December’s neighborhood to-do list looks fun and fulfilling. We pulled most of these from our community events calendar.
Shop for gifts and greens
Deal Middle School is selling Christmas trees, wreaths and more on Saturday, December 3rd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, December 4th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
And on Saturday, December 10th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., more than 40 local makers will be selling unique handmade items at Van Ness Main Street’s 7th annual Holiday Pop-Up. You’ll find the market outside at 4340 Connecticut Avenue.
At each of these holiday pop-ups you can also…
Donate books, toys and cleaning supplies
Deal Gives Back is collecting new, unwrapped toys for Mary’s Center. And the Van Ness Main Street pop-up will be a drop-off point for Feed the Family Pantry, which collects and distributes cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items Sundays at 4225 Connecticut Avenue.
In addition, you can buy children’s books at Politics and Prose for Goods for Good. The bookstore is selling the books at a 20% discount all month.
Happy #GivingTuesday! Looking for ways to give back – and give books – to your community? Become a Book Angel by buying children's books for Goods for Good DC. Visit @kidsandprose at Conn Ave for book recs and to receive 20% off all donated books from 11/25-12/31. pic.twitter.com/TGMrmKsiD0
— Politics and Prose (@PoliticsProse) November 29, 2022
Musical celebrations
The free UDC holiday concert, the university’s annual gift to the community, returns in person on Monday, December 5th at 7:30 p.m.
Christmas gets jazzy at Wesley Methodist Church on Saturday, December 17th at 6:30 p.m. “A Jazzy Christmas” features bandleader Robert “Bobby” Felder and friends.
Dig deep into Earth minerals research
On Thursday, December 8th, Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory on Broad Branch Road is inviting the community to an in-person and Zoom lecture on minerals and how they serve as time capsules of our planet’s evolution. It’s free to attend. You just need to register here.
Volunteer to help plant bulbs and pull weeds
On Saturday, December 3rd, plant daffodil and tulip bulbs outside of Politics and Prose with Master Gardener Kathy Sykes and Van Ness Main Street.
And the work of removing invasive plants from Rock Creek and adjacent parks continues throughout the cold weather months. Rock Creek Conservancy and the National Park Service are hosting invasive species cleanups on Sunday, December 4th at Reservation 630 East; Saturday, December 10th at Rock Creek Park Trail 9; and it’s back to Reservation 630 East on Sunday, December 18th.