October is here, and spooky season is in full swing!
Washingtonians looking to embrace fall festivities in D.C. can rejoice: from apple-picking to haunted tours and raging concerts to delicious meals, here are the top things to do around D.C. this month:
The Fever Originals Candlelight series is the perfect way to unwind.
You can lose yourself in classical renditions of your favorite tunes amid soft candlelight.
With multiple genres and musical themes to choose from, there’s bound to be a concert that’s perfect for you!
- Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons
- Candlelight Jazz: The Best of Frank Sinatra & Nat King Cole
- Candlelight: Tribute to The Beatles
- Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer
- Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics
This immersive experience lets you play in ball pits, take a larger-than-life bubble bath, and escape into a fantasy world perfect for a hot summer day.
Bubble Planet will be open during select days all throughout the month, so come with a group, take part in a cool immersive, sometimes VR experience, and escape reality.
On October 30, the newly opened National Geographic Museum of Exploration will host its first Explorers Table, an intimate dining series linking a National Geographic Explorer, a renowned chef, and a beverage specialist.
For the debut, Michelin Guide-recommended Chef Christian Irabién of Amparo Fondita is serving a four-course culinary tour of Mexico while world-renowned mammalogist Dr. Rodrigo Medellín (fondly known as “The Bat Man of Mexico”) shares stories about the incredible ecological partnerships that make our favorite ingredients possible.
Your ticket also covers an exclusive Bat Friendly™ Mezcal & Tequila Tasting with James Beard Award-winning David Suro-Piñera, plus passed beer, wine, and soft drinks. Save your spot for this rare evening of conversation and culinary discovery!
Feeling crafty?
Featuring paintings, jewelry, candles, and beyond, these hands-on creative classes will unleash your inner maker (and reduce your screen time).
Take a look at some of our favorite DIY classes and workshops here.
If you are interested in getting a private tour from a genuine expert at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History AND the National Museum of American History on the same day, this special deal is perfect for you.
With peak tourism season behind us, this is the perfect time for you to check out these incredible museums without being overwhelmed by crowds of visitors from out of town!
This iconic musical experience was once featured at Art Basel and has since toured the nation, becoming one of the most exciting pop-up experiences everywhere it goes!
The experience will only be around for the first few days of the month, which means that there is a very limited time to visit before you miss your chance for good.
Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience is a fully interactive, 3D virtual reality experience that begins at the Smithsonian’s Whipple Observatory before launching visitors into space aboard the world’s most powerful telescopes.
Created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the experience takes visitors on a breathtaking journey through the cosmos, from dazzling galaxies to the edge of a black hole.
Dining in the Dark features a mystery meal prepared by world-class chefs to match the dietary preferences you share with them when you book your table.
The experience is as delicious as it is entertaining!
This unforgettable experience will test your taste buds and have you and your dining partner chuckling and smiling throughout the meal.
Catch a concert this month at one of your favorite venues around the District
Check out the following:
- Capital One Arena: Weezer (Oct. 2), Olivia Rodrigo (Oct. 3-4), Le Sserafim(Oct. 5), Katseye (Oct. 22), Rush (Oct. 25-27), John Summit (Oct. 31)
- The Anthem: Wave to Earth (Oct. 2), Knocked Loose & Denzel Curry (Oct. 3), The Chicks (Oct. 6), Foster the People (Oct. 7), Two Door Cinema Club (Oct. 11), Sofi Tukker (Oct. 16), Jesse Welles (Oct. 21), Beck (Oct. 25), Yebba (Oct. 31)
- 9:30 Club: Buffalo Traffic Jam (Oct. 2), The California Honeydrops (Oct. 3), Sylvan Esso (Oct. 5-6), Bright Eyes (Oct. 9), Basement (Oct. 10), Rebecca Black (Oct. 15), Paris Paloma (Oct. 24-25), Bassvictim (Oct. 30)
- Echostage: Peggy Gou (Oct. 2), Meduza³ (Oct. 3), Chris Lorenzo (Oct. 23), Eli Brown (Oct. 30)
Imbibe and vibe at the annual Snallygaster beer festival in downtown D.C.
Beast out with over 450 craft brews and ciders at Snallygaster beer festival’s 14th year by joining the party on Pennsylvania Ave NW between 3rd & 7th on October 10th!
There will be dozens of vendors, including microbreweries, food trucks, merch, and more!
Plus there will be live entertainment performing the whole time, making it a can’t miss event.
Tickets are still available, but act now because they are selling out fast!
Attend a huge boat show in the ‘Sailing Capital of America’, just an hour away
There are two iconic boat shows taking place in Annapolis this month, both of which are considered can’t-miss events in the boating industry!
The first is the ‘Powerboat Show’ and the second is the ‘Sailboat Show’, the former taking place from October 8th to the 11th, and the latter taking place between October 15th and the 18th.
Attend the Catoctin Colorfest in Thurmont, MD
Head to one of the biggest craft festivals on the East Coast, just a few hours from the District, on the second weekend of October (Oct 10-11)!
The one-weekend festival makes for the perfect excuse to get out of the city and head into some of the gorgeous rolling hills in the surrounding area to appreciate some of the incredible fall foliage!
