Winter in Washington, DC: Holiday Lights, New Restaurants, Sports Spectacles & Seasonal Magic

Holiday Market

With a seemingly endless array of seasonal celebrations and ways to embrace the holiday spirit, DC shines brightly this winter. Discover beloved local traditions, like lavishly decorated hotels, European style holiday markets, tree lighting ceremonies and seasonal theater. Combine these experiences with a flurry of exciting restaurant and trendy bar openings, as well as sports drawing global attention, and the nation’s capital offers the complete package for a winter getaway. Maximize the value of DC and plan your trip at washington.org/winter.

DC’s historic hotels are known for going all-out, with festive décor, themed afternoon teas and Instagram-worthy pop-up bars. The city’s theater community produces timeless shows, including the Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker. Enjoy ice skating at The Wharf, Georgetown, Canal Park and the National Building Museum. DC also boasts two European style markets and a plethora of neighborhood markets and events to explore. The rejuvenated DowntownDC Holiday Market in Penn Quarter (Nov. 21-Dec. 23) will once again transform F Street into a vibrant winter village with more than 115 local makers (20 new to the market) and 15 festive food vendors. More than 70 percent of the vendors are BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ or women owned.

On Dec. 13, megastar John Cena’s highly anticipated final WWE match will take place at Capital One Arena. Downtown DC will welcome fans with community-driven initiatives and ancillary events, including the taping of an episode of “Six Feet Under with The Undertaker” at the Howard Theatre on Dec. 12. Gallery Space DC will host the official WWE Superstore.

“The global appeal of the Sports Capital will be on full display this winter, as world-class events, creativity and amazing food never stop in DC. The city’s 700,000 residents remain ready to warmly welcome visitors,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, president and CEO, Destination DC. “Add the many enchanting ways in which the city always embraces the holiday season, and potential travelers have an extensive list of reasons to visit DC for experiences they can only have here.”

The culinary scene in DC, a legacy Michelin Guide city, continues to sizzle with a wave of internationally acclaimed chefs and bartenders laying roots. Lauded chef Cedric Maupillier is behind splashy French-Mediterranean Barbouzard and Chef Tadayoshi Motoa brings his extraordinary talent to the U.S. for the first time with Omakase Room by Tadayoshi, a 12-seat counter experience. The Union Market District welcomes celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Marcus DC and Chai Pani, the famed Asheville homage to Indian street food. James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina launched Acqua Bistecca in Tenleytown and Lagos-based Nuli opens its first U.S. location inside The Square food hall.

There is also a flurry of trendy bars opening across DC, including the first U.S. outpost of World's 50 Best Bar Brasero Atlántico in Georgetown. The internationally acclaimed team of Alex Resnik and “Tato” Giovannoni first introduced Brasero in Buenos Aires, before expanding to Barcelona, Bahrain and now DC. In Adams Morgan, chefs Isabel Coss and Matt Conroy, the husband-wife team behind Pascual and Lutéce, opened Maison Bar à Vins. The polished Proper Bar opens in Mt. Vernon Triangle and no phones are allowed in H Street’s new Hush Harbor. Realm and Casamara add to DC’s trend of more than 30 new or renovated rooftops in five years.

New hotels include the ROOST White House, combining the best of hotel and apartment-style living, and Dupont Circle’s SIXTY DC, with locations in Beverly Hills and New York City. The Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill has received a full-property transformation in anticipation of its 50^th anniversary in 2026, while the Willard InterContinental has unveiled a restoration to its 335 accommodations. The Eurostars Hotel Group acquired the St. Gregory and the new CitizenM Georgetown is anticipated to open in early 2026.

Using cutting-edge technology, the new Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream explores ingenuity, perseverance and possibility in a nation of immigrants. On Nov. 10, the African American Civil War Memorial Museum reopens, honoring the heroic roles of 209,145 U.S. Colored Troops who helped end slavery and keep America united under one flag.

Throughout 2026, Washington, DC will be center stage for America’s 250^th, with events in all four seasons across cultural institutions, hotels, restaurants, theaters and more. No place tells America’s story as vividly as DC – a city uniquely equipped to discover the impact of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the only place to see it. Explore only-in-DC experiences for the occasion: DC250.us.