Weekend picks for families in and around Washington, DC

Go Nats! Cheer on our home team as they play the Dodgers in the NLDS. They will play at home on Sunday and Monday!!

This weekend you can finally dress in some fall attire and hit the pumpkin patch or go apple picking and not sweat so much.

Enjoy exciting, interactive and educational programs, entertainment and activities all weekend long at Fall For Fairfax KidsFest. This is specially designed for families with elementary & Pre-K aged children. Plus, admission is totally free! There will be 2 stages of free entertainment including the Innovation Health Kids Stage, and the Community Stage. Discount ticket packages are available by clicking here for some of the activities. Activities include scarecrow making, pumpkin painting, public safety and recycling-themed exhibits, pony rides, petting zoo, model trains, instrument petting zoo, and the KidWay MidWay (with more than a dozen rides and attractions). Plus more than 75 exhibits, activities and great festival food!

Our 2019/20 theatre guide is out and live productions have already hit stages. Make sure you plan out your year at the theatre with your Bambinos! This weekend you can catch The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at Imagination Stage, Elephant & Piggie’s “We are in a play” at Adventure Theatre or a different kind of experience you can go to is Disney on Ice at EagleBank Arena.

For more than forty-two seasons the Maryland Renaissance Festival has provided a unique outdoor entertainment experience to patrons from all over the world. Weekends through October 20 you can join the joust, enjoy a turkey leg, listen to live music, kids can play on a huge pirate playground or ride a pony, watch puppetry and theatrical shows, dress up in costume if you please; you won’t be alone.

Friday

5:30pm-8:30pm: Nerf Night at Badlands: Fortnite
Badlands invites kids ages 7+ to join us for Nerf Night by Badlands! Come enjoy a fun new theme each Nerf Night. Participants are encouraged to bring the blaster of their choosing and protective eyewear- Badlands will provide the foam darts and the fun! Kids tickets are $30 and include dinner. Adult tickets are free and include complimentary beer tasting. Follow along with us tonight to see what Nerf Nights are all about, as we put on our goggles and play safely!

Saturday

9:00am-4:00pm: Conservation Discovery Day at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Doors are open for a day of science designed for middle schoolers, high schoolers and undergrads. They’ll be able to take part in hands-on activities, panels with with conservation biologists, field ecologists, research scientists, veterinarians and animal keepers, and much more. It all takes place at SCBI’s large, rural campus, where some of the Smithsonian’s most important science research is happening right now. The event is open to everyone with the purchase of a shuttle pass, at $8 per person. Shuttles will leave from nearby Skyline High School—this year, there will be no parking on the main campus (more info here). Your kids can make a difference for wildlife.

10:00am-5:00pm: Ballston Quarter Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch
Celebrate fall with a Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch at Ballston Quarter, featuring live music, specialty drinks, crafts and of course, pumpkins! All pumpkins will be sold for $5 (cash only), with all proceeds going to Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). Kids of all ages can participate in pumpkin decorating sponsored by Art House 7 and strike a pose in front of a fall-inspired photo-op. Live performances from Andrew Smith from 10am-1pm and MM Rock from 1-5pm, and a festive cider bar sponsored by BallstonGives for guests over 21 will truly welcome fall to Ballston Quarter! 

10:00am-2:00pm: Open Streets
Don’t miss the first Open Streets event coming to the District of Columbia. Attendees of all ages are welcome to get active and enjoy activities like biking, skating, aerobics, shopping, and more on the nearly three miles that will be closed to vehicles! Be sure to check out this link with amazing activities.

11:00am-4:00pm: Taste of Bethesda
Bethesda’s famous food and music festival brings 60 restaurants and five stages of entertainment to Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle. Each year, more than 40,000 attendees sample the delicious restaurants, enjoy the live entertainment and visit the kid’s corner for face painting and arts & crafts. 

11:00am-4:00pm: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad’s Rescue Day
BCCRS is hosting the annual “Rescue Day” celebration featuring fire and rescue activities and displays for all ages. There will be tours of fire and rescue trucks, tours of the station, as well as live demonstrations of emergency medical, rescue, and firefighting equipment. Come see the advanced firefighting and lifesaving equipment up close. Kids will receive a free firefighter hat and there will be a moon bounce, food, and more!

12:00pm-6:00pm: College Park Day at the College Park Aviation Museum
There will be an awesome touch-a-truck and snow-plow painting area, helicopter fly-ins, amazing bands, hilarious and interactive performers and performances, a gigantic kids zone, arts n crafts, face painters and more.

2:00pm-5:45pm: Adams Morgan PorchFest
Inclusive, diverse and entertaining, Adams Morgan PorchFest brings neighbors, tourists, and families together with one thing in common: a love of music. And it’s 100% free. Adams Morgan PorchFest, held on the first Saturday in October each year, is a grassroots celebration of local musical talent. We turn the front porches and patios of historic homes and local businesses into “stages for a day,” showcasing an eclectic range of music from Latin to jazz, folk to rock, soul to classical, and everything in between.

3:00pm-5:00pm: Family Game Day at Kensington Town Hall
The event, hosted by the Noyes Children’s Library Foundation, will be packed with family fun. The afternoon will feature Kids Bingo using cards with symbols. Families can also enjoy games such as Toss Tic-Tac-Toe and Connect Four; fun crafts; a Story Corner with game-themed story time; and music to shake the sillies out. The fun is for kids of all ages, with activities geared toward children 2-8 years old. Proceeds from Family Game Day will support the Make MORE Noyes Renovation Campaign, a major capital project that will enable the historic Noyes Children’s Library in Kensington, MD, to expand both its space and its early literacy mission. $5 per person; $20 max per family. RSVP requested here.

Sunday

9:00am-10:30am: Storybook Safari: Where the Wild Things Are Preschool Class at the National Zoo
Kick off October by joining the wild rumpus!! You’ll roar your terrible roars and gnash your terrible teeth as you learn about some of the wildest things at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo! Friends of the National Zoo preschool classes are designed for children ages 3-5 to discover a whole new view of the National Zoo. “Adult-and-me” format classes use interactive learning stations, hands-on activities and crafts, Nature Play, and exciting Zoo Walks to engage your child’s sense of wonder and curiosity about wildlife and the natural world.

10:00am-5:00pm: Takoma Park Street Festival
The festival will once again host a talented mix of local artists offering paintings, photographs, pottery, silk-screening, bath and body care, stained glass, jewelry, woodworking, textiles, ceramics, kids’ items and much more. Non-profits, local companies and a variety of food vendors will also participate. Takoma’s indie businesses will be open and welcoming visitors. Kids love the festival with crafts, face painting, inflatables and FUN! Grab a mug for The Crawl for discounted pours at Takoma restaurants, bars and cafes. Mugs will be available for purchase at the festival info booth across from 7000 Carroll Avenue. Three stages with 18 bands will play all day. Don’t miss the fun!

10:15am-11:45am: Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center: Twos Family Workshop
The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center opens its doors on the weekends to local families. Their unique programs combine playful classroom activities with visits to the museums. Each program is developed especially for the designated age group and with a unique theme. “Yellow Submarine”: Dive deep into the Ocean Hall and learn about the type of transportation needed to travel below the surface of the water. Along the way, we will explore the different ocean zones and the creatures that inhabit them.