More than a dozen Virginia estates in Middleburg and Upperville open their doors for the Hunt Country Stable Tour this Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5. The 50th anniversary of this self-guided tour is a good excuse to escape the city and spend a day driving along beautiful, winding roads, peeking inside the area’s famous country estates. The tour includes horse stables, a winery, a track where thoroughbreds condition and train, and a 1,000-acre working farm.

If you want to extend your visit, here’s a guide to good restaurants  and shops  in charming downtown Middleburg.

For tickets ($25) call 540-592-3711 or visit www.middleburgonline.com.

Are you thinking about renovating your home but unsure whether you need an architect? How do you find someone who will suit your needs? And once you’ve found an architect or contractor, how do you communicate your ideas and negotiate the cost?

Head to the AIA/DC Chapter House at 1777 Church Street, NW this Saturday, May 9 to get answers to all of these questions and more. From 10:30 to noon, AIA/DC hosts “How to Work with an Architect and a Contractor,” a free workshop to help homeowners with design projects. Space is limited and registration is required. Register online at aiadc.com or by phone at 202-667-1798.

This year’s DC Design House takes over a three-story Victorian on a tree-lined street in Georgetown. The house usually serves as a rectory for St. John’s Episcopal Church, but it took only nine weeks for 16 local designers to transform it into an oasis of big bouquets, bright colors, and bold prints. We visited the Design House when it opened last weekend; here are some highlights:

If the end of daylight savings has you bummed, the Annapolis by Candlelight Tour this weekend might make you appreciate the shorter days.  The tour, which begins right before sunset on Friday and Saturday, lets you take a peek inside more than a dozen historic houses in downtown Annapolis. Homes on the tour span three centuries of architecture and are along King George, Prince George, East, and Pinkney streets.

Volunteers will be stationed at each of the houses to give background information and answer questions.  The self-guided tour takes place from 5 to 9 PM on Friday and Saturday. For tickets ($35), call 410-267-8146 or visit www.reservations.annapolis.org.

The National Building Museum’s Festival of the Building Arts this Saturday provides a glimpse into the world of construction and design. Architects, engineers, carpenters, furniture-makers, gilders, roofers, and others will be on hand to chat and answer questions. Visitors can lay bricks, finish drywall, and take part in a nail-driving contest. Kids will love the “petting zoo” of dump trucks, cranes, and excavators. Throughout the day, propane-powered backhoes, professional dancers, and ballet students will perform Pas De Dirt, a dance designed specifically for the festival.

National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW; Saturday, October 11, 10:30 to 4. $5 donation suggested.

Eight embassies and diplomatic residences will open their doors to the public this Sunday during the Kalorama House and Embassy Tour. In its 24th year, the tour provides the opportunity to see the architecture and learn the history of each residence on the tour. Interesting stops include the residence of the ambassador of Monaco (pictured at right),  whose house was once the home of President Warren G. Harding, and the Italian country villa style residence of the Zambia’s first female Ambassador.  

The tour is from noon to 5 PM on Sunday, September 21 and begins at the Woodrow Wilson House, 2340 S Street, NW.  Tickets are $30, $25 in advance.