Stores are stocked with Halloween decor. Pumpkin spice is everywhere. Apples are ripe for the pickin’. All that can mean only one thing: It’s fall festival time.
Great Country Farms
Worth the scenic 90-minute drive to Bluemont, Great Country Farms has been celebrating fall for years—20, to be exact. The “-ber” months are packed with activities. Pumpkin picking starts Sept. 19 and is available daily, but weekends are where it’s at. Through Oct. 31, visitors can pick their gourds and also enjoy Oinkintucky Derby races, marshmallow roasting, cider press demos and live music. Tickets cost $15. On Sept. 19 and 26, 6-8:30 p.m., head out for an after-hours Family Flashlight and Corn Maze Night ($10 per child and $12 per adult), which concludes with marshmallow roasting. For kid-free fun, return on weekends in October for Henway Hard Cider Adult Corn Maze Nights. Each $45 ticket includes a pour of cider or Bluemont Vineyard wine. 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont
Cox Farms
The Fall Festival at this Centreville farm is practically a rite of passage in the DMV. The 41-year-old seasonal event runs Sept. 19-Nov. 8 this year, bringing all the greatest hits: mega slides, a hayride through a marginally scary forest, Foamhenge, the Cornundrum corn maze and a goat petting zoo. Ticket prices range from $15-$30. Prefer a Halloween-esque jump-scare? Visit at night from 7:30-11 p.m. for Fields of Fear. Tickets for that are $40-$45. 15621 Braddock Road, Centreville, Virginia
Goatober Fest and Fall Fest
Screaming Goats Farm and Brewery, which opened in Amissville in May, is a family- and dog-friendly spot offering live music and food trucks year-round. In addition to the rotating taps, there’s a playground, giant jump pillow, indoor gaming (board and video), plus, of course, goats. Come out Sept. 19, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., for apple bobbing, a stein-holding contest and fall brews. Then return Oct. 17 and 18, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., for a Fall Fest with pumpkin decorating, a kids’ costume contest and seasonal beer releases. 4158 Waterford Road, Amissville, Virginia
Fall Festival at Messick’s Farm Market
A $16 ticket ($10 for seniors 55 and older) will get you access to a barrel train, petting zoo, corn maze, hayrides, zip line and a candy cannon. The festival is open Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 19-Oct. 25 and Oct. 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 6025 Catlett Road, Bealeton, Virginia
46th Annual Pumpkin Festival at Butler’s Orchard
Take a 40-minute jaunt to Germantown for fall festivities Sept. 19–Nov. 21. The admission price includes hayrides, the Hilltop Hop jump pads, barnyard animals, giant slides, a twisted corn maze, a playground and a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, although the pumpkin itself is an extra charge. Weekends bring pony rides and face painting for an extra fee. Ticket prices range from $12-$25 per person, depending on the day and whether you reserve a spot online or buy at the door. 22222 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, Maryland
Fall Family Fun at Miller Farms
On Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 3-Nov. 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., this Maryland farm will rev up the wow factor with hayrides, jump pads, giant slides, a corn maze and a chance to sidle up to barnyard animals. Tickets cost $16 online and $18 at the door. 10140 Piscataway Road, Clinton, Maryland
Rosslyn Fall Fest
Get your gourd on in Rosslyn’s NOW pop-up park on Oct. 3, 1-6 p.m., when you an listen to live tunes by Loyal Skeptics, sample local ciders, decorate pumpkins and snap seasonal selfies. 1401 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Rosslyn)
Festival Latinoamericano
This free event on Oct. 3, 5-9 p.m., celebrating Arlington’s diverse Latino heritage, pairs perfectly with Hispanic Heritage Month. The party includes live entertainment, vendors cooking up authentic Latin American cuisine, and indoor and outdoor activities. Arlington Mill Community Center, 909 S. Dinwiddie St., Arlington
Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival
Unwind like Martha and George on Oct. 9-11, 6-9 p.m. when you an sample wines from Virginia wineries and take home a commemorative glass. While you’re there, stroll through the first First Family’s mansion in the evening and listen to music by Bruce Ewan & Johnny Burgin Blues Band. Tickets prices vary by day. 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon
Sixth Annual Ethiopian Fall Festival
The Ethiopian Community Support and Advocacy Center will host this community celebration Oct. 11, 1-7 p.m. Highlights include traditional Ethiopian music and dance performances, Ethiopian food and coffee, fashion and cultural presentations, and family-friendly activities. Chinquapin Park, 3210 King St., Alexandria
Fall Harvest Family Days at Mount Vernon
Travel back in time Oct. 24 and 25, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., to see horses perform the treading process inside a replica of Washington’s 16-sided bar and watch a demo of how to separate wheat seeds from chaff using riddling and winnowing baskets. While you’re at it, learn to make soap, salt fish for preservation and do laundry 18th-century-style. Period games and animal meet-and-greets will also be part of the lineup. 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon
