Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
If you’ve lived in Vienna for any length of time, you’ve heard about the long wait times for local pools.
Pro Tip: if you’re selling a home and you have a pool membership make sure you advertise that! It’s a huge selling feature as the buyer can buy your membership. There are 6 main pools in the area, which I’ll list below, but this list is for anyone who is looking for other options to find water — local pools, spraygrounds and splash pads.
My kids are past the splash pad age, so if I’ve missed anything new please share with the readers below!
Local Vienna Pools
- Vienna Woods Swim and Tennis
- Vienna Aquatic Club
- Dunn Loring Swim Club
- Cardinal Hill Health and Racquet
- Hunter Mill Swim and Racquet Club
- Mosby Woods Pool
Spraygrounds, Splash Pads and Waterparks
- The Boro Splash Pad: 15 jet splash pad at the Boro Park located on the Upper Promenade, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- The City of Fairfax Splash Pad (10415 North Street): Open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and don’t skip on the ice cream next door at Woody’s!
- Mosaic Water Fountains (on the green): Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Our Special Harbor (6601 Telegraph Road, Franconia): This Chesapeake Bay themed splash park has a water maze, dumping crab basket, spray fountains, misting flowers and interactive water tables. Aquatic shoes or sandals with a back strap are required for kids under 15. There’s also a carousel.
- The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole (400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston): Here you’ll find a pool, slides, a lazy river, an area for kids with a smaller slide, covered picnic areas and chairs for lounging. This is a great option for day trips to a pool if you’re not a member of any of the local pools. We bought a family pass our first summer in Vienna when we weren’t members of a pool yet, and it was a great way to pass the summer. We have also done birthday parties here — so much fun!
- Ocean Dunes Waterpark (6060 Wilson Blvd, Arlington): Explore multiple pools for different ages, large slides, a “sprayground” with a dumping bucket and many areas for lounging in the sun. It’s also adjacent to an 18-hole mini-golf course — another great way to pass a lazy day!
- Volcano Island Waterpark (20015 Volcano Drive, Sterling): This is another great option with a pool, “sprayground,” slides and a dumping bucket.
- Atlantis Waterpark (7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville): Keep the kids busy with waterslides, pools, a play island with smaller slides and a huge 500-gallon dumping bucket.
- Great Waves Waterpark (4001 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria): For the adventurous, this park includes speed slides, waterslides, a wave pool and a small kids’ zone for the younger crowd. There’s also a mini-golf course, batting cages, playground and cabanas.
Other Pool Options
- Reston Lifetime Fitness: They have an outdoor pool, but you also get access to the rest of the gym.
Sport and Health Tysons: Indoor and outdoor pools, in addition to access to the full club.
McLean and Fairfax Pools: Many have openings and no wait! - McLean Hamlet
- McLean Swim and Tennis
- Chesterbrook Swim and Tennis
- Highlands Swim and Tennis Club
- Tuckahoe Swim and Tennis
I want to give a shout to an Instagram account you may want to follow if you have little kids — @Virginia.Adventure.Family. They do a great job of posting videos, photos and details about cool places to visit around Virginia.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
A lot has changed since Covid and the exceptions that were made to accommodate outdoor seating around town. Thanks to a suggestion from one of my clients — shout to Christina! — I put together a list of outdoor dining options to enjoy this summer.
Church Street Options
- Sandwich Shop — a few indoor tables and a small patio with tables and umbrellas on Church St.
- Ritas — benches in front to enjoy your cold treat!
