Recurring Events – Autumn 2022

State Fair of Virginia. Doswell.  September 23 – October 2, 2022.

Cox Farms Fall Festival (Centreville, VA). Market with apples, pumpkin patch, farm animals, corn maze, hay rides, entertainment, food, picnic grounds. Don’t miss swinging into the foam pit and don’t forget your free mini-pumpkin on the way out! Plenty of Halloween decorations but nothing scary. This is so much fun. Bring sunscreen! September 25 – October 31. Learn more and buy tickets.

Fields of Fear (Cox Farms, Centreville, VA) the night-time haunted attraction for the very brave among you and is not for kids under 12. The good news is that scaredy-cats like me can buy a separate ticket to the evening “Firegrounds” which gives access to Foamhenge, bonfires, music and food but no frights. This event runs on weekend nights from September 24 to November 6. Learn more and buy your tickets online.

Goblin Golf at Burke Lake Mini Golf Course. (Burke, VA).  Halloween decorations and a special treat. Weekends, October 1 – 30. 11 am – 5 p.m. $10/person. Register in advance online.

Ghost and Graveyard Tour. 7:30 p.m. Old Town Alexandria, $15. This event is still taking place during the pandemic. Weekends in October, including Halloween, at 8:30 and 9:00 p.m.

Dracula (play). October 13 – November, including Halloween night. Synetic Theatre Company, Arlington (adults only, risque). Tickets: $20 – $50.

Frankenstein (play). Weekends, October 21 – November 13. NextStop Theatre Company, Herndon (adults only; risque). Tickets: $45 ($33.75 early bird price).

 

September 2022 Events

Friday, September 9

  • Adapted Park Explorers – Fall at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. Adapted to the needs of children ages six to eleven with special needs, this program provides hands on nature activities – the topic is Pond Life. 11 am – Noon. $10/participant (parents not required to register but should be accessible during the program).

Saturday, September 10 – Harvest Moon; Mid-Autumn Festival

  • Fall Full Moon Hike at Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, VA OR Lake Accotink, Springfield, VA. Join a naturalist on a moonlit walk over the wetland boardwalk to observe wildlife there and along trails. 8:30 pm – 10 pm. $9/participant; register in advance.

Sunday, September 11 – Patriot Day, Grandparents Day, Nat. Pet Memorial Day

Wednesday, September 14 – Nat. Virginia Day

Friday, September 16

  • Adapted Sights and Sounds of Fall Campfire. Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Chantilly, VA. Bring your family to enjoy a campfire, s’mores and look and listen to animals that come out at night. This program is adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities. Ages 4 to Adult. 6 pm – 7:30 pm. $10 per person; register in advance online.

Saturday, September 17 – Oktoberfest

  • Cox Farms Fall Festival opens today and runs through Tuesday, November 8 in Centreville, VA. Outdoor fun for all ages. Visit the website for more information.
  • Old Town Alexandria Art Festival. 10 am – 5 pm.

Sunday, September 18

  • Old Town Alexandria Art Festival 10 am – 5 pm

Thursday, September 22 – Autumn begins; Autumn Equinox at 9:03 pm EST

Friday, September 23

Sunday, September 25 – New Moon, Rosh Hashanah begins

Friday, September 30 – Nat. Hot Mulled Cider Day

  • Hocus Pocus 2 debuts on Disney + today.
  • St. Katherine Fall Festival (Greek Festival), also Saturday and Sunday. Falls Church.

October 2022 Events

Saturday, October 1 – Pumpkin Spice Day

  • Northern Virginia Pagan Pride Festival. Outdoor event open to pagans and non-pagans; family-friendly. Lake Fairfax, Large Pavilion. 10 am – 5 pm.
  • Oktoberfest. Vienna, on Church Street. Food, music, kids activities. Shuttle parking from James Madison HS and Vienna Metro Station. This event gets pretty crowded. 11 am – 7 pm. Free admission.

Monday, October 3

  • Movie: National Treasure. Center Stage, Hunter Woods Community Center (large screen). 10 a.m. Free but registration required.

