growing up I did it all the time (graduated high school in 94)....you used to be able to bring your own keg down on the mall....some good memories...
now when we go back we go out to the country (folks have a farm about an hour outside of the city near sharpsburg, md); they have an event at the antietam battlefield that we usually take the kids too....lot mellower than downtown
where are you in VA? i grew up in montgomery county about 200 yards into md from nw.....right near westmorland circle/sibley hospital/american u...where mass ave hits western i think