Fall events in DC
Fall in DC: festivals, Halloween events, Oktoberfests, harvest weekends and outdoor fun across DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.
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Friday, October 16
Boo at the Zoo6 to 8:30pm, day 1 of 3, Oct 16 to 18$353001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008The National Zoo's beloved family Halloween celebration opens the zoo after hours for three evenings of trick-or-treating at more than 25 treat stations. Costumed kids get a souvenir goodie bag, a kids dance party, a pumpkin patch photo op, and after-hours access to the Small Mammal House, Elephant Community Center and Reptile Discovery Center. Usually sells out.
Soul Strolls: Becoming AmericaAll day, day 1 of 2, Oct 16 to 17$40Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E St SE, Washington, DC 20003Congressional Cemetery's annual lantern-lit twilight tours return with the 2026 theme Becoming America, marking the nation's 250th anniversary. Costumed interpreters bring the cemetery's residents to life in immersive performances as you walk the grounds after dark. Food truck, live music and drinks on the grounds; costumes encouraged. Rain or shine; times vary by tour date.
Saturday, October 17
Riversdale Harvest Fest10:30am to 2pmFree4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park, MD 20737A free community fall day at the Riversdale Historic Site and Museum with seed-saving lessons from the site gardener, story time, and a family scavenger hunt with small prizes. Registration requested through the county parks site.
Poolesville RocktoberFest2 to 6pm19701 Fisher Avenue, Poolesville, MD 20837Poolesville's annual fall festival at Whalen Commons with live music, local breweries, food trucks, and family-friendly entertainment on the town's central green. Community event hosted by the Town of Poolesville.
Croydon Creep6 to 8pmFree852 Avery Road, Rockville, MD 20851Rockville's nature center Halloween night with games, treats, crafts, a magician, balloon twisters, and a campfire. Kids 5-12 can add a ticketed 30-minute non-spooky guided forest hike to meet friendly woodland creatures and collect goodies. Free; hike tickets $10 residents, $12 nonresidents. Costumes encouraged.
Sunday, October 18
Turkish Festival11am to 6:30pmFree300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DCThe 24th annual Turkish Festival shuts down Pennsylvania Avenue for a free day of Turkish culture. Expect authentic kebabs, baklava and Turkish coffee, folk dance and live music, a bazaar of ceramics, jewelry and textiles, plus cultural exhibits and a kids tent with hands-on activities. Organized by the American Turkish Association of DC.
Friday, October 23
Halloween on the Farm5 to 8pm, day 1 of 2, Oct 23 to 24$122709 West Ox Rd, Herndon, VA 20171Trick-or-treat on a working 1920s farm. Costumed kids visit farm animals, make crafts, play games, and tour the decorated farmhouse during one-hour timed sessions. Advance registration required; space is limited and walk-ins are not guaranteed. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.
Night of the Living Zoo7 to 11pm$753001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008The National Zoo's adults-only Halloween bash takes over the lower zoo after dark with unlimited drinks from pop-up bars, live music and DJs, roving entertainers, creepy Halloween scenes, tarot and zoostrology readings, and after-hours access to the Reptile Discovery Center and Great Cats exhibits. 21 and over; valid ID required.
Saturday, October 24
Air & Scare at the Udvar-Hazy Center10am to 3pmFree14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy, Chantilly, VA 20151The Smithsonian's annual Halloween family day at the Udvar-Hazy Center, inside and out. Trick-or-treat stations with candy and snacks, creepy crafts and spooky science experiments, story times and puppet shows, Star Wars character photo ops, and a costume runway fashion show. Free, but timed tickets are required for the outdoor portion (reserve from Oct 1). Parking is $15. Costumes welcome; no masks for ages 16 and up.
Adams Morgan Apple Festival10am to 1pmFreeFront Steps of The LINE DC, 1770 Euclid St NW, Washington, DC 20009Adams Morgan's annual fall favorite pairs an heirloom apple tasting from Licking Creek Bend Farm with a homemade apple pie baking contest judged by local leaders. Pie slices sell to benefit Platform of Hope. Free to attend, right by the Adams Morgan Farmers Market; contest slots filled the same day they opened.
