Pinkalicious can't stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor's office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe - a dream come true for this pink loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this predicament.

We sent a local mom and her four year old daughter to review the show, and here is what they had to say:

The musical is a must see for any Pinkalicious book fan out there. The songs were wonderfully entertaining. The set and lighting were so magical that my daughter let out an audible gasp when we walked in. When the show started and Pinkalicious came out, my daughter turned to me and said "this is amazing!"  The musical stayed very true to the book (with a few minor additions) which kept my Pinkalicious fan very happy and engaged. The overall running time of the show is about an hour long. If you haven't been to Adventure Theatre before, please know that it is on the smaller side and seats are first come, first serve. We highly recommend attending this gorgeous, family-friendly show this summer!


Other things to know:

*  They had princess wands and tiaras for sale $3 each. Pinkalicious books were also available for $7 each, as well as some really cool light up fairy wings. 
*  Kids have the opportunity to play dress up ( with pink clothes!) before the show. 
*  Pink cupcakes, pink cookies and pink lemonade are for sale ($3 each) before and after the show. (We got the pink lemonade and cupcake and had a little treat after the show which made our day just a little bit more special!) 
*  While at Glen Echo park, be sure to ride on the historical carousel!

PINKALICIOUS
Adventure Theatre MTC
7300 Macarthur Blvd
Glen Echo, Maryland 20812

Showing from June 20 – August 31, 2014

Based on the book Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann & Elizabeth Kann
Music by John Gregor 
Lyrics by John Gregor, Elizabeth Kann & Victoria Kann 
Directed by Carl Menninger 
Starring Carolyn Agan

Recommended for All Ages 

Buy tickets online here. 

Celebrating the rich diversity and talent of the Del Ray community the Del Ray Music Festival that will take place on Saturday, June 28, 2014, 12PM to 9PM on the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center Fields at 2701 Commonwealth Avenue.  The Del Ray Music Festival includes music, great food, children's games and activities and a chance to ring in the summer! Admission to the festival is completely FREE! 

The festival features a variety of music including ska, blues, folk, power pop, Americana and rock.  The majority of the musicians who take the stage are local DC, Maryland and Virginian musicians, many being residents of Del Ray—something that makes this an extra special show for the performers.  This year’s festival is headlined by the PieTasters, and also features local favorites like Andrea Pais, The Cowards Choir, Lauren Calve Band, Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray, Classified Frequency, and the talented students from Rock of Ages Music!

Music for Life who will be raffling off a signed guitar at the festival!

For a full schedule, visit: http://www.delraymusicfestival.com

Wolf Trap is hands down one of the best places in Northern Virginia to see a show, and we adore their Children's Theatre-In-The-Woods which offers concerts Tuesday-Saturdays at 10:30 and attracts some of the biggest names in family entertainment.  At Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, summer is all about music, dance, puppetry, and storytelling!

Tickets for the 2014 Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods on sale now. 
See full season schedule.


Plus, here are three very special upcoming shows with family four pack ticket giveaways:

The  Pop Ups: Performing on June 27 & 28th at 10:30 AM 

• Electro-acoustic pop and puppetry duo from Brooklyn, NY - GRAMMY nominees in 2013 - new album "Appetite for Construction" coming in August

• See more info at:  http://www.wolftrap.org/Find_Performances_and_Events/Performance/14TITW/0627show14.aspx
  

***Win tickets to the June 27th Show at 10:30 by emailing info@gokidtrips.com with the subject line "Pop-Ups at Wolf Trap Tickets."  Must email by June 23, 2014 at 9 PM. 

We frequently get emails from fans on a budget asking what are the best FREE things to do with kids in the Northern Virginia area this summer.  We channeled our inner David Letterman and created this exclusive top ten list. Enjoy!

Skyland Resort
Skyline Drive
Luray, VA 22835
http://www.goshenandoah.com/

I want a show.  Can I have the iPad, please?  I want to see another video clip.  You’re unlikely to hear this at the Skyland Resort at mile 42.5 in Shenandoah National Park.  Okay, so wireless service is delightfully spotty, but we recently stayed in one of their newly renovated rooms featuring large screen TVs, new bedding, and updated bathrooms and are happy to report our kids were too tired from adventuring to even try to wear us down with their badgering. 

Skyland Resort started out as a summer retreat in 1888 and continues to offer visitors respite from the heat, congestion, and noise.  The resort is situated within Shenandoah National Park on Skyline Drive and offers amazing views toward the West.  The Resort opens in March and has a variety of accommodations ranging from small, rustic cabins to more traditional rooms.  We stayed in a traditional room and enjoyed our mountain views and quick walk to the Pollock Dining Room.

Luray Caverns in Luray, VA has been a popular tourist destination for decades and decades. Besides visiting the breathtaking caverns, your ticket includes admission to the Car & Carriage Museum, Toy Town Juction and Luray Valley Museum, also right on site. 

Plus, for additional fees, families can participate in the Garden Maze and Rope Adventure Park. 

Access to the caverns is only available via guided tour. Tours depart approximately every 20 minutes.  The tour includes the history of the caverns, how the formations develop, learning about the difference between stalactites and stalagmites, and many entertaining facts and trivia along the way.  Plus, there are amazing natural sights along the way such as Pluto's Ghost, Giants' Hall, "fried eggs," indoor bodies of water, the famous "Great Stalacpipe Organ" and much more.  

Tours are on a paved walkway and cover about 1.25 miles of walking. With many stops along the way, the pace is easy enough for a preschooler to keep up. Strollers are also permitted, but it is recommended to bring a small stroller due to the large amount of steps at the entrance/exit to the caverns. 

The caverns are open year-round, rain or shine. The temperature inside the caverns is a constant 54 degrees, but due to its high humidity, it feels more like 65 degrees. 

