24 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

Good day, DC!

Halloween events and fall festivals are afoot this week around town. Pick pumpkins at Alethia Tanner Park, watch a Halloween parade, or take the family trick-or-treating through National Harbor.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

October 20–October 26

1. 1. PumpkinPalooza. There’s a lot of fall cheer and entertainment for kids, adults, and pets at this NoMa event. Children can pick pumpkins, groove to soul group Too Much Talent Band, meet baby alpacas, and catch appearances from Smurfs movie characters. There’s a movie screening of Hotel Transylvania, and a Red Bear Brewing pop-up beer garden for adults (Wed, free, NoMa).
   2. Del Ray Halloween Parade. At Alexandria’s festive Halloween parade along Mount Vernon Avenue—with a starting point at E. Bellefonte Avenue—spectators and paraders alike can show off their costumes, pet outfits, and decorated children’s strollers. For extra-spirited fun, neighbors can complete a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt at area businesses decked-out in creepy decor (Sun, free, Alexandria).
   3. Harbor Halloween. This annual fall party returns with outdoor activities for families and pets. Kids can go trick-or-treating, take a free ride on the Capital Wheel (with the purchase of an adult ticket) if they come dressed in costume, watch a showing of Hocus Pocus on the plaza, and cheer on local chefs in a pumpkin-carving contest. For dog lovers there’s a Pet Pawrade (Sun, free, National Harbor).
   4. Trick-or-Treating at Mount Vernon. Visit the historic Mount Vernon grounds to collect sweet treats, and discover American Revolution history. Kids can participate in a costume parade, gather goodies in a special Mount Vernon treat bag, meet General and Lady Washington, snap a selfie at the straw-bale station, see a 1700s baking demo, and take a mansion tour (Sat, $24 for youth, $30 for adults, Mount Vernon).

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

• Browse Laurie Munn’s “Watergate Portraits“—a showcase of paintings of key figures in the Nixon administration’s ’70s Watergate scandal (through January 31, 2026, free, Northwest DC).
• Bring your pups to Met Park for a day of art-making, doggie trick-or-treating, a pet costume contest, and coffee from pop-up cafe Rossana (Tues, free, donations welcome, Arlington).
• Check out artist Emon Surakitkoson’s large-scale works inspired by their childhood in rural Thailand at Homme DC (Thurs through November 2, donations welcome, Downtown).
• Can you solve this ’80s Murder on Prom Night mystery? Dress in your favorite retro costume for an interactive Halloween performance (Fri, $48, Occoquan).
• Kids (and adults) can compete in a costume contest, and together can decorate trick-or-treat bags at Fall Frolic (Sat, free, Glen Echo).
• DC-area poet Stephanie Burt discusses the musical genius of Taylor Swift at Politics and Prose (Sat, free, Union Market).

Community and heritage:

• There will be a magic show, mini-pumpkin decorating, Halloween goodies, and a doggie catwalk fashion show at Halloween at the Boo-ro! (Sat, free, Tysons).
• The first 150 people to sign up to attend this neighborhood-wide pumpkin patch in Capitol Riverfront will receive a complimentary seasonal beverage and an apple cider doughnut (Sat, free, Navy Yard).

Theater and shows:

• It’s the last chance to see Julius X: A Re-envisioning of the Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare at Folger Shakespeare Library (closes Sun, $20+, Capitol Hill).
• Watch four different ballets in one show at Moving Forces (Fri-Sun, $30+, Kennedy Center).
• Relive the magic of the Twilight vampire saga with a live orchestra (Fri-Sat, $106+, National Theatre).

Music and concerts:

• Sing along to ’00s hits from pop-rock duo Aly & AJ (Wed, $58+, Wharf).
• Indie folk band Big Thief is live in concert at the Anthem (Fri, $81+, Wharf).
• Listen to a ghostly attired National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Evan Roider play spooky tunes (Sun, $22+, Kennedy Center).

Bites and beverages:

• Dine on dishes created with foraged ingredients at Chang Chang’s Sunday Banquet (Sun, $96, Dupont Circle).

Get involved:

• Attend a comedy show at the Festival Center in Adams Morgan to help raise funds for Voice of America employees who have been fired and displaced (Sat, price TBA, Adams Morgan).

Things to do with kids:

• Go on a four-mile all-ages trek with Hill Family Bike Ride, and then participate in a Halloween dance party featuring tunes by the the Knox Engler Band (Sat, free, Lincoln Park).
• Children can hop around in a bounce house, venture through an obstacle course, and snack on fall candies at this outdoor carnival (Sat, free, Falls Church).
• Arlington County Parks and Recreation is hosting a round of family campfires complete with marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, and spooky stories (Sat-Sun, October 31, $6 registration required, Arlington).

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Briana Thomas

Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.