Alex’s top picks
Five October plans to start with
Start with these five, then use the date sections and filters to find the rest of the month’s plans.
01
Cox Farms Fall Festival
Hayrides, giant slides and farm animals make this a full afternoon.
02
Art on the Avenue
Del Ray’s arts festival turns the avenue into an outdoor gallery, with artists, music and food along the route.
03
50th Annual Fairfax Fall Festival
The city’s 50th fall festival brings vendors and entertainment into Old Town.
04
Fields of Fear at Cox Farms
The farm changes after dark, with haunted attractions and a different ticket from the daytime festival.
05
Air & Scare at the Udvar-Hazy Center
The Smithsonian’s aviation Halloween event offers indoor activities without a ticket and outdoor activities with a timed reservation.
October at a glance
All times below are local Eastern time. Free entry does not include food, purchases or separately priced activities.
October farm outings and haunted nights
These seasonal attractions run on different schedules. Cox Farms closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; Fields of Fear has a separate night calendar.
Cox Farms Fall Festival
October 1–5, 8–12, 15–19, 22–26 and 29–31, 2026; 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; last entry 5 p.m.
Hayrides, giant slides and farm animals make this a full afternoon. The festival is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays in October, so choose an actual operating date before buying. Daytime tickets do not include Fields of Fear.
Great Country Farms Pumpkin Picking & Corn Maze
October 1–31, 2026; daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; last picking wagon 4 p.m.
Ride out to the pumpkin field, work through the corn maze and leave time for the play area. The pumpkin you pick is separate from farm admission. Select a date, arrival time and age category on the farm’s ticket page.
Temple Hall Farm Pumpkin Patch & Flower Fields
October 1–31, 2026; daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; last ticket 4 p.m.
Admission includes a pumpkin and cut flowers while supplies last. This is the straightforward Leesburg farm outing when you want a pumpkin patch without a separate online reservation. Credit cards are preferred at the gate.
Fields of Fear at Cox Farms
October 2–3, 9–11, 16–17, 23–24 and 30–31, 2026; 7:30–11 p.m.; last entry 10 p.m.
The farm changes after dark, with haunted attractions and a different ticket from the daytime festival. This is the scare-heavy option; check the organizer’s age guidance before bringing younger kids. Sunday, October 11 is an additional operating night.
October 1 to 4: street festivals, crafts and Greek food
Saturday, October 3 brings several free-entry festivals. Waterford and Greektober run across the weekend.
82nd Annual Waterford Fair
October 2–4, 2026; 10 a.m.–5 p.m. daily
Craft demonstrations, historic buildings and an outdoor marketplace spread through the village. The pass covers the fair weekend. Use the official parking map rather than trying to drive through the festival streets.
Greektober Fest at Saint Katherine
October 2–4, 2026; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday noon–8 p.m.
Come for Greek food, pastries and music. Friday or Saturday gives you an evening option; Sunday closes an hour earlier.
Vienna Oktoberfest
Saturday, October 3, 2026; 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Church Street fills with live music, food vendors and a beer garden, with activities for kids as well. It is a long festival day, so you can choose lunch with the family or a later visit with friends.
Art on the Avenue
Saturday, October 3, 2026; 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Del Ray’s arts festival turns the avenue into an outdoor gallery, with artists, music and food along the route. The organizer lists trolley access from both Braddock Road and Potomac Yard Metro stations.
43rd Annual Manassas Fall Jubilee
Saturday, October 3, 2026; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Downtown Manassas brings together crafts, community booths and family activities. Pick this over a ticketed farm if you want an outing you can wander into without booking a time slot.
October 5 to 11: wine at sunset and two town festivals
Choose a ticketed evening at Mount Vernon or spend the weekend walking through Fairfax and Clifton.
Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour at Mount Vernon
October 9–11, 2026; 6–9 p.m. nightly
Taste Virginia wines on the lawn with the Potomac behind you. Everyone needs an event ticket regardless of age; wine service is for guests 21 and older with ID. Sunday general admission was selectable when checked October 1.
50th Annual Fairfax Fall Festival
Saturday, October 10, 2026; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
The city’s 50th fall festival brings vendors and entertainment into Old Town. Admission is free, but budget separately for rides and lunch. The organizer says the event runs rain or shine.
Clifton Day Festival
Sunday, October 11, 2026; 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Browse the craft and antiques stalls, then spend time at the music stages or children’s activities. This year’s published start is 9 a.m. Check the official transport schedule: festival road closures change how you enter town.
October 12 to 18: restaurant menus, carnival rides and farm visits
Arlington Restaurant Week runs through October 19. The farm tour and makers market both fall on October 17 and 18.
Arlington Restaurant Week
October 12–19, 2026; hours vary by restaurant
Use the participating restaurant list to pick a meal, rather than assuming every Arlington restaurant has a special menu. The promotion continues through Monday, October 19. Check each restaurant’s offer and reservation rules.
Farm Harvest Fest and Carnival at Frying Pan Farm Park
October 16–18, 2026; carnival Friday 5–9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; harvest activities Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
The farm activities and carnival have different hours. Touch-a-Truck is Friday from 5–7 p.m.; the harvest activities run during the weekend daytime. Sunday’s carnival closes at 6 p.m., so do not use Saturday’s later closing time for both days.