- Greenheart Juice — a few tables in the front on Dominion Rd NE
- Caffe Amouri — small tables and some benches with cover
- Kiln and Co — small tables/chairs, some under cover
- Caboose Brewery — patio right off the trail
Maple Ave
- Clarity — fine dining with a dedicated patio space with umbrellas
- Cava/Potbelly — a few tables out front
- Maggio’s and Skorpios Charcoal Grill — several tables out front
- Crepe Amour — a few tables out front
- Pazzo Pomodoro — a few tables out front
- Big Buns — several tables under cover
- Sweet Leaf — a few tables out front
- Bruster’s Ice Cream, Jammin Java, Pizza Vienna — all have a few tables out front
- Noodles and Co, Crumbl, Chipotle, South Block — all share a few tables out front
- Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee — a few small tables out front
- Bear Branch — a large patio that fills up quickly
- Foster’s Grille — a few tables out front and to the side
- Taco Bamba — covered patio out front
- Mod Pizza — a few tables out front
- Frame Roasters — new coffee shop has a few tables
- Hawk and Griffin — has a small front patio
- Coco’s Sodas and Sweets — a few covered tables
The town is pretty strict on outdoor dining options which is why many of these have smaller tables and just a few of them. If you’re looking to dine out, make sure you call ahead and see who takes a reservation for that specific table.
Some Favorites in Oakton
- Santini’s — tables out front
- Mama Tigre — just recently did a renovation to add more outdoor seating
Some Favorites in Tysons
- Lebanese Taverna (Tysons II) — big patio on the lower level
- Patsy’s — covered patio in the back but also picnic tables!
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
ViVa Vienna, the town fair, is my favorite event of the year — fried everything, cotton candy, deep fried Oreos, fun rides, fun games, just an all around fun time for everyone.
ViVa Vienna is made up of rides for the kids, some for the smaller crew and some for the older crew who likes faster/higher rides, usually games (knock down the clown, pop the balloon, fishing for a duck), vendors (arts, crafts, photos, local businesses), and fair food. Think meat on a stick, turkey legs and fried everything. It’s glorious and fun. They also have shows on the town green in the amphitheater.
The event is Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10am to 10pm. You can buy wristbands online now and avoid the long wait to buy them the day of. You’ll still need to wait in line as this is a voucher for the wristband, but it’s still much faster. Just go ahead and buy the unlimited ride band now and save yourself the kid meltdown later. You can also buy tickets to BrewFest as well. BrewFest will have beer from Caboose, plus wine, food and live music, but it’s only open on Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 10pm.
Bring water! Bring snacks if you don’t want to buy food. The kids (and adults) get hot and hungry, and that’ll kill anyone’s day.
The Vienna Singing Princesses are always a hit, and are on the entertainment schedule to perform Saturday morning. The Vienna Jammers and the Great Zucchini are on the schedule for Monday morning. Check out the Lawyers Road Stage for more shows too.
If you want to check out the map of the entire event to plan ahead, you can see it here.
Logistics: there are recommendations by the Rotary Club for parking spots. Be careful of residential streets that may have no parking signs, and try not to block driveways.
One tip: we like to go on Saturday before lots of vendors make the attendance even more crowded. Vendors are only set up for Sunday/Monday. However, we do go back because you get to meet some local faces, shop artists, hit a hockey puck with the Caps local outreach team, and more. It’s all fun, but for some people who like to avoid the larger crowds – plan to go on Saturday.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
Today is the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, which comes at a good time when they’re all tired from the year and stressed from prepping for SOL testing.
I know local PTA’s have organized things like food, flowers, and cards from the classes to show the homeroom teachers some love, but I wanted to throw out some other ideas — from the wife of a teacher:
- We all know teachers love kids, but that doesn’t mean they don’t also love cash and gift cards. Find out where they love to eat, shop, play or get a generic Target/Amazon gift card and let them do something for themselves.
- My husband has kept cards from students from decades ago. A meaningful card does go a long way. If that’s all you can do, that’s still a lot!
- Don’t forget the special teachers (music, PE, art) and special ed teachers. They often get forgotten since they’re not homeroom teachers.
Great teachers can make a huge difference in a kids life. Thank you teachers for all that you do everyday!
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
The end of April, early May means that strawberries are ready for picking.
The weather this week looks amazing and I’ll take any excuse to get outside and enjoy it before we get the heat and humidity coming. This is my annual PSA that there are so many great places to go berry picking around Northern Virginia.
Don’t forget: they’ll shut down for a day or two if they get over picked so make sure you’re checking their websites/social media for current updates.
