Halloween season is officially here, and there’s no shortage of ways to get into the spooky spirit around Washington, D.C.
Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly outing, a genuinely frightening night out, or simply a festive way to enjoy the fall season, the area is packed with Halloween-themed events and experiences.
From haunted attractions and costume-filled celebrations to seasonal activities that are perfect for getting into the spirit of October, here are 10 fantastic ways to celebrate Halloween around Washington, D.C. this year.
Drunk Dracula
From the same hilarious minds behind Drunk Shakespeare, this instant classic vampire tale is taking over the District this fall in tipsy fashion.
Guests can enjoy a hilariously light and loose retelling of the iconic Dracula while cocktails are delivered straight to their seat throughout the laugh out loud performance.
If you want a unique way to celebrate spooky season with the Halloween fanatic in your life, this is the perfect plan for you!
The most iconic Halloween tunes, ranging from Thriller to This Is Halloween from The Nightmare Before Christmas, will be performed a string quartet on Friday, October 30th.
The District has no shortage of venues that have their own haunted history!
Ranging from historical haunts of Capitol Hill to the infamous ‘Exorcist Steps’ of Georgetown, there are plenty of places to explore ahead of Halloween this year for a dose of fear-filled fun.
For three separate nights this October, you can sign up to join one of the hottest Halloween bar crawls in town — Trick or Drink!
Tickets are going for just $20 per person and include free entry to a number of bars, access to drink specials, and more.
Washington, D.C.’s fall nightlife calendar is getting a new addition, with Club Glow bringing OFF:SITE to Dock5 at Union Market.
The series will take over the warehouse venue for three nights of electronic music spanning three consecutive weekends this fall, with its second show falling on Halloween night.
On Halloween, October 31st, Nikita, The Wicked will headline, with longstoryshort, SVDKO, Osyris, and Despi also appearing on the lineup.
Bennett’s Curse Haunted House
Bennett’s Curse has been frightening visitors for more than 25 years, and its current location brings all four of its major attractions together under one roof.
The iconic haunted house spent most of the survey period ranked the #1 haunted house in America by USA TODAY’s 10Best Best Haunted House/Attraction readers’ choice voting, but the official results have yet to be released.
The popular nighttime Halloween event transforms the farm into more than 20 acres of spooky attractions and haunted experiences.
Running through early November, Fields of Fear gives visitors plenty of opportunities to experience the scares, with several attractions included with admission.
The main attractions are Cornightmare, the Dark Side Hayride, and ‘The Forest’, giving visitors three different ways to get their Halloween scares.
Cornightmare is Cox Farms’ original haunted trail, while the Dark Side Hayride offers a nighttime ride, and ‘The Forest’ sends visitors on a more than half-mile walk through the woods filled with creepy encounters.
Including a family-friendly haunted house and a bonfire bash that will be fun for all ages, this plan is a perfect way to get the whole family into the spirit of spooky season!
There are a dozen rooms in the haunted house, live music, a bonfire event, food, and so much more available.
The event is taking place on Friday, October 30th, and Saturday, October 31st, and Sunday, November 1st.
The popular Halloween event returns this October with trick-or-treating, after-hours animal viewing and plenty of festive fun.
The after-hours event will bring three nights of trick-or-treating, costumes, festive entertainment and special access to several animal exhibits this October.
Families can fill a free souvenir goodie bag with treats, dance with the kids and snap photos in a new pumpkin patch.
Boo at the Zoo will take place October 16th through October 18th, 2026 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Go Trick or Treating at some of the Embassies around D.C.
If you’re wondering where to score some unique international treats this Halloween, look no further than D.C.’s famous Embassy Row.
Here’s a list of embassies that have historically participated in Halloween trick or treating and are likely participating again this year:
- Embassy of Belize from 12 to 5 pm – 2535 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Greece until 4 pm – 2217 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Paraguay from 12 to 4 pm – 2209 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Portugal from 9 am to 5 pm – 2012 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Lesotho until 4 pm – 2511 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Slovenia until 4:30 pm – 2410 California St., NW
- Embassy of Indonesia from 12 to 4 pm – 2020 Massachusetts Ave., NW
It’s important to note that this list of participating embassies and their trick or treating timeslots have not officially been confirmed, so be sure to monitor online if you do plan to swing by Embassy Row this Halloween!