Ghost Town at Burke Lake Park11am to 5pm, day 1 of 2, Oct 24 to 25$207315 Ox Rd, Fairfax Station, VA 22039Fairfax County Park Authority's family-friendly Halloween weekend at Burke Lake Park. Come in costume for not-scary themed activity areas, the miniature train ride through the forest, carousel rides, crafts, and mini golf. One admission covers all activities; children under 2 are free with a paying adult. Advance tickets are cheaper than day-of.
Family Spooky Disco2 to 4pmDance Place, 3225 8th St NE, Washington, DC 20017Dance Place's intergenerational Halloween dance party in Brookland. A live DJ, snacks and party games get kids and grown-ups moving in costume for an afternoon of spooky season dancing. Costumes encouraged.
DC Halloween CrawlAll day$15Dupont Circle, Washington, DCDupont Circle's annual Halloween bar crawl strings together more than ten neighborhood bars with cover-free entry, drink and food specials, a souvenir haunted mug, free event photos and the neighborhood's largest costume contest. 21 and over.
Sunday, October 25
Del Ray Halloween Parade2pmFreeMount Vernon Ave at E Bellefonte Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301The 30th annual Del Ray Halloween Parade, named one of the 10 best Halloween parades in the country by USA Today. Costumed kids, parents, pets, and decorated strollers march down Mount Vernon Avenue to the Mount Vernon Rec Center field, ending with live music and award presentations for best pet costume, stroller, and decorated homes and businesses. Free to march or watch.
Tuesday, October 27
39th Annual 17th Street High Heel Race6 to 10pmFree17th Street NW between R and P Streets, Washington, DCDC's iconic 39th annual drag race on 17th Street, hosted by the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs. Hundreds of costumed drag queens, kings and community members sprint down 17th Street NW while thousands of spectators cheer from the sidewalks. Festivities and local drag entertainment run through the evening; free to watch.
Wednesday, October 28
PumpkinPalooza4 to 8pmFreeAlethia Tanner Park, 227 Harry Thomas Way NE, Washington, DCNoMa's free annual Halloween celebration at Alethia Tanner Park. Pick a free pumpkin from the patch (one per person, while supplies last), catch live entertainment and a petting zoo, join the people-and-pets costume parade, and end the night with a movie screening. Rain date is October 29.
Friday, October 30
Hill-O-Ween4 to 6pmFreeEastern Market, 225 7th St SE, Washington, DC 20003Capitol Hill's beloved block party in front of Eastern Market, running for more than 20 years. 7th Street SE closes to traffic for trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, a moon bounce park, face painting, photo booths, karaoke and a DJ-led spooky dance party. Free.
Saturday, October 31
Nightmare in Navy YardAll day$66Supplyhouse, 200 Tingey St SE, Washington, DC 20003DC's biggest Halloween party takes over Supplyhouse in Navy Yard for its 7th year. Three DJs across three dance floors, a five-hour open bar, themed cocktails, food trucks, and more than 50 animatronics and inflatables turn the venue into a nightmare scene. About 1,500 costumed guests expected.
Sunday, November 1
Celebración Día de los Muertos at The Wharf3 to 6pmFreeDistrict Pier, The Wharf, 760 Maine Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024The Wharf's Day of the Dead celebration fills District Pier with live cultural music, a community light procession, decorated ofrendas, sugar skull decorating, face painting, a life-sized sugar skull photo op, and Modelo beer gardens. Free to attend; pet friendly.
Saturday, November 7
DMV Chocolate and Coffee Festival - Maryland Edition10am to 5pm, day 1 of 2, Nov 7 to 8$2018031 Central Park Cir, Boyds, MD 20841The Maryland edition of the DMV Chocolate and Coffee Festival brings 150+ coffee roasters, chocolatiers, and gourmet food artisans to the Adventist Healthcare Fieldhouse for a weekend of sipping, sampling, and shopping. Stage presentations and classes included; many vendors offer free samples. $20 at the door, kids under 12 free. A portion of ticket sales supports WGTS 91.9 and a food drive.
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