October Guide for Fun | October 2025
Celebrate autumn in Northern Virginia! From lively fall festivals to spooky Halloween events, discover October activities you won’t want to miss.
Fall Farmers Markets
Del Ray Farmers Market | Saturdays, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. This market has 20+ seasonally-rotating vendors.
Annandale Farmers Market | Thursdays, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Located in Mason District Park, this farmers market offers fresh, delicious food, music, and local community organizations.
Fairfax Farmers Market | Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Voted one of the top three markets in Virginia by Virginia Living Magazine, the Fairfax Farmers Market offers 30+ vendors.
Burke Farmers Market | Saturdays, 8 a.m.–12 pm. 5671 Roberts Pkwy., Burke.
Lorton Farmers Market | Sundays, 8 a.m.– 12 pm. 8994 Potomac Bend, Lorton.
Reston Farmers Market | Saturdays, 8 a.m.– 12 pm, Lake Anne Plaza: 1609 Washington Plz. N., Reston.
Fall & Harvest Festivals
Cox Farms Fall Festival – A beloved local tradition with hayrides, giant slides, corn mazes, farm animals, and fall treats in Centreville.
Burke Nursery Pumpkin Playground – A month-long October event featuring pumpkin-themed play areas and activities.
Pumpkin Village at Leesburg Animal Park – Bounce houses, pony rides, pumpkin pickup, hayrides, and live weekend entertainment.
Historic Fairfax Fall Festival – Held on the second Saturday in October in Old Town Fairfax, featuring over 500 arts, crafts, and food vendors.
Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour at Mount Vernon – Fri–Sun, October 10–12 @ 6–9 pm George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Apple & Pumpkin Picking
Hidden Gems Farm: Open daily; pick-your-own pumpkins. Whether you’re here for a scheduled play time with their resident goats or dropping in to pick your own pumpkins, this family-owned farm makes for a great fall activity. Be sure to check out the collection of soaps and lotions, made with fresh goat milk right from the farm. The farm accepts cash and Venmo only.
Great Country Farms: October 1 to 31Visitors can pick their own apples and pumpkins at one of the farm’s fall festivals. Visit through September 30 for a corn maze and an apple harvest, with live music, marshmallow roasting, and more on Saturdays and Sundays. October is pumpkin season, with the Fall Pumpkin Harvest Festival running, with wagon rides to a pumpkin patch, pig racing, and more. 34345 Snickersville Tpk., Bluemont.
Temple Hall Farm Pumpkin Patch & Sunflower Fields: October 1- 31 Take a family trip to Temple Hall Farm for your much-needed pumpkins. Spend the day searching through the entire pumpkin patch, then head over to the jumping pillows and slides for some extra entertainment. Admission includes one pumpkin and sunflowers. Temple Hall Farm Regional Park: 15855 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg.
Messick’s Farm Market Fall Festival: Saturdays and Sundays, September 21–October 27. A day at Messick’s Farm is a fall dream for the little ones. Not only can they explore the pumpkin patches, they can frolic in the corn maze, zip down the slides, jump on the massive bounce pillow, hop on hayrides, and get in some snuggles at the petting zoo. 6025 Catlett Rd., Bealeton
Wegmeyer Farms: Reservation only for U-Pick, Thursdays-Sundays. Customers are given clippers and a wheelbarrow and directed to the field where they can look for their own pumpkins and gourds. 38299 Hughesville Rd., Hamilton
Yankey Farms, Nokesville: Wander around the patch to pick your pumpkin off the vine by hand at Yankey Farms’ pumpkin patch. Then the family can visit the animals, attempt the corn maze scavenger hunt, ride the cow train, and have fun in the play area. 11812 Bristow Rd., Bristow.
Arts, Culture & Community Events
The Rocky Horror Show: This fall, Reston Community Players kicks off its 2025–2026 season with Richard O’Brien’s cult-classic rock musical.
Capital Art & Craft Festival, Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly: October 10-12, One of the largest seasonal arts gatherings in Northern Virginia—ideal for discovering unique works from talented artisans.
Best Haunted Houses & Trails
Here are some of the best haunted attractions in Northern Virginia:
Fields of Fear at Cox Farms (“Fields of Fear”) Friday & Saturday nights from Sept 26 – Nov 8 plus Sunday, Oct 12 (7:30–11 pm), Centreville: A sprawling 20+-acre nighttime haunt featuring terrifying attractions like the Dark Side Hayride, Cornightmare, The Firegrounds, and The Forest: Back 40.
Workhouse Haunt (Haunted Trail) Oct 10 – Nov 1, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA. A theatrical, timed-entry haunted trail with scares, food trucks, and a haunt bar included. Advanced tickets strongly recommended. Workhouse Arts Center
Clifton Haunted Trail Oct 24 or 29, Buckley Park, Clifton, VA: A volunteer-driven, one-night-only haunted woods trail filled with jump scares, spooky creative displays, and the legendary Bunnyman lore. Popular and sells out fast.
Loudoun Museum’s Annual Leesburg Hauntings Walking Tour, Oct 23–24, 6–9:30 pm. Downtown Leesburg, VA: A lantern-lit, guided ghost tour through historic—and reportedly haunted—buildings, led by storytellers sharing real legends and lore.
Chantilly High School Haunted House, Oct 24, 2025, afternoon & evening sessions. Chantilly High School, Chantilly, VA: A spooky, student-run haunted house. Fun for families and students—all ages welcome. Proceeds benefit school programs.
Alexandria’s Original Ghost & Graveyard Tour: Daily Oct 1–31, 7:30 & 9 pm Old Town Alexandria, VA: Family-friendly lantern-lit walking tour featuring ghost stories and local legends in a historic setting.
Haunted Hollow, Warrenton, VA: A winding haunted trail through abandoned barns and farmland—intense scares are frequent. HauntedHollowVA
Outdoor Movies
Sunset Cinema at Cherry Hill Park (Falls Church). Friday, October 17, 2025. Featuring Shrek. Food trucks open at 5:45 p.m., movie starts at 6:45 p.m.
Middleburg Film Festival (Middleburg). A four-day film festival in mid-October (typically around October 17–21). Although it’s held indoors at venues like the Salamander Resort ballroom, community center, and museum, it’s very much a locally-centered film event in picturesque Loudoun County.
Halloween Costume Party and Trunk-or-Treat at Family Drive-In Theatre (Stephens City, VA). October 19th and 26th. Although located a bit further west, it remains one of Virginia’s beloved outdoor movie experiences.
Outdoor Concerts
Rock the Block – Old Town Fairfax: Held on the fourth Fridays starting at 6:30 p.m, running through October. Live entertainment, a beer garden, food vendors, and more. celebratefairfax.orgCity of Fairfax
Braddock Nights – Royal Lake Park (Fairfax): Summer concert series that continues into October, with performances running through October 3, 2025. DullesMoms.com
Music in the Meadow – Great Meadow (The Plains): Another outdoor music series that runs through October 24, 2025—perfect for fall evenings under the stars. DullesMoms.com
‘Thrilling’ Reads for October
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter: This gripping mystery is the first in the North Falls series featuring a small-town cop investigating missing girls.
The October Country by Ray Bradbury: A classic short story collection full of eerie, darkly imaginative tales—perfect for October discussions.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield: A gothic novel about secrets, storytelling, and haunting family mysteries.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: A heartwarming, whimsical fantasy featuring magical, misfit orphan creatures.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley: A locked-room style mystery set during a New Year’s getaway, full of secrets and tension.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager: A twisty haunted house thriller that blends ghost story vibes with psychological suspense.
