Things are getting spooky in the Town of Leesburg! Join them on October 28, 2026, for the 70th annual Halloween Parade, hosted and organized by the Leesburg Kiwanis Club!
Important! This year’s parade will take place on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 — a few days ahead of Halloween night.
One of the oldest in the United States (with its debut in 1957), this highly anticipated evening event begins at Ida Lee Park and proceeds down King Street toward Fairfax Street.
Dress in your Halloween best and cheer on the parade participants, including high school marching bands, decorated floats, classic cars, police, fire, and rescue units, and more! Leading the way this year is Grand Marshal the Stone Bridge Key Club, named 2025-2026 Key Club of the Year out of 250 clubs in the Capital District.
Last year’s parade drew 80 groups and more than 600 participants and ran about 90 minutes, so plan to arrive early to claim a good spot along the route.
Ghosts, monsters, superheroes, and princesses — it could only mean one thing! Manassas Park Parks & Recreation is hosting a free Trunk-or-Treat on October 24, 2026.
At the community center, decorated vehicles will line the parking lot with their trunks open, handing out candy and treats to little trick-or-treaters. Dress up and come ready for a festive, safe Halloween celebration for the whole family!
Saturday mornings don’t get much sillier than this!
On October 10, 2026, Jammin Java welcomes one of the DMV’s favorite children’s entertainers for a Saturday Morning Family Happy Hour with The Great Zucchini!
Part comedian, part magician, and all-out entertainer, The Great Zucchini has been bringing big smiles to the DC area for 30 years! Named DC’s top children’s entertainer by four different magazines, expect a fast-paced, all-ages show packed with audience participation and belly laughs for kids (& kids-at-heart!).
This show carries extra meaning, too — it’s part of Jammin Java and Union Stage Presents’ 25th anniversary concert series. Plus, The Great Zucchini has performed more than 400 shows at this beloved Vienna venue, a spot he calls close to his heart.
Hurry and grab your tickets to this morning show — it’s the perfect way to kick off a fall weekend with your little ones!
Give your jack-o’-lantern a grand finale! Great Country Farms’ annual Pumpkin Chunkin’ returns November 1-3, 2026, and families are invited to bring their leftover pumpkins for one last ride.
Smash them yourself at the Silo Sploosh, Pumpkin Zip Line, and Pumpkin Wall of Death, or bring your gourd to the Pumpkin Drop Zone and watch it plummet from a 40-foot lift in the farm’s upside-down “fireworks display!”
Nothing goes to waste — the farm’s pigs and cows feast on the remains, and the rest are composted.
Your admission includes access to Great Country Farms’ 15-acre play area. Visit furry, feathered, and hoofed friends, play on rope swings or a giant jumping pillow, and zoom down 80-foot slides! You can also add extras like a cup of feed for the friendly goats, too.
The fearless and brave are invited to these spooky nighttime gatherings! These haunted houses, trails, mazes, and more are for the older crowd to get their scary fix this Halloween season.
LOCAL HAUNTS
Select Nights, Sept 25-Nov 7, 2026 Fields of Fear @ Cox Farms
Centreville, VA ∙ Approx 10 miles from Dulles Airport
Find out what lurks in the fields of Cox Farms after hours! Scream your way through more than 20 acres of the most frightful haunts, including the Cornightmare, Dark Side Hayride, The Forest, The Firegrounds, and the Fear Market.
Oct 24, 2026 Clifton Haunted Trail
Clifton, VA ∙ Approx 20 miles from Dulles Airport
You have one night to conquer your fears this year and travel these half-mile-long haunted paths! Winding through a Civil War-era town already known for its ghost stories — and for the legendary Bunny Man Bridge — this one is very scary, so bring younger kids at your own discretion.
Creep through the barns of an abandoned farm after dark on this haunted trail at Maple Tree Farm, if you dare! The nearly mile-long path winds in and around the old barns, with frights lurking in the shadows that’ll leave you breathless by the time you reach the end.
