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Greetings!
It's hard to believe, but the holidays are fast approaching! The Park's holiday season of events kicks off this weekend with the annual Holiday Art Show & Sale, the perfect place to start your holiday shopping. More festive fun is just around the corner, with holiday classes & workshops, children's theater performances, seasonal shopping, and more!
Saturday evening, we hope you'll join us for the opening reception of the Holiday Art Show & Sale in the Partnership Galleries. Enjoy light refreshments as you browse & buy works by local artists and leave with one-of-a kind gifts for loved ones—or for yourself! From handcrafted jewelry & wearable art, to paintings & prints, to holiday ornaments & cards, there's something for everyone at this seasonal show!
Be sure to visit the Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery to view A Breath of Fresh Air: Plein Air Landscapes by Pamela J Betts. Open this weekend only, this exhibition of oil paintings celebrates the great outdoors. Plus, there's an opening reception on Saturday evening! Make it an evening of the arts as you visit receptions in the Yellow Barn Gallery and the Partnership Galleries.
Not to be outdone by the visual arts, it's also a wonderful weekend for dance & music!
DanceFit: Shake Your Soul starts your weekend off with a burst of energy! No dance experience needed, just come ready to move & groove. Drop in to any or all of these Saturday morning exercise classes, meeting in the Hall of Mirrors Dance Studio.
This Sunday, in collaboration with Dancing by the Bayou, the Partnership presents a Cajun dance to live music from Dennis Stroughmatt et L'Esprit Creole. Led by fiddle player Dennis Stroughmatt, L'Esprit Creole brings you the sights, stories, and sounds of French Creole music from The Illinois Country. We'll start off with a 30-minute Cajun dance lesson (included with the price of admission), followed by dancing with the band. Get ready for an afternoon of fun in the Bumper Car Pavilion, with overhead radiant heaters that will keep us toasty warm even if the weather is chilly!
Check out two offsite concerts, presented by the Washington Conservatory of Music (WCM). A Capital Horns Fall Concert on Sunday and a WCM Appreciation Recital & Special Announcement on Monday!
Read on for more details about these events plus other happenings this week, including upcoming classes, exhibitions, and social dances. We can't wait to see you at the Park soon, and as always, we appreciate your support!
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FALL/WINTER
CLASSES
Register Today!
| Visit our website for information on registering. Learn more >> | | | | |
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PRIVATE RENTALS
Now Booking 2026 & 2027
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Special Discount for Select 2026 Dates!
Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park
| Planning a wedding, corporate gathering, or birthday celebration in the Spring? Many great dates are still available! Book a private rental in the Bumper Car Pavilion any date in March or April 2026 or on a Friday or Sunday in May 2026 and mention the code [Spring2026] to receive a 10% discount. View the Venue Availability Calendar >> | The Bumper Car Pavilion must be booked by December 31, 2025 to receive the discount. | | | | | | |
Our fun and affordable social dances are open to the public with no prior experience or partner required. When we say we offer something for everyone, we're not kidding! Styles range from folk, blues, and contra to waltz, swing, tango and ballroom ... and more!
New dancers are always welcome, and a pre-dance, introductory lesson is included with admission. Most dances feature live music by renowned local and national bands.
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Stardust Slow Balboa* Weekend with Capital City Shuffle
November 14 - November 16 | Dates & Times Vary
Join Capital City Shuffle for Stardust Slow Balboa Weekend. The dancing will be primarily Slow Balboa, a slow swing dance from Southern California. If you’re interested in learning the dance, Stardust Weekend is a great opportunity to learn from international instructors and explore a beautiful way of dancing to slow swing music.
Learn More >> | Register Now >>
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Waltz Dance with Waltz Time
November 16 | 6:15pm - 9:00pm | Bumper Car Pavilion
Waltz Time presents an evening waltz dance in the Bumper Car Pavilion with live music by WALTZ DU JOUR with Alexander Mitchell (violin/viola), Liz Donaldson (piano), Ralph Gordon (bass). Admission costs $15 per person, $5 for students, and children over 5 years. Cash and checks accepted (no credit cards). All tickets purchased at the door.
