Happy October! It's officially Pumpkin/Spooky season. Last Saturday, Jack and I finally made it to Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD. This farm has been recommended to me countless times so I knew I needed to check it out. I purchased tickets to go last year but only made it halfway through the car line (over an hour) before turning around. It's a popular farm to say the least. We went earlier in the season this time around and also earlier in the day, which I highly recommend. To my surprise, some of the activities were also cash-only so be mindful of that. Jack loved the giant slides (included with admission) and mini diggers, which were an extra $3 per 3 minutes. I wrote about our experience in the latest updated blog linked below. It also has a few other recommended farms and fall festivals to visit in Maryland and Virginia. Stay tuned for our annual list of Halloween Happenings dropping soon. Happy planning for this weekend!
Sarah Acors
Creator of 4DMV Kids & Founder of BCB DMV+
Events
Top Activities This Weekend
Washington, DC
- Saturday (10/4) at 9:00 am | Community Fair hosted by Free DC
- This day of connection and learning will be a chance for Free DC community members to connect across teams, get an update about the campaign’s progress, deepen important skills, and map your work for the coming weeks and months.
- [Just Added] Saturday (10/4) at 10:00 am | Back-to-School Day at the DC History Center (Best for ages 4-10)
- Free, hands-on celebration of learning, creativity, and play for young learners and their grownups! Includes storytime, recess games and hands-on crafts.
- Saturday (10/4) at 11:00 am | Chuseok Family Festival at the National Museum of Asian Art
- Celebrate Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, with food, crafts, K-pop dancing, wrestling demos, and more!
- Saturday (10/4) at 1:00 pm | Home Rule Music Festival at Alethia Tanner Park in NE
- In addition to music, festival-goers can enjoy food trucks, local vendors, family-friendly activities, and plenty of space to relax and connect.
- Saturday (10/4) at 1:00 pm | Whitman-Walker Thrive Fest in Honor of Adisa Bakare at Sycamore and Oak in SE
- Includes live music, free food, youth & family activities & special giveaways.
Maryland
- [Just Added] Saturday (10/4) at 10:00 am | A Different World at The Tot Space in Rockville (Best for ages 7 & under + caregivers)
- This special event at The Tot Space is all about building friendships that last and creating a neighborhood feel where families belong. Free open play and social event for parents & caregivers
- Saturday (10/4) at 10:00 am | Girls in Aviation Day at College Park Aviation Museum (Best for ages 11-18)
- Meet women in the aviation industry, participate in aviation activities, play games, try your hand with flight simulators, meet people in various aviation careers, and dream beyond the stars.
- Saturday (10/4) at 10:00 am | 2nd Annual Celebrate Fort Washington Fall Festival
- Includes live music, family-centric activities, commerce and community!
- Saturday (10/4) at 1:30 pm | Celebrating The Arts – A National Arts & Humanities Month Celebration at Oxon Hill Library
- Celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month with a free, family-friendly event featuring poetry, visual art, music, song, and dance.
- Saturday (10/4) at 2:00 pm | Build a Play – Moose Goose at Connie Morella Library in Bethesda
- Come and create the play, Mother Goose, based on the classic story! Students will build the play through creative drama, consisting of dialogue, creating characters, and movement. They will also learn the basics of creating a set by painting their very own backdrop to enhance the story!
- Saturday (10/4) at 2:30 pm | Pink Moon Presents: TS12 Album Release Party with The Taylor Experience – DC at Pink Moon in Bethesda, MD ($)
- Includes a Live Taylor Experience Concert by an impersonator, listening party for the new album, pop-up vendors, playroom access, snacks & more!
- Saturday (10/4) & Sunday (10/5) | Celebrate Italy at Tanger National Harbor
- Guests can enjoy cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and folk dances, all showcasing the timeless traditions of Italy.
- Sunday (10/5) at 7:45 am | Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC Red Shoe 5K at National Harbor ($)
- Includes a kids fun run!
- Sunday (10/5) at 10:00 am | 2025 Takoma Park Street Festival
- Includes over 185 vendor booths, live music from 18 local bands, plus food trucks and more.
