Weekend picks for families in and around Washington, DC

Our most exciting weekend picks blog post ever is here and we couldn’t be more excited to share all of the fun you can have this weekend. The most important event happening is the World Series with our home-team hoping to #finishthefight. DCist has a list of watch parties in case you don’t have tickets to a game. Kids Euro Fest is kicking off this weekend and the lineup won’t disappoint. Be sure and visit the Big Draw Festival which takes place over two days and focuses on drawing. Check each event for any cancellations or changes due to weather.

Friday

3:00pm-4:00pm or 5:45pm-6:45pm: My Gym Potomac & My Gym Bethesda Halloween Party
Looking for not too spooky family fun this Halloween season? Find it at My Gym’s Halloween Party! Join us for ghostly games, music, treats, and loads of fun!  Kids can dress up for the party!  Book your spot today! Members $15, Non-Members $20, Siblings get 20% off

5:30pm-7:30pm: Hilloween at Eastern Market
Capitol Hill celebrates Halloween as a community each year in front of Eastern Market on 7th St. Count on moon bounces, hay rides, treats, face painting and many, many costumes.

5:30pm-8:30pm: BOOtanica
Gather the family together for a fun evening! Children can dress in their favorite costume, participate in a garden costume parade, paint a pumpkin, try a pumpkin treat, and top the evening off listening to award winning storyteller Gary Loyld present “Pumpkin Tales for the Young telling tales more funny than scary. Space is limited. Register children ages 3–12, parents are free.

6:00pm-9:00pm: Not-So-Spooky Parents Night Out at Busy Bees
calling all lil monsters, super heroes, princesses & knights. With Halloween just around the corner, we thought of adding some Not-So-Spooky fun into our Date Night! Bring your kids in costume: they will enjoy some awesome fun in our playscape, have a pizza dinner and Halloween cupcakes & milk for dessert! Your lil’ goblin will be ready for a great night sleep after so much fun! Space is limited, so go on and reserve your spot today. You know you deserve a lil’ break! Bonus: your kids will have a blast, guaranteed!

6:00pm-10:00pm: Soul Strolls in Congressional Cemetery
Trespass into the past and discover the secrets of some of Congressional Cemetery’s “residents.” Soul Strolls, the Cemetery’s annual twilight tours, explore the stories of individuals buried here through guided tours and costumed interpreters. Experience the history of this hallowed ground exactly the way it should be experienced in October – in twilight and darkness, happening upon vignettes and individuals under the guidance of one of our “Dozen Decent Docents.

Saturday

9:30am AND 11:00am: Saturday Morning Live at The National Theatre: Young Audiences of Maryland: Mark Lohr – Classic Comedy
Meet Mr. Jones, who will battle with furniture, juggle, spin plates and more in this fun-filled roller coaster ride of performance art. Creator and performer Mark Lohr has closely studied the comedic masters Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and has melded that inspiration and other elements into his unique style. 

10:00am: Halloween-themed Kids Pizza Party at Matchbox
This hands-on pizza making classes will please any small chef. They will create a customized personal pizza, get a tour of the kitchen and pizza ovens and more. Come in costume! Just $32 per child inclusive of tax and gratuity. Recommended for ages 5-12.

10:00am-1:00pm: Trick or Treat at Tudor Place
Get into the Halloween spirit! Explore the Tudor Place garden as the seasons change, and trick or treat throughout the site. Make your own superhero bracers and festive owl decoration. Play traditional outdoor games, enjoy face painting, and paint your own pumpkin to take home. Costumes suggested but not required. 

10:00am-2:00pm: Kids’ Day at Washington International Horse Show
Hundreds of children and their families attend WIHS Kids’ Day — a free, fun, family-friendly event created to share the joy of horses with the local DC community and teach kids and their families about horses and equestrian sport. Children participate in more than a dozen hands-on educational and fun activities, including pony rides, the Horseless Horse Show, coloring station, face painting, pony brushing lessons, plus giveaways from Georgetown Cupcake. Klinger, the famous horse from the U.S. Army Caisson Platoon, often attends as a special guest to greet the children. There’s even a pony kissing booth with mini donkey Blossom! 