- Messick’s Farm in Bealton, Virginixa: Check their Facebook page for updates on the availability of U-pick. While Messick’s has their own custard and availability of treats and food, we drove about three miles down the road to the famous Moo Thru — an ice cream drive-thru, which was so good. (Coffee ice cream was delicious!) Their Strawberry Festival starts on Saturday, April 29 and includes Barrel Train Rides, hayrides, bounce pillow, zipline, goats, candy cannon and kids tattoos. Weekends from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Wegmeyer Farms has three locations in Hamilton, Aldie and Leesburg, Virginia. Make sure you follow them on Facebook for the most up-to-date information (as of this writing on April 24, the berries are almost ready). Don’t miss their donuts!
- Hollin Farms in Delaplane, Virginia: Hollin Farms will open in late May for strawberries and spring vegetables. They have a lot of other fruit throughout the year as well.
- Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, Maryland: Strawberries should be ready for picking in May.
- Shlagel Farms in Waldorf, Maryland: Shlagel Farms will be open in May. They update availability on their Facebook page.
- Swann Farms in Owings, Maryland: Check their website for updates, as they too should be ready for picking in May.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
A hot topic in every real estate sale is the home inspection process. In recent years, sometimes that inspection never happened, or it happened after a home was purchased. If you were lucky, you had the chance to do a pre-inspection before making an offer.
Many of my clients use the team at Enlighten Home Inspections — a team of 6 licensed inspectors. I had a conversation with owner Isaac Kieffer about a residential home inspection and some of his thoughts and advice. The company has been serving clients in the DC, MD and VA region for 10 years.
Here’s what came out of that:
Q: What are the top 3 concerns that come up during an inspection?
A: In my opinion, the three of the biggest concerns during a home inspection are water, water, water. Water is the enemy of the house, and knowing how to manage the water on your property can be the best way to protect the future of your property. Other major areas of concern that home inspectors can help discover are health and safety concerns as well as costly defects of various varieties.
Q: What is something you wish buyers knew about inspections?
A: Home inspectors are on your team. A good home inspector will be able to make a buyer more knowledgeable of the condition of the property that they are considering buying. Inspectors will go into areas of the homes that buyers may not think to explore or do not feel comfortable to go themselves (i.e. attics and crawl spaces). Inspectors give insight into budgeting timelines for future replacement of major appliances and systems, which equips a prospective buyer with a game plan on how to maintain their investment as well as give them peace of mind in understanding more fully what they are purchasing.
Q: What is the most common thing you see with new home inspections? Why should a buyer do a pre-drywall inspection in addition to the final?
A: I often feel that a home inspector is the final punch list. I have yet to perform an inspection, new or old, where I did not have a report with 50+ defects. It is much easier to ask the builder to fix the issues, while they have crews contracted for the work and still own the property, than when the owner takes possession of the property.
Inspections during the pre-drywall phase of construction are a good idea because this is the best chance for an inspector to see the structure. Many of the defects that we find during a pre-drywall inspection ultimately end up being covered by drywall or siding, so these defects can go unnoticed until there is a major issue and the house no longer has a builder warranty.
Q: What items do you see come up that make buyers most panicked?
A: Major structural issues tend to give buyers the most pause. Everything is fixable but the cost and time required to make structural repairs can make buyers think twice about purchasing a property. Roof leaks are another issue that can give purchasers pause especially when there is limited ability to negotiate. Buying a house is a huge investment, and major expenses out of the gates are often overwhelming so having a better understanding of these areas often can help to reduce some of the anxiety of purchasing a house.
Q: What is your best piece of advice for homeowners thinking of selling their home soon?
A: Take care of the little maintenance issues that you are aware of. If you know a good handy person, they can fix most issues. If these nuisances are not fixed ahead of time and you have to negotiate against a home inspection, typically a licensed professional is required for the repairs, and the cost can become much more exorbitant.
Declutter and present the house in a way that will set you up for success. Realtors are a great source of knowledge, so do not hesitate to ask them what other sellers on the market are doing to sell their house quickly.