Learn More >>
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THIS WEEK: AT-A-GLANCE
International Folk Dance* with Dancing Planet | Blues Dance* with Capital Blues | Contra Dance and Occasional Squares* with Friday Night Dancers | Stardust Slow Balboa* Weekend
with Capital City Shuffle | DanceFit: Shake Your Soul | Cajun Dance with Dennis Stroughmatt et L'Esprit Creole | Waltz Dance* with Waltz Time | Tango/Milonga Dance* with Tango Brillante
*Includes beginner lesson & social dance
Partnership-presented social dance or class
Dance class (no social dance)
View the full dance calendar >>
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| | | | Glen Echo Park is your go-to place for classes & camps in visual arts, dance, music, and more! We offer a wide array of classes and workshops for children, teens, and adults, as well as camps for children & teens. We also present nature & aquatic life programs for kids. | | FEATURED ADULT & TEEN CLASSES | | | |
Colored Pencil Still Life & Composition
Begins November 19 | Wednesdays @ 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Online
Creating a composition around treasured objects, composing memorabilia into a narrative that speaks to the viewer. And learning to do so with colored pencils, a drawing medium that seems to create paintings. Critique & demos included. Class recorded for you to re-watch.You will benefit whether beginner or advanced.
More info: lisarts.com@gmail.com. Minimum age 16. 3 sessions.
Learn More & Register >>
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Layered Paper Art Workshop: Window with Flowers
November 29 (one day) | Saturday @ 1:00pm - 4:00pm | Arcade Building Rooms 202 & 203
Create a beautiful piece of art inspired by a charming window scene with flowers, shutters, etc. At this fun and playful paper art workshop, you will create a textured and unique piece of art. You will rip, cut, manipulate, and glue layers of paper to an 8” x 10” stretched canvas. Supplies provided; supply fee of $25 to be paid to the instructor at the start of the workshop. For beginners or for those with prior experience.
More info: RonniJolles.com; RonniJolles@gmail.com. Minimum age 14. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
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| | The Partnership Galleries will be closed for installation until Saturday, November 15. | |
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Holiday Art Show & Sale
November 15, 2025 - January 4, 2026
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With so many unique gifts, the Holiday Art Show & Sale is a great place to shop for everyone on your holiday list!
RSVP for the Opening Reception >>
RSVPs preferred, not required. There is no check-in at this event.
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Winter's Eve
December 6, 2025 | 3pm - 6pm
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Gather with family at the Park for a winter celebration with kids' holiday crafts, music, open studios & galleries, and more! RSVP >>
RSVPs preferred, not required. There is no check-in at this event.
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Cornhusk Dolls: A Parent & Child Holiday Workshop (Ages 5-12)
November 23 (one day) | Sunday @ 1:00pm - 3:00pm | Crystal Pool Studio
A parent/child workshop. Both native and colonial Americans used cornhusks to create beautiful doll forms. Parent and child will learn several traditional ways to create their unique dolls. Perfect for holiday gifts! Tuition covers one person. Adult and child must each be registered under their own name. Supply fee of $10 per individual will be payable directly to the instructor at the workshop.
More info: 301.980.1538; andrle@youngcreativespirit.org. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
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Parent-Child Wearable Art Workshop (Ages 5-12)
November 26 (one day) | Wednesday @ 10:00am - 12:00pm | Crystal Pool Studio
Customize a tote bag or and item of your own, like a jean jacket, using fabric paint and markers. Parents and kids can design matching or complementary pieces, making something useful and artistic at the same time! All materials including a one tote bag per participant and paints are included, but feel free to bring personal items to customize as well. Tuition covers one parent/guardian and child pair.
More info: emma.p.stevenson@gmail.com. 1 session.
Learn More & Register >>
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Praline Cafe
Monday - Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday - Friday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00am - midnight
*open for dances and special events beyond these hours*
Stop by Praline, located in the Spanish Ballroom wing closest to the playground, for sandwiches, pastries, snacks, and drinks! More Information >>
| | | The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and also by funding from the Montgomery County government and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (creativemoco.com). All programs are produced in cooperation with the National Park Service and Montgomery County, Maryland. | | | | |
