We’ve already told you about all the fun you can have in the summer months in NoVA, but what about fall? Whether you’re looking for a place to buy fresh produce, have a fun outing with the family, or sample Virginia craft beers and wines—NoVA offers something for everyone during the fall season! Here are some of the best festivals and farms to celebrate autumn at…
Local Farms
Cox Farms Fall Festival
Sept. 16+17, 22-Oct. 31, Nov. 3-7
Admission $6-20
The Cox Farms Fall Festival is a wildly popular one in Centreville, VA. Featuring live entertainment, games and attractions for kids, hayrides, petting zoos, and the “Fields of Fear” everyone can find something to love! Because it’s a working farm there are also plenty of opportunities to pick your own produce (and pumpkins to carve!) or shop their market.
http://www.coxfarms.com
Great Country Farms Fall Pumpkin Harvest
Oct. 1-31
Admission $8-12
Great Country Farms in Bluemont is always a wonderful place to shop a local farm market or pick your own seasonal fruits and veggies. But for the month of October it turns into the perfect place to ride a wagon out to pick pumpkins, enjoy live music, a corn maze, freshly made cider donuts, marshmallow roasting, or a chance to meet the “Pumpkin Princess”!
Ticonderoga Farms Fall Festival
Sept. 23-Nov. 5
Admission $10.95-16.95
Hayrides, peddle carts, games, a petting zoo, hot apple cider, and—of course—plenty of pumpkin picking can all be found at Ticonderoga Farms in Chantilly during their annual Fall Festival. If you love seafood, you’re in luck—this year the MetroDukes Crab Fest will also be taking place during the fall fest!
http://www.ticonderoga.com
Burke Nursery and Garden Center Pumpkin Playground
Oct. 1—31
Admission $10-14
Take your kids to the Pumpkin Playground for play places, rides, storytelling, pony rides, a moon bounce, and face painting. Admission includes a small carving pumpkin as well, and because it’s at the Burke Nursery and Garden Center you can buy some great fall plants for your garden.
Wayside Farm Fun
Starting Sept. 23
Admission $10
Wegmeyer Farms hosts the annual Wayside Farm Fun festival every year in Berryville. Past themes include Angry Birds, Superheroes, and Pokemon. There’s plenty of activities to keep your kids entertained, as well as a corn maze for the whole family. Every year they also host a 5k to raise money for the Loudoun Breast Health Network. Pick your own heirloom pumpkins, and buy other produce and snacks at the farm store.
http://www.waysidefarmfun.com
Kids Will Love
Fall For Fairfax Kidsfest
Sept. 30-Oct. 1
Admission is FREE
Specially designed for families with elementary and Pre-K aged kids, admission to the Fairfax Kidsfest is free! There will be exhibitions, street vendors and artisans, two entertainment stages, and rides. Plus plenty of fall activities and games including a midway, animals, trains, and a scarecrow competition.
Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Days
Oct. 21—22
Admission $9-18
On this weekend in October your admission to Mount Vernon also includes participation in their Fall Harvest Days festival. If your kids enjoy history they’ll have fun learning about wheat treading in the 16-sided barn, taking part in 18th century folk dancing demonstrations, blacksmithing demonstrations, and making corn husk dolls. Listen to 18th century music while exploring the straw-bale maze or riding a wagon, or try your hand playing some early-American games!
http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/fall-harvest-family-days/
Waterford Fair
Oct. 6-8
Admission $0-35
Another historic fair, this one in the antique town of Waterford! Tour historic homes, watch demonstrations and reenactments, peruse artist and artisan wares, and sit to take in the live entertainment. Plenty of food vendors abound, as well as local purveyors of desserts, wine, and beer. Lots of activities planned for children, as well as plenty of opportunities for adults to stroll the picturesque village of Waterford.
Manassas Fall Jubilee
Oct. 7
Admission is FREE
A festival taking place in downtown historic Manassas, VA—over 100 crafter and community booths and live entertainment throughout the day. Free to the public, and with plenty of children’s activities and attractions! Your kids can play games and pick out pumpkins while adults take a break at the museum lawn’s Beer and Wine Garden.
