National Harbor Lights Up the Holidays With Two Million Lights, And More

National Harbor has quickly become one of the nation’s top holiday waterfront destinations. The 350-acre property turns magical during the holidays and is all dressed up with more than two million holiday lights and decorations throughout. With its eight hotels, more than 40 restaurants and The Capital Wheel, it’s the perfect location to make holiday memories. From family activities to a romantic getaway for couples—National Harbor has it all.

Each year, National Harbor welcomes Gaylord National Resort’s amazing annual holiday celebration including its world-famous ICE! attraction. This year, the fun begins on November 19 and runs through December 31, 2023. The interactive ICE! will include 13 scenes from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ with classic characters including Clarice, Bumble, Sam the Snowman, Hermy the Elf and the star of the show, Rudolph. The carvers, from Harbin, China, work with more than two million pounds of colorful ice, taking more than 12,000 man hours to create the nearly 20,000 square foot, frozen attraction. This year, a Carver’s Showcase will feature a live demonstration where guests can see how the talented artisans carve the larger-than-life sculptures. ICE! is part of Christmas at Gaylord National, which includes a variety of family-friendly holiday events such as photos with Santa, ice skating and more. For additional information, visit ChristmasAtGaylordNational.com.

MGM National Harbor celebrates the holiday season at National Harbor with spectacular decorations throughout, including the property’s popular Conservatory where the holidays come alive with a breathtaking display. Cirque Dreams Holidaze will be at the Theater at MGM National Harbor from Dec. 15-17.

The holiday celebration continues throughout the destination with the lighting of the Waterfront District’s extraordinary 60-foot RGB tree, guarded by two new 12-foot nutcrackers. The nightly light show starts at sunset and continues every half an hour until 9 p.m. Guests will enjoy thousands of lights dancing alongside a holiday medley recorded by the United States Air Force Band, the season kicks off November 11. Saturday night fireworks run November 11 through December 30 at 5:30pm. Activities continue throughout the holidays with the opportunity to meet Santa at The Capital Wheel on Saturdays and Sundays from December 2 until December 17 from 2-4 p.m. Participating stores will have free hot cocoa on weekends from Nov. 11 through Dec. 31.

National Harbor is the perfect location to enjoy a wide array of holiday activities and events in close proximity to the Capital Region including Christmas at Mount Vernon (George Washington’s Alexandria home.) Holiday activities at Mount Vernon include holiday lights, fireworks and candlelight tours. Also nearby, the Accokeek Foundation has an annual Winter’s Eve Festival. Visitors may explore Piscataway Park and the National Colonial Farm by candlelight.

National Harbor is also the perfect location for holiday shopping with more than 140 shops including Tanger Outlets’ 85 designer brands such as Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Hugo Boss, Movado, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Coach and H&M.

There’s additional shopping in the Waterfront District where there are walkable streets with unique shops and boutiques such as MahoganyBooks, ZAAF, BrookieGirl, Miguel Wilson, It’Sugar, Corinto Gallery and more. These join nationally recognized brands including Carhartt and others. MGM National provides additional boutique shopping opportunities.

Also at National Harbor, over the holidays, there’s Titanic. The Exhibition. Visitors will travel back to 1912 through a collection of over 200 artifacts and personal belongings from passengers and crew members of the world's most famous ship including photographs, handwritten letters, keepsakes and more, telling countless stories about the fates and heroic deeds of those on board. Far more than a display of historic items, the exhibit immerses participants in a captivating narrated journey through the life and legacy of the Titanic on its maiden and final voyage. For tickets, visit www.titanicexhibition.com/dc/.

For more information about all of National Harbor’s holiday fun and hotel packages, visit www.NationalHarbor.com/hohoho. For more information on National Harbor, visit www.NationalHarbor.com.