Wednesday, October 5

  • Craft Workshop: Heat Embossing. Create personalized stationery with powders and a heat tool. Oakton Library, 1:30 – 2:30 pm. Adults. Free but registration is required.

Friday, October 7

  • Free screening of the Alfred Hitchcock classic, The Birds. 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. Coffee provided. Richard Byrd Library, 7250 Commerce Street, Springfield, VA.

Saturday, October 8 – Haunted House Day

  • City of Fairfax Fall Festival and Art Show. 3 stages of music, amusement rides (ticketed), food vendors and more. 10 am – 8:30 pm. Free admission.
  • Adapted Park Explorers – Fall at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. Adapted to the needs of children ages six to eleven with special needs, this program provides hands on nature activities – the topic is Reptiles and Amphibians. 11 am – Noon. $10/participant (parents not required to register but should be accessible during the program).
  • Parktober Fest at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. Live music by The Walkaways and Kentucky Avenue, local food vendors, area artisans, nature crafts. 12 Noon – 5 pm. Free. 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly, VA.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Sunday, October 9 –  Full Moon

  • Fall Full Moon Hike at Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, VA OR Lake Accotink, Springfield, VA. Join a naturalist on a moonlit walk over the wetland boardwalk to observe wildlife there and along trails. 7:30 pm – 9 pm. $9/participant; register in advance.

Monday, October 10 – Federal Holiday, Indigenous Peoples Day

Tuesday, October 11 

  • Meet the author event at Fairfax Regional Library. 7 pm – 8 pm. Stacie Murphy is the author of historical mystery novel, The Unquiet Dead. Free, no registration required.

Thursday, October 13 – Nat. M&M Day

  • Potomac Railroad Experience. Take a three-hour narrated scenic train ride and see the beautiful fall foliage in West Virginia. T   rip includes bus, transportation, admission for train, lunch in the premium dining car and trip chaperones. Ages 18 and older. 9:30 am – 6:30 pm. Register with Reston Community Center. $160.
  • Fall Garden and Tea. Historic Green Spring Gardens. Alexandria. 1 pm – 3 pm. Tour the demonstration garden with a Master Gardener then enjoy tea and refreshments. $38; register in advance.

Friday, October 14

  • Fall Carnival Fun at Frying Park Farm Park in Herndon, VA. 5 pm – 9 p.m. Admission is free; games, ride tickets and food will be sold.
Photo by Christine Krisza

Saturday, October 15

  • Colorful Pumpkins at Sully Historic Site, Chantilly, VA  (ages 2 to adult). Play games, make a craft. The 45 minute program takes place at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 2 pm. $8/each; register in advance.
  • Celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, at the Reston Public Library.  traditional and Bollywood dancing, music, storytime, crafts, photo booth, food and henna designs. 11 am – 1:30 pm. All ages. Free; no registration required.
  • Farm Harvest Days at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon, VA. Animals, games, activities. 10 am – 4 pm. Free admission; no registration required (see also Fall Carnival).
  • Fall Carnival Fun at Frying Park Farm Park in Herndon, VA. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Admission is free; games, ride tickets and food will be sold.
  • Halloween Haunt. Teens ages 12 to 18 can travel to Kings Dominion on this chaperoned bus trip (includes admission but not meals).  10:30 am  – 11 pm. $95 Reston teens; $143 non-Reston teens.
  • Seance: Looking Beyond the Veil with Celebrity Occultists Dan and Kat Eckhart. Oakton Library. 6:30 pm – 8 pm. Adults. Registration required.

Sunday, October 16

  • Farm Harvest Days at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon, VA. Animals, games, activities. 10 am – 4 pm. Free admission; no registration required.
  • Fall Carnival Fun at Frying Park Farm Park in Herndon, VA. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Admission is free; games, ride tickets and food will be sold.
  • Colors of the Forest. Join a naturalist at Lake Fairfax in Reston, VA to learn why leaves change color and other natural wonders. This program involves walking on a trail in the woods. 1 pm – 2:30 pm. $8/participant; register in advance.

