October in the DC area brings some of the prettiest days of the year. With the cooling temperatures and the crunch of leaves under your feet, it’s a great time to get outside and enjoy a variety of fall festivals. Here are just a few in our area this month.

FESTIVALS: FOOD, DRINK & FUN

The variety of festivals this month is amazing. From friendly neighborhood street fairs to heritage celebrations, there’s something for everyone. Whatever your interests are, you can explore our vibrant and diverse metro area through food, drink, art, literature, and so much more.

In the District

• Taste of DC – October 7-8 https://www.thetasteofdc.org/

• Boo at the Zoo – October 20-22 https://nationalzoo.si.edu/events/boo-zoo

• Kids Euro Festival – October 21-November 5 http://events.euintheus.org/landing_page/kids-euro-fest/

• Washington International Horse Show – October 24-29 http://www.wihs.org/

In Maryland

• Taste of Bethesda – October 7 http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/taste-bethesda

• Bethesda Row Arts Festival – October 14-15 http://www.bethesdarowarts.org/

• Sugarloaf Crafts Festival – October 20-22 https://sugarloafcrafts.com/festivals/fall-tour/october-gaithersburg

• DC Design House 2017 – through October 29 https://www.dcdesignhouse.com/

In Virginia

• Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour – October 6-8 http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/fall-wine-festival-sunset-tour/

• 3rd Annual Columbia Pike Fall Fest – October 7 http://columbia-pike.org/columbia-pike-fall-wine-craft-beer-festival/

• Reston Flavors of Fall Festival – October 7 http://restonflavors.com/

• Fall for the Book Festival – October 11-14 http://fallforthebook.org/

• City of Fairfax Fall Festival – October 14 http://www.fairfaxva.gov/about-us/special-events/fall-festival

• Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Family Days – October 21-22 http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/fall-harvest-family-days/

• Northern Virginia Fall Brewfest – October 21-22 http://www.novabrewfest.com/

Halloween Fun

Does Halloween make you feel like a kid again? Whether you like your jack o’lantern is smiling or your ghost stories are truly frightening, check out these ideas to join in the spooky fun.

Pumpkins, Hayrides & Harvest Festivals

In Maryland

• Agricultural History Farm Park, Derwood – October 7 https://www.montgomeryparks.org/events/harvest-festival/

• Butler’s Orchard, Germantown – Weekends through October http://www.butlersorchard.com/

• Sharp’s at Waterford Farm, Brookeville – Weekends through October http://sharpfarm.com/

In Virginia

• Burke Nursery & Garden Centre, Burke – Daily through October http://www.pumpkinplayground.com/

• Clark’s Farm, Stafford – Daily through October http://clarksfarmusa.com/

• Cox Farms, Centreville – Weekends through October http://www.coxfarms.com/

• Great Country Farms, Bluemont – Daily through October http://greatcountryfarms.com/

• Leesburg Animal Park, Leesburg – Daily through October http://www.pumpkinfestleesburg.com/

Ghost Tours & Haunted Attractions

In the District

• Night of the Living Zoo – October 27 https://nationalzoo.si.edu/events/night-living-zoo

• Soul Strolls: Twilight Tours at Congressional Cemetery – Select dates in October http://www.congressionalcemetery.org/event.asp?Id=929

• National Building Museum Ghost Tour: Escape Room – Select dates in October https://www.nbm.org/visit/tours/ghost-tours/

• The Most Haunted Houses Walking Tour – Weekends in October http://www.washingtonwalks.com/tours/haunted-houses/

• Ghosts of LaFayette Park or Capitol Hill Haunts Ghost Tours – Nightly tours http://www.dcghosttours.com/

In Maryland

• Fright Fest at Six Flags America – Select dates in October https://www.sixflags.com/america/special-events/fright-fest-night

• Candlelight Ghost Tours of Frederick – Weekends in October http://www.marylandghosttours.com/

• Ghosts of Annapolis Tours – Nightly in October http://www.toursandcrawls.com/tours/ghost-tours

In Virginia

• Air & Scare at the Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly – October 21 https://airandspace.si.edu/events/air-scare-9

• Shocktober at Paxton Manor, Leesburg – Weekends in October http://www.shocktober.org/

• Alexandria’s Original Ghost & Graveyard Tour – Nightly in October http://alexcolonialtours.com/ghost-graveyard-tour/

• Oatlands Mansion Paranormal Tours – October 27-29 https://www.oatlands.org/oatlands-events/Event-Descriptions/163/month--201710/vobid--3373/

• Haunted Occoquan – Wednesdays-Saturdays in October http://www.haunted-occoquan.com/index.html

MUSEUMS

Museums in our area offer so much variety. Whether you like to explore history and science or lose yourself in priceless works of art, the options seem almost endless – and so many are free!

• Freer Gallery of Art & Sackler Gallery – “IlluminAsia: A Festival of Asian Art, Food, and Cultures”
  Grand Reopening October 14-15 https://www.asia.si.edu/

• Smithsonian American Art Museum – “Lumia: Thomas Wilfred and the Art of Light” through January 7, 2018 https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/lumia

• Renwick Gallery – “Murder is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death” October 20-January 28, 2018 https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/nutshells

• Hirshorn – “Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: The Utopian Projects” through March 4, 2018 https://hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/kabakov/

• National Museum of Natural History – “Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend” ongoing until 2019 https://naturalhistory.si.edu/exhibits/narwhal/

• National Portrait Gallery – “One Life: Sylvia Plath” through May 20, 2018 http://npg.si.edu/exhibition/one-life-sylvia-plath

• National Gallery of Art – “Edvard Munch: Color in Context” through January 28, 2018 https://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/exhibitions/2017/edvard-munch-color-in-context.html

• Newseum – “Creating Camelot: The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe” through January 7, 2018 http://www.newseum.org/exhibits/upcoming/creating-camelot-the-kennedy-photography-of-jacques-lowe/

• The Phillips Collection – “Renoir and Friends: Luncheon of the Boating Party” October 7-January 7, 2018 http://www.phillipscollection.org/events/2017-10-07-exhibition-renoir-and-friends