Christmas Day is a time of year many spend with family and exchange gifts with loved ones. Here’s what’s open and closed in the D.C. region.
Christmas Day is a time of year many spend with family and exchange gifts with loved ones.
If you need to do any shopping for holiday meals or last-minute presents, consider yourself fortunate — there will be stores open to ensure the holiday goes smoothly.
Here’s what’s open and closed on Christmas Day in the D.C. region.
Stores and pharmacies
The Holiday Hours, a website that tracks chain store closures, said these stores will be open on Christmas Day:
- CVS Pharmacy — Numerous locations will be open during regular hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
- Giant — Most stores will open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but some are closed.
- Rite Aid — Numerous locations will be open during regular hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and it depends by the location.
- Safeway — Some locations will be open with adjusted hours,
- Walgreens — Numerous locations will be open and have extended hours on Christmas Eve but reduced hours on Christmas Day.
These stores will be closed on Christmas Day:
Entertainment
If you don’t celebrate Christmas, you can go watch a movie or get a bite at a nice restaurant.
Many movie theaters will be open on Christmas Day, such as AMC and Regal Cinemas locations. You can go see new movies such as “Marty Supreme,” “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” “Avatar: Fire and Ash” or “The Housemaid.”
There are restaurants that will be open as well. Here are some D.C.-area restaurants, according to OpenTable:
- Ambar — Arlington and D.C.
- Blue Duck Tavern — D.C.
- Carmine’s — D.C.
- Fogo de Chão — North Bethesda, Oxon Hill, Reston, Tysons and D.C.
- Founding Farmers — Alexandria, Potomac, Reston, Tysons and D.C.
- La Vie — D.C.
- Palette 22 — Arlington
- Minetta Tavern — D.C.
Check out more restaurants on OpenTable’s website. It’s recommended that you call or book in advance so you don’t miss your spot.
You won’t be able to buy last-minute gifts at Pentagon City, Tysons Mall or Potomac Mills. But you can buy them at the Mall at Prince George’s, Bethesda Row or The Shops at Wisconsin Place.
Transit
Metro has announced it will operate on a weekend late-night schedule on Christmas Day. Parking will be free Christmas Day.
But the trains that will not operate on Dec. 25 are the VRE and MARC trains.
For those riding on the I-95 Express Lanes, there won’t be any reversal as lanes will be remaining southbound all day, according to road operator Transurban.
Local services
Government offices and courts across the D.C. region are closed for Christmas.
Roads and parkways
In Maryland, the Open Parkways will be open to bicyclists and pedestrians but closed to motor vehicles. Here are the following hours for these parkways, according to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:
- Beach Drive between Knowles Avenue and Cedar Lane, and Sligo Creek Parkway between Old Carroll Avenue and Piney Branch Road:
- Saturdays through Sundays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sligo Creek Parkway between Forest Glen Road and University Boulevard West:
- Thursday, Dec. 25, at 9 a.m. until Sunday, Dec. 28, at 4 p.m.
- Thursday, Jan. 1, at 9 a.m. until Sunday, Jan. 4, at 4 p.m.
In D.C., reversible lane operations will be suspended for the following roads on Christmas Day:
- Canal Road between Chain Bridge and Foxhall Road NW
- 16th Street NW between Irving Street and Arkansas Avenue NW
Additionally, from Wednesday through Friday, reversible lane operations on Rock Creek Parkway will be suspended.
Trash and recycling pickups
If you’re thinking about getting rid of your Christmas trees or ripped-up gift wrappings, consider yourself unlucky, because trash collection and pickups will happen the day after Christmas and New Year’s for the D.C. region.
Check your county’s waste management schedule for additional details.
Mail and package deliveries
If you’re anticipating a package to be delivered to your comfy homes on Christmas, you may have to wait until the following day.
That’s because FedEx and USPS will be closed for deliveries. But FedEx will be available for custom critical services.
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