To kick off the summer, our wonderful sponsors at Baby Blossom are giving away a $50 gift card to be used in their stores.  Baby Blossom is packed with amazing baby gear, strollers, furnishings, diaper bags, nursing accessories, and all things baby! There are even toys and books for toddlers and school age kids. 

Plus, Baby Blossom has two convenient locations:

To win, just enter the Rafflecopter below!  

Valid towards in-store purchase of any regular price merchandise. May be used at either Fairfax or Reston location. Excludes taxes and or shipping.

**Please make sure you provide a valid email address.  If the winner does not respond to the email within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen at random.  All opinions are our own. 

Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA will be hosting its Summerfest 2014 on June 14, 2014.  The exciting, family friendly event will feature:

• Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of Edgemoor Art Studio 12:05pm with their free Family Arts Festival from 12pm-4pm 
• Live music entertainment 
• Kids craft artwork workshops..
• Basketball shooting challenge G Team Sports.
• Tackett's Mill Lakeside professional photography by Classic Portraits
• Food vendors
• Beer/Wine Garden
• Live poetry readings accompanied by the sounds of professional jazz.
• Book signings from local authors.
• Exhibitors from local businesses and organizations.
• Tackett's Mill Lakeside professional photography by Classic Portraits

Find out more about the event here.

When the National Symphony Orchestra pairs music from more than a dozen Pixar films with clips on a giant screen, going to the symphony is a fun, family filled experienced that transcends generations.  At Pixar in Concert at Wolf Trap, the audience can enjoy award-winning music from favorite Pixar Films including Ratatouille, A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo, WALL-E, Up, The Incredibles, Brave, Monsters, Inc., Monsters University, and the Cars and Toy Story series.  The huge screens will be placed in-house and also on the lawn, allowing for many people to see. 


The musical score for Pixar in Concert is conducted by Emil de Cou.  In his 10th season as the official conductor of the NSO at Wolf Trap, The Washington Post says, "“He’s one of the few conductors trying to open new doors into classical music, either with video…or other new technologies aimed at younger audiences.”


Plus, the breathtaking backdrop of Wolf Trap's Filene Center is a favorite place in the Washington, DC metro area to bring a picnic and enjoy a summer show under the stars. Additional information and ticket purchase can be seen at: http://www.wolftrap.org/Home/Find_Performances_and_Events/Performance/14Filene/0620show14.aspx

Venue Information:
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Filene Center
1551 Trap Road 
Vienna, Virginia 22182
http://www.wolftrap.org

If you like Pixar in Concert, you may also enjoy  Disney Fantasia Live in Concert or the Sing-a-long Sound of Music (offered later in the season.) 

My family received press tickets to the performance for sharing and promoting the show. No other compensation was received.  Look for our official review following the show. All opinions are our own. 

If you have a toddler, you understand the reference.  They may sit through their daily commute in a gray minivan affectionately renamed Gordon, and visit their grandparents on a plane, but no mode of transportation captures children’s attention the way trains can.  Maybe it is the scale and power, or astute marketing, however if you have a young child you’ll eventually:

•  Confront the profound question of whether to go “all-in” with Thomas or Chuggington;

• Scold one or more relatives for buying incompatible metal engines after you’ve invested hundreds of dollars in wooden tracks for wooden engines;

• Run out of room on the train table; and,

• Develop a strange need to go see trains.
  

This post compiles a list of train museums and train-related events within driving distance of the DC metro area.  I admit that I haven’t been to all of them, and the list is not comprehensive, so feel free to include tips and suggestions in the comments below.

 

Main Stations: The Train Museums


B&O Railroad Museum
901 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD
http://www.borail.org/default.aspx

Just a short drive away, the B&O Railroad Museum features an impressive collection of locomotives and rolling stock.  The museum bills itself as “the oldest, most comprehensive American railroad collection in the world” and it delivers on that promise. Its collection includes a number of cars – including a caboose – which you can go inside of.  It also features many locomotives from earlier eras that enable children to encounter history and see how trains have changed over time.  Many of the trains are housed in a roundhouse that fascinates kids with its gigantic scale and a turntable that is just like (!!!) the one they play with.  Train rides are also available (extra charge), however the view is, on occasion, closer to The Wire than to the Island of Sodor.  Regardless, the museum a great day trip and easily combined with an early dinner at the Inner Harbor.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
300 Gap Road
Ronks, PA 17572
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/index.shtml

 
Strasburg Rail Road
301 Gap Road
Ronks, PA 17572
http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/

While the Railroad Museum and Strasburg Rail Road are separate institutions, they are directly across the street from one another, and offer a train-filled day in an idyllic countryside setting.  Imagine Sodor without the accidents.  Or, more specifically, train accidents.

The Strasburg Rail Road offers multiple trains throughout the day that bring visitors on a 45 minute journey through Lancaster PA farmland.  The engine and car types vary and enable you to tailor your experience to your family’s budget and interest level.  The Rail Road also offers a variety of special events, such as an Easter Train, Days out with Thomas, Wine & Cheese Trains, and Christmas themed trains that are sure to be a hit.

The Railroad Museum displays a diverse collection of over 100 locomotives and rail cars in its exhibit hall and restoration yard.  The locomotives and rail cars are well displayed and visitors are permitted inside several of them, including a beautifully restored caboose.

Ronks is approximately 3 hours from Washington D.C.  While the trip can be done in a day, consider staying overnight at the Fulton Steamboat Inn, a wonderfully fun hotel that looks like a steamboat inside and out and lets you borrow a pet goldfish for the night.  Equally important, the hotel has a great playground and pool.  If you’re interesting in sticking with the train theme, consider The Red Caboose Motel.