Lastly, make sure you have nice clear paths for the home inspector to access all major appliances!
If you’re looking for an annual checklist of items to help tune up your home, please email me. I give clients a checklist to help them and I’m happy to share it!
You can follow the adventures of these home inspectors on Instagram at @enlightenhomeinspections.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
Continuing my “ask the expert” series, I wanted to give you a real estate agent’s perspective when we look at houses on the market.
Sometimes I look at them for market insights, sometimes I have a particular client in mind for it, and sometimes I’m just checking out inventory to keep a pulse on things. I want to give you my 5 favorites houses on the market this week in Vienna and tell you WHY I picked them.
In order from cheapest to most expensive:
419 Cynthia Lane NE, Vienna, VA 22180
A charming colonial on a cul-de-sac walkable to Church St, Glyndon Park, W&OD, Foxstone Park and easy commuter access. The house has an assumable VA loan with a 2.5% interest rate — a HUGE savings for our VA eligible buyers. Happy to explain what that means if you don’t know — just email me. The house itself is nearly 2400 sq. ft. on 3 finished levels. A traditional floorplan offers lots of natural light, fully fenced yard, tons of storage, and a carport for 2 cars. At $950k, the house offers lots of updates that you don’t need to do like windows, major systems, roof, and appliances, leaving space for you to make it your own in other ways.
2791 Marywood Oaks Lane, Vienna, VA 22181
A 2008 built large townhouse with a 2 car garage, and 3400 sq. ft. Spacious everywhere — for a townhouse to feel spacious, that’s a big win. Not only is there a sitting area in the primary bedroom, you get a walk out basement, a deck and a patio fully fenced. A nice bonus is that it’s on a dead end street with direct access to the trail to Nottoway Park and also just a few blocks away from the Vienna metro for convenience. The kitchen is updated with tons of cabinet and counter space.
430 Malcolm Road NW, Vienna, VA 22180
A like new 3 year old build by Everegreene. Get the benefit of the owners paying for blinds. I love the floorplan on this house because it’s everything you need and nothing you don’t. At $1.75m, this house feels like a steal compared to similar homes that are brand new. With just over 4800 sq. ft., you get a screened in porch, main level office with bookshelves, and space everywhere the matters. The fact that it’s walkable to town or Louise Archer is a nice bonus.
617 Truman Circle SW, Vienna, VA 22180
A brand new build by a local custom guy, Barry Schwartz of Dunhill Builders. The house has 5,900 sq. ft. on 4 finished levels on a cul de sac. Dunhill is known for the quality of their build, so you’re getting a great value for the size and quality at the $2M price tag. You get a surprising amount of living space in places that matter, plus a moody dark kitchen that looks amazing. They just installed a fence and while there’s a Trex deck already, there’s still room for a screened in porch if you wanted to add one.
626 Hillcrest Drive SW, Vienna, VA 22180
A brand new build by Reel Homes on a rarely available half acre walking distance to town. It’s a massive home at 9,065 finished square feet, 3 car garage, 7 bedrooms, 7 full baths and 2 half baths.
At that price tag, they did multiple things right: vaulted ceiling in the primary bedroom to give you something unique, heated screened in porch with fireplace, plus a covered porch and the yard is prime space for a pool, sport court, or whatever else you can dream up since it’s flat and give you tons of room to roam. I think a $3M house in town should offer something different than the rest of the homes to set it apart. It’s not a mass appeal house, that’s a unique buyer need, so having something special about it besides the volume of space it something I’d be looking for.
I tell clients all the time — there is no perfect house. Every house has a weak point. You just need to decide what’s important to you and then decide which house checks most of your boxes and gives you that “we’re home” feeling.
When I’m looking at houses for clients, I’m looking for things like quality of care of the home, general use of space compared to what they’ve said they need/want, and value.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
Part of my job as a real estate agent requires heavy conversations.
Sometimes I get to be part of celebratory moments in life and sometimes I get to be part of a not so happy moment in life. I often remind people of their responsibilities of being an adult and am the nagging mom nobody invited along. One of the other people who gets to be part of these same moments is Sonja Aoun, an attorney with Tysons based law firm BrigliaHundley.
