WASHINGTON-Join the National Park Service for the 2023 Lotus and Water Lily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Experience the annual blooming of lotus and water lily flowers, enjoy music and dance performances, arts and crafts, ranger-led tours, and more! The festival will begin Saturday, July 15 and runs through Saturday, July 22 with extended, nighttime hours on Thursday, Friday and both Saturdays!
“We’re excited to present the annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival to highlight this spectacular bloom and celebrate this special time at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens with park neighbors and visitors from near and far," Tara D. Morrison, superintendent of National Capital Parks-East, said.
This year’s Lotus and Water Lily Festival focuses on people’s use of plants in culture, history, religion, health and art. Each festival day has its own theme. Visit go.nps.gov/lotus for the full schedule and more information on this year’s celebrations. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is open every day at 8 a.m.
Highlights include:
* Saturday, July 15 - Healthy Parks Day
** 5K walk, lotus yoga, drum circle, samba, Afropop musical band performance, and poetry reading.
** Park open until 8 p.m.
* Sunday, July 16 - Celebrate Asian Cultures
** Buddhist chanting, music and dances of Thailand, Chinese lotus dance, Indian classical dance, and Ranger-led tours.
* Monday, July 17 - History Day
** Ranger-led tours of the gardens highlight the historic origins of the park.
* Tuesday, July 18 - Birds and Plants
** 8:30 a.m. bird-watching walk around the ponds and the boardwalk.
* Wednesday July 19 - Kids Day
** Special birds of prey show, Junior Ranger activities, and art classes.
* Thursday, July 20 - Neighborhood Night
** Community scavenger hunt, dance class, painting class, East of the River steel band concert.
** Park open until 8 p.m.
* Friday, July 21 - Celebrating Veterans
** Forest bathing, paint classes, motivational speaker (recovery through writing), and a Brazilian Jazz band.
** Park open until 8 p.m.
* Saturday, July 22 - Celebrating African and Latin Cultures
** Closing day of the festival: Mexican Folk and Spanish Flamenco dance performances, African drum and dancing, a raptor show, a talk about the book, Indigenous DC, and Go-go music by The Experience Band & Show.
** Park open until 8 p.m.
Can’t make it to the festival? Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is open year-round and offers opportunities for all ages and interests including birding, wildlife viewing, photography, picnicking, volunteering and school group trips.
www.nps.gov
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service