10:00am-3:00pm: Witches & Wizards at B&O Railroad
Young witches and wizards can head to the B&O because wizarding school is now in session! Learn simple science in potions class and explore the history of railroading in our “magical objects” display! Grow your own plant buddy in herbology class plus run through our magical maze to enter a raffle to win a railroading storybook and a free cone card from The Charmery! All of this and more awaits you at Witches & Wizards weekend!

10:00am: John Henry, the Guitar Playing Man, Halloween Concert at the Avalon
For the fifteenth year, John Henry brings his playful musical style to the Avalon for our annual Halloween concert party. Children are encouraged to come in costume (adults too!) and sing and dance along during the show! Treats will be distributed afterwards.

10:00am-11:30am: Ele-fun! Preschool Class
Come join the herd with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s gentle giants!! Try out your own trunk as you learn about elephants! Friends of the National Zoo preschool classes are designed for children ages 2-3 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.

10:15am (sensory-friendly) AND 11:30am: Saturday Family Story Sessions at Strathmore: The Miraculous Magical Balloon with Synetic Theater
Families enjoy diverse and dynamic programs from some of the best storytellers in our area. At Strathmore’s Saturday Family Story Sessions, stories encourage active imagination and come alive through improv, puppetry, songs, and more. Kids and parents alike will be enamored by the epic tales storytellers spin. Snag a spot in the cozy Mansion Music Room and get up close to the performers—you might even find yourself participating in the story!

10:30am-11:15am: Saturday Song Circle at Imagination Stage: Room on the Broom
You and your child are invited to a fun, interactive musical experience! An Early Childhood Teaching Artist explores a popular children’s book with your family through song and musical instruments, and you will receive a list of all the songs to practice at home.

10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm: 6th Annual Pumpkin Hunt at Lee-Fendall House
The Lee-Fendall House Annual Halloween Pumpkin Hunt returns to Alexandria! Alexandria’s ghosts and goblins will fill the museum’s garden with hundreds of colorful toy-filled Halloween objects for local children to discover. Other activities include crafts, games, refreshments, spooky stories, and a costume parade. Every participating child will receive a toy pumpkin. All children of elementary school age or younger are eligible to participate in the Halloween Pumpkin Hunt. Older children and adults are welcome to enjoy all other activities. Tickets are available for sale through Eventbrite.

11:30am-3:00pm: Día de los Muertos Family Day at American Art Museum
Celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with SAAM! Enjoy Mexican folk dance performances throughout the day, a live Mariachi band, and face painting! Leave your handmade ofrendas (offerings) including paper marigolds, calaveras (skull masks), and paper monarch butterflies on our beautiful Day of the Dead altar.

12:00pm-5:00pm: DC Mac n Cheese Festival
Festival featuring over 25 kinds of mac & cheese, more than 60 craft beers, wines, ciders and spirits to sample, live music from DC’s hottest bands and more. 

12:00pm-5:30pm: Air and Scare at National Air and Space Museum (Virginia Location)
Explore the spooky side of air and space at Air & Scare, our annual Halloween event at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Participate in creepy crafts, spooky science experiments, and other Halloween-themed activities. Arrive in costume to get into the Halloween spirit and enjoy safe indoor trick-or-treating.

12:00pm-2:00pm: Spooktacular Family Day Piano Show
Need an excuse to dress up? Nope, we didn’t think so. But…. don’t miss an afternoon Halloween party that’s not to be missed. Come down to the National Harbor for some serious FUN! They will combine 2 hours of all request live music with a costume contest, a lunch buffet, fountain drinks, and of course encouragement of singing along and wiggling in your seats!

