Our favorite part about March is that spring is just around the corner! After this winter we are all ready for warmer weather. Check out our top picks for St. Patrick’s Day, Women’s History Month, Nowruz, and other great events in and around Washington, D.C., Maryland, Northern Virginia, and West Virginia.
SAINT PATRICK’S DAY
The Ballyshaners 42nd Alexandria St. Patrick’s Day Parade | March 1, 12:30 PM
Old Town Alexandria, VA
Alexandria boasts the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the DC area, featuring pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community groups, and a host of other performers and entertainment. The parade officially starts at the corner of King Street and St. Asaph Street at 12:30 pm, with dignitaries leading the procession at 12:15 pm. The parade proceeds east on King Street, turning North at Lee Street and West at Cameron Street, finishing at the intersection of Cameron and Pitt.
Greater Manassas St. Patrick’s Day Parade | March 8, 11 AM
Old Town Manassas, VA
Dress in your brightest green for this annual celebration along Center Street Old Town Manassas, starting at 11:00 AM. This is a great family event showcasing pipe and drums and Irish dance groups.
Annapolis St. Patrick’s Weekend | March 8 & 9
Downtown Annapolis, MD
The annual St. Patrick’s Parade returns to Annapolis as part of a full weekend of events! Click here to view the parade and parking map.
Gaithersburg St. Patrick’s Day Parade | March 15, 10 AM
Rio Lakefront, Gaithersburg, MD
The 23rd annual parade at Rio Boulevard and Grand Corner Avenue will start this year at 10:00 AM. The parade will feature dozens of units, including Celtic dancers, bagpipe bands, school groups, fire trucks, equestrian units, service organizations, costumed characters, and more
Ireland at The Wharf | March 15
The Wharf, DC
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day from 12:00 – 6:00 PM with a festival featuring live Irish music, Irish dancers, and more in partnership with Kirwan’s on the Wharf, Jameson, Miller High Life, and Guinness. Click Here to view the Event Map.
Bluemont Shamrock Race 5k/10k | March 16
Great Country Farms, Bluemont, VA
The scenic and rolling 10K course will take you on a journey through the back roads of Bluemont, VA. You will run past numerous farms along the Blue Ridge on gravel roads. The 5K is an out-and-back on all blacktop roads that offers a nice scenic run. Please note that both courses are open to vehicular traffic during the event.
MORE TASTES, FESTIVALS, AND FUN
American Conservation Film Festival | March 6-9
Frank Arts Center, Shepherdstown, WV
This year’s ACFF spans four unforgettable days featuring 28 inspiring films that share stories of hope, resilience, and the individuals making a difference for our planet.
BSO: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony & Augustin Hadelich | March 8, 8 PM
The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda, MD
In a surge of passion and drama, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony traces a clear narrative of darkness to light, probing the eternal questions of fate and faith. A hallmark of the violin repertoire, Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto delves into a mysterious, autumnal sound world, played to perfection by celebrated virtuoso Augustin Hadelich. The third piece featured will be Memorial to Lidice by Bohuslav Martinů.
Nowruz Family Festival | March 16, 11 AM-4 PM
National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, DC
Honor the new year at the Smithsonian’s annual Nowruz Family Day. Welcome spring with free attractions for all ages, including storytelling, hands-on activities, and more. Persian sweets and food will be available for purchase. Learn about Nowruz.
Register in advance to make sure you get the best experience. Some activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis.
National Cherry Blossom Festival | March 20 – April 13
What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin now spans four weeks throughout Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. Residents and visitors are invited to celebrate all that spring in Washington, DC has to offer – from exciting events to delectable Cherry Picks restaurants, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, delightful hotel stays, and more. Popular events include:
- Pink Tie Party | March 14, 7-11 PM
- Stumpy’s Petals & Paddles Race | March 20, 4-7 PM
- Opening Ceremony | March 22, 5-6:30 PM
- Blossom Kite Festival | March 29, 10-4 PM
36th Annual Evening of Comedy | March 21 – 22, 7 PM & 9:30 PM
The Barns at Wolftrap, Vienna, VA
These hilarious evenings feature top stand-up comedians, including Carol Leifer, writer and producer of Seinfeld; Rich Hall, a Saturday Night Live and Fridays veteran who coined the term “sniglet”; and Rondell Sheridan, beloved for his parental role on Disney’s That’s So Raven. Four shows mean four times the laughs!
Second Annual Harpers Ferry Film Festival | March 21 – 22
51 Mather Place, Harpers Ferry, WV
Join Harpers Ferry Parks & Recreation for two nights of shorts and feature-length independently produced films with local flair. Friday night features White Grass and Freeland, A Blackwater Story – films by Justin Harris. Saturday night features Shutter Sound and a horror flick, The Only Ones (suggested for audience members 14 years and older) – films by Jordan Miller.
CELEBRATING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Women’s History is American History
Not limited to March, the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative is ongoing in preparation for the future American Women’s History Museum. You can check out the latest news and explore exhibits online at womenshistory.si.edu.
Many other area museums and communities will be hosting events and exhibits highlighting women’s history throughout the month. Check out the following websites for more details:
- Smithsonian
- National Park Service
- Montgomery County, MD
- Maryland Women’s Heritage Trail
- Alexandria, VA
- City of Fairfax, VA
- Fairfax County, VA
National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC
Check out this beautifully renovated and expanded museum for free. The collection is one of the coolest in DC, featuring a new exhibit called “Uncanny.” A concept popularized by Sigmund Freud in 1919, the uncanny describes the psychological experience of something that is strangely familiar, yet alien, eliciting a sense of anxiety. In historical representations, women’s bodies were often associated with strangeness and horror, or positioned as passive or uncanny objects when viewed through a male gaze. This exhibition uncovers women’s authorship of uncanny narratives, revealing how the concept is used by women artists to regain agency and probe feelings of revulsion, fear, and discomfort.
The Outstanding Women of the Ball-Sellers House | March 13, 7-8:30 PM
Reinsch Library Auditorium, Marymount University, Arlington, VA
The Arlington Historical Society (AHS) is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of receiving the John Ball House from its last owner, Marian Sellers with inspiring stories about the various residents of Arlington’s oldest house including Elizabeth Payne Ball, the wife of the builder who took a man to court to sue for her inheritance; Irene Young, a suffragist and divorcee’ when society viewed divorce as a “dirty word” and saw it as ALWAYS being the woman’s fault; and Julia Powell, one of the first enlisted US Navy Yeomen in the First World War.
Free In-person or via Zoom
