Happy Halloweekend!
Click thru to all kinds of ideas for ongoing fun:
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* The Great Indoors
* Off-the-Beaten-Path DC Museums
* MD & VA Museums
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Baltimore with Kids
* Bike Rides
* Paddling Options
* Stunning Spaces
* Peaceful Places
Wicked Fun
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Halloween may fall on Friday night, but you can keep the fun going through the whole weekend with all kinds of fun events and activities. Many of them are listed below, and you can find even more in the big round-up of wicked fun around the area.
Hill-O-Ween
Where: Eastern Market | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Friday, 5-8pm
Admission: Free
Capitol Hill’s annual neighborhood event is legendary for little ones! The block of 7th Street SE next to Eastern Market is closed to traffic for one of the best community Halloween celebrations in the city. Count on a moon bounce park, face painting, photo booths, and a DJ spinning tunes for a spooky dance party, and even more Halloween fun. The best part is seeing the masses of jubilant kids in all kinds of costumes indulging in the extravaganza.
Peppa Pig’s Baby Sister Celebration
Where: CAMP DC | Tysons, VA
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $24-29
Peppa Pig is throwing a giggle-filled party to celebrate the arrival of her baby sister, Evie — and you’re on the guest list! Step through the Magic Door and start your journey aboard Miss Rabbit’s Train, then roar into fun at Dinosaur Park, help Mr. Bull fix up Peppa’s treehouse, and splash around at the Duck Pond—no boots needed! There’s something exciting around every corner. It all leads to the big moment—Peppa introducing her baby sister, Baby Evie! Celebrate with Peppa and her pals, then snap the ultimate souvenir photo with Peppa herself. Don’t miss this oink-tastic adventure full of giggles, memories, and surprises!
Halloween at the Park
Where: The Parc | Tysons, VA
When: Friday, 4-7pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Tysons is hosting a Halloween party at the Parc at Tysons. It’ll be a spooktacular evening of community fun. Enjoy trick-or-treating, live musical performances, festive sips and snacks, and more. Wear costumes and bring your friends and Halloween spirit. RSVP.
Mystery Mansion Adventure
Where: Chevy Chase Women’s Club | Chevy Chase, MD
When: Friday & Saturday, 4-8pm
Admission: $20
Celebrate Halloween and the Day of the Dead! Step into a world of spooky fun at Mystery Mansion Adventure, a family-friendly haunted house hosted by The Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase. Tickets include admission to the indoor, family-friendly haunted house; photo ops in the whimsical Hall of Portraits; hands-on crafting fun in Artisan Alley; interactive characters and spooky surprises. Plus, food & drinks and s’mores kits to enjoy by fire pits are available for purchase. A perfect for kids ages 3–10 — and fun for parents and Halloween fans of all ages!
Hockey Halloween
Where: Capitol One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Friday, 7pm
Admission: Tickets start at $29 (check for deals)
On the chance your crew prefers come hockey action over trick-or-treating, the Caps are playing at home Friday night. Spooky vibes will be all over Capital One Arena as they play to scare the Islanders right off the ice.
Fall Family Fun Day
Where: Brookland Arts Walk | Brookland, DC
When: Saturday, 9am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Bring the kids to Brookland Arts Walk for a great morning-after-all- the-sugar event. There will be Big Barn Puppet show by Kidsinger Jim at 10am, a Photo Booth until 1pm, and kids crafts and activities until 3pm! It’s geared toward ages 0-5, but all are welcome.
Fall Farm Fun
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by place
Just because you’re not picking out a potential Jack o’ lantern, that doesn’t mean you can’t still have some fun on the farm. Many area farms have way more to enjoy than just pumpkin patches — and they are still welcoming visitors to whiz down slides, bounce on giant jumping pillows, visit farm animals, and loads more. The list of fall fests has info on where to find it.