October is the perfect time to go out with friends or family and pick yourselves a bag or two of fresh, crisp apples!
Once you wash them, they’ll be perfect to snack on or make some iconic dishes like apple pie.
As a bonus, most places around D.C. where you can go to pick apples will also have fresh apple cider and cider donuts for you to enjoy, which is another can’t-miss activity this month!
Head to the Middleburg Film Festival
Taking place from October 15th to the 18th, this year’s Middleburg Film Festival is slated to be one of its biggest yet, with over 40 featured films and special honorees and guests expected to be in attendance.
The town of Middleburg itself is famous for its unique charm and lovely atmosphere, so even if you aren’t a film fan, this is still a great destination for a short fall trip!
Taking place on Thursday, October 8th, this National Gallery Night event is themed, “Monster Mash”, which will surely get you in to the spirit of spooky season.
Guests are strongly encouraged to come with their best costume and to come with a willingness to have some fun!
Just under an hour from the district is one of the most fun and unique events that you can head to with your friends or family this October!
The Renaissance Festival has multiple dates – some of which are already sold out – but the remaining available dates to visit include October 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th.
See if you’re equipped for espionage at the International Spy Museum
Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to be a spy?
When you visit the International Spy Museum, you can test your own espionage capabilities while learning about some of the most famous spies who have shaped the world’s history and the tools that helped them along the way!
Grab your passes to the Metropolitan Beer Trail
Spanning from NoMa to Brookland, the pedestrian and bike-friendly adventure is home to 12 participating locations along the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
This year’s pass includes new prizes, a new location this upcoming summer, and plenty of beer to enjoy!
Get in the Halloween spirit with a ghost tour of D.C.
Even if you’ve lived in D.C. your whole life, getting to see another side of the district and learn something new might just be one of the best things you can do with your time this fall!
This is exactly why we highly recommend you and your friends take one of these incredibly unique haunted Halloween-themed tours of the district:
Great Country Farms in Bluemont is bringing pumpkins, corn mazes, wagon rides and plenty of fall fun to Northern Virginia this season.
The farm’s pumpkin patch was recently ranked among the 10 best pumpkin patches in the country by the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
The farm’s Fall Pumpkin Harvest Festival runs through Halloween, giving visitors plenty of time to pick pumpkins, explore the farm and enjoy classic autumn activities.
Whether you want to get an incredible view of the Fall foliage when it’s at its peak or take advantage of the weather before the chill sets in, the D.C. area has a long list of incredible hikes that won’t disappoint, even one that National Geographic dubbed the “the hike of a lifetime”!
While it might be a little chilly to dip into one of the natural pools in the DMV area, fortunately, many of them happen to be attached to incredible trails that will take you to some mesmerizing views.
One of the most spectacular events of the month takes place at The Wharf during its Oktoberfest Celebration, and that’s the annual Weiner 500 Dachshund Dash on October 3rd!
To raise funds for charity, local dachshund owners can register their furry friends to participate in a four-legged race in front of a full crowd of fans.
Funds from the event will be donated to Rural Dog Rescue!
Get in on the drama with Theatre Week
The district’s 2026 Theatre Week will be taking place from September 24th to October 11th, which is an event that every local should want to support.
Tickets are available at a range of prices to minimize the economic barriers that often exist in the theatre world.
You don’t have to drive hours away from the district to get some incredible views of the leaves changing color this Fall, so we’ve taken the opportunity to list a few of our favorite spots to see the Fall foliage – some close, and some a little further away from the district.
The Fall foliage and changing leaves are expected to peak around mid-to-late October, so you’ll have plenty of chances to plan your trip before the time comes.
Attend the U.S. Oyster Festival and see the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship
Located in the small and charming town of Leonardtown, Maryland, the U.S. Oyster Festival is one of the most unique events of its kind in the entire United States of America!
The event will take place over two days, October 17th and 18th, and is expected to draw a crowd of over 22,000 throughout the weekend.
Tickets are available online now but will also be available at the gate:
- Single Day Pass – $15 per adult, $5 per youth (6-17 years old), & free for kids 5 and under.
- Weekend Pass – $25 per adult, $8 per youth (6-17 years old), & free for kids 5 and under.
Celebrate National Taco Day at these D.C. restaurants
An excuse to eat a taco? Count us in! National Taco Day is the first Tuesday of October (Oct. 6th this year) and several Mexican restaurants around D.C. are offering mouth-watering deals you won’t want to miss!
This October on the 16th, 17th, and 18th, will be one of the most exciting events that the National Zoo puts on all year – Boo at the Zoo!
Tickets are selling out very fast, so you’ll want to get yours ASAP or risk being unable to go. You get your tickets for $35 per person on the National Zoo’s website, but members may be able to get a better deal on tickets while space is available.
While a bulk of the Oktoberfest celebrations happening around the District did take place in September, there are still a number of festivities that carried over into October.
Sit and sip at D.C. Wine Fest: Fall Edition
Returning on October 16th & 17th, you’ll want to book your tickets to attend the Fall edition of the D.C. Wine Fest as soon as possible!
Aside from the obvious refreshments, the event will have live entertainment, quality food options, and a whole lot of fun to be had.
