Fun and fall on a recent disc golf outing with friends
Happy Weekend!
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 with kids started in the early KFDC days, and with many new recommendations added since — including a new write up about Sky Meadows State Park — there are lots of great recommendations to make for happy trampers.
Inside Out(ings)
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Not all outing have to be outside. Lots of indoor places have reopened their doors, and they are all taking extra precautions to ensure safety during COVID. This post has details on outings that take place inside and this one has suggestions especially for little kids.
Spooktacular Drive-In Flicks
Where: Akridge Lot at Buzzard Point | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Friday
Admission: $20/vehicle
Grab your popcorn and join the Capitol Riverfront BID for a drive-in movie at the Akridge Lot (First and V St. SW) in Buzzard Point next to Audi Field. The movie is a fun, contact-free experience for all ages with space for 75 vehicles set at an appropriate social distance. Us is the spooktacular flick being screened this weekend. Proceeds will be donated to the Capital Area Food Bank.
Drive-In “Spooky” Movie Nights
Where: DC Party Box | Rockville, MD
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: $15/adult, $10/13 & under
Enjoy Sppoktacular theater at this drive-in, featuring an LED screen, FM broadcasting, and spooky surprises. There are two showings each night, a family-friendly film at 7pm and a classic or scary movie 10pm. This weekend it’s Goosebumps and Pet Sematary on Friday, Casper and The Exorcist on Saturday, and Gremlins and Scream on Sunday. Reserve in advance online, one reservation per car.
Halloween Szn at Park Up Drive-In
Where: RFK Parking Lot | Northeast DC
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission:
There are several films in Park Up’s drive-in movie lineup this weekend, both family-friendly and for adults. Hocus Pocus, Goosebumps, Vampire in Brooklyn, and Child’s Play are among the options. Visit the website for days and times.
More Wicked Fun
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
There are even more ways to get the Halloween party started that also allow for social distancing. See what’s coming up around the area and access virtual activities from some of your favorite places. This annual post has details on where to find the tricks and treats.
Victura Garten
Where: The REACH | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Admission: Free
On weekends, the grounds of The REACH, the Kennedy Center’s immersive extension, transform into Victura Park, an outdoor family-friendly pop-up wine garden & café. For October, however, they’ve partnered up with Solace Outpost for a Bavarian themed month at the Park. Enjoy craft beers and great foods as you hang out in the lovely outdoor area overlooking the Potomac River. Victura Park hours are Friday 3-10pm, Saturday 12-10pm, and Sunday 12-8pm (also, Thursday 3-10pm).
Pumpkins in the Park
Where: Canal Park | Capitol Riverfront, DC
When: Saturday, 12-4pm
Admission: $20
Canal Park will be transformed into the neighborhood’s very own “pumpkin patch” as the community is invited to pick their pumpkin in a safe, socially-distanced fashion (no more than 15 people in the pumpkin patch at one time) while supplies last. Take-home decorating kits will also be available along with the option to have your pumpkin painted by local artist Painted Palettes. Purchase tickets in advance.
Drive-Thru Trot or Treat
Where: North Star Stables | Delaplane, VA
When: Sunday
Admission: By donation
It’s all horsing around at the trick-or-treat for a cause! Support North Star’s equine team and therapeutic riding scholarship fund with a drive-thru trick-or-treat! While Covid restrictions preclude them from hosting their normal Halloween celebration, North Star is excited to offer a drive-thru Halloween! Join to see their awesome horses in costume and collect treats (non-candy treats available) along the facility’s fence line! They ask each car to contribute a small, monetary donation.
Fall Festing
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
Celebrate the season at a fall festival. From pumpkin patches and petting zoos to corn mazes and hayrides, many farms around the DMV (or just beyond) are still offering traditional activities to enjoy in safe ways. This post has details on where all the fall fun is happening.
Other Autumn Adventures
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
Farm festivals may be the go-to autumn outing, but there are lots of other fantastic ways to enjoy the season around the area. This KFDC post lists a bunch of great places for fall adventures.
