# 55th Annual Washington Monument Lighting & Street Festival > Event for families in the Baltimore–Columbia–Towson area (MD). Times are Eastern Time. - When: Thu, Dec 3 · 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM - Where: Mount Vernon Place, 699 Washington Pl, Baltimore, MD 21201 - Ages: All ages (family street festival with closed paved streets and park square viewing) - Price: Free admission (open public festival; food trucks and holiday crafts available for purchase). - Organizer: Downtown Partnership of Baltimore & Mount Vernon Place Conservancy - Official page: https://www.godowntownbaltimore.com - Last checked: Wed, Nov 4 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/baltimore/activities/55th-annual-washington-monument-lighting-and-street-festival--listing-99304cef9b5aa73b361879ff ## About Baltimore officially rings in the holiday season with the historic 55th Annual Washington Monument Lighting in the heart of Mount Vernon Place. The first architectural monument dedicated to George Washington, standing 178 feet tall in the historic square, is strung from base to pinnacle with thousands of sparkling holiday lights. As evening descends, the surrounding historic cobblestone plazas close to motor traffic, turning into a festive pedestrian street carnival. Family Experience & Accessibility: • Stroller Accessibility: Mount Vernon Place's surrounding streets are closed to traffic and feature smooth, wide asphalt and paved walkways suitable for strollers and wagons. • Family Fun: The celebration features live holiday musical performances by the Morgan State University Choir and local elementary school choruses, costumed stilt walkers, local artisan booths, hot chocolate stations, and free photo opportunities with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the North Park square. • The Grand Illumination: At 7:45 PM, a joyful community countdown triggers the dramatic simultaneous illumination of the monument and a spectacular pyrotechnic fireworks show dancing above Mount Vernon Place. • Sensory Tips: The fireworks finale is bright and boisterous; parents with toddlers or sound-sensitive children are encouraged to bring noise-canceling earmuffs or view from the quieter South Park square. ## Similar picks in Baltimore - [Monument Lighting Artisan Marketplace at the Walters](https://grassyknees.com/baltimore/activities/monument-lighting-artisan-marketplace-at-the-walters--listing-77db00c891ba0e688bd9dd75) — Thu, Dec 3 · 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM · The Walters Art Museum – Sculpture Court · All ages · Free · checked Oct 16. 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