Friday Freebies

• The National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony airs Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. on CBS. If you’d like to see it, and nearly 60 other trees adorned with ornaments designed by students, head to the Ellipse. The display is open daily through Jan. 1. The trees are lit every evening at sunset.
• Use the Wendy’s app to get different buy-one-get-one-free deals every day through Dec. 22.
• For the holiday season, an indoor, synthetic ice rink has opened inside the National Building Museum. Admission is free if you bring your own skates or rent a pair for $5. Skaters need to register in advance, and dates and times vary now through Jan. 4.
• Get a free burger with a $10 purchase every day at Shake Shack, now through Dec. 24. Just use code BURGERBLITZ when you place your order at an in-restaurant kiosk, through the app, or at shakeshack.com. The type of burger being given away changes daily.
• Head to Old Town Alexandria on Dec. 24 to see the annual Waterskiing Santa Show on the Potomac River. In addition to St. Nick, you may see some reindeer and the Grinch, too.

• Buy a one-year Costco membership (starting at $65) and get a free $45 Digital Costco Shop Card. Grab the deal through Stack Social by Dec. 22, and redeem it by Jan. 31.
• The Kris Kringle Procession parade in Downtown Frederick happens Dec. 13, and the finale is the lighting of the city’s holiday tree.
• Buy 12 Insomnia Cookies in-store or online, and you’ll get 4 classic cookies free. The offer expires at 6 a.m., Dec. 16.
• Wunder Garten in Northeast holds Krampusnacht DC – its alternative holiday celebration for the 21-and-over crowd – Dec. 14. Admission is free, but you’re asked to consider making a donation to the Wanda Alston Foundation.
• Who doesn’t love “A Charlie Brown Christmas?” Non-subscribers can stream the special for free on Apple TV+ December 14 and 15.
• Leesburg’s Christmas and Holiday Parade marches down King Street on Dec. 14.

• More than 500,000 Christmas lights, all in one place! You’ll find those and more at the free Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kensington every day, now through Jan. 1, 2025.
• The Winter Community Day & Columbia Heights Tree Lighting Ceremony is Dec. 6 from 2-8 p.m. at the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza. There will be holiday music, hot cocoa, local vendors and freebies and deals at local businesses.
• Plan to gift someone some bourbon for the holidays? Some distillers offer free personalized labels you can add to the bottle, including Woodford Reserve and Four Roses.
• If you’re mad for plaid and pipe and drum bands, Alexandria’s annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade happens rain or shine on Dec. 7, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Admission is free to the annual “Seasons Greenings” holiday exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden in D.C., running now through January 5, 2025, except Dec. 25. Enjoy outdoor gardens, replicas of D.C. landmarks made from plants, and a model train display.

Black Friday calls for an extended list of Friday Freebies this week!

It starts with the best freebies we could find for holiday shoppers, followed by free events and other goodies for freebie hunters.

• Be one of the first 250 customers at a Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s store on Nov. 29, and you’ll get a mystery promo card worth between $10 and $50. The card will be valid Dec. 6-28.
• Now through the end of the year, buy $200 in gift cards to Benihana and you’ll get $60 in promotional cards valid between Jan. 2 and March 31, 2025.
• Spend $40 or more at a LEGO store on Nov. 29 and you’ll get a free “Santa’s Sleigh Ride” LEGO set while supplies last.
• The first 25 MyLowe’s Rewards members to visit each store on Nov. 29 get a holiday “bucket of gifts” worth as much as $150.
• At Red Lobster, buy $50 in gift cards by Dec. 31, and you’ll get two $10 off bonus coupons valid between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, 2025, excluding Valentine’s Day.
• Make a $70 fragrance purchase at Ulta, and get a free robe or throw blanket. The offer is valid through Jan. 4, 2025, or while supplies last. Certain brands are excluded.
• Victoria’s Secret is offering online shoppers a free VS Shine tote with a $85 purchase, or the tote plus a free blanket with a $150 purchase. Both offers are while supplies last, through 8 p.m. on Dec. 1.
• Mosaic District holds a Holiday Tree Lighting and Santa Firetruck Parade on Nov. 29, that will include live performances and meet-and-greets with Santa himself.
• On Dec. 1, Chesapeake Beach will kick off the holiday season with a tree lighting, live holiday music, local vendors and a cozy fire pit.
• Dec. 1 is the Silver Spring Christmas Market and Holiday Craft Show at Veterans Plaza. There will be holiday music, food and dessert vendors, and of course, art and crafts vendors.
• Go online to request a coupon good for a Kinder Bueno milk chocolate and hazelnut cream bar at participating stores. The coupon expires Feb. 28, 2025.
• Get 30 minutes of free play time at TopGolf, as part of the rollout of its new Sonic the Hedgehog game.