Wednesday, October 19

  • Ghosts, Goons and the Bunny Man. Local historian Cynthia Bennett shares the spooky legends of area ghosts and the Bunny Man! As well the factual origins behind the stories in this Fairfax County Public Library virtual program (online). Free; register online. Two sessions: 1 pm and 5 pm.
  • Online program: Lights Out, Everybody: Mystery and Horror During the Golden Age of Radio. This Fairfax County Library Program features a talk by radio historian Steve Darnall. 7 pm – 8 pm. Virtual program. Free; register online.

Thursday, October 20 –  Bela Lugosi’s Birthday

Friday, October 21

  • Mail Your Cards. 10 days until Halloween! Today would be an excellent day to mail Halloween greeting cards to loved ones. Maybe your Post Office has some Halloween stamps in stock!
  • Frankenstein opens at NextStop Theatre in Herndon. See Recurring Events, above, for more information and link.

Saturday, October 22

  • Skulls and Skeletons Class. Lewinsville House, McLean. 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Learn how to identify local animals by their bones. Ages 16 and up. Register online. $10
  • Family Fun Plant Potions. Green Springs Gardens, Alexandria. 10 am – 11 am. Ages 5 – Adult. Learn how ancient healers concocted mixtures we still use today. Take home a mini plant-potiion garden. $10; register in advance.
  • Halloween Family Fun Day, Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. 12 Noon – 2 pm Music, puppet show and games. Infants to 8 years old. Free but advance registration required.
  • Movie: Beetlejuice. Centreville Library. 2 pm. Free but must register in advance.
  • Gone but Not Forgotten history program at Frying Pan Farm Park for ages 14 and up. Learn about how 18th century residents memorialized their dead. $10; register in advance.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Sunday, October 23

  • Samhain Witch Market. Near Diversity Thrift Store. Richmond, VA.
  • Make Your Own Spider Pal craft activity. 12 pm – 1 pm. Tysons-Pimmit Library. All ages. Free, no registration required (while supplies last).
  • Paranormal investigator and author Rob Gutro presentation and book signing, 2 pm – 3 pm. Tysons Pimmit Library. Free; no registration required. Adults 18 and up.
  • Colors of the Forest. Join a naturalist at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly, VA to learn why leaves change color and other natural wonders. This program involves walking on a trail in the woods. 2 pm – 3:30 pm. $8/participant; register in advance.
  • Author meet Nick Lee shares her debut novel, Crazy, Creepy, Strange: The Tales of Spring Hill, a horror and supernatural story based on her hometown of Springfield, VA, Adults 18 and up. 3 pm – 5 pm. Pohick Regional Library, Springfield. Free, no registration required.

Monday, October 24

  • One week until Halloween! This would be a good opportunity to find or put finishing touches on your costume, if you are dressing up. Also a good day to decorate!

Tuesday, October 25 – New Moon; Nat. Apple Day

  • Partial Solar Eclipse, 11:01 a.m. EST

Wednesday, October 26 – Nat. Pumpkin Day, Howl at the Moon Night

  • 76th Annual Halloween Parade, Maple Avenue, Vienna, Virginia, 7 p.m.

Thursday, October 27 –  Jack o’ Lantern Day, Nat. Wicked Witch Day, Nat. Black Cat Day

  • Make a jack o’ lantern. Today would be an excellent day to carve and light your pumpkin!

Friday, October 28 – National Skeleton Day, Nat. Chocolate Day, Frankenstein Friday

  • Legends and Lore Night Hike and Campfire, Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Chantilly. 7 pm – 8:30 pm. Supernatural stories and s’mores. Ages 5 – Adult. $10, register in advance.
  • Vampire Ball. Synetic Theater, Arlington, VA. Costumes encouraged. See the theatrical production of Dracula and stay for the after party of Dracula-themed cocktails, food, dancing, and more. For adults 21 and up. $115/ticket.