Smithsonian’s National Zoo Autumn Conservation Festival
Oct. 6+7
Admission—must have car pass, $30 will admit 6 people, any additional $5 each
Take your animal lovers to Front Royal for the Annual Autumn Conservation Festival at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute! They’ll get the chance to meet and learn about some of the endangered animals that live at the institute. There will also be live music, children’s activities, food vendors, and world-renowned conservation scientists available to answer questions.
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/news/annual-autumn-conservation-festival-smithsonian-conservation-biology-institute
Brambleton Fall Festival
Oct. 7
Admission is FREE, $10-15 for unlimited ride wristband
The Brambleton community in Ashburn’s largest event of the year is always their fall festival, which is open to the general public! Rides, moon bounces, train rides, a gaming trailer, and live entertainment is all included. An artist marketplace, food and drink vendors, cornhole and more as well!
http://brambletonhoa.com/338/Fall-Fest
For The Adults
Lovettsville’s Oktoberfest
Sept. 23
Admission is FREE
Over 120 vendors, traditional Oktoberfest music and dancing all day long (modern music starting at 5pm), and cups running over with beer await you in Lovettsville the last weekend in September. The downtown restaurants get in on the action as well with special beer and food menus. If beer’s not your thing there’s also plenty of wine and cider options. Bring the kids too—to Kinderfest! Carnival games, rides, a climbing wall, pony rides, face painting, and other activities. The best part? Free admission!
http://www.lovettsvilleoktoberfest.com
Workhouse Arts Center Fall Arts Festival
Sept. 26+27
Admission is FREE
100 of the nation’s best artists will be exhibiting original works and fine crafts at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton as part of the Fall Arts Festival. Peruse the indoor and outdoor exhibition venues and then grab a bite from some of the local gourmet food vendors and trucks. Local beer and wine will be available, as well as live entertainment and a children’s craft tent.
http://www.workhousearts.org/event/fall-arts-festival/
Capitol City Brewing Company Oktoberfest
Sept. 30
Admission $30
Over 65 breweries will come out to represent their craft beverages at this year’s Capitol City Brew Co. Oktoberfest. Head out to Arlington to sample their wares while enjoying traditional German food and music! Capitol City can boast the largest Oktoberfest Beer Festival in Northern Virginia with the amount of breweries and distilleries in attendance, you won’t want to miss it!
http://capcitybrew.com/comingevents-sh.php
Mount Vernon Wine Festival and Sunset Tour
Oct. 6-8
Admission $36-48
Sample a variety of Virginia wines while enjoying live jazz music. George Washington was a wine connoisseur himself, you’ll get to see his cellars on a tour of the Washington’s estate. Food options will be available for purchase as well, including fruit and cheese boxes.
http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/fall-wine-festival-sunset-tour/
Northern Virginia Brewfest
Oct. 21+22
Admission $10-35
A huge festival in Centreville with something for everyone! Live music, a tent with beer demonstrations and educational talks, “tv tent” to check in on sports games, and a kids’ play area with moon bounce, face painting, and balloon animals. And of course, there will be plenty of local breweries offering up their best beers to be sampled and sipped—a sampling glass and 6 tasting tickets are included in admission. Food vendors, arts and crafts tables, and other vendors round out their offerings for the fall Brewfest (there’s another one in the Spring too!).
http://www.novabrewfest.com
Flavors of Fall
Oct. 8
Admission is FREE
Reston’s Chamber of Commerce is bringing Germany to the Reston Town Center! The Flavors of Fall Festival is offering up a “Taste of Bavaria” this year with authentic food and drink, as well as entertainment and family fun. Enter the cornhole tournament, or let the kids run around Kids’ Alley. And as a bonus, the next day (Oct. 9th) is the Oktoberfest Reston Pumpkin 5k and Kids’ Pumpkin Dash!
