Hit the trail on two wheels on a mountain biking outing
Happy Weekend!
Link up to loads of activity ideas in these KFDC posts:
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* Autumn Off the Farm
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Indoor Outings
* Bike Rides
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Peaceful Places
* Baltimore with Kids
Family Happy Hour with King Bullfrog
Where: Hill Center | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Friday, October 14, 5-7pm
Admission: $5/adult, $10/child
Bring the family to enjoy a Friday evening filled with live music perfect for all ages! This King Bullfrog concert will be outdoors, where little can run, dance, laugh, and play to the beat of their favorite songs. Featuring Mr. Jeremiah and Mr. Steve — both Capitol Hill-based dads and music teachers — the duo’s roots-and-blues tunes are carefully tailored to get children dancing while delighting grownups, an approach that successfully hooks audiences young and old. Beer, wine, and cheese and pepperoni pizza will be for sale. BYO picnics are welcome, too. Update: This event has been cancelled due to a positive Covid case.
Movie Night: Ghostbusters
Where: Lincoln’s Cottage | Petworth, DC
When: Friday, 7pm
Admission: Free
Head to the President Lincoln’s summer residence for their free monthly outdoor movie series. Bring a picnic, spread out blanket on the lawn, and enjoy an evening with the family watching Ghostbusters. Register in advance to reserve your space!
Fall for Festival Season
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Pick some pumpkins, whiz down giant slides, get lost in corn mazes, go on hayrides, bounce around on jumping pillows, and so much more. There are activities galore to help you embrace the autumn spirit, and the KFDC guide to fall festivals has details on all of them.
Bike in the Woods
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by place
Add some extra adventure to a bike ride and go mountain biking! It’s also a fun, active way to immerse in the beauty of the season. There are several MTB trails to ride around the area, a few miles even right here in the District at Fort Dupont Park in Anacostia — a good place for newer mountain bikers. Cosca Regional Park in PG County and Schaffer Farms in Gaithersburg are also great for those just starting. And for even more recs, the post about biking around the DC area includes a list of places to hit the mountain biking trails (scroll down). [Note: This activity is better for older kids with more experience riding.]
Kids Workshop
Where: Lowes locations around the DC Area
When: Saturday, 9am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Lowes stores are once again offering their monthly in-person workshops for kids. This Saturday, bring in mini DIYers to you build a Fire Rescuer Kit together. You’ll leave with a hand-made toy that’s as fun to play with as it is to create. Be sure to register in advance before Saturday!
Tregaron Unplugged
Where: Tregaron Conservatory | Cleveland Park, DC
When: Saturday, 3-5:30
Admission: Free
Immerse in nature and acoustic music at this free, family-friendly event on Saturday afternoon. Artists from all music genres will be performing at four locations around the lovely grounds of Tregaron. For kids there will be rhythm and song-making activities, a show-and-tell of instruments made from natural objects, and special guest puppets. And all ages can enjoy a short yoga session. Read a little more about Tregaron Conservancy in this KFDC post about peaceful places around DC (though it won’t be so peaceful on Saturday).
College Park Day
Where: College Park Aviation Museum | College Park, MD
When: Saturday, 12-6pm
Admission: Free
Join friends, neighbors, and the entire City of College Park community at the Annual College Park Day Festival. This free event is fun for the whole family with live music and bands, a whole kids zone with activities just for them, food and drinks, jugglers and mimes and other performers, and much more.
Virtual Open House
Where: Silver Oaks Cooperative School | Online on Zoom
When: Saturday, 10am
Admission: Free
Want to learn all about Silver Oaks Cooperative School? Join them for a virtual open house! Just email admissions@silveroakscooperative.org for the zoom link. After October 15, in-person tours of SOCS will be available by appointment, weekly on Tuesdays. There will be additional, virtual open houses at SOCS on November 12 and January 7. RSVP to admissions@silveroakscooperative.org to join a future virtual or in-person event and learn more about SOCS!
