We’re bracing for a wet, windy weekend due to a nor’easter possibly combined with Hurricane Joaquin. This means a lot of area events planned for the next few days are cancelled or rescheduled. Here’s what you need to know.
Saturday’s Taste of Bethesda has been cancelled, as has the Race for Every Child. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute closed its Autumn Conservation Festival after news of the hurricane led Virginia to declare a state of emergency.
Inclement weather in October is typically sad news for beer lovers, but the forecast isn’t all bad. While the Fort Belvoir Oktoberfest has been canceled, The Black Squirrel’s Smashing Pumpkin Beer Fest has been pushed back to October 9, and the Capitol City Brewing Company’s Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest has been rescheduled for October 11. The Atlas Brew Works 2nd Anniversary Party has moved the festivities inside, as has Meridian Pint’s Oktoberfest.
Other postponements include: Art in the Alley (now on October 16), Alexandria’s Art on the Avenue (October 10), Bikers for Babies (October 10) and the Adams Morgan PorchFest (October 24). The Maryland Ironman race will likely be moved to October 17.
Those hoping for a dose of autumnal cheer this weekend, may have to stick to Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Most pumpkin patches in the area are closed Friday, planning to be closed Saturday, and hoping to open back up Sunday. “Tomorrow is probably a no-go, Sunday a maybe,” says Eileen Shlagel of Shlagel Farms in Waldorf, Maryland. Summers Farm in Frederick is likely to close Saturday but will not make a decision until the morning. The same goes for Gaver Farm in Mount Airy and Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch in Middletown.
The Agricultural History Farm Park’s annual Harvest Festival is officially cancelled. Weavers Haunted Woods in Bealeton, Virginia, is closed this weekend and will reopen next Friday. Haunted Hill in Partlow is closed tonight, and may have to close Saturday as well.
As of now, there are still a few outdoor options for locals who don’t mind a little rain. The Takoma Park Street Festival and DC Veg Fest are still on. The Taste of Georgetown Festival, which takes place on K Street under the overpass, hopes to continue as planned from 11 AM to 4 PM on Saturday. (The event will offer attendees free rides through the rideshare company Split.) “We’re hoping the freeway will give us as much shelter from the rain as possible,” says Annelies van Vonno of the Georgetown Business Improvement District. “The only reason we would cancel is if we hear it’s physically unsafe.”
For the events that are still on, organizers encourage attendees to check their website or call ahead before attending.
Update: The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon has also been canceled.
