Georgetown Glow is free public art with elements to captivate all ages & demographics. It can be paired with some history or can be enjoyed to captivate your Instagram followers. It is currently in it's fifth year, running from early December to early January. It looks like the installations change every year so there is something new to explore and enjoy. I won't go through every installation that I saw for this reason. There are some really instagramable moments, my favorite in 2018 was definitely Prismatic, but I have a big soft spot for Run Beyond as well. You should definitely plan to get out and explore a lot of the installations, just walking or driving by won't give you the full effect of some of them. Some of them also can't be seen from your vehicle, bundle up and explore! There are also a few that incorporate motion & sound. Here is the biggest "well duh" moment- see these installations after dark. Not during sunset, not at dusk- make sure it is really dark for the full effect. I mean- they are light installations, so maybe that shouldn't even be mentioned. I opted to see Georgetown Glow as part of a tour group (Free Tours by Foot DC) and our tour started almost an hour before sunset so I made a point to revisit the installations we saw early on during the tour- it was definitely worth the trip back to see the earlier installations. I thought taking the walking tour was a great way to see some of the installations and learn more about the history of Georgetown. Our tour guide was excellent, but was definitely a better Georgetown guide vs a Glow guide. She had great historical stories to connect to the themes of the art installations as we walked through Georgetown. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see all of the artwork during this foot tour, but we had plenty of time to explore the ones we did encounter on our tour. I would recommend doing Georgetown Glow both ways, take a tour if that's your thing, but really for the art itself I think you can easily enjoy every installation without the tour aspect and just read the information provided on the website to learn more. It is an outdoor, free, public display so expect that a few of the installations may have technical difficulties. I visited on the second night of the displays and noticed some light vandalism, most likely caused by careless spectators. It didn't take away from the overall effect though. One thing I appreciated is even though this is a December outdoor light exhibit, it wasn't Christmas themed. There is definitely plenty of holiday cheer to enjoy as you explore the city between installations. The art itself focuses on different themes giving you a brief mental break from the holidays. read more

I've been going to GLOW since the first edition and I just love it! I like some installations better than others but it's a great idea and it's nice seeing people walking around at night in the Winter! It would be nice to have shuttle tours for people who can't walk as much. Maybe the Circulator used to do free rides? I can't remember. DC has so many free events and exhibits and GLOW is one of the best. read more

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The exhibition changes year after year, and I've gone two years now (2017 and 2018). Last year they had the audio component where each placard is narrated but we didn't see it this year.I enjoyed both years' art installations. Plan ahead (warm clothes, comfortable shoes, determination, planned stopping points for food and bathroom, the right companions who will do the entire installation--they are spread out), and you'll enjoy it! I highly recommend figuring out a path; some of the art is hard to find, others are underwhelming, yet others are crowded with people taking selfies. Go on a weekday and save yourself some trouble and unintentional photo-bombers. It's over now but plan for 2019! read more

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So, my boyfriend and I are originally from VA, right outside of DC. We both went to school in RVA and moved back after college. So, rediscovering DC has been something we've loved doing. I am VERY aware how lucky I am to live so close and I really try not to take advantage of it-- it's a good reminder when friends, or family, from out of state/country come and visit, because you get a different perspective and it just reminds you of how fortunate you are. Sooo that being said, even though it was cold out, we decided to do something different and go to Georgetown Glow! We didn't really know what to expect. I was nice spending time with him, walking around and talking, but truthfully, all the art installations were pretty underwhelming. Maybe something that could have made it better was a little more background on what the artist was going for. I understand art is up for interpretation of the viewer, but it's just my opinion! Regardless, it was a nice and different thing to do. So 3 stars for it being average! read more