Fall Fest & Bulb Sale
Where: National Arboretum | Northeast DC
When: Saturday,
Admission: Free
There may be no more inspiring place to plan your own garden and shop for flower bulbs, both favorites and unusual varieties, than the Arb. Friends of the National Arboretum are hosting their annual bulb sale that also has family-friendly activities, including planting and falconry demonstrations, nature-based crafts, and book giveaways. Plan for time to roam around some of the gorgeous plant collection, too. See more about the National Arboretum here.
Fall Harvest and Carnival Fun
Where: Frying Pan Farm Park | Herndon, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free, but some activities cost a fee
Bring the family to Frying Pan Farm Park for all kinds of farm fun at their annual Fall Harvest and Carnival. Watch the cider press in action, milk a cow, shell corn, peel apples, meet farm animals, play old-fashioned games, watch farm demos, and much more!
Adams Morgan PorchFest
Where: Adams Morgan, DC
When: Saturday, 2-6pm (rescheduled from Oct 1)
Admission: Free
Get the best seats in the house (or on the sidewalk) as the front porches of homes and store fronts of local businesses are transformed into intimate performance spaces to be enjoyed by anyone who happens to stroll by. Enjoy a variety of music styles from about 70 bands playing on porches, patios, and stoops in the neighborhood. At the corner of Adams Mill and Columbia Road NW on Porchfest Day, pick up a music map and free wristband that will get you discount at over 30 Adams Morgan businesses.
Loudoun County Fall Farm Tour
Where: Farms around Loudoun County, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
The 29th annual Loudoun Fall Farm Tour showcases more than two dozen locations that offer everything from pumpkin patches to alpacas to flowers to vineyards to farmers markets. All of the locations provide an educational component for visitors as well. Visit the website for a map of the locations and more info on each one.
Fall Hikes
Where: Around the DC Area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by place
Autumn in a supreme time to get out on the trail, when you can leaf peep and enjoy some active fun with the fam. Some recs for places that are especially great right now: Dumbarton Oaks Park in Georgetown; Potomac Overlook Park in Arlington, VA; Patapsco Valley State Park near Columbia, MD; and Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, VA. Find even more walks in the woods here.
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Where: Imagination Stage | Bethesda, MD
When: Saturday, 4pm & Sunday, 1:30pm & 4pm
Tickets: $25-39
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+.
Dracula
Where: Synetic Theatre | Crystal City, VA
When: Through November 6
Tickets: $20-60 (look for discount)
The sensuous and terrifying thriller arrives just in time for Halloween. With blood-sucking temptresses and creeping mists sure to send a chill up your spine, Stoker’s classic 1897 tale rises again. Dracula, the legend that inspired an entire genre of literature and film, explores the universal theme of good versus evil. As a bloodthirsty vampire terrorizes the countryside, an unlikely group fights to defend their home. Director Paata Tsikurishvili’s vision comes to life in this dark and menacing piece. Recommended for teens and older.
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)
* The Trip to Bountiful at Ford’s Theatre (age 13+)
* Dance Nation at Olney Theatre (Rated R)
* Once on this Island at Source Theatre
* TINA – The Tina Turner Musical at National Theatre (age 14+)
* The Ballad of Emmet Tillat the Atlas Performing Arts Center (teens & older)
* Ichabod: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at Creative Cauldron
* Guys and Dolls at the Kennedy Center (age 9+)
Model Trains + Thomas
Where: Historic Vienna Train Station | Vienna, VA
When: Saturday, 1-5pm
Admission: Free (donations accepted)
Fall is coming and it is time to go to the Historic Vienna Train Station and Museum where you can see and hear HO scale model trolleys and trains, including Thomas and some of his friends, on display and in operation. It’s a great family fun and activity for the young and young at heart. The Station is at 231 Dominion Road NE, Vienna, VA along the W&OD trail just past the Caboose.