In 1996, five friends chasing Virginia folklore vanished, leaving behind an abandoned car and a smashed camcorder. Thirty years later, the restored footage is ready to be seen on this all-new trail. Admission is fee-based, but the Grooveyard party — music, karaoke, and vendors — is open to all, even without a trail ticket.
AMUSEMENT PARKS
These take over the whole park after dark, and every guest needs their own admission ticket, no matter how young.
Select Nights, Oct 2-Nov 1, 2026 The Nevermore Haunt
Baltimore, MD ∙ Approx 60 miles from Dulles Airport
Looking for Dark Nights at Hershey Park, Markoff’s Haunted Forest, Corn Nightmare, the Work House haunt, or the Bunny Man Bridge haunted trail? You’re in the right place!
Disclaimer: Event details are curated from public sources and subject to change. Verify all information via the provided links before attending.
Just a block away from the White House, the National Park Service’s White House Visitor Center serves as a gateway to the presidential mansion.
The nearly 16,000-square-foot space tells the story of the White House as a home, office, stage, ceremonial space, museum, and park. It features state-of-the-art exhibits, including:
A large-scale model of the White House
Approximately 100 historical artifacts
Looping videos of photos and archival footage
Interactive touchscreen tour of the White House
Over 90 artifacts from the White House collection
White House: Reflections from Within, a 14-minute film
The Visitor Center also features a retail store with souvenirs unique to the history and culture of the White House and Washington, DC.
The Visitor Center is open to the public daily; admission is free. Security screening is required for entry. Tours of the White House itself must be scheduled through your member of Congress or embassy.
From October 23-24, 2026, kids (in their Halloween best!) are invited to Walker Nature Center’s Halloween House & Trick-or-Treat Trail! Meet a creative cast of characters, including some real animals, along the center’s nature-themed trail. Indoors, find a decked-out Halloween House, plus apple cider, popcorn, and games.
This is not a horror show or haunted house (though you can expect some sound and light effects), and kids (ages 3 & up) and grown-ups alike are encouraged to wear non-scary costumes!
Pre-registration is required by October 21, 2026; no walk-ins.
Trunks, treats, and a not-too-scary trail — oh my!
On October 23, 2026, little ghosts and ghouls are invited to Dulles South Recreation Center’s Trunk-or-Treat Trail for a spooktacular evening of Halloween fun!
Kids should wear their Halloween best to collect candy from festively decorated trunks, then brave a not-too-scary walk down the spooky trail. Plus, they’ll bounce on moon bounces, complete a scavenger hunt, and pick a pumpkin to take home, too!
Admission is fee-based for kids ages 3-12; children 2 and under and family members 13 and older are free. Pre-registration is required; link below.
Vienna is serving up Oktoberfest fun on October 3, 2026!
Historic downtown will transform into a full-day celebration featuring three live music stages, a global food court, and a craft beer and wine garden from Caboose Brewing, Vienna Vintner, and Norm’s Beer & Wine.
The younger crowd can visit the free Kids Zone. It’s packed with activities sponsored by family-friendly businesses and hands-on fun. There’s even pumpkin decorating (while supplies last)!
A free shuttle runs all day from Vienna Metro, James Madison High School, and the W&OD Trail, making it easy to leave the car at home. Rain or shine, the festival goes on!
This opportunity is over; visit our calendar for up-to-date fun!
On October 24, 2026, kids are invited to become artists for a day at the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s annual Art Safari!
This family-friendly day offers hands-on art activities for children and families. Art Center artists will guide budding art enthusiasts through exciting, creative projects across all three floors of the center.
The Torpedo Factory Art Center, a former naval munitions factory on the banks of the Potomac River, is home to the largest number of publicly accessible working artist studios in the US. With three floors to explore, this unique destination fosters connections between artists and the public and ignites the creative spirit. The Torpedo Factory Art Center is also home to the Alexandria Archaeology Museum.
