With early sunsets and chilly mornings, winter always seems to arrive too quickly, bringing a feeling of festivity and joy. Sweaters and hoodies begin to be layered with scarves, gloves and hats. Students begin checking the weather to see if there is a chance of snow, and teachers get excited planning their days off for the holidays.
Along with the colder weather comes a new season of fun activities to fill up time on the days off or during the break. This guide highlights various fun and affordable winter activities that students at RM love, including ice skating at Rockville Town Center, enticing winter menus, winter lights festivals, Nutcracker shows and holiday markets.
Winter nights can be dark, cold and unforgiving, but the Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival will brighten up your night. It is a 3.5-mile drive-through light show, where you can spend time with your family or friends, warm inside a car or admire the light structures. “First time I went, I was ten. I think I’ve gone about four or five times,” sophomore Shai Kaplan said. “I go with family.” The lights festival features over 450 illuminated displays and themed areas. “You can see your breath on the window and the light kind of illuminates it. It’s just that the whole image comes together to create that really great atmosphere,” Kaplan said.
Many volunteers help bring this beautiful vision to life by assisting in the building of all of the light structures. “I really like seeing all the light shows, and all the hard work everyone’s put into it.” Kaplan said. “I think it’s a really big part of America’s culture, becoming a staple and I really look forward to that.” Many people go to the light show yearly.
Spanning from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, this time with family can be spent creating memories. “One time we took my dog, and I was drinking hot chocolate, and I was looking out the window, and she came and licked my cheek,” Kaplan said. At this festival, one can tune in to holiday music on the radio, pack snacks for the ride and spend a winter night with loved ones.
The Dupont Circle Holiday Market in DC carries a wide assortment of holiday treats, desserts and foods, as well as shops with small businesses and artists selling their work. “I think [the market] instills a sense of holiday cheer in me, just the general environment,” senior Zack Lam said. “There’s just a nice selection of artwork, jewelry and food that the market has to offer.”
The market offers sweet treats from small businesses such as The Capital Candy Jar, Migue’s Mini Donuts and Drizzle To Go. These shops supply desserts like chocolate, candied nuts, cider, donuts, chocolate-covered strawberry cups and more. “There are some really talented artists there. There’s also someone who does ivory or stone carvings, which I thought was really cool. And obviously, there’s a lot of Christmas ornament shops because ‘tis the season,’” Lam said. However, the market is not strictly limited to those who celebrate Christmas—with an overall cozy winter feel, it is one that everyone can enjoy with friends and family.
If you are looking for a more Christmas-centered activity, the Nutcracker ballet is the performance to see. With enchanting instrumentals and beautiful lights, this show will leave you seeing twirling snowflakes in your dreams and life-size rats in your nightmares. “I think the story and the aesthetic of it all ties into the holidays,” freshman Blake Thompson said. “I think because I usually see a lot of Nutcrackers around Christmas. I think my grandma has them in our house. I think the instrumentals of the music really seeped in the vibe.”
The whimsical costumes and storyline help enhance the magical Christmas feeling that comes with watching this ballet. “I was excited to see how they would perform it, because I’ve always liked performing stuff. I think I really liked the lighting and the dances,” Thompson said. The dancers in the ballet also enjoy performing this show.
The quaint music and elegant dance moves all cohesively blend to create a fancy Christmas night outing for friends or family. “I think [the ballet] brings people together because usually a lot of fine arts stuff like performances bring people together quite often. Through shows, storytelling, etcetera. I think [the Nutcracker] has all of those aspects,” Thompson said.
Freshman ballet dancer Amelie Davies said that what she loves most about dancing in the show is the Christmas season and the sparkly costumes. The production is very stunning, with beautifully thought-out costume designs that contribute to the magical experience. “[Dancers have to] all work together and put on a cohesive performance,” Davies said. “People can come together and go out for dinner after.”
Those who want to attend a show can visit the Nutcracker website, where one can find Nutcracker shows nearby.
The Washington Ballet also has show dates up until December 28th, and the Maryland Youth Ballet is also putting on a few productions.
Ice skating is a classic winter activity that many enjoy. The ice rink at Rockville Town Center is the perfect place to go as it is located within a walking distance from RM. “It’s centrally located, [and] there’s a lot of good places to eat and hang out,” sophomore Jonathan Kim said. “I like the location obviously, but also being able to skate and have fun with your friends. It’s really important.” With places like Starbucks, Panera, Dirty Dough, KyotoMatcha and BobaPop a short distance away, RTC’s ice rink is an amazing after-school or nighttime activity for you and your friends to explore this winter.
“I think it [ice skating] allows you to build a connection by engaging in a fun activity together,” Kim said.
RTC provides the perfect festive atmosphere allowing all ages and skill levels to connect and have fun skating at. The ice rink allows on-site skate rentals, parking validations, free lockers and penguins to aid those who need extra support. After the Christmas Tree Lighting event on December 5, there are many festive decorations added to RTC to bring the holiday spirit to your next skating outing with friends or family. Tickets can be found online at rockvileiceskating.com and reservations can be made in person as well. Tickets are $11-12 depending on age, and rental skates are $6, allowing for two hours of skating leisure.
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