“Eye Spy” Halloween Trains
Where: Cabin John & Wheaton Parks | Bethesda & Wheaton, MD
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 6pm
Admission: $8/Wheaton, $6/Cabin John
For some “locomotives” you can ride on, hop on board the Halloween Trains! All ages can take a ride through “Trainslyvania” on Montgomery Parks’ Cabin John Miniature Train and the Wheaton Miniature Train. Purchase tickets in advance online to guarantee a ride, as only a limited amount are available onsite. Plan on more play at the parks — see more about Cabin John here and Wheaton here.
More Wicked Fun
Where: Around the DC area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Halloween may not be for a few more weeks, but you can get the party started with activities and events that celebrate the spooky spirit. This post has details on where the tricks and treats are happening.
Baysox Fall Festival & Pumpkin Patch
Where: Prince George’s Stadium | Landover, MD
When: Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: $15
Join the Bowie Baysox at Prince George’s Stadium for a Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch. Select a pumpkin from the patch on the outfield at the ballpark and enjoy more activities. Kids can ride on the carousel, jump in the bounce house, play carnival-style, and more. Halloween costumes are encouraged for all!
Jacqueline & Jason’s Block Party
Where: The REACH Plaza | Kennedy Center, DC
When: Sunday, 1pm
Admission: Free
Join a free, outdoor family event inspired by Jacqueline Woodson’s book The World Belonged to Us. Enjoy an afternoon of music, food, and fun, including a jazz performance with Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Moran and the Bandwagon; more live entertainment, double dutch demos and lessons, a roller skating demo, hopscotch and hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, fort building, and more! Advance registration is recommended., and attendees can access an $11 parking voucher for the Kennedy Center parking garage for the day of the event here.
Oktoberfest
Where: The Wharf | Southwest DC
When: Sunday, 2-5pm
Admission: Free
It’s that time of year… put on your dirndl or lederhosen, grab your Dachshund, and head to The Wharf for free Oktoberfest festivities. The highlight: Cheer on the dogs competing in the 10th Annual Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash to benefit Rural Dog Rescue. Throughout the weekend, enjoy German fare, Bavarian decor and costumes, and Sam Adam Octoberfest beer for adults.
Turkish Festival
Where: Pennsylvania Ave, 3rd-7th St NW | Downtown DC
When:Sunday 11am – 7pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Turkish heritage and culture on the streets of DC! The free event will include live music, folk dancing performances, kids games, arts & crafts, cultural events, and more. Enjoy authentic Turkish cuisines and shop Turkish ceramic bowls, carpets, and other cultural items from local vendors.
Hot Air Balloon Festival
Where: Prince William County Fairgrounds | Manassas, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday, 5-10pm
Admission: $20/adult, $8/child (rides are extra)
Hot air balloons are the main attraction at this annual festival, but there are more activities for all ages. A Kids Zone has games, train, bouncy fun, rock walls, and a zip line. A DJ and live music add some entertainment, while you browse booths selling crafts and more wares. Food and drinks available for purchase, too. The grand finale of it all is a Hot Air Balloon Glow & Laser show!
Have a Wild Time
Where: National Zoo | Woodley Park, DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
I posted about a recent visit to the Zoo a few weeks ago, and how it’s a place you’re never too old to visit. The animal viewing is always interesting and fun — they’re all so cute! And the grounds are nice to stroll, especially this time of year when the weather is nice and the foliage is is beginning to turn.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* Learn about Bright Horizons’ early education programs and enter for a chance to win a set of Magna-Tiles for your child!
* The National Children’s Chorus is holding auditions for new students ages 5-17 on October 29.
* From Eater, Kid-Friendly Restaurants Around D.C. That Adults Actually Enjoy
* How fun are these Halloween cookies?
* If you still need, Target is having a sale on Halloween costumes.
* This looks like the perfect creepy show (for adults) for the season.
* Happy Friday!