BrigliaHundley is a long time sponsor of Vienna Little League and was recently ranked as one of US News and World Reports Best Law Firms for 2022.
I had the chance to talk to Sonja about how homeownership changes your responsibilities as an adult. I’d like to introduce a new series I’m going to do called “Ask The Expert” and we’re kicking it off with everyone’s least favorite subject: death.
Q: If 2 or more people are buying a home together and they are not married, what should they consider doing before closing day?
A: I highly recommend discussing and executing an equity sharing agreement. It helps to protect everyone equally. It is a shared financial agreement that allows parties to split ownership. If the two parties plan to get married, they can follow up with a pre-marital agreement.
Q: What are the advantages of putting a home in a trust?
A: I’m going to caveat this answer by saying I’m not a CPA. However, if you don’t need a trust for tax purposes, a trust does avoid probate and makes it easier for the loved ones you leave behind. It also protects the asset from creditors.
Q: If you bought a home and didn’t have kids, but now you do, what should you consider?
A: Get a will! It’s the only legal protection to specifically name who gets guardianship of your children once you die. You can also decide what happens to your assets to be used to care for your children until they’re a certain age.
Q: If you’re getting divorced, what should you consider before selling a home?
A: I’d suggest you talk to a realtor, a financial planner, and a certified divorce mortgage lender so they can discuss the asset’s worth and whether it’s worth holding onto or not. They can also advise if you can afford to keep it. Also, do not compare the equity in the home to a retirement account when discussing division of assets. They are not equal.
Q: If you need to sell a home after a loved one has passed, what documents do you need? What should you consider?
A: You need to know if there’s a will or trust, as that will determine your next steps. You’ll need a copy of those documents plus a death certificate, and you’ll need to talk to someone to advise you of how to go through probate (if applicable) and fill out that paperwork.
I also asked Sonja for one piece of advice she wished more people knew. Her response was insightful:
“Just take care of it. It makes it so much easier for the ones you leave behind. Nobody likes to deal with these things, but just do it and then you’re done — you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you don’t need to worry about it anymore.”
If you’re interested in learning more about wills, trusts, Sonja’s services or estates, they have a great free resource you can download here.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
Whether you celebrate the upcoming holiday or not, what kid doesn’t love finding toys and chocolate? There are a few events around town coming up that everyone is invited to join, regardless of faith.
Also, couple this with FCPS Spring Break week and I’ve got a few suggestions for keeping everyone entertained this week:
Egg Hunts
- Vienna Presbyterian Church is holding an egg hunt on the Town Green at 10:20 am on Sunday, April 9 for kids, from toddlers to 6th grade. They’ll have coffee, snacks, and family photo booths.
- Egg My Lawn Fundraiser for One Neighborhood Foundation: While their egg delivery is sold out, you can still sign up for an Egg Yard decoration or donate an egg basket/delivery.
- Save the date for NEXT YEAR: Family Flashlight Egg Hunt held by the Town of Vienna (sold out for 2023), but mark your calendar to register for next year.
Spring Break
Looking for camp options?
- Hammerzone Skills, Drills, and Fun (baseball and softball, kids 8-13), Monday – Thursday
- Individual day camp options through the Children’s Science Lab at Fair Oaks Mall, 9am – 3pm
- iCode Vienna Camps, Ages 6 and over
- Jolly Yolly in Fairfax has single day to all week options for kids 3 – 10, focusing on reading, art and fitness.
- New York School of Arts (NYSA) in Vienna has 3 different art camp options: Art, Digital Art and Fashion Sewing
- Chantilly Academy of Gymnastics has half and full day options
Regardless of what you do next week, I hope you all have a restful week and kids who don’t complain of being bored.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.
Thursday, March 30 is opening day for the Washington Nationals for the 2023 season. Welcome back Nats fans!
With opening day around the corner, I wanted to share some insider tips to a successful trip to the stadium.
