Free Christmas Music Performances and Plays in DC

The National Theater presents "THE KINGDOM OF SWEETS: A CHRISTMAS TREAT:"Part of the Saturday Morning at National Series, you and your family can enjoy this amazing holiday show. On December 13^th, Debra and Benn Savage and the BALLET ARTS ENSEMBLE OF FAIRFAX perform their "Nutcracker in a Nutshell." From the 2nd Act of Tchaikovsky's classic, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Chinese Dancers, and the other celebrated characters bring you elegant and amusing holiday cheer. The show is free, but you need a ticket and seating is limited. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. For the 9:00 a.m., your best bet is metro since it's located near the Metro Center Train Stop. The National Theater is located on 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. There's 2 hour parking, but it's mostly limited.

The National Christmas Tree and Pageant of Peace: Anyone who visited Washington, DC during Christmas know at the National Christmas Tree. The tradition continues as the lighting of the National Christmas Tree takes place on December 4^th as part of the Pageant of Peace. In addition to the lighting of 85th Lighting of the National Christmas Tree, guests will be treated to live entertainment. This year's performers include:

Jon Secada, Phil Vassar, Rissi Palmer, Washington-based dance troupe Step Afrika! And nd the U. S. Army Chorus's SFC Steve Cramer will appear as Santa Claus, rounding out the show will be 4-year-old singer Kaitlyn Maher, who came to national attention as one of the ten finalists in this year's "America's Got Talent" competition.

Tickets for the Tree Lighting are free and will distribute 2,800 free Lighting of the National Christmas Tree Opening Ceremony tickets to the public at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion at the southwest corner of 15th and E Streets, NW, now until the tickets are gone. These tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A maximum of four tickets will be issued per person. Tickets are required for every attendee, including all children. The show starts at 5:00 p.m. The gates will open for all ticket holders at 3:30 p.m. For security reasons, all guests must be in their seats by 4:30 p.m. Parking will be limited. You can use Metro to get to McPherson Square and walk to the White House. If you can't make the tree lighting, there are plenty of live music performances that you can catch December 6^th to December 23^rd. You can see the music calendar for this event can here.

Free Holiday Music at the Willard Hotel: Spend the holidays at Washington's most historic luxury hotel. From December 1^st to December 23^rd, several of the top choral and musical ensembles from around the Washington, DC Metro area will bring in the holiday spirit as they perform in the Willard Hotel lobby. Guests will be treated with Complimentary hot-spiced cider and gingerbread sweets. This Holiday concert series runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The hotel is located on 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC. It is close to the 2 Metro Stops, McPherson Square and Metro Center.

US Army Band Pershing's Own Present, A Holiday Festival: Celebrate Christmas with our Armed Forces as the US Army Band, Pershing Own hold their annual holiday festival at DAR Constitution Hall. This concert features The U.S. Army Orchestra, The U.S. Army Chorus, and vocalists from The U.S. Army Band Downrange. This year's special is American mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore. The Holiday special runs from December 12^th to 14^th. The concert is free, but all tickets have been distributed. Each day-of-show, a stand-by ticket line will form 1 hour prior to each show at the DAR box office entrance on C Street. All available seats will be turned over to patrons without tickets at 15 minutes prior to each show's start. Constitution Hall is on 1776 D. St., NW. Parking 2 hours before 6:30 p.m. The closest metro Station is Farragut West.

US Navy Band Season of Magic Holiday Concert: On December 20 and 21, United States Navy Band brings Holiday Joy to Dar Constitution Hall for their annual Season of Magic Holiday Concert. This show features mix of traditional and new holiday favorites delight audiences young and old alike. The program is broadcast on select networks both nationally and internationally. The concert is free, but you need to send a self addressed stamped envelope to get your tickets.

Winter Dance Informal Showcase at AU: On December 6^th, American University shows their artistic best. Student dancers from the school's dance classes perform modern, jazz, ballet, and African selections. Dance instructors will introduce the presentations and discuss the focus of each work. Free and open to the public. The starts at 2 p.m. Parking is free on the weekend, and there is a free shuttle bus service to American University from the Tenleytown Metro Station.