By Lani Gering

I’m not sure if I’m happy or sad that summertime is coming to an end. I just celebrated my 70^th birthday the end of last month with a very fun “Come Fly With Me” themed party at the Flight Deck at the base of the Capital Wheel a week or so ago and I guess I sort of consider that my send off to the season. I realize we still have a few weeks of “official” summertime left to cram some last minute adventures in but I really do look forward to the fall kind of activities. Football games and tailgating, roasted marshmallows and fire pits, Blue Ridge Mountain leaf peeping (during the week), Fall Wine Festivals, etc. I also look a whole lot better in fall clothes – you know…jeans, denim shirts, sweaters and cute fall boots! No more worrying about making sure my legs are shaved and tan and that my swimsuit tummy control panel is in full “working” mode. If you know, you know.

September is also the prelude to the holiday season and Halloween is one of my favs. It also means that we are that much closer to the Christmas hullabaloo at the Harbor. Looking forward to welcoming Rudolph back to the Gaylord as this red-nosed icon is the subject matter of this year’s ICE display. Watch this space in the upcoming months for detailed info about Christmas 2023 at the Gaylord and the rest of the Harbor.

Coming to an end this month are the all of the free weekly fitness classes – Monday Cardio Blast, Tuesday Dance Fitness and Saturday Yoga. All of these “get in/stay in shape” classes take place at the foot of the Plaza Stage. Cardio and Dance run from 7-8 pm and Yoga is a 10-11 am event. They are all weather dependent so you might need to consult the Harbor website to see if there are cancellations.

The weekly live entertainment is also coming to an end this month.

New to the Harbor entertainment venues this year, Spirit Park – located at 115 National Plaza under the huge Flag – is home to the Wednesday evening Stars & Stripes Concerts that take place in the amphitheater. The last concert of the season on September 6^th features the Navy Band Cruisers – these ladies and gentlemen are amazing performers and a joy to watch. Be sure to secure your seat before the show starts at 7 pm.

The Salute to Sunset Saturday Evenings winds up the season with only two performances this month. They Navy Concert Band performs on the 2^nd and the Navy Sea Chanters end the season with a grand send off on the 16^th. They perform on the Plaza Stage and welcome you to bring a folding chair and enjoy an evening with performing ensembles from a variety of our military bands. All performances start at 7 pm.

One of the most popular summertime happenings that is coming to an end are the Movies on the Potomac. Date Night on Thursdays and Family Night on Sundays officially ends this month but we are betting that there will be a few movies on the big screen as we go into holiday mode next month. I’m hoping they show “Hocus Pocus 2” on Halloween this year!

Remember that the Family Night shows start at 6 pm and the Date Night shows start at 7 p.m. September movie lineup below:

3^rd – Shrek

7^th – A Man Called Otto

10^th – Shrek 2

14^th – Coming To America

17^th – Coco

21^st – La Bamba

24^th – Encanto

28^th – Maid in Manhattan