The Weekend Round-Up: October 21-23

 

Happy Weekend!

Go-to posts full of ideas for local recreation:
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* The Great Indoors
* Autumn Off the Farm
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Bike Rides
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Peaceful Places
* Baltimore with Kids

Art Safari
Where: Torpedo Factory | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 12-4pm
Admission: Free
The Torpedo Factory’s annual Art Safari is back! The Alexandria tradition for more than a quarter-century offers a day of fun art adventures for kids and families. Dozens of resident artists will lead budding art enthusiasts through exciting and creative projects on all three floors of the Art Center. Guests can learn about printmaking and the pottery wheel through demonstrations, paint at an easel with brushes, create collages, experiment with clay, get faces painted and temporary tattoos, even learn about the historic Alexandria waterfront. Register here for the day creative fun!

Bat Week Celebration with MISTER G!
Where: Natural History Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 12pm
Admission: Free
The Natural History Museum is celebrating Bat Week with special activities, including a concert by Latin Grammy Award-winning musician MISTER G! Starting at 10am, spend the morning celebrating bats and making observations of bats with interactive activities, then at 11am enjoy the show. Families can join at any time during the duration of the event and stay as long as they want. Feel free to wear your favorite bat attire!

Community Day
Where: Planet Word | Downtown DC
When: SUNDAY, 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free
Planet Word is turning two, and they’re hosting a special day full of the joy and wonder of words and language to celebrate! There will be crosswords and crafts, blind dates with books on the Rooftop Terrace, and behind-the-scenes tours of the historic Franklin School building that houses the museum. You can also check out the engineering of the giant LED globe, and take home a personalized haiku. If tickets are sold out, you might have luck getting walk-up tickets — a limited number will be available. Read more about this extraordinary museum in this KFDC post.

Halloween Family Day
Where: Library of Congress | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Head to the Library of Congress for a very exciting, non-spooky Halloween event! Enjoy a day family-friendly activities, including a very special program at 2pm with beloved authors R.L. Stine, author of the “Goosebumps” series, and Mary Pope Osborne, author of the “Magic Tree House” series. Free timed-entry passes are required, so be sure to reserve them in advance! There will also be “spooky” art activities, stories available in a reading corner, creepy music, and fantastical images from the Library’s collections. Halloween costumes welcome. And note that the program with Stine and Osborne will feature spooky elements, including eerie lights, frightening characters, and surprises for the audience. The event will be livestreamed on the Library’s YouTube page. (PS: Check out this sweet video of Owen interviewing Mary Pope Osborne at the National Book Festival when he was 6!)

Peirce Mill Heritage Day
Where: Peirce Mill | Rock Creek Park, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Back for the first time since pre-Covid, Peirce Mill’s annual Heritage Day celebrates the historic Rock Creek site with a day of free festivities. See a blacksmithing demonstration, and enjoy a visit from Dr. Stonestreet, who will show how milling injuries were treated in the 19th century. Hands-on activities include rope making and children’s crafts. And a traditional four-piece band will add some lively music to the day. Read more about Peirce Mill in this KFDC post.

Tyler Fall Fest
Where: Tyler Elementary School | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 11:30am – 3:30pm
Admission: Free (fee for food & some activities)
Support a local school’s PTA while having fun at Tyler Elementary’s Fall Fest! Activities will include games, art, yummy bites and treats, and a petting zoo. Tyler is located at 1001 G Street SE, and the event will take place on the school’s field.

A Fairytale of a Farm
Where: Clark’s Elioak Farm | Ellicott City, MD
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $8
Enjoy Clark’s Elioak’s many seasonal delights, like pumpkins, cider, and Halloween fun along with all of the fantastic, permanent fun.  The sprawling grounds are adorned with installations practically straight out of a storybook (they were actually salvaged from The Enchanted Forest, an old Ellicott City amusement park). See Humpty Dumpty on the wall, peek in the Three Bears’ windows, check out Cinderella’s pumpkin coach, explore the Old Woman’s shoe. If that’s not enough, there are hayrides, cow train rides, slides, farm animals to pet, a pumpkin patch, the pine tree maze, and even more!