Disc Golfin’
Where: Courses around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
Hit the links, the chain links, that is! Disc golf is a great way to enjoy a nice fall day outdoors with the family. Not only is it fun and challenging, the courses, many of them set up in scenic places, are lovely this time of year. This post has info about one in College Park, and there are also great courses at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, MD, and Burke Lake Park in Burke, VA.
Go Green Design Challenge Kick Off
Where: KID Museum | Online
When: Saturday, 10am
Admission: Free
KID Museum and Pepco are teaming up to bring you a free, family design challenge! Families are invited to use common household materials to come up with a prototype of their own environmentally-friendly invention. Your idea might involve the creative re-design of an existing item, like a more efficient window or appliance, or something entirely new. Join the museum on Saturday morning for the virtual kick-off, where you’ll receive a rundown of challenge guidelines, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the Pepco WaterShed Sustainability Center. Then put your imagination and your design skills to work!
Virtual Artful Conversations
Where: National Gallery of Art | Online
When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am
Admission: Free
The National Gallery of Art’s popular program for art enthusiasts ages 7–12 is returning virtually with a special guest. Haywood Turnipseed Jr., a writer and stand-up comedian, will help participants find the humor in art. Sign up for an online session — it’s free, but registration is required.
Crystalline
Where: ARTECHOUSE | Southwest DC
When: Through January 3
Admission: $12-17/child, $19-24/adult
To wrap up this unprecedented year, ARTECHOUSE has transformed their gallery into a blue-hued haven intended to evoke calm and peace during a turbulent time. Like all of their exhibitions, just about all of it is interactive, as the images change with viewers’ motions, encouraging play. Immersing into the depths of the color, even just for a little while, is a beautiful — and fun — escape from the bizarre Covid world outside.
Euro Entertainment
Where: Online
When: Through November 29
Admission: Free
International travel may not be possible right now, but you can still enjoy European adventures. The annual Kids Euro Festival has gone digital this year, offering families all over the world access to an extended virtual festival with a full 6 weeks of online programming — all of it free! Through November 29, tune in for performances, concerts, workshops, movies, storytelling, puppetry, dance, and more.
Fun at Fairfax Parks
Where: Parks around Fairfax County, VA
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
The Fairfax County Park Authority hosts all kinds of events on weekends for guests of all ages. Make a scarecrow with the fam at Sully Historic Site. Solve a Halloween mystery at Riverbend Park. Appreciate colors of the forest at Lake Fairfax Park. Details and registration for these and many more nature activities this weekend and beyond are available here.
Monuments: Creative Forces
Where: Strathmore | Bethesda, MD
When: Through October 25
Admission: $5-30
This unique outdoor art installation throughout Strathmore’s 16 acres sounds like an ideal exhibition for COVID times, being in fresh air with a lot of space. Monuments: Creative Forces by Australian artist Craig Walsh features moving, dimensional video portraits of artists whose work and artistic endeavors are changing the shape of our community in profound ways. The expansive portraits of these creative heroes were chosen by a diverse panel of community and arts leaders are projected on to towering trees, transforming them into animated sculptural monuments.
Even More Activities
Where: Around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by locale
If you want even more ideas for things to do over the weekend, this post has plenty of inspo, listing both ongoing activities around the area as well as information on reopenings.
***MORE GOOD STUFF***
* Washingtonian’s recs for 6 nearby wineries with lots of space and great views.
* Tickets are available for Free Community Days at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Reserve them for November 1 and November 15.
* Due to COVID, the annual DC Bike Ride, usually a one-day event that takes place throughout DC streets, will become the DC Virtual Ride from November 1-21. Find out how to participate here.
* Get 25% off Tea Collection during their Friends & Family Event.
* Cancelled: Enchant Christmas, the event that transformed Nationals Park into a holiday wonderland last winter, will not take place this year.
* Watson Adventures has a Wizard School Virtual Scavenger Hunt coming up on November 15. These fill up fast, so sign up soon!
* An informative article perfect for the weekend.😉
* The panda cam is always a heartwarmer.🐼