The Bowie Baysox host their first ever Holiday Launch Event at Prince George’s Stadium on Nov. 23, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. There’s no charge to get in, and there will be free hot chocolate and cookies, a craft zone, a kids’ park and a bunch of local vendors.

Through Dec. 8, donate blood to the American Red Cross to get two free pairs of socks celebrating the Red Cross and the 30th anniversary of the beloved sitcom “Friends.” The offer is good while supplies last.

Shipgarten in McLean is throwing a Renaissance Festival on Nov. 23 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. that includes jousting, a knight sword show, a kid’s corner and a costume contest. Admission and parking are free.

Nov. 23 is the Opening Reception for Glen Echo Park’s Holiday Art Show and Sale. Admission is free. You’re encouraged to RSVP, but it’s not required.

Alexandria’s free annual holiday tree lighting ceremony happens Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. in Market Square. Afterward, enjoy “music and merriment” and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

• Throw on a flannel (required!) and head to Attaboy Barrel House in Frederick, Maryland, for its free Flannelhead Fall Market, from 4-8 p.m. on Nov. 15. There will be a fire pit with free s’mores and a bunch of vendors selling their wares.
• For a limited time at Applebee’s, if there’s an interception during any NFL game on a Sunday, you’ll get six free boneless wings with a $10 purchase the next day.
• Tysons Corner Center’s Holiday Kick-Off Celebration is on Nov. 15 from 6-8 p.m. at the center’s outdoor plaza. Snack on complimentary s’mores and enjoy performances, fireworks and the main event: Santa Claus’ big arrival.
• Wunder Garten in Northeast D.C. is hosting a Wicked “Welcome to Oz” event Nov. 16 from 8 p.m. till midnight. Dress as your favorite “Wicked” character, enjoy themed decor, curated cocktails, fun and prizes. Admission is free.
• At the grand opening of Chicken Salad Chick’s new restaurant at Greenbriar Town Center in Fairfax on Nov. 20, the first 100 people in line at 10:30 a.m. win a free order of chicken salad once a week for a year. The next 99 in line get a free order of chicken salad once a month for a year. Other giveaways follow Nov. 20-23.

• Tropical Smoothie Café “Tropic Rewards” members get a free smoothie when they buy a bowl or food entrée, through Nov. 10.
• Ready to get festive? National Harbor’s Holiday Tree Lighting is on Nov. 9, and will be followed by fireworks. After that, the tree will put on nightly light shows, and fireworks will light up the night every Saturday through Dec. 28.
• Celebrate the anniversary of the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall at the International Spy Museum’s annual Parade of Trabants, Nov. 9 outside the museum in Southwest D.C.
• At Shake Shack, get a free Chicken Shack sandwich with a purchase of at least $10 on Sunday football game days.  Just order using promo code “CHICKENSUNDAY.”
• Denny’s is one of many restaurants offering freebies for Veterans Day. On Nov. 11, active duty and retired members of the military can get a free original grand slam breakfast at participating locations between 5 a.m. and noon.