Adams Morgan PorchFest
Where: Adams Morgan, DC
When: Saturday, 2-6pm
Admission: Free
Get the best seats in the house (or on the sidewalk) as over 25 porches, business patios, parks, and the closed 18th Street become stages for the day, drawing music-lovers from around the area to the tree-lined streets and small businesses of Adams Morgan. Enjoy a variety of music styles, including classic rock, funk, go-go, rap, reggae, blue grass, classical, and pop. Pick up a music map and free wristband that will get you discount at dozens of Adams Morgan businesses at the plaza on the corner of Columbia and Adams Mill Roads, 2424 18th Street NW inside the road closure, and Marie Reed Elementary School Plaza at 18th and Wyoming.
Underground Railroad Guided Hike
Where: Woodlawn Manor | Sandy Spring, MD
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: $10/adult, $8/child
Join Montgomery Parks to celebrate Maryland’s Emancipation Day with a hike on what was part of the Underground Railroad. There will be other activities at Woodlawn Manor to commemorate the day. Register in advance and read about the great hike in this KFDC post.
Fall-O-Ween
Where: John Carlyle Square | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 11am
Admission: Free
Keep the Halloween fun going at this family-friendly celebration in Old Town Alexandria. The event will be packed with arts & crafts, delicious treats, and a day of fun for the whole family. Whether you’re looking to shop for handmade Halloween décor, indulge in sweet treats, or watch a costume parade (kids and pets), this festival has something for everyone.
A “Not-So-Scary” Halloween Concert
Where: Dupont Underground | Dupont Circle, DC
When: Saturday, 7:30pm
Admission: $25,85/adult, $9.85/child
Join Good Beats for a fun night of Halloween tunes, video game music, and sing-alongs — played by classical musicians! Featuring special guest: award-winning saxophone quartet, Project Fusion. The setlist includes favorites from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ghostbusters, Stranger Things, The Addams Family, Castlevania, The Legend of Zelda, and perhaps… Kpop Demon Hunters!? Beverages will be available for purchase from Dupont Underground (cash bar). They’ll also be holding a costume contest with great prizes.
Pulse
Where: Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Sat, 11am, 1:30pm, & 5pm | Sun, 1:30pm, 4pm
Tickets: $25+
Pulse is a wondrous journey on, in, and with our living planet—a planet whose pulse is everywhere around us. From the cycle of the seasons to the heartbeat of an elephant or from a drop of water’s journey to the magical thump on your wrist, we all dance to the beat, to the pulse, of our world. Company | E will set your imagination alight in a world premiere production filled with dance, music, and storytelling.
More Show Time
Where: Theatres around the area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by show
There are a bunch of shows to catch on local stages… here’s what you can see this weekend:
* Jenny the Cat: A Halloween Adventure at The Puppet Co.
* Not Your Mother’s Goose at Adventure Theatre
* The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at Imagination Stage
* Damn Yankees at Arena Stage (find discount)
* Freemont Ave at Arena Stage
Wizards vs Magic
Where: Capitol One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday, 7pm
Admission: Tickets prices vary
Enjoy some b-ball action on Saturday evening — the Wizards are hosting the Orlando Magic. Plan on a pre-game dinner in Penn Quarter — there are plenty of family-friendly places to go to in the neighborhood. See a bunch of the here.
Pumpkin Chunkin’
Where: Great Country Farm | Bluemont, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday, 9am – 5pm
Admission: $10/child, $12/adult, $14/ at gate
Continue the Halloween fun after the holiday! Bring your leftover jack-o-lantern to Great Country’s smashin’ station and let it fly! The Silo Drop and the Zip Wire Sploosh let you do the smashin’ yourself or opt for the Pumpkin Drop Zone and add it to the upside down “fireworks display” as pumpkins are dropped from a 40-foot lift — so fun to watch! (What happens to all those smashed pumpkins? The pigs and cows love to eat them and GCF composts the rest.) There will also be live music, marshmallow roasting, and cider press demos, plus The Roosteraunt concession stand will be open. Of course, plan to enjoy the farm’s playground, full of fun, too.
Celebración Día de los Muertos
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Saturday, 3-7pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate the Day of the Dead at The Wharf. The family-friendly afternoon will include live music, cultural performances, a Modelo beer garden for adults, face painting, sugar skull decorating, a community light procession, and more. Dress the part by wearing colorful colors, skulls, and flowers!
