Chances are you could use some time in a quiet corner of DC where aquatic flowers bloom, frogs ribbit among lily pads, and birds wade through water. We’re talking about Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, and this weekend, July 19-21, will provide the perfect excuse to visit them. It’s the garden’s annual Lotus & Water Lily Festival, which celebrates the colorful arrival of the park’s many varieties of aquatic flowers each July.
While many of Kenilworth’s exotic lotus flowers already reached peak bloom earlier this month due to this summer’s scorching temperatures, visitors can still stroll past Monet-like ponds full of water lilies and other native flowers at the 700-acre park, which is offering a three-day schedule of events. A nod to the centuries-long tradition of finding creative inspiration in the aquatic flowers, this year’s theme is “the art of lotuses and water lilies.”
Here are several festival highlights we’re looking forward to this weekend (just be sure to pack water, lather on some sunscreen, and perhaps bring an umbrella for shade):
Enjoy Cooler Evening Hours
Given these unbearably hot days, we’re looking forward to the festival’s extended evening hours. Normally closing at 4 PM each day, Kenilworth will stay open until 8 PM this Friday through Sunday, giving people a rare opportunity to enjoy the park during the day’s cooler hours. (Just be aware: If you’re headed there specifically to see the water lilies, you’ll want to go in the morning, as the flowers tend to close their petals in the afternoon.)
Channel Your Inner Monet
Let the lotus flowers and water lilies be your inspiration at one of the festival’s several art classes throughout the weekend. On Friday from 10 AM to noon, attend a drop-in class with artist Darrelynne Strother or, later that day, sign up for a 5 PM acrylic painting class with the DC art studio Paint Amore at the park’s “Welcome Table.” Two more acrylic painting classes, each limited to the first 30 people who sign up in person, will be held on Sunday at 10 AM and 1 PM.
Can’t make it to one of the lessons? The class’s muse—those vibrant water lilies and lotuses—will still be around all weekend for artists who bring their own pencils or watercolors.
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Go Bird Watching
At any given time, you’ll likely encounter a birder peering through their binoculars or long-lens camera at the gardens, which are considered one of the city’s prime spots for birding. Rare birds, including recent sightings of snowy egrets and past sightings of roseate spoonbills, are often spotted throughout the marshy oasis. During the festival, learn about some of the birds of prey that call the park home with Liz Dennison, founder of Secret Garden Birds and Bees, on Friday at 1:15 PM and master falconer Rodney Stott on Sunday at 11 AM.
Can’t make it to one of the bird sessions? The park also offers weekly bird walks on Tuesday mornings at 8:30 AM and monthly bird walks on the first Saturday and Sunday of the month at 8:30 AM.
Listen (and Dance) to Live Music
Each day of the festival promises a diverse lineup of musical performances. On Friday evening at 5:45 PM, catch the Washington Dunhuang Guzheng Academy, whose students and instructors will perform traditional Chinese music on the guzheng, a type of ancient zither, followed by a 7 PM performance from Adamare, a soul, jazz, and rock fusion band comprised of DC Public School teachers. Saturday will see concerts featuring Buddhist chanting, classical Indian music, mariachi, and a hip hop symphony. Sunday will feature dance-inducing music, including African drumming, Latin bachata, as well as R&B and funk from DC’s The Tribe Band. Check out the festival’s full musical lineup here.
Salute the Sun
Mirror the lotus flowers with your own lotus pose at one of the festival’s two yoga classes. Roll out a yoga mat in the garden on both Saturday and Sunday morning at 9 AM.