Saturday, October 29 – Frankenstein Friday, Nat. Cat Day, Happy Her-o-Ween!

  • Halloween Block Party (all ages). Parking lot left of Oakton Library. Outood games, chalk, bubbles. 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Free but advance registration required.
  • Make a Scarecrow at Sully Historic Site, Chantilly, VA for ages 2 to adult. Bring old clothing to stuff with hay and pose with your new friend, play games, make a craft. The 45 minute program takes place at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 2 pm. $8/each; register in advance.
  • Family Fun Pumpkin Painting. Green Springs Gardens, Alexandria. 10 am – 11 am.  Ages 5 – Adult. $10/per person. Register online.
  • Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Magnets craft activity for teens and adults. 2 pm – 3 pm. John Marshall Library. 6209 Rose Hill Drive, Alexandria. Free, drop-in, no registration required.
  • Movie: Hocus Pocus (interactive version). Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. 3 pm – 5:30 pm. Props and refreshments provided. Free but must register in advance.
  • Halloween on the Farm (all ages) – Trick or treat at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon, Virginia. Visit the farm animals, play games, tour the farmhouse. 1 hour-time slots: 5 pm – 6 pm;  6 pm – 7 pm; 7 pm – 8 pm. $10/child. Register Fairfax County Parktakes online.
  • Haunted Mini Golf at Oak Marr Recreation Center (Oakton, VA). 5 pm – 7:30 pm. $12/person. Wear costumes and win treats. Register online in advance.
  • Clifton Haunted Trail (Clifton, VA). 7:30 pm – 10 pm. One night only! Buy tickets online in advance. $20/teens and adults. Yes, there are kid prices, but come on! You are not really going to take a child into the woods at night, are you?

Sunday, October 30 – Nat. Candy Corn Day, Visit a Cemetery Day

  • Colors of the Forest. Join a naturalist at Lake Fairfax in Reston, VA to learn why leaves change color and other natural wonders. This program involves walking on a trail in the woods. 1 pm – 2:30 pm. $8/participant; register in advance.
  • Halloween Tea: Spooky Victorians. Green Springs Gardens, Alexandria, VA. Lecture on Victorian spiritualism and fancy tea. 1 pm – 3 pm. $38/register in advance.
  • Halloween Celebration at Macy’s Ballston (Arlington) 1 pm – 5 pm. Families.
  • Haunted Mini Golf at Oak Marr Recreation Center (Oakton, VA). 5 pm – 7:30 pm. $12/person. Wear costumes and win treats. Register online in advance.

Monday, October 31 – Happy Halloween!  Magic Day, Caramel Apple Day, Samhain

  • Halloween Crafternoonpalooza. This free program offers families with kids the supplies to make Halloween-themed crafts at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. 12 pm – 1 pm. Advance registration is required.
  • Pumpkin Party on the Hill. Historic Huntley House, Alexandria, VA. Children 2 to 12 years old are invited to bring a pumpkin to paint, learn about pumpkins, listen to a story, taste pumpkin ice cream and make pumpkin playdough. 2:30 pm – 4 p.m. $9/participant; register in advance.
  • Great Falls Pet Parade, 4 pm, followed by Trick or Treating, music and entertainment 5 pm – 7 pm.

Spooky Houses

Haunted Half Acre outdoor display (Falls Church City). 510 East Broad Street, Falls Church City, VA (residence across from Dulin Church). A creative man creates a Halloween wonderland in his front yard. Open until 10 p.m. nightly. Street parking available on Berry Street and environs. Free; donations accepted.

Halloween Home Light Display.  Each year, a family in Vienna invites the community to view, from their cars, the family’s Halloween light display, located at 2528 Drexel Street, Vienna, VA, from mid-October to Halloween night.  Lights are on Sunday – Thursday, 6:45 – 9:30pm; Friday & Saturday, 6:45pm – 10pm. Free.

And so another Halloween ends…but the seasonal fun continues!

Please visit my winter seasonal blog, Cool Yule, celebrating the best of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.