The Largest Fall Festival Around
Where: Cox Farm | Centreville, VA
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: $15/Fri, $25/Sat & Sun
This festival is enormous! So big I recommend giving the website a good look to help prepare and navigate your way around the sprawling grounds that contain multiple slides, swings, games, mazes, pumpkins, picnics, live entertainment, farm animals, and much more. Expect some lines, especially for the giant slides that take you swooping down several humps over a hillside. There is also a Kiddie Zone just for little ones aged 5 and under. Be prepared for a crowd.

Alllll the Fall Fests
Where: Around the DC Metro
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Celebrate the season — fall festivals are in full swing at locales all around the area! From pumpkin patches and apple picking to corn mazes and hayrides to giant slides and jumping pillows, there are activities GALORE to help folks embrace the autumn spirit. galore that let you relish in the fun autumn brings. This post has details on where all the fall funn is happening.

Halloween in the Garden
Where: Annmarie Sculpture Garden | Solomons, MD
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: $5
Dress the whole family and enjoy a day of trick-or-treating, art activities, and more!  Over 50 local businesses and organizations will be handing out treats for the kids, plus there will be fun and games, a DJ dance party, food trucks, and lots of other festivities.  Read more about Annmarie here and here.

Spooky Science
Where: Maryland Science Center | Baltimore, MD
When: Saturday, 12-4pm
Admission: $26.95/adult, $20.95/ages 3-12
Take your Halloween costume out for a trial run and visit the Maryland Science Center, if you dare, for an afternoon filled with spooktacular science fun! Experiment with ghoulishly glowing lights. Creatively cast a spine-tingling shadow. Use leverage and elasticity to launch creepy catapults, and more!  Read all about the Maryland Science Center in this KFDC post. And plan for even more Charm City fun with this guide to exploring Baltimore with kids.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Bash
Where: Potomac Overlook Park | Arlington, VA
When: Saturday, 2-4pm
Admission: $20
Get in the Halloween spirit by carving or painting a pumpkin with your friends at Potomac Overlook! We’ll provide tools, paint and of course a pumpkin for some holiday fun. You’ll also enjoy some candy, a Halloween craft, and visits from several of our spooky nocturnal critters from the nature center!  See more about Potomac Overlook Park here.

More Halloween Fun
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
This time of year is always a scream around the area, with loads of ways to get the Halloween party started before the actual day. From mini train rides through the woods to haunted tours to festivals inspired by the holiday, details on where the tricks and treats are happening can be found in this annual post.

Maryland STEM Festival: Navigating the Night Sky
Where: College Park Aviation Museum | College Park, MD
When: Saturday, 6-8pm
Admission: Free
Soar into the stratosphere at the College Park Aviation Museum’s evening program, Navigating the Night Sky! Participants will have the opportunity to do each activity from Space Week — Outer Space Activity, Space Slime, and Starry Night Geoboards. Once the sun goes down, the night culminates in a special night sky observation activity.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Where: Imagination Stage | Bethesda, MD
When: Saturday, 1:30pm & 4pm
Tickets: $25-39
Saturday is the last to chance to see this show at Imagination Satge.. Adapted from the award-winning novel, this play tells the touching story of a young Chinese American girl and her family moving from China to the United States in 1947. Using humor and a rich multimedia staging, the play celebrates the bravery and sacrifice of those who bring new perspectives to our country. Recommended for ages 7+.

Disney Junior Live on Tour: Costume Palooza
Where: Warner Theatre | Downtown De
When: Saturday & Sunday
Tickets: $36-59 (look for discount)
This show brings beloved Disney Junior characters and favorite Marvel Super Heroes live on stage for a jam-packed, concert-style show with singing, dancing, acrobatics, and more. It will feature favorite songs from hit Disney Junior series, as well as new original music. Mickey, Minnie, and their pals are getting ready to throw a huge costume party but mysterious green weather keeps interrupting the fun. Can Spidey and his Amazing Friends help save the Costume Palooza? Come join the party! Find ticket links here.

Ichabod: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Where: Creative Cauldron | Falls Church, VA
When: Throughout the weekend
Tickets: $20-45
See a show to get  you in the spooky spirit… Journey back in time to a quiet glen called Sleepy Hollow, where the denizens of the town are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new school master, Ichabod Crane. An adaptation of Washington Irving’s Classic tale of lore, love and the legendary Headless Horseman, this World Premier Musical by the critically acclaimed creative team Conner and Smith arrives just in time for autumn leaves, pumpkins, and ghost tales around the campfire. Recommended for ages 8+.

