tires everyone out by dinnertime.

Thanksgiving morning means lacing up before the oven turns on. The Alexandria Turkey Trot celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, which means five decades of Del Ray residents have made a tradition of suffering before they stuff themselves—dogs and walkers welcome alongside competitive runners. In Bethesda, the Turkey Chase draws the Montgomery County crowd for a YMCA fundraiser, while downtown's Trot for Hunger 5K at Freedom Plaza supports So Others Might Eat. All three races benefit nonprofits fighting hunger and poverty, so you're pre-earning your Thanksgiving calories for a cause that actually matters on a day about food. Registration runs $15-65 depending on the race, distance, and age bracket—check the links for specifics and show up early, because parking near a thousand runners at 9 AM is its own cardio workout.

Refer the most new subscribers this month and score a $200 gift card to DC's most iconic French bistro—your referral link is below. We’ll count all verified, unique signups from now through November 30.

The Sculpture Garden Ice Rink at the National Gallery of Art opened Monday, marking the official start of DC's outdoor skating season. Skaters glide surrounded by sculptures and views of the National Mall through March 1, 2026, weather permitting. Admission runs $15 for adults and $12 for ages 12 and under; skate rental adds $7. The on-site cafe serves hot cocoa for those needing to thaw between sessions. If you're hosting out-of-town guests over the holiday, this is the activity that photographs well and exhausts everyone by 4 PM—exactly what you want before a house full of relatives.

Bonne Vie Cafe & Bistro has quietly opened at 1604 U Street NW, occupying the historic flatiron building that once housed Baby Shank. The restaurant operates as an all-day concept: mornings bring a self-serve coffee bar with fresh baguettes, flaky pastries, and espresso alongside high-speed Wi-Fi for remote workers treating it like a Parisian co-working space. Evenings transform into full-service bistro dining with steak frites, duck confit, and mussels in white wine—plus wines served by the liter for those who know what they want. The endless fries are already drawing repeat visitors. Bonne Vie bills itself as a casual sister to downtown's Le DeSales, joining Maison Bar a Vins in DC's ongoing French food renaissance.

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Here’s what’s going on around DC this week:

National Theatre | Some Like It Hot | Tony Award-winning musical comedy based on the Billy Wilder film opens tonight | 7:30 PM

Walter E. Washington Convention Center | Safeway Feast of Sharing | Volunteer to serve meals before Thanksgiving | 10 AM

Nationals Park | Winter Wonderfest | Opening day for tubing, curling, speakeasy, and LED installations | 4 PM

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian | Native American Heritage Day | Hoop dancer Joseph Secody performs for Native American Heritage Day | 11 AM

CityCenter DC | Holiday Tree Lighting | NBC4's Eun Yang hosts, Michelle Williams performs at 75-foot tree lighting | 6 PM

Navy Yard | Light Yards | Glowing art installation swings return to the waterfront | 5 PM

Get your name in front of thousands of DMV area locals 3x/week.

Wednesday

68 🌡 37 | 🌧️ 15% | 💨 14 mph

Thursday

42 🌡 31 | 🌧️ 10% | 💨 13 mph

Friday

40 🌡 28 | 🌧️ 10% | 💨 15 mph

Saturday

40 🌡 28 | 🌧️ 10% | 💨 6 mph

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Music Center at Strathmore | Mannheim Steamroller Christmas | 4 PM

The Birchmere | Seldom Scene with Dry Branch Fire Squad | 7:30 PM

The Anthem | Patti Smith and Her Band | 8 PM

The Fillmore Silver Spring | Sorry Papi - The All Girl Reggaeton Party | 8 PM

Blues Alley | Alex Bugnon | 9:30 PM

9:30 Club | Emo Night Brooklyn | 10 PM

Soundcheck | Paul Van Dyk | 10 PM

Echostage | Dombresky | 10 PM

Blues Alley | Alex Bugnon | 7 PM

The Birchmere | The Manhattans | 7:30 PM

The Anthem | Shadmehr Aghili | 8 PM

9:30 Club | So Fetch - 2000s Tribute Band | 8 PM

The Fillmore Silver Spring | Earl Sweatshirt with Liv.e, ZelooperZ, Cletus Strap | 8 PM

Center for the Arts at George Mason | Chanticleer | 8 PM

Lincoln Theatre | Gavin DeGraw | 8 PM

The Washington Commanders face the Denver Broncos on Sunday at 8:20 PM—their first Sunday Night Football appearance of the season and a national stage to show whether the momentum from recent weeks can hold against an AFC West opponent. The primetime slot means the entire country watches, which historically cuts both ways for this franchise. Game time falls after most out-of-town guests head home, leaving you free to yell at the television without explaining to your uncle from Ohio why you still care.

Till next time,