Take a scenic fall drive through Rock Creek Park
Happy Weekend!
Link up to details on mainstay DC fun:
* Best Outdoors in the DC Area
* The Great Indoors
* Off-the-Beaten-Path Museums
* Local Hikes with Kids
* Baltimore with Kids
* Bike Rides
* Paddling Options
* Stunning Spaces
* Peaceful Places
Paint in the Park: Community Mural Painting Day
Where: Canal Park | Navy Yard, DC
When: Friday, 3-7pm
Admission: Free
Help transform an overlooked space into a colorful community mural. Paint, supplies + good vibes provided. Get hands-on with public art, spend an afternoon outside, and help make your neighborhood a little more beautiful. Meet at Canal Park where easels will be set up with canvas. Once painted, the canvas will be installed on a nearby fenced space, turning it into a community mural. The best part? You’’ll be able to see your artwork every time you pass the park. It’s a chance to make something together that becomes part of the place you call home. They’ll provide the mural, paint, brushes, and all the supplies. All ages + experience levels welcome. Sign up in advance.
Halloween Spooktacular
Where: National Children’s Museum | Downtown DC
When: Friday, 5-7:30pm
Admission: $18.95
Get ready for a spook-tacular evening at National Children’s Museum! The Halloween-themed after-hours evening will be packed with special activities and frightful fun for the whole family. Put on your best costume and get ready for spooky shadow stories, pumpkin catapults, creepy crawly investigations, a monster mash noise parade, and more fun. Costumes, of course, encouraged!
Halloween Hoppy Hour
Where: Hill Center | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Friday, 5-7pm
Admission:
Hop on over to the Hill Center for some early Halloween fun and music, as kindie rock trio King Bullfrog play their high-energy tunes that both kids and grownups dig. There will be pizza and juice boxes for young concert-goers and beverages for the grownups.
Trick or Fruit
Where: US Botanic Garden | Capital Hill, DC
When: Friday, 6-8pm
Admission: Free
Explore plants that produce edible fruits throughout the Conservatory at this fun evening program for families. Hear stories about what makes each plant interesting, learn about the environments they grow in, and experience the fruits with all of your senses, including taste! Costumes highly encouraged!
Wizards vs Raptors
Where: Capitol One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Friday, 7pm
Admission: Ticket prices vary (check for deals)
Catch some b-ball action as the Wizards take on the Toronto Raptors. Cheer on DC’s home team, enjoy the high-energy atmosphere, and introduce the kids to the excitement of live NBA basketball.
Air & Scare
Where: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center | Chantilly, VA
When: Saturday, 10am – 3pm
Admission: Free, parking is $15
The annual Air & Scare event at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is back with activities inside and out! The fun includes trick or treat stations, creepy crafts, spooky experiments, and other Hallloween-themed activities; special story times and puppet shows; photo ops; and costume contests. Note that tickets are gone for the outdoor part, but there will be plenty to enjoy inside.
Scenic Driving Day
Where: Rock Creek Park | Northwest DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Pack up the family, hop in the car, and hit the road! This Scenic Driving Day gives you a special chance to cruise along sections of Beach Drive that are normally closed to vehicles. Enjoy the fall colors, spot some of your favorite park places along the way, and experience Rock Creek Park from a whole new perspective. Grab the kids, pick your favorite road-trip playlist, and make a family adventure out of the drive! If you want to enjoy more fun in the park, visit Peirce Mill, stop at the Nature Center, or go for a hike!
Spooky Science Festival
Where: Because Science | Adams Morgan, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 12-5pm
Admission: Free (fee for some workshops)
Join a frightfully fun celebration of science, creativity, experiments, and discovery. This interactive festival invites visitors of all ages to explore spooky science through hands-on activities, creepy creations, colorful experiments, and engaging STEM experiences. Go to the website to see what’s on the the schedule and to register.
Art Safari
Where: Torpedo Factory | Alexandria, VA
When: Saturday, 11am – 3pm
Admission: Free
The Torpedo Factory’s annual Art Safari, now in its 32nd year, is always a family favorite. Budding art enthusiasts can take part in all kinds of hands-on projects on all three floors of the Art Center, including artmaking on large canvases, clay sculpting, collage creations with fabric and fiber, mask making, ceramics exploration, and a scavenger hunt throughout the galleries.