1:00pm-4:00pm: Fall Fest at Market Commons
Pumpkin decorating, family photos, kids’ crafts & activities, tricks & treats, dog costume contest and more.

1:00pm-4:00pm: Glen Echo Fall Frolic
Glen Echo Park Partnership’s annual Halloween-themed family event. It’s open to the public, and visitors of all ages are invited to the Park to explore the arts through hands-on crafts, Halloween activities, trick-or-treating and visiting open studios. It’s a safe and fun Halloween event with something for everyone! See schedule of events online. The Halloween celebration will conclude with a costume parade through the Park at 3:30pm.

2:00pm-6:00pm: Pumpkin Rock n Roll at Warner Circle Park
The park will be transformed into a full-blown Halloween extravaganza. Participate in a fun costume contest and parade, and enjoy family-friendly attractions including festival-style musical performances, food trucks, inflatable rides and slides and a rock wall. The main event is a derby race of Halloween pumpkins-turned-boxcars! Admission is free.

2:00pm-5:00: Día de Los Muertos at District Wharf
Celebrate the Day of the Dead at The Wharf. We’re taking over Pearl Street for a memorable afternoon with live music by La Unica, beer stations, street food, a photobooth, and more. Want to get creative yourself? Decorate a sugar skull or get your face painted. Plus, we’re giving out prizes for the best self-painted faces. 

4:00pm-8:00pm: Haunted Garage and Day of the Dead Festival at Oyster Adams Bilingual School
Join for a walk through the haunted garage and for traditional Day of the Dead activities such as decorating sugar skulls. Wear your costumes. There will be an inflatable obstacle course, pumpkin painting, spooky cake contest and a fortune teller.

4:00pm-8:30pm: Pumpkins in the Park + Free Screening of Hocus Pocus
Pumpkins in the Park is back for its sixth year with a cauldron full of spooky new surprises! The Capitol Riverfront BID has brewed up an evening of wicked good times that are sure to have mischief-makers of all ages howlin’ at the moon. Bring your little monsters out to decorate their own pumpkins, play in the moon bounce, and get their faces painted (all for free)! For the kids-at-heart: come make insta-worthy leaf wreaths, enjoy beer, wine, and cider (for purchase), and get your cards read by a real life fortune teller! At the witching hour (6:00 pm), hop on your brooms and head across the street to catch a free screening of Hocus Pocus in the North Block. And for an extra treat, some bites will be available for purchase courtesy of Smorgasburg DC!

4:00pm-9:00pm: Parents Night Out at Badlands
Tired of babysitters canceling last minute? Let the kids spend their evening at Badlands instead while you enjoy a much needed date night (or uninterrupted grocery run)!

5:00pm-8:00pm: Musical All Night at Bloombars
Parents, go have a night out on the town and leave your kids at Musical All Night with Ms. Niki!! Musical all Night is a three-hour musical theater class, ‪one Saturday a month, for kids ages 5-12. (Register on EventBright).

5:00pm-8:00pm: Trunk or Treat at Dynamite Gym & Agility Center
Join for open gym at all three North Bethesda campus gyms, plus a costume parade and contest, prizes, and trick or treating in decorated car trunks in the parking lot! Parents needed to “donate” their car trunks for the trick or treating event! Come park your car in the lot, bring decorations to make your trunk special (they’ll provide the candy) and they’ll waive the cost of admission to this fun event! Send them an e-mail to let them know you’ll be bringing a clean, decorated car trunk. Please note that no masks, capes, or face paint will be allowed in the gym during the open gym part of the event.

6:00pm-10:00pm: Soul Strolls in Congressional Cemetery
Trespass into the past and discover the secrets of some of Congressional Cemetery’s “residents.” Soul Strolls, the Cemetery’s annual twilight tours, explore the stories of individuals buried here through guided tours and costumed interpreters. Experience the history of this hallowed ground exactly the way it should be experienced in October – in twilight and darkness, happening upon vignettes and individuals under the guidance of one of our “Dozen Decent Docents.

