Green Springs Garden Tour and Afternoon Tea
April 26, 1-3 p.m.
Reservations must be made prior to attending this $32 per person event, where guests will be able to learn about Green Springs Gardens’ past and present on a tour that concludes with an afternoon English tea. // 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria
City Nature Challenge
April 27-30
For the nature lovers out there that also enjoy playing around on their phone, this worldwide event offers the best of both worlds. Through the iNaturalist app, Arlington County officials are asking residents to snap photos of plants and animals around them in the hopes of becoming the region that shares the most species. 75 other cities will be participating, and Arlington (included in the Metro-D.C. area on the app) is hoping to beat last year’s No. 7 ranking. From 10-11:30 am. on April 27, there will be a guided walk at Barcroft Park and another from 2-3:30 at Gulf Branch Nature Center. // Barcroft Park: 4200 S Four Mile Run Road, Arlington; Gulf Branch Nature Center: 3608 North Military Road, Arlington
Spring Garden Mini Fair
April 28, 9 a.m.-noon
Bring plants that you no longer care for to this educational gardening event. In addition to information about how Thomas Jefferson put his green thumb to good use and lessons on how to protect your garden from unwelcome visitors, there will be a plant swap and giveaway. // Learning and Display Garden near Vienna Elementary: 128 Center St. S, Vienna
25th Annual Alexandria Earth Day
April 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
In true Earth Day form, attendees to this free event are asked to use public transportation, walk or bike over to Lenny Harris Memorial Fields, where they will find exhibits, demonstrations, hands-on activities and events that include a Trashin’ Fashion Show and an art contest for children in grades K-12. Meggrolls and Borinquen Lunch Box will have eats for sale, and the winner of the 2018 Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award will be announced. // Lenny Harris Memorial Fields at Braddock Park: 1005 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria
Paws in the Park
April 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Local rescues and information booths will be on hand to provide pet lovers with the information they need to know to best care for their furry friends, who can roam the park leash free during this one-day event. For entertainment, there will be a “Dogs Got Talent” show and working dog demonstrations. // Prince William Forest Park: 18170 Park Entrance Road, Triangle
Spring Paint and Play
April 28, 10 a.m.-noon
For children three and up, this art lesson will teach attendees how to make a “birds of a feather” 3-D project. // Arlington Mill and Community Center: 909 S Dinwiddie St., Arlington
Meteorites: Explore Visitors from Space
April 28, 11 a.m.-noon
Curious about outer space? Get some of your questions answered in a hands-on lesson for children ages six and up all about meteorites from Mars and the moon. The class costs $8 per person. // Turner Farm: 925 Springvale Road, Great Falls
Coyote Campfire at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park
April 29, 6:30-8 p.m.
After going on a hike, listen to coyote calls while gathered ’round the campfire eating s’mores. // Ellanor C. Lawrence Park: 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly
Survival Skills at Hidden Pond Nature Center
May 4 & 11, 5-6 p.m.
Would your child know what to do if they were left alone in the woods? Children 6-12 will be put to the test through this $7 program, which will teach them all about how to build shelter and distinguish between plants they can/cannot eat. // Hidden Pond Nature Center: 8511 Greeley Blvd., Springfield
Revolutionary War Weekend at Mount Weekend
May 5-6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
History comes to life at Mount Vernon—more so than usual, that is—through a two-day event that seeks to recreate the Revolutionary War. In addition to battle reenactments, check out an 18th-century encampment, take in map making and surveying demonstrations, learn about soldiers’ medical treatment and more. // George Washington’s Mount Vernon: 3200 Mount Vernon Highway, Mt. Vernon
A Toast to Barbados
May 5, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
At only 19 years old, George Washington traveled to Barbados and kept a diary documenting his adventure. That diary is the only still-surviving document from Washington’s earlier years, and in celebration of its publication, the Life Guard Society for Historic Mount Vernon is hosting a $250 per person event featuring Caribbean food and rum made in Washington’s distillery. // George Washington’s Mount Vernon: 3200 Mount Vernon Highway, Mt. Vernon