- Sunday (10/5) at 12:00 pm | Piketoberfest at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda
- Includes PIKEkids Zone with fun and activities
- Sunday (10/5) at 2:00 pm | Mid-Autumn Festival 2025 in Wheaton
- Join Vietnamese American Services (VAS) for an unforgettable afternoon filled with culture, fun, and community spirit!
- Sunday (10/5) at 3:00 pm | Witches in the Park at Hammond Park in Laurel ($)
- A Wicked-inspired gathering full of spells, sparkle, and sisterhood!
Road Trip: Be My Neighbor Day at B&O Railroad Museum
Take a road trip to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD this Saturday (10/4) for their annual Be My Neighbor Day! This FREE, fun-filled event will be centered around community. See a magic show and get a balloon animal. Meet-and-Greet with Daniel Tiger, Katerina Kittycat and other community helpers like firefighters, paramedics, and police. There will be fun activities with free goodies to take home too. Free Admission! Tap the button below for more details.
Virginia
- Friday (10/3) at 5:00 pm | Festival LatinoAmericano at Arlington Mill Community Center
- FREE festival that brings together neighbors of all backgrounds to experience Latin American music, art, food, and dance.
- Saturday (10/4) at 10:00 am | Art on the Avenue in Del Ray
- Includes live music & a Kids Art Corner
- Saturday (10/4) at 12:00 pm | Carlyle House Family Fun Day: Pumpkin Party in Alexandria
- Saturday (10/4) at 1:00 pm | Rosslyn Fall Fest at NOW Pop-Up Park
- Includes pumpkin decorating & other crafts, pie-eating contest, live music & more!
- Saturday (10/4) at 3:00 pm | 2025 Arlington ArtWalk
- Discover an exciting mix of galleries, artist studios and interactive art activations. Immerse yourself in live music, hands-on workshops, curated exhibitions and a bustling artisan market.
- Saturday (10/4) at 5:00 pm | Falling for Art: A Fall Market Event at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington
- Saturday (10/4) & Sunday (10/5) | The Best Haunted House Ever at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre in Arlington ($) (Best for ages 6+)
- There’s also a pre-show experience: Monster Mash Dance Party! Come in costume, join the fun, and make this frightfully festive dance party the perfect warm-up for an evening of haunted hilarity!
More Adventures
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Washington, DC
- Friday (10/3) at 4:00 pm | Hispanic Heritage Children’s Craft at Woodridge Neighborhood Library in NE DC (Best for ages 5-12)
- Make pinatas while learning about the origins of this popular and fun tradition!
Maryland
- Saturday (10/4) at 12:00 pm | Flavor & Culture Hispanic Heritage Family Block Party in Takoma Park
- Saturday (10/4) at 1:00 pm | Shake Your Bones! presented by Cantaré at Largo-Kettering Library
- In this playful and highly interactive presentation, Cantaré introduces preschoolers to songs, rhythms and instruments from Latin America. Students participate by singing in Spanish, Portuguese and English and dancing.
- Saturday (10/4) at 1:00 pm | Kids Create: Nazca Lines Art at Mount Rainier Library
- Have fun making art and crafts while learning about the Nazca Lines and carving your own designs inspired by these giant, ancient geoglyphs in Peru.
- Saturday (10/4) at 2:00 pm | Dance the Salsa and the Merengue at Twinbrook Library in Rockville
- Learn the basic steps to the Latin dances of Salsa and the Merengue.
- Saturday (10/4) at 3:00 pm | UNIDOS: Celebrating Latino Heritage, Uplifting Voices, and Strengthening Communities at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier
- Free, family-friendly event will feature live music and dance performances, engaging cultural experiences, and access to valuable community resources.
- Sunday (10/5) at 1:00 pm | Grupo Fenix Latino Band and Latin Dance Class at Kensington Park Library
- Sunday (10/5) at 3:00 pm | Hispanic Heritage Celebration featuring 123 Andres at Rockville Memorial Library
Virginia
- Saturday (10/4) at 3:00 pm | Hispanic Heritage Fiesta at Beatley Central Library
- Includes live music, crafts, face painting and food!