Drive. The metro trip from Vienna is long and waiting for the train at the end of the game when it’s packed — the kids are tired and coming off their ballgame sugar high — is no fun. Buy parking ahead of time. Check pricing between Spothero and ParkWhiz.
Get there early to get food. The lines get long once the game starts. Check the full list of concessions here to scout food. You can buy bottled water outside for $1 and bring it in with you as long as it’s unopened (1 per person). They also allow outside food in single serving bags or factory-sealed containers can be brought in. I highly recommend you download the MLS Ballpark App as the entire stadium is now cashless and some of them require you to pre-purchase food and then go pick it up (you can’t even buy it at the stand for some of them — like Dippin’ Dots).
Deals
The Nats offer up to 30% off tickets for military, government employees, first responders, public school teachers with an account on GovX along with a credit to the concessions with each ticket.
There’s also a Harris Teeter Family Fun Pack where you get a free meal with each ticket (hot dog, chips and soda/water).
They also have “Value Day” tickets where tickets are up to 30% off and start at just $9, and they give you a code to use at the concessions to get a discount plus a merchandise discount at the team store. Certain dates only.
There is a Student Ticket option as well. You must sign up for access to student ticket discounts.
For those of you wanting to attend opening day, CertifiKid has a great deal on tickets. Tickets are 13-16% off depending on where you want to sit plus credits for food.
If you have a kid who plays baseball or softball, they have youth baseball and softball days (May 21 and June 18) where kids get in free for wearing their jersey. You’ll be receiving information on that directly from VLL or VGSL if your child is signed up. Super fun for them to go with teammates, especially since they’re both Sunday games and they can stay and run the bases together.
The Presidents race in the middle of the 4th inning. It’s one of the highlights for kids, so make sure you don’t miss it! As soon as the race is over, head over to section 131 where the President’s line up for a photo opportunity with fans during the 5th inning.
If you have kids who need to get some energy out, there’s a PenFed Kids Zone for kids under 10 on the 100 level of right field. Slides, climbing structure, a place to run, etc. One tip though: it’s all plastic, so on hot days when the slides are too hot, they close it to the public.
On Sundays, the kids can run the bases after the game, ages 4-12. From the Nats site:
Kids will start their run at first base and they will be directed around the bases to home plate. Sliding into bases is prohibited. An adult must accompany each participating child to the field — adults will drop children off at first base and meet them near home plate. Please note that adults may not accompany children as they run the bases. One adult will be permitted onto the field per child participating in Kids Run the Bases. The line for Kids Run the Bases forms outside the ballpark on the First Street sidewalk — participants should exit the ballpark through the right field gate and proceed to the line. The run will begin approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the game and the event usually lasts about an hour. Jr. Nationals Kids Club members age 12 and under receive access to an exclusive line that goes onto the field first.
Parents start lining up early because the Kids Club (see below) get in first and way worth it!
For $20, you can join the Nationals JR Kids Club. We did this for my son and it was totally worth it. They get coupons for free food at the ballpark, a Harris Teeter coupon, free birthday message on the screen during the game and other freebies.
Keep your eye out for special kid-friendly days at the park, like Bobble Head giveaways, kids watch giveaways, etc.
If you are bringing a diaper bag, make sure you read the bag policy:
- Bags, except: (1) clutch bags measuring 5″ x 7″ x ¾” or smaller; (2) clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags measuring 16″ x 16″ x 8″ or smaller; provided, however, that buckles, grommets, hardware or other décor may not conceal any part of the bag; and (3) diaper bags or bags used for ADA/medical reasons measuring 16″ x 16″ x 8″ or smaller; provided, however, that on the day of purchase, bags purchased inside the Nationals Baseball Stadium Complex* during the game or event at the Nationals Baseball Stadium Complex* will be tagged and permitted for that day only.
- There’s a nursing lounge for mother’s to feed babies, pump, change diapers or cool off with the air conditioning. You’ll find that space adjacent to section 223.
Beginning in April, you can also do Nationals Park tours on non-game days.
Kids under 2 are FREE.
Go Nats!
