Things to Do With Kids in Northern Virginia This Week: September 14 – 20, 2026

Fall opens for families this Saturday, September 19. Cox Farms and Pumpkin Village Fall Fest start their seasons, the Great Country Farms pumpkin patch opens and then stays open after dark for a flashlight corn maze night, and the 50th Falls Church Festival, Fall Fest at Claude Moore Park and the Reston Multicultural Festival are all free the same day.

Friday is the warm-up: a free Encanto screening on PenFed Plaza at Tysons and the Chillin’ on Church block party in Vienna. Apple picking in Bluemont ends Friday, so go early in the week if that is the plan.

Every listing below has a verified time, address and price, and links to the organizer so you can confirm before you load the car. For the full regional lineup, see our Northern Virginia weekly guide.

Monday to Friday: the last week of apple picking

Apple Harvest at Great Country Farms

Apple picking, the corn maze and the 15-acre play area run through Friday, September 18, with weekday gate admission at $14 for ages 3 and up and cheaper tickets online. Kids 2 and under are free on weekdays. Saturday the farm switches to pumpkin season, with the patch open daily through October 31 and pumpkins sold by the pound.

All week: Fairfax County in LEGO

LEGO exhibit at Tysons Corner Center

All nine Fairfax County districts in brick, built by the Northern Virginia LEGO Users Group, sit on Level 1 near Wasabi and Oakley. It is free, it changes monthly through January 1, 2027, and it pairs with Friday’s movie on the plaza.

Thursday: the circus opens in Ashburn and the parks are free

Venardos Circus: ALICE

The animal-free, Broadway-style Venardos Circus opens a new show under its striped big top at Loudoun Station on Thursday at 7 p.m. and stays through October 4. This week: 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Saturday’s 11 a.m. show is the easiest with young kids, and the tent is a short walk from the Ashburn Metro station.

Free entry at Great Falls Park

Thursday is Constitution Day, a fee-free day for every National Park Service site that charges admission. Great Falls Park in McLean and Prince William Forest Park in Triangle both waive the entrance fee, so it is the day for an after-school hike to the overlooks.

Friday: a free movie at Tysons and a block party in Vienna

Encanto on PenFed Plaza

Tysons Corner Center screens Encanto on the plaza big screen at 5:30 p.m. Bring a folding chair and a blanket, or grab dinner from Barrel & Bushel, Shake Shack or Earls and picnic on the lawn. Free.

Chillin’ on Church

Vienna closes historic Church Street beside the Town Green from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. for Uncle Jesse, food and family activities. Adults can buy beer and wine with ID. It is free, and the town asks you to leave pets home.

Saturday: fall opens, and four free festivals

Saturday is the heaviest family day of the season. Pick a farm or a festival, not both.

Cox Farms Fall Festival opening weekend

Cox Farms opens Saturday with the giant slides, hayrides, rope swings, the Cornundrum and the farm animals, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with last entry at 5 p.m. Tickets are dated and online only: $25 for opening Saturday and Sunday, $20 for Monday, September 21, free under 2. Pumpkin Village Fall Fest at Leesburg Animal Park opens the same morning, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at $19.95 on value weekends.

50th Annual Falls Church Festival

The City Hall grounds and Cherry Hill Park run inflatables, slides, an obstacle course, pony rides and a children’s craft tent from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free performers on the kids stage through the day. Admission is free. Ride tickets are $1 each or $25 for an unlimited wristband, pony rides are $10, and Taste Tickets for food are $3. Park free in the Kaiser Permanente or George Mason Square garages.

Fall Fest at Claude Moore Park

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the park host a free fall festival in Sterling from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, with a few ticketed programs on top. Park at the Heritage Farm Museum lot off Loudoun Park Lane.

OFC Block Party in McLean

The Old Firehouse Center’s free block party runs 1 to 4 p.m. with live music, games, crafts, giveaways and a Children’s Business Fair where kids run the booths. It pairs with the Falls Church Festival, ten minutes away.

Monster Truck Wars in Manassas

Prince William County Fairgrounds hosts monster trucks at noon and 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday: Shark Attack, T-Rex, Outlaw and Locomotive, Quad Wars racing and Power Wheels races for ages 3 to 9. Each show runs about 90 minutes. Advance tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for kids 3 to 12, under 2 free; the $40 VIP ticket adds early entry and the pit party, which is $5 on its own. It is loud, so pack ear protection.

Reston Multicultural Festival

Reston Town Center fills three stages with dance and music from around the world from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the festival’s 25th year, with artisans and performers in the streets between. Free, and a short walk from Wiehle-Reston East.

Flashlight night in the corn maze

Great Country Farms reopens from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for one of two flashlight nights this year. Bring your own flashlight, run the maze in the dark, visit the animals and roast a marshmallow at the bonfire. Online tickets are $13 for adults and $11 for kids, $14 at the gate.

Flying Circus Hot Air Balloon Rally

The Bealeton aerodrome opens its gates at 6 a.m. both days for balloon launches in the still early-morning air, a biplane airshow in the early afternoon and a second launch at dusk. Tethered rides ran $20 for adults and $10 for kids last year. The gate is cash, and the car line starts before 7 a.m.

Bluemont Fair and the Colonial Market at Mount Vernon

The Bluemont Fair runs both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with crafts, music, food and free parking, $10 at the gate and free for kids 9 and under. Mount Vernon’s Colonial Market and Fair puts craftspeople in 18th-century dress on the 12-acre field with a glass harp and a period band, included with estate admission at $30 for adults and $16 for ages 6 to 11.

Lanterns at Fair Oaks and art at Capital One Center

The La Vang Mid-Autumn Festival fills Fair Oaks Mall from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. both days with lanterns, mooncakes and performances, free with an Eventbrite registration. Capital One Center’s Celebration of the Arts in Tysons runs noon to 6 p.m. both days with kids activities, artist workshops and an Art Bark pop-up for dogs, free with registration.

Also Saturday: Reason To Rock outside Solace Outpost in Falls Church is free for under-18s from 1:30 p.m. and benefits the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, 2 Silos Brewing in Manassas runs free bounce houses, a face painter and a balloon artist at its Oktoberfest from 11 a.m., and the Shenandoah Valley Apple Harvest Festival in Clear Brook has free pony rides, inflatables and a petting zoo, $10 with kids under 10 free.

Sunday: second days and pig races

Cox Farms, Pumpkin Village, the balloon rally, the Bluemont Fair, the Colonial Market and Fair, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Celebration of the Arts all run a second day, Monster Truck Wars has its 2 p.m. show and Venardos Circus performs at 2 p.m. Great Country Farms’ pumpkin patch runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with pig races at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and marshmallow roasting from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tysons Corner Center offers free family yoga on PenFed Plaza from 10 to 11 a.m.

Free things to do with kids in Northern Virginia this week

DC Spot parent planning tips

Frequently asked questions about things to do with kids in Northern Virginia this week

Last updated September 14, 2026 at 11:37 am. Dates, times, prices and locations were checked against organizer, venue and government pages. The balloon rally’s gate price and ride prices are from last year and may change. Outdoor events can change, so confirm before leaving home.

Feature image: AI-generated editorial illustration by DC Spot. It represents a Northern Virginia family event and is not a photograph of one specific event in this guide.

Last updated September 14, 2026 at 11:37 am EDT. Dates, hours, prices, age limits and access notes were checked against current organizer, venue and government sources. Ticket inventory, outdoor schedules and weather policies can change, so follow the official link for your event before leaving home.