- Sunday (10/5) at 10:00 am | Gaudi Mosaic Lizard Workshop at Del Ray Artisans in Alexandria ($)
- Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through a unique STEAM-based art experience inspired by Antoni Gaudí’s famous mosaic lizard in Barcelona.
Art & Music
Washington, DC
- Saturday (10/4) at 9:00 am | Create a Haunted Candy Box at Home Depot Stores
- Saturday (10/4) at 9:30 am | Music & Movement Morning hosted by Padma Montessori School at Peterbug Ampitheater in SE DC
- Groove to the rhythm, dance to the beat, and get our bodies moving together.
- Saturday (10/4) at 4:00 pm | Seasonal Craft ~ Q-Tip Skeletons at Southwest Neighborhood Library in DC
Maryland
- Saturday (10/4) at 11:00 am | Rhythmaya Dance – Indian Classical and Bollywood Dance at Germantown Library
- Learn about classical, folk, and modern dances from all over India.
- Saturday (10/4) at 2:00 pm | Diya and Firework Painting: Art at Germantown Library
- Get creative decorating a Diya and make a straw painting firework art.
- [Opening Weekend] Saturday (10/4) & Sunday (10/5) at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm | Not Your Mother’s Goose at Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo Park ($)
Virginia
- Saturday (10/4) at 10:00 am | Painted Pumpkins at Arlington Mill Community Center ($)
- Saturday (10/4) at 2:00 pm | Critter & Craft Corner at Reservoir Park in Ashburn
- Enjoy fun crafts, meet live animals, and explore hands-on activities designed for children and families with a NOVA Parks Roving Naturalist!
- Sunday (10/5) at 11:00 am | Munit and Z Lovebugs Celebrate Roberta, Music and You! at Theatre on the Run in Arlington
International Observe the Moon Night
- Saturday (10/4) at 6:30 pm | International Observe the Moon Night at Gaithersburg Community Museum in MD
- Enjoy guided telescope viewing of the lunar surface, engage in hands-on activities, and learn about lunar science and exploration.
- Saturday (10/3) at 8:30 pm | Pop-Up Stargazing/Moongazing at the National Air and Space Museum
- Sunday (10/4) at 7:00 pm | Moongaze on International Observe the Moon Night at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
STEM & STEAM Activities
Washington, DC
- Friday (10/3) at 2:00 pm | Family Program: Pumpkin Parts! at U.S. Botanic Garden
- Think like a botanist as you and your child explore inside one of the most iconic seasonal plants: a pumpkin! Observe the different parts of the pumpkin and learn about the Cucurbitaceae plant family, which also includes gourds and squashes.
- Saturday (10/4) at 1:00 pm | Make Some Noise! Science of Sound Interactive Program at Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library in NW DC
- Join musician Tony M for a fun, interactive program exploring the science of sound. Enjoy demonstrations and experiments that will include music, movement, and literature.
- Saturday (10/4) at 2:00 pm | Food Science: Water Tasting at Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Library
- This program will offer a blind taste testing of various bottled waters in comparison to the water from the library water fountain. Kids will describe tasting notes of the waters they taste, rank their favorites, guess which was which, and also perform a pH test on the various samples.
Maryland
- Saturday (10/4) at 11:00 am | The Hidden Life of Spices at Laurel Library (Best for ages 7+)
- Join a chemist from the American Chemical Society for a hands-on program on the chemistry of spices.
- Saturday (10/4) at 11:00 am | STEM Fun: Off to the Races at Bowie Library
- Explore racing through interactive challenges that spark curiosity and creativity.
Storytimes & Book Events
Washington, DC
- Saturday (10/4) at 10:30 am | Meet & Greet with Caroline Kusin Pritchard of “The Day the Books Disappeared” at Politics and Prose on Connecticut Ave in NW DC (Best for ages 3-7)
- Join local author Caroline Kusin Pritchard for a family friendly morning event in the Children and Teens Department. Caroline will read her new picture book and have some hands on activities to kick off the national Banned Books Week (October 5-11).
- Sunday (10/5) at 10:00 am | Just Drop In: Jeanne Walker Harvey at the National Building Museum in NW DC ($)
- Join author Jeanne Walker Harvey as she celebrates the release of her newest book, “The Glass Pyramid: The Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I.M. Pei” with a presentation and crafts. Hear Jeanne read her book and share the legacy of architect I.M. Pei. Then, build your own paper pyramid and more activities inspired by The Glass Pyramid!
