16 family Halloween events in the DMV worth planning for

Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, which means families across DC, Maryland and Virginia can take advantage of a full weekend’s worth of activities. Whether your crew wants a costume parade down Main Street, a neighborhood famous for its porch decor or a ghost story that’s just spooky enough, we have it covered. 

Key Takeaways

• The bigