Tax Day Freebies & Deals

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite goodies and giveaways to help ease the stress of the impending tax deadline! We hope these help make the day a little better and a lot less stressful for you!

Stop by any Office Depot and they will shred up to five pounds of paper and make 25 single-sided black and white copies for free. It’s a smart way to get rid of old bills and receipts and get a copy of your tax forms before you send them off.

“Tax Day Bites”! Cinnabon is giving away two Cinnabon Bites to every customer between 6 and 8 p.m. on tax day.

MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream & Treatery and Marble Slab Creamery are both giving a scoop of their new yogurt from 4 to 7 p.m. It’s their “Yogurt Yo-bate” promotion. The frozen yogurt flavors include lemon crème, decadent birthday cake and forest berry.

Chili’s Restaurant is offering a free appetizer or dessert with entrée purchase (valid April 16th – 18th); make sure to bring the coupon with you!

HydroMassage locations nationwide will provide free massages between April 16 and April 20 to help eliminate the stress of tax filing. Get a coupon for a free message at www.hydromassage.com/taxday.htm and call ahead to schedule a session.

Panda Express will give a free single serving of its new Shanghai Angus Steak at participating locations April 17. To get this free offer, you’ll need to download a coupon by “liking” Panda Express on Facebook starting April 11.

PF Chang’s 15% off your entire check on April 17th, no coupon needed.

Sonic Drive-In  Happy Hour all day long on April 17th (soft drinks, teas & slushes), no coupon needed.

Papa John’s  April 15-18 ”1040″ Special for All Tax Day Pro-crust-inators. You can order a large, original crust pizza with up to four toppings for just $10.40. — with the ‘1040′ online special.”

Bruegger’s  Offering its Big Bagel Bundle for just $10.40 — a savings of up to $5 — April 14 through April 17.

McCormick and Schmicks is hosting an extended happy hour in the bar on Tax Day, Tuesday 4/17 from 3:30-11pm! Enjoy special drinks like the Rummy Refund and The Bloody Mary Tax Code.

Easter Events Guide

Mary Sue Candies Bunny BonanZOO 2012

Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD

Friday, April 6, 2012 – Sunday, April 8, 2012

10:00 am- 2:00 pm

Join the Zoo as they celebrate the holiday with their annual festival. Enjoy games, spring crafts, entertainment, bounce house and free egg hunts!

Easter Monday: Celebrating the African American Family Tradition

National Zoo, Washington, D.C.

Monday, April 9, 2012

11 am – 4 pm

Free and open to the public!

Since 1891, Easter Monday at the National Zoo has been a historic tradition in the African American community. The National Zoo proudly commemorates this family tradition that has grown to include all families in the metro area. The event will include special family activities, a traditional Easter egg hunt, animal demonstrations, educational activities highlighting African animals. live entertainment and more!

 

Train Ride & Breakfast Buffet with the B&O Bunny in the Roundhouse

B & O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD

Friday, April 6  & Saturday, April 7, 2012

8:30 am – 10:00 pm

Enjoy a breakfast buffet of pancakes, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, fruit, juice, milk, and coffee. Choo Choo Blue makes a live appearance for storytime before the arrival of the B&O Easter Bunny, who will personally greet his friends and be available for photo opportunities. Carousel rides included (weather permitting). Then everyone hops on board the Mile One Express for an exclusive round-trip train ride with the B&O Bunny. General admission tickets for this event are $32.00 for adults and $24.00 for children (2-17). Tickets for B&O Adult members are $24.00 and $19.00 for their children. Space is limited and advance purchased required. To purchase tickets contact Dana Kirn at 410-752-2462 x 221.

Reston Zoo Easter Egg – Stravaganza

Saturday, April 7 & Sunday, April 8, 2012

Reston Zoo, Vienna, VA

Bring your Easter Baskets for an action packed zoo day! Meet our baby bunnies, bottle feed little lambs and enjoy Easter egg hunts, face painting and special visits from the Easter Bunny.  Egg hunts take place on Saturday and Sunday at 10:30, 12:30pm, 2:30pm. Special egg hunts for children 4 and under take place
in our picnic area at 10am and 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Egg hunts are FREE with admission to the zoo. (1 egg hunt per day per child.)

Spring Easter Festival

March 17, 2012 – April 15, 2012

Daily 10:00am—5:00pm  **Egg Hunts on Weekends

Ticonderoga Farm, Chantilly, VA

Come join us and the Easter Bunny for some festive fun.  Egg Hunts feature candy and toy-filled eggs.  Find those special golden goose eggs for a prize.  Kids and adults can get on the slides, take a hayride, visit our farm animals and roast marshmallows.  Bring your camera for photo ops with the Easter Bunny.  Please, arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the Egg Hunt and remember to bring your own basket or bag for collecting eggs.  Baskets will be available for purchase.  We request the emptied eggs to be returned at the end your visit so we can re-use (recycle) them if you do not wish to take them home. Weekdays $7.95, Holidays & Weekends $11.95

Easter Brunch, Lunch and Dining Specials

Baltimore Metro

Washington, D.C. & Northern Virginia

Looking for recipe, gift and craft ideas for the holiday? Head to our Easter Pinterest board!

Complete Guide to the National Cherry Blossom Festival

And the Centennial Celebration!

From  March 20^th – April 27^th, 2012

In 1912, Tokyo Japan presented our nations capital with 3,000 Cherry Blossom Trees.  Nearly a century later, the trees have proven their strength and are still standing throughout the Washington, DC area.  Join your fellow Washingtonians and tourists from around the world at the 2012 Centennial Celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival!

Schedule of Events

Opening Ceremony

Sunday, March 25th

5:00 pm-6:30 pm (doors open at 3:30 pm)

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

The Opening Ceremony commences the 2012 Festival with a star-studded show featuring local and national entertainment to welcome springtime to Washington, DC during the 100th Anniversary of the Gift of Trees.

Featured Performers:

Sara Bareilles – MISIA – Hideki Togi with Iwao Furusawa – Children’s Chorus of Washington – Denyce Graves-Montgomery – The Washington Ballet – TAIKOPROJECT – Samurai Sword Soul – CIRQUETACULAR

 National Family Days

Saturday, March 24^th from 10 am-4:30 pm

Sunday, March 25^th from 11 am–3:30 pm

National Building Museum

Join the National Building Museum and the National Cherry Blossom Festival for two days of free family fun! The annual family festival features hands-on activities and dynamic performances. 

Cherry Blossom Kite Festival

Saturday, March 31^st

10:30 am-4:30 pm

Washington Monument Grounds - Constitution Avenue & 17th Street, NW

Festival showcases the creativity of kite makers and skill of kite fliers from across the US and other countries through a variety of competitions and demonstrations. 

Blossom Kite Festival Schedule
PLEASE NOTE: Depending on wind and weather, schedule is subject to change

10:30 AM – 10:40 AM   Opening remarks, First launch of the Centennial Blossom Kite Arch
10:40 AM – 11:00 AM   Kite Ballets & Demonstrations
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM   Adult Kite Maker Competition (Hand-made kites only)
12:30 – 1:00 PM   Kite Ballets & Demonstrations
1:00 – 1:30 PM    Youth Kite Maker Competition (Hand-made kites only)
1:30 – 2:30 PM    Hot Tricks Showdown
2:30 – 3:00 PM    Mini Rokkaku Battle
3:00 – 4:00 PM    Rokkaku Battle
4:00 – 4:30 PM    Centennial Blossom Kite Arch & Themed Kites

Performance Stage at Sylvan Theatre

April 1^st thru 15^th: 12 pm-5 pm (Sun-Thurs), 12 pm-6 pm (Fri-Sat)

Washington Monument Grounds - Independence Avenue & Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW

In the shadow of the Washington Monument, this is the Festival’s primary stage. Sponsored by Canon, enjoy recognized and diverse talent from around the region, country, and world, including varied genres of music and dance, martial arts exhibitions, marching bands, and more.

Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival

Saturday, April 7^th

2 pm-9 pm, Fireworks at 8:30 pm

600-900 Water Street, SW

The Southwest Waterfront community, home of the cherry blossoms, honors the 100-year anniversary of the gift of trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC with eight celebratory hours of free music, water-related activities, cultural experiences, live entertainment and delicious foods, all designed to entertain and educate, plus cherry-inspired food and beverages.

Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival

Saturday, April 14^th

11 am-6 pm

12^th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Enjoy the family-friendly atmosphere of the largest Japanese cultural festival in the United States, featuring food, arts and culture, merchandise, and live traditional and J-Pop performances on four stages, including martial arts demonstrations.

National Cherry Blossom Day Parade

Saturday, April 14^th

10 am–12:30 pm

Constitution Ave. from 7^th to 17^th Streets, NW

Lavish floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, and performers burst down the historic avenue in an energy-filled spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

~All descriptions above have been provided by the National Cherry Blossom Festival Organization.  For a complete list of events, descriptions, ticket and entry information please go to www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org~

 

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations!

Put on your green, grab your Guinness and get out and celebrate!  We’ve compiled a list of some popular St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Maryland, D.C and Northern Virginia.  From fun-runs to traditional Irish fare you can check out what’s going on around town:

St. Patrick’s Day Event Guide 2012 – MD

St. Patrick’s Day Event Guide 2012 – DC & VA

For fun craft ideas, event decor ideas and recipes, check out our St. Patrick’s Day board on Pinterest!

 

Boordy Sip & Sliders

When we heard we could spend the day at Boordy Vineyards sipping wine, sampling sliders, roasting marshmallows and enjoying live music, we had to check it out! For the price of our $15 admission we received six wine samples along with an engraved wine glass and gourmet sliders from Clementine’s.

We were very fortunate to have picked such a beautiful day. The weather was sunny and 50 degrees. We arrived at 1pm, when the event began and there was already a nice sized crowd. We started by sampling some wine inside the beautiful building. Once we had a favorite picked out, the Petit Cabernet, we shared a bottle outside in the sun. After some relaxing for us and lots of running and playing for the little ones in our group, we headed upstairs to try the sliders and take in some fun live music. The music was great and the upstairs was so cozy with lots of people dancing and beautiful lights strung throughout. The sliders were very good and nice to have something a little different.

We spent the rest of the afternoon outside, it was just too nice to spend the day indoors, though I am sure most February weekends we would have spent the entire day upstairs! I definitely recommend a trip to Boordy to try out the Sip & Sliders! Next weekend is your last chance!