More Live Entertainment
Where: Theatres around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by show
* Witch Wartsmith’s Halloween Spooktacular at The Puppet Co.
* Tiny Tots at The Puppet Co. (littlest ones)
* Dracula at Synetic Theater (teens & older)
* Once on this Island at Source Theatre (age 10+)
* TINA – The Tina Turner Musical at National Theatre (age 14+)
* The Ballad of Emmet Till at the Atlas Performing Arts Center  (teens & older)
* Dance Nation at Olney Theatre (Rated R)

Takoma Park Street Festival
Where: Carroll Ave. to Carroll St. | Takoma Park, MD
When: Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Admission: Free
Rescheduled from earlier this month… The streets of Takoma Park will be filled with music, artisans, community groups, kids activities, food vendors and a variety of green companies at the city’s 41st annual festival. Get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping — over 150 vendors will be selling all kinds of artistic wares. Music lovers will enjoy three stages hosting 18 bands playing all day.

Family Funday: King Bullfrog
Where: Hook Hall | Park View, DC
When: Sunday, 10am – 12pm
Admission: $5
Sundays at Hook Hall is all about FAMILY FUN! Bring the kiddos for some dancing and singing with different musical guests joining each week. King Bullfrog is kicking off the new series this Sunday. Along with the music, they’ll have coffee and frozen drinks available for purchase for parents, and crafts for the kids to enjoy. Hook Hall is located at 3400 Georgia Avenue Northwest.

Pedestrian Zone
Where: 18th btwn Kalorama & Columbia NW | Adams Morgan, DC
When: Sunday, 12-10pm
Admission: Free
Walk your way through the streets of Adams Morgan — one street, anyway! The 18th Street Pedestrian Zone is on again this Sunday, keeping the street free of vehicular traffic, so more pedestrians, bicyclists, and people on scooters have mroe safe space to walk to their favorite cafe, shop for a unique gift, bike to dinner with friends, scooter to a hair or nail appointment, or just wander the tree-lined streets of Adams Morgan and enjoy the architecture. Take the fam down for a stroll, have lunch or dinner, stop for ice cream, and hit an area playground!

Día de los Muertos
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Sunday, 2-5pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate the Day of the Dead at The Wharf. They’re bringing live music, street food, a beer garden, face painting, sugar skull decorating, and more to District Pier in partnership. Dress for the day — they’re giving out prizes for most authentic outfit!

YogArt: Spooky Silhouettes
Where: Past Tense Yoga | Mount Pleasant, DC
When: Sunday, 3pm
Admission: $35
Kids 5 and up can express their creativity though art and movement! In this Halloween-themed class, join Patrycja Dzierzanowska on a mindful journey into the world of shadows. Little ones will get to create and cast their very own silhouettes, then turn them into dancing skeletons and have a party! Admission includes all supplies.

Leaf Peep on the Trail
Where: Around the DMV
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 has info about a bunch of them, but some recs for right now: The National Arboretum in Northeast DC, Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean, Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park in Montgomery County, and  Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.

Family Bike Ride
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
Family bike rides are an excellent activity for right now. You can enjoy the  fall weather and foliage and get some exercise, to boot. The DC area has plenty of good routes to ride, with something for every age and rider level. This post has a bunch of pedal-worthy recommendations, and this ride is a perfect one for the whole crew.

***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* Plan ahead for FREE Halloween fun at National Harbor!
* There’s a brand new post about The Alamo Drafthouse where you can enjoy “table” service dinner (or lunch) and a movie.
* This new kids’ Urban Adventure Kit produced by the Anacostia Community Museum with Jose Andrés would make for a great holiday gift. Described as “part-scavenger hunt/ part-podcast/part-food crawl,” the experience aims to connect kids with unique places in DC through the eyes of Andrés.
* Washingtonian has a round-up of local historical ghost tours.
* Fall-ready recipes for the whole family.
* I included these workout tights in my Prime Early Access sale picks and am happy to report they are pretty great, especially for under $20!
* Next I want to try one of these cashmere sweaters — can’t beat the prices.
* For all the Elena Ferrante fans. 🙂
* This made me LOL.😻