- Sunday (10/5) at 10:30 am | The Gift of Words with Peter H. Reynolds at Planet Word in NW DC
- This uplifting story celebrates the power of words to connect, inspire, and bring people together. Join Reynolds for a special reading and Q&A, followed by a book signing. Copies of The Gift of Words will be available for purchase onsite while supplies last.
- Sunday (10/5) at 11:00 am | Story Time with Shout Mouse at Loyalty Petworth in NW DC
Virginia
- Saturday (10/4) at 3:00 pm | Author Event: Abby Hanlon & Liz Garton Scanlon (Dory Fantasmagory and Bibsy Cross) at Nannie J Lee Memorial Recreation Center in Alexandria ($)
- Use code: LIBRARY for free tickets while supplies last
- Sunday (10/5) at 3:00 pm | The Bibsy Cross Book Club at READ Book Nook in Arlington (Best for 1st – 3rd graders)
Sensory Friendly & Accessible
- Saturday (10/4) at 11:00 am | Building Literacy Resource Fair: Making School-to-Home Connections at Planet Word in DC
- Join Planet Word, the International Dyslexia Association, and dyslexia specialist Dustin Tamsen for the Building Literacy Resource Fair. This event kicks off Dyslexia Awareness Month and provides guidance for families of young learners who may be struggling with reading.
- Sunday (10/5) at 10:00 am | Sensory Sunday at B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD ($)
For Older Kids & Teens
Washington, DC
- Friday (10/3) at 10:30 am | Meet Authors Dylan Thuras and Jennifer Swanson of “The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World” at Politics and Prose on Connecticut Ave in NW DC (Best for ages 8-12)
- About the book: An informative compilation of humankind’s greatest inventions, with detailed scientific and historical explanations. As each invention builds upon a past one, our knowledge of the world expands.
- Friday (10/3) at 8:00 pm | Training – Know How to Protect Your Community at Sankofa Cafe in NW DC
- Dive into tactical Know Your Rights information designed to help participants understand how to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities when their rights are threatened or violated.
- Saturday (10/4) at 10:00 am | 2025 College Fair at 801 Allen Y. Lew Pl NW in DC
- For youth currently enrolled in the 11th and 12th grade that are registered to participate in the 2025 – 2026 High School Internship Program and the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute.
- Saturday (10/4) at 10:30 am | Joy of African Movement at the National Museum of African Art in DC
- Learn Hip Hop dance techniques.
- Saturday (10/4) at 12:00 pm | Events Celebrating “DIY in the District” at MLK Memorial Library in DC
- This exhibition celebrates key galleries and exhibition spaces in Washington, D.C. from the 1970s to present day that represent the boundless creativity, resourcefulness, and experimentation of artists working in storefronts, row houses, converted offices, and other unlikely spaces in a federal city known for its national museums and colorful, tranquil abstract paintings. There are two events geared towards teens in celebration of the exhibition opening.
- Saturday (10/4) at 2:30 pm | Teen Studio: The Art of Existing at Hirshhorn Museum
- Learn about Tall Figure (1947/1956), an existentialist sculpture by Alberto Giacometti. Then we’ll morph clay and aluminum wire into sculptures that reflect what it truly means to exist as a human being.
Maryland & Virginia
- Friday (10/3) at 6:00 pm | Teen Nights at Arlington Mill Community Center in VA
- Saturday (10/4) at 10:00 am | Tour d’Alexandria Library 2025 at Beatley Branch Library in Alexandria (Best for ages 13+)
- Annual bicycle fun-ride to all Library branches!
- Saturday (10/4) at 1:00 pm | Bike Maintenance Workshop and Helmet Fit Demonstration at Glenarden Library
- Twenty-five bike helmets and lights will be given away to participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
This Week's Book Recommendation
Related Blogs
Farms to Visit + Butler's Orchard
Just updated! This blog has been updated with information about Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD. We visited last Sunday and had a great time. Tap the link below to read/bookmark the blog.
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