Maury Fall Fest
Where: Maury Elementary | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 2pm
Admission: Free
This annual tradition at Maury Elementary has a carnival like atmosphere all put on by the Maury 5th grade class to support their end of the year activity. Delicious food, crafts & face painting, games & raffles, a cake walk, and haunted house are part of the festivities. Admission is free, but activities and food require paid tickets – buy them early to save!
Fall Fest
Where: Gateway Farmers Market | Brentwood, MD
When: Saturday, 9am – 1pm
Admission: Free
At this Saturday market, celebrate the wonderful produce, local food, and makers that nourish and inspire our community throughout the year. On top of the regular market, there will also be free food samples, giveaways, games, kids activities, and free professional family portraits in front of a beautifully decorated market mini-truck. Live music and a pie eating competition will round out a great market day!
Halloween in the Garden
Where: Annmarie Sculpture Garden | Solomons, MD
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: $5/online, $10/at gate
Join Annmarie’s annual family-friendly Trick-or-Treating festival for a howling good time. The garden will be decorated for the season with lots of great Halloween and fall decor, with fun photo ops around every corner! More than 60 local businesses and organizations will be here handing out treats for the kids, plus there will be fun and games, a DJ dance party, food trucks, and more! Dress up the whole family and enjoy a spooktacular day! Read more about Annmarie here and here.
Safari Adventure with Elmo
Where: Natural History Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Join the museum for a special African safari adventure with friends from WETA PBS Kids, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and special guest Elmo! Explore the animals that live on the African savanna, create art inspired by a safari, and watch Elmo’s safari adventure in Sesame Street and the Great Elephant Adventure!
Fall Festival: March for the Arts
Where: Duke Ellington High School| Georgetown/Burleith, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Have fun and support Duke Ellington’s Technical Design & Production Department at their annual fall festival. Enjoy games, vendor booths to browse, karaoke, competitions, food, and more. Costumes encourgaed!
KidCreate Open House
Where: Kidcreate Studio | Bethesda, MD
When: Saturday, 10am – 2pm
Admission: Free
Kidcreate is celebrating the grand opening of its new art studio. The studio offers hands-on art classes, camps, workshops, and creative experiences for children. Drop in to explore the space and do some art, experiment in science labs, and much more!
Adams Morgan Apple Festival
Where: Adams Morgan, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Adams Morgan’s annual Apple Festival brings the sights, scents, and tastes of the season to the city . This community favorite features an heirloom apple tasting from Licking Creek Bend Farm and a homemade apple pie baking contest judged by local leaders. Festival-goers can purchase pie slices to support a neighborhood nonprofit, enjoy fall-themed specials from local businesses, and take in the cozy, seasonal atmosphere just steps from the Adams Morgan Farmers Market.
Art & MeFamily Workshop: Outdoor Sculpture
Where: Asian Art Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 12:30pm & 1-3:30pm
Admission: Free
What happens to art that lives outside? In this hands-on workshop, children ages 3–8 and their caregivers explore outdoor sculptures at the museum and learn how conservators care for artworks exposed to sun, rain, and more. Then, kids make their own outdoor art and take it home to observe how it stands up to the elements.
Art Walk
Where: National Portrait Gallery | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday, 11-11:30am
Admission: Free
Join a themed tour featuring up to three portraits from the museum’s collection. Portrait Gallery educators will encourage you to look closely, sketch what they see, and make connections. All ages, and no drawing experience necessary. After the tour, continue creating at Art Studio with a hands-on artmaking activity — all materials are provided.
Carnegie Science Open House
Where: 5241 Broad Branch Road | Northwest DC
When: Saturday, 1-4pm
Admission: Free
At the Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory’s annual Open House kids and grown-ups can explore 20+ hands-on science stations, ask our scientists anything, enjoy live music, win prizes, and watch our volcanologists set off a “trash-cano” in the courtyard. Registration is encouraged, and families who RSVP in advance get a special gift.