Loudoun Fall Farm Tour
October 17–18, 2026; check the hours for each participating stop
Build a route with a few nearby farms rather than trying to cover the whole county. Each stop offers something different, and the organizer’s map is the place to check addresses and individual hours.
The Fall Makers Market with URBNMarket
October 17–18, 2026; 11 a.m.–5 p.m. both days
Shop the seasonal makers market at The Crossing Clarendon. The vendor application being full refers to stall spaces, not a sold-out attendee ticket. Check the venue’s current details before making plans.
October 19 to 31: Air & Scare, parades and Halloween
The outdoor portion of Air & Scare needs a timed ticket. Vienna’s parade is Wednesday night; Mosaic’s celebration is Saturday afternoon.
Air & Scare at the Udvar-Hazy Center
Saturday, October 24, 2026; 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
The Smithsonian’s aviation Halloween event offers indoor activities without a ticket and outdoor activities with a timed reservation. Outdoor tickets are scheduled to open October 1 at 7 p.m. Eastern; check availability before promising the kids an outdoor slot.
Vienna Halloween Parade
Wednesday, October 28, 2026; 7–9 p.m.
A midweek costume parade gives you a Halloween outing before Saturday night. Arrive before the parade for a spot along Maple Avenue and check the town’s road-closure notice before driving in.
Mosaic Halloween Spooktacular
Saturday, October 31, 2026; 4–7 p.m.; movie at 6 p.m.
Trick-or-treating at participating shops begins at 4 p.m., followed by Hocus Pocus in Strawberry Park at 6 p.m. Bring a blanket for the movie and check which shops are participating before heading over.
Plan a day in Loudoun
The Waterford Fair fills the first weekend. Later in the month, build a route from the farm-tour map, or choose Temple Hall for pumpkins. These are different outings; check the hours for the stop you choose.
Two big Washington DC festivals worth crossing the river for
For more District events, use our October Washington DC guide.
Oktoberfest at The Wharf
Saturday, October 3, 2026; festivities begin at 2 p.m.
Watch the dachshund dash, hear polka and browse the waterfront festivities. Dog-race registration is sold out, but that does not mean the public celebration is closed to spectators.
24th Annual DC Turkish Festival
Sunday, October 18, 2026; 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Pennsylvania Avenue fills with Turkish food, cultural performances and a marketplace. It is one of the month’s easy free-entry festival plans, with enough food stalls to build lunch into the visit.
Free things to do in Northern Virginia this month
These have free admission or a free pass option. Read the event details for parking charges, reservations and paid extras.
- Greektober Fest at Saint Katherine — October 2–4, 2026; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday noon–8 p.m.
- Vienna Oktoberfest — Saturday, October 3, 2026; 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
- Art on the Avenue — Saturday, October 3, 2026; 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
- 43rd Annual Manassas Fall Jubilee — Saturday, October 3, 2026; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- 50th Annual Fairfax Fall Festival — Saturday, October 10, 2026; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Clifton Day Festival — Sunday, October 11, 2026; 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Loudoun Fall Farm Tour — October 17–18, 2026; check the hours for each participating stop
- Air & Scare at the Udvar-Hazy Center — Saturday, October 24, 2026; 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Vienna Halloween Parade — Wednesday, October 28, 2026; 7–9 p.m.
- Oktoberfest at The Wharf — Saturday, October 3, 2026; festivities begin at 2 p.m.
- 24th Annual DC Turkish Festival — Sunday, October 18, 2026; 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Planning tips before you go
A few details matter more than a long itinerary.
- Choose the correct ticket. Date, time and age tiers can change the price. The Coffee Festival’s sold-out early-bird price is not the available general-admission total.
- Reserve the outdoor Air & Scare activities. Indoor museum activities are free without a ticket; outdoor slots require a free timed reservation, scheduled to open October 1 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
- Check the weather update. Outdoor markets, farm visits and concerts may have different cancellation rules. Reopen the linked organizer page on the day you go.
- Keep one nearby backup. A limited walk-up pass, sold-out ticket tier or busy parking lot can change a plan. The free-entry festival lists make it easier to choose another stop.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers for planning October outings.
What are the best things to do in Northern Virginia in October 2026?
Cox Farms, Art on the Avenue, Fairfax Fall Festival, Fields of Fear and Air & Scare are five starting points. Use the date sections for Waterford, Clifton Day, the Loudoun Farm Tour and Halloween plans.
What is free to do in Northern Virginia this month?
Art on the Avenue, Vienna Oktoberfest, Manassas Fall Jubilee, Greektober, Fairfax Fall Festival, Clifton Day and the Vienna Halloween Parade have free admission. Loudoun Farm Tour participation is free. Air & Scare has free entry, but parking is $15 and outdoor activities need a timed ticket.
Does Cox Farms open every day in October?
No. The October daytime festival dates are October 1–5, 8–12, 15–19, 22–26 and 29–31. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Fields of Fear uses a separate night schedule and separate tickets.
Which October events require advance planning?
Buy dated farm and concert tickets through the organizer. Choose a Coffee Festival session, reserve an Asia in a Bite RSVP window and check the free outdoor Air & Scare timed-ticket release. Inventory can change after this October 1 update.
Where can I find more October plans nearby?
Use DC Spot’s Washington DC monthly guide for District events, or the fall festival guides for more seasonal outings.
Updated October 1, 2026. This is a selected October guide. Check the linked organizer and ticket pages again before leaving; weather, prices and available passes can change.
Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration created for DC Spot.