• Where to find Veterans Day freebies and other deals in the DC area

• Ahead of this weekend’s time change, Bike Arlington is handing out free bike lights, reflective vets and other gear to help cyclists become more visible when they ride after dark. The giveaway is happening Friday, Nov. 1, from 4-6 p.m. at the Washington & Old Dominion Trail at Columbia Pike.
• See more than 100 live bands for free, and grab a wristband good for dozens of discounts at businesses during Adams Morgan PorchFest, Nov. 2 from 2-6 p.m. To make way for the fun, 18th Street NW will be closed to traffic between Columbia and Kalorama roads.
• Teddy & The Bully Bar’s election night watch party on Nov. 5 will include a free buffet from 4-5 p.m.
• Free Donut Wednesdays are back! Dunkin’ Rewards members can get a free classic donut with any drink purchase every Wednesday through Dec. 25.
• Better than free: LEGO is trying out a “Brick Take Back” program! For a limited time, turn in your spare bricks and get rewarded with as much as $6 per pound on a LEGO e-Gift Card.

• Things to do in the DC area: Halloween parties, Adams Morgan Fall Porchfest … and more!

• Wear a costume to a participating Krispy Kreme shop on Halloween, Oct. 31, and you’ll get a free original glazed doughnut, no purchase necessary.
• The free Home Rule Music Festival, originally set for July, is rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26 at Alethia Tanner Park in Northeast D.C. Performers include Be’la Dona, The Experience Band and Soul of Seed. There will be a record fair, vendors and food trucks as well.
• It’s “Trick or Turtle Treat” at the Greene Turtle in D.C. on Halloween, Oct. 31. From 5-9 p.m., enjoy free popcorn and movies, and kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal.
• Get down to the “knitty gritty” at Frederick Fiber Fest, Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Frederick Fairgrounds. You’ll find more than 140 fiber vendors, local food and drinks for sale, and a kids zone. Admission is free.
• The scary season is the perfect time to check out the U.S. Botanic Garden’s exhibit “Fierce Flora: Tales of Survival and Demise,” featuring plants armed with unique defenses such as carnivorous sundew, deadly nightshade and prickly pear cactus. Admission is free.
  

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  Things to do in the DC area: Diwali celebrations, High Heel Race … and more!

From free coffee to watching local artists, here’s our list for this Friday and beyond:

• Sign up to join Dunkin’ Rewards, and get a free medium drink when you make a purchase every day during your first two weeks as a member!
• Don’t have an Apple TV subscription? No problem! You can stream the classic Peanuts special “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” for free Oct. 19 and 20.

• Things to do in the DC area: Chefs for Equality, Witches Halloween Party … and more!
  

• Target Circle members can get a free Air Wick Scented Oil Air Freshener, and pick it up at a nearby store. Or get it shipped free, with orders of $35 or more. The offer expires Nov. 2.
• The D.C. Punk Archive is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a free show by three bands and a pop-up record fair at Lamont Plaza in Mount Pleasant on Oct. 20.
• Chuck E. Cheese’s Halloween Boo-tacular is happening every night in October at participating locations. Kids who show up in costume will trick-or-treat for free and get 500 bonus e-tickets for games.

From free pizza to parking for a nearby event, here’s our list for this Friday and beyond:

• Buy one of California Pizza Kitchen’s limited time only pizzas (Burnt Ends BBQ or Bacon and Brussels), and you’ll get a free one to take home and bake later. The offer is good through Oct. 31.
• Harris Teeter offers free sugar cookies for kids at the bakery counter of every store, all the time.
• Admission and parking are free at Gaithersburg’s annual Oktoberfest, scheduled for Oct. 13.

• Things to do in the DC area: Capital Art and Craft Festival, Vintage Market … and more!

• Buy any Subway Footlong, and you’ll get one free through Oct. 13. Just use code FLBOGO online or through the app.
• Fourth graders and their parents can get a pass granting them free access to all national parks and federal lands for one year.