Junior Innovators Challenge
Where: Planet Word Mansard Room| Downtown DC
When: Saturday, 1-3pm
Admission: Free
Meet and be inspired by the nation’s top middle school scientists, engineers and innovators. The Top 30 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators finalists will display and talk about their projects at the Science and Engineering Project Showcase. These exceptional middle school students are using STEM to find solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.
Family Spooky Disco
Where: Dance Place | Brookland, DC
When: Saturday, 2-4pm
Admission: $15, $45/family 4-pack
Join a celebration of dance, costumes, and families. This intergenerational dance party is for both the young and the young at heart. This event will feature a live DJ, snacks, and party games. Get your costume and dancing shoes, and come get spooky!
Hill Family Biking Halloween Ride
Where: Around Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 3:30-6pm
Admission: Free
Join Hill Family Biking for their annual Halloween Ride! The rolling fun will start at Lincoln Park by the Lincoln Statue. More details to come, but plan to dress yourself and/or your bike in costume for a bike ride on the Hill’s spookiest blocks with a rockin’ afterparty and costume contest.
Flights & Frights: Trick or Treat at the Museum
Where: College Park Aviation Museum | College Park, MD
When: Saturday, 5:30-7:30pm
Admission: $5, free/under 2
Set your Halloween spirits soaring at Flights and Frights at the College Park Aviation Museum! Join an evening filled with trick-or-treating in the gallery and spook-tacular games, crafts, and experiments. Go dressed in your favorite costumes and get ready for a high-flying Halloween adventure. Registration required.
Caps vs Sabres
Where: Capital One Arena | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday, 7pm
Admission: Tickets prices vary (check for deal)
The Capitals are playing at home on Saturday evening against the Sabres. Go early (or after) for e meal in the Penn Quarter neighborhood — this post about kid-friendly eats in DC has suggestions for places to go.
Allll the Fall Celebrations
Where: Around the DC region
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Fall festivals are in full swing at locales all around the area to celebrate the season. 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. See a whole round-up of where you can do that here.
Ghost Town
Where: Burke Lake Park | Burke, VA
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 5pm
Admission: $20/advance, $25/day of
At this family-friendly Halloween event, family members can come in their best costumes to celebrate the holiday with an afternoon packed with fun but not-spooky activities. The Ghost Town includes themed activity areas, train ride, carousel ride, crafts and mini golf. Online tickets available online up until two days before the event. Sign up for 10/24 here and 10/25 here.
Not-so-Spooky Animal Encounters
Where: Potomac Overlook Park | Arlington, VA
When: Sunday, 1:30-3:30pm
Admission:Free
Meet live animals up-close this Halloween! During this special edition of the seasonal Animal Encounters offering, participants will get to learn about and interact with some of the “scary” animals that call the park home, and see if they’re really that scary after all. The Roving Naturalist and critters look forward to meeting you! All ages welcome.
MBT Trail or Treat
Where: NoMa & Brookland, DC
When: Sunday, 1:45-4:30pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Halloween on this family friendly bike ride along the Met Branch Trail. Starting at REI DC and ending at the Brookland Halloween Party at Noyes Park, there will be stops along the way at local businesses to trick or treat and receive candy and other treats. (Due to the expected high number of riders, the ride route will largely avoid the actual Met Branch Trail and instead take parallel low stress streets that can handle a larger number of riders.) Open to all ages, but under 18 must be with an adult. Helmets required.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* Have you been to the Nick Cave exhibit at the American Art Museum?
* See houses around Capitol Hill dressed up for Halloween with The Hill is Home’s annual Spooky Hill Halloween Map.
* Love the idea behind the Snap Happy exhibit in London.
* Wirecutter recently called Boop one of the best board games for families.
* These fluffy fleece jackets are so cute and perfect for fall temps. (I have an adult version and love it.)
* It’s an extra 50% off sale at Anthro, so here are some picks:Cashmere sweater, cool bucket bag, hoop earrings, fun pants, pretty coupe glasses.
* We just saw You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder’s documentary with Elizabeth Holmes, and it truly is as wild and weird and captivating as everyone says. I’m still processing.
* If you need a cuteness fix, the National Zoo has a live feed of the new cheetah cubs.