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4 stars for a fun Georgetown holiday tradition. One of the nice things about living in Georgetown the last few years is getting to see the fun traditions. One of the better traditions is Georgetown Glow, the yearly holiday light exhibit festival. The way it works is you drive and/or walk around the Georgetown area looking at light exhibits that artists put together. Some of those exhibits are very artistic, like the 2019 light swing that changes colors as you swing or the 2018 Love You exhibit near Washington Harbor. Others are more traditional, like lighted snowflakes as you drive through Cady Alley or the 2019 light in a window display (not all of them are meant to blow you away). The way you find the exhibits is with a map that you can get online or find in paper form for some of the exhibits. The exhibits run for about a month through December and January. At the end of the timeframe, some exhibits will give away parts to the public. In 2018, an exhibit with a bunch of small pop culture lanterns was given away and made for a very fun momento. Overall, Georgetown Glow is a great Georgetown tradition that shows off local artists and helps get people into the holiday spirit. While I know some Washingtonians don't like making the trek over to Georgetown, it is worth making the trip each year. read more

Georgetown Glow Outdoor Light Exhibition - Light swing 2019 - Local Flavor Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Fourth annual Georgetown Glow Outdoor Light exhibit is a great excuse to get out and brave G-town traffic. By itself, it does not offer enough, but combined with a restaurant experience it can be a very meaningful night experience. There are half dozen installations and there is a bit excitement searching for them. Some of them have a wonderful backdrop working for them - the one at the river park has frozen river and Kennedy Center as a background and skating ring within 2 minutes walk. I would recommend to go in town earlier to get lucky with a free parking spot. read more

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This is basically an art light show during the holiday season. They're going on for the entire month of December compared to the other previous years only taking place for a week. There are several stops throughout Georgetown. From the top of Wisconsin by Book Hill Park, all the way down to the bottom of the waterfront in front of the restaurant Sequoia and ice skating rink - 10 stops total. This should be a fun, free little activity to do with someone in Georgetown after a couple of drinks or having dinner. I did see a parent out with her kids, and her boys were enjoying spinning the art work. I did too, and I made a hyperlapse video on my phone that was kind of psychedelic with all the colors. It's fun, but I would pair this with another activity because you're not going to spend a ton of time looking at these things. Maybe do this and then go to the National Christmas Tree or another holiday festive activity in the area. Happy holidays! read more

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Glow is a wonderful, non-traditional, non-denominational holiday light exhibit and everything about it screams Georgetown. It is a charming and walkable exhibit. This time of the year Georgetown is a microcosm of holiday cheer and it is the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit fast! We have made it an annual tradition - see the displays, grab dinner and go stand in line at Georgetown Cupcake for an hour - and we love it! The art itself varies from year to year and I will say, so does the quality. This year (2018) was a letdown, and I wouldn't make the trip for the displays themselves. Make and evening out of it. I suggest that you secure a dinner reservation before you go (we chose Clyde's) and scope out parking in advance (we parked in Georgetown Park and there was plenty of room). Exhibits in the years past have been wonderful, I found a few pictures from 2015 and included them here. We will continue with our annual tradition as long as the Georgetown Business Improvement District continues to offer the exhibit. read more

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You know that neighbor that puts up a few lights, maybe some illuminated reindeer in their front yard? That's more interesting than this. "Free!" the signs proclaim. I hope so. At $0.00 I still feel ripped off. Don't waste your time read more

I've been living in the DC area for 7 years and somehow have only visited Georgetown GLOW, an outdoor electric art installation in Georgetown, once! We visited last December on a cold and snowy night. We were fascinated by the various light displays! They are scattered all throughout Georgetown and there's a handy dandy map online which lists the location where the various displays can be found. They range all the way from the waterfront area to Wisconsin Ave. I think my favorite display was the interactive step display where you could step and light up different squares of the light display on the ground. Even on a snowy night, that was fun! I also enjoyed looking at the whacky face displays up Wisconsin Ave! Definitely a really fun holiday event (happens every December) - I'd love to visit again! read more

Awesome exhibition, very well set-up. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience! Shoutout to the live music provided by the waterfront (featuring Kenny). :) read more

Womp, womp. Half the displays were not working! I was really looking forward to this event that ended up being lack luster. I appreciate the artists and all his/her hard work, but I don't think this is an event I'd participate in again. read more