Fall events in DC
Fall in DC: festivals, Halloween events, Oktoberfests, harvest weekends and outdoor fun across DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Fri, Oct 16 to Sun, Oct 18
Fri, Oct 23 to Sun, Oct 25
Friday evening5pFri SatHalloween on the Farm5:30pA Taste of Gold Cup (Fauquier Free Clinic fundraiser)7pNight of the Living Zoo7pFri SatThe Haunt: Dark Encounters at Workhouse Arts Center7pFri SatFactory of Fear: Outbreak at ARTfactory1 more
Saturday, October 17
9am to 6pm, through Oct 18$12
Butler's OrchardButler's Orchard's 46th Pumpkin Festival brings hayrides, giant slides, a corn maze, barnyard animals, a pumpkin cannon and pick-your-own pumpkins. Book ahead: weekend dates sell out.
10am to 7pm, through Oct 18
Revel Grove (Maryland Renaissance Festival)The 50th season of the Renaissance Festival runs weekends at Revel Grove in Crownsville with jousting, 140 craft shops, 40 food stands and 200 performers. Harvest Hollow fall programming; buy tickets ahead since weekends sell out.
10:30am to 2pmFree
Riversdale Historic Site & MuseumA 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.
2 to 6pm
Whalen CommonsPoolesville'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.
6 to 8pmFree
Croydon Creek Nature CenterRockville'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.
6 to 8:30pm, through Oct 18$35
Smithsonian's National ZooThe 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.
7 to 10pm, through Oct 17$39
Workhouse Arts CenterThe Workhouse Haunt's 13th-year trail Dark Encounters winds through dark woods on the old Lorton Prison grounds with professional scare actors. Built for adults, ages 13-plus; a sensory-friendly session runs Oct 17, 6 to 7.
7 to 10:30pm, through Oct 17$25
ARTfactoryARTfactory's fifth annual haunt turns four floors of the historic Manassas building into Outbreak, a walk-through of infection and quarantine with live actors. Proceeds support arts programming; not for kids under 14.
7:30 to 11pm, through Oct 17$25
Cox FarmsCox Farms turns scary after dark. More than 20 acres of haunted attractions: the Cornightmare haunted corn maze, the Dark Side Hayride, and The Forest, a half-mile woodland walk. Between scares, the Firegrounds has bonfires, a dance party, karaoke, a six-lane slide, and the Fear Market. Separate ticket from the daytime festival; online only. Not recommended for kids under 12.
All day, through Oct 17$40
Congressional CemeteryCongressional 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.
All day, through Oct 18$50
Markoff's Haunted Forest at Calleva FarmA mile-long haunted trail plus a haunted town on Calleva Farm, with a bonfire midway and DJ. Try the low-scare Lights On Night on Oct 28; proceeds fund outdoor education.
9am to 5pm, through Oct 31$14
Great Country FarmsGreat Country Farms' fall festival runs daily through Oct 31 with a 15-acre play area, corn maze, giant slides, farm animals and wagon rides to the patch. USA TODAY ranked it a 2026 10Best pumpkin patch.
10am to 6pm, through Nov 1$14.50
Gaver FarmGaver Farm's Fall Fun Fest packs 60-plus attractions into the season: a 7-acre corn maze, pumpkin and apple picking, gem mining, hayrides and a petting zoo. Walk-ups welcome.
9:30am to 6pm, through Nov 8$18.95
Leesburg Animal ParkLeesburg Animal Park's Pumpkin Village spans 20-plus acres of slides, pedal carts, a zip line, wagon rides and animal encounters with camels, zebras and lemurs. Advance tickets required on weekends.
10am to 6pm, through Nov 8$15
Cox FarmsNorthern Virginia's biggest fall farm festival. Giant hillside slides, the Cornundrum corn maze, hayrides, rope swings, Foamhenge, farm animals, goat village, milking demos, live entertainment, and a festival market with cider donuts and fall treats. Timed online tickets sell out on busy days; a kiddie zone serves ages 5 and under.
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