Día de los Muertos Celebration
Where: Congressional Cemetery | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Sunday, 11am – 3pm
Admission: Free
Join the celebration at the historic Chapel in the center of the cemetery to collectively build a large-scale ofrenda honoring our departed loved ones. Share stories about those who are gone, learn about the traditions of Día de los Muertos and similar customs around the world, and join the community around remembrance and celebration. Bring photographs of departed loved ones, some of their favorite foods or mementos, flowers (fresh or dried), and other cherished artifacts from their lives to add to it. You can also make something on site during the event — they’ll have a variety of hands-on crafts and activities for all ages, including decorating sugar skulls and crafting paper flowers.
Wicked Kids Halloween Trick or Treating
Where: Shipgarten | McLean, VA
When: Sunday, 12-6pm
Admission: Free
Bring the whole family for an unforgettable experience meeting friendly, fun characters from Wicked, plus face painting and arts & crafts kids can enjoy. They’ll also have live music, moon bounces, and a full playground so everyone can have a blast! Dogs are welcome at Shipgarten too, whether on-leash or in our off-leash dog park.
Halloween Family Dance Party
Where: Dupont Underground | Dupont Circle, DC
When: Sunday, 2-4pm
Admission: $5
Get your spooky on and celebrate Halloween and Día de los Muertos with the whole family. Bring little movers and shakers for an afternoon filled with music, laughter, and tons of excitement. There will be a fantastic playlist of kid-friendly tunes to get everyone on their feet. More fun includes a cascade of colorful bubbles floating through the air, a dazzling array of stickers to collect and decorate with, and a cool and spacious setting to bust a move.
Free Community Day
Where: National Museum of Women in the Arts | Downtown, DC
When: Sunday, 12-5pm
Admission: Free
The first Sunday of every month is a great opportunity explore the National Museum of Women in the Arts when admission is FREE! Works span the centuries, from the 16th to the present in a variety of mediums, highlighting women artists all over the world. If tickets aren’t available, plan to go another day — the admission fee is worth it! (Or snag them for a future free day.)
Leaf Peeping Hikes
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Take in the brilliant color spectrum of autumn and get a little exercise, to boot, on a family hike. From right here in the city to country locales, you’ve got your pick of places where you can enjoy the fall foliage and some time outdoors. This post about good area hikes with kids started in the early KFDC days, and with many new recommendations added since, there are lots of great suggestions for trails that will make for happy trampers. A few specific suggestions for this weekend: Rock Creek Park in Northwest DC (note that Visitor/Nature Center is closed due to shutdown); Fountainhead Regional Park in Fairfax Station, VA; Riverbend Park in McLean, VA; Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, VA; Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland.
Nature Calling
Where: Nature centers around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
If you’re not feeling outdoorsy, you can still get a dose of the outside world in the comfort of the indoors at a nature center. There are several great ones around the area that offer cool exhibits, including live creatures. Buddie Ford Nature Center in Alexandria (Saturday only), Watkins in Upper Marlboro, Potomac Overlook in Arlington, Long Branch in Falls Church, and Brookside in Silver Spring all make for a great outing.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* Since this round-up is going out ahead of it, Movies on the Pitch is back at Audi Field on Thursday evening, October 30, with a free screening of Halloweentown.
* DC Embassies open for trick or treating.
* The Washington Spirit Sphere Tour is underway. Fans can write messages to the team on a giant inflated soccer ball touring around the area as they get ready for the playoffs. See the locations and dates here.
* While many DC museums are closed due to the shutdown, consider going to one in Maryland or Virginia that are still open.
* This fun bike ride might sound like an adult activity, but it can be kid-friendly, too!
* Great idea for the days leading up to Thanksgiving (or anytime, really): A gratitude tree.
* Are your pets bored?
* I’ve always loved H&M’s clothes for kids, and this season’s collection is no exception. So cute, reasonable price tags, and lots of great holiday wear.
* A practical piece of furniture for a kids’ bedroom or basement hangout space (which I’m considering it for) — perfect for extra seating and sleepovers.
* I seriously thought this post was from The Onion when I first saw it. But, no, it’s not satire.
* How spot-on and amazing is this GenX Halloween couple costume?
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