6:30pm-7:30pm & 7:30pm-8:30pm: BOO-stravaganzaat Frying Pan Park
Celebrate the Halloween season with this variety event at Frying Pan Farm Park. This year, the event is outside at the Kidwell Farm. Attendees enjoy a variety of themed games, go trick-or-treating to animals, and enjoy a wagon ride. Finish the evening with a small treat bag for the road.

Sunday

10:00am-11:30am: Ele-fun! Preschool Class
Come join the herd with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s gentle giants!! Try out your own trunk as you learn about elephants! Friends of the National Zoo preschool classes are designed for children ages 2-3 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.

11:00am-11:45am: Sunday Funday at Imagination Stage: Spookley the Square Pumpkin
We invite you and your child to bring your favorite stories, Dragons Love Tacos, to life through dramatic play activities, music, movement, and visual art. Each session you leave with a special take-home item which was used or created that day, as well as a Parent Pack to extend the experience at home. These popular workshops are themed around beloved children’s books.

11:00am-3:00pm: Witches & Wizards at B&O Railroad
Young witches and wizards can head to the B&O because wizarding school is now in session! Learn simple science in potions class and explore the history of railroading in our “magical objects” display! Grow your own plant buddy in herbology class plus run through our magical maze to enter a raffle to win a railroading storybook and a free cone card from The Charmery! All of this and more awaits you at Witches & Wizards weekend!

1:00pm-4:00pm: Harbor Halloween
Bring kids 12 and under to this free event with Trick-or-treating, National Harbor chefs pumpkin carving contest, movie Hocus Pocus, and more!

1:30pm-3:30pm: Creek Critters
Celebrate Halloween by discovering the creepy, crawly bugs living in the
creek! Join Little Falls Watershed Alliance for a fun family activity
identifying critters in the creek.  There will be all the tools you need
to capture and ID the bugs that live under water. Bring your smartphone
(if you have one) as we will be using an award-winning app created by
the Audubon Naturalist Society for this activity.

2:00pm-4:00pm: Puppies and Costumes and Games, Oh My!
The Yards, DC’s most exciting waterfront neighborhood for living, dining, shopping and relaxing, is celebrating the spooky season with a puppy costume party at The Yards Park! Families and their furry friends are invited to enjoy Halloween festivities including Halloween crafts, costume face painting, puppy trick-or-treating, festive music and, of course, a puppy fashion show. Puppy parents can enter their pets into the competition for a chance to win gift cards to your favorite shops and restaurants at The Yards and other prizes. 

2:00pm: 23rd Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade
Don your best Halloween costume and march in the 23rd Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade, which historically has attracted thousands of participants. Awards will be given for best pet costume, best decorated business, best decorated home, and best decorated stroller. Awards will be presented in a brief ceremony after the parade, along with refreshments and goodie bags for the children. Adults, children and dogs are all welcome to join and for free. Goodie bags for children are handed out. There is live musical entertainment provided by Mars Rodeo. There will be Goblin Games and activities for the children.

3:00pm-5:00pm: Not So Spooky Halloween Party at Busy Bees Fairfax
Dress up in your awesome costume & join us for our  “Not So Spooky Halloween Bash!” There will be unparalleled fun in the playscape, followed by a lil’ parade leading us to a party room, where each child will try their hand at becoming the next great baker: Cake Time! will be teaching how to decorate your very own SPOOKTACULAR cupcakes! One FREE birthday party to the BEST FAMILY COSTUME!

Weekend Theatre:
Elephant & Piggie’s “We are in a play” at Adventure Theatre– Final weekend
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at Imagination Stage– Final weekend
Paw Patrol Live: Saturday & Sunday
Dragons Love Tacos at Olney TheatreCenter: Saturday & Sunday

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