One of DC and the surrounding area’s best loved seasonal celebrations has made a sensational comeback for another year. The Christmas on the Potomac is a fantastic experience at the Gaylord National Resort which promises fun for all the family.
Here is a selection of highlights from this year’s festivities:
Visit the North Pole
If you head to the resort’s exhibit hall, you’ll find the Village of the North Pole. This beautifully created exhibition includes a decorated Christmas town square, a hot chocolate stall, carousel ride and many other attractions. There’s also a holiday merchandise stand and of course Santa’s sleigh to behold. The village is free to visit, so perfect for the kids. The only charge is the carousel which costs $6 or $4 off-peak.
Make some Gingerbread treats
New for this year is a special Gingerbread Decorating Corner, which you’ll find hidden in the Village of the North Pole. Here you’ll get the chance to decorate a gingerbread house or gingerbread family, which you can take home and share on Christmas day. There’s also an opportunity to get photos with the Gingerbread Man himself. Gingerbread decorating kits are available to purchase on the day from $39.95.
ICE! Featuring Santa Claus is Coming to Town
What do you get when you cross ice sculptures with a TV special? The ICE! Featuring Santa Claus is Coming to Town exhibition, of course! This wonderful walk-through space features more than 2 million pounds of hand carved ice in its display. As you take in the sculpted characters, you’ll relive the tale of Santa Claus giving toys to good girls and boys in the retelling of this TV classic. See Winter Warlock’s heart melting and watch Kris Kringle transform into Santa Claus. Make sure to hang around to see the artisans who create the sculptures. They’ll teach you how the ICE! Exhibits are made, while they carve more ice sculptures live in front of you.
These are just the top attractions at the festival, though there are plenty more fun adventures, like rides on the Potomac Express, photos with Santa, scavenger hunts and much more to look forward to as well.
Although the Christmas on the Potomac festival takes place primarily in Maryland, there are many Gray Line tours which pass through this area. For example, our classic hop on, hop off tour offers you the chance to get on or off at one of the 45 stops on the tour. This means you can take the time to enjoy the Christmas at the Potomac while hopping back on the coach and learning more about the DC history and culture along the way home. The tour tickets are valid for 2 days and allow you to get off at any stops for photo opportunities or to explore the areas, museums and so on. It’s the ideal way to explore Washington DC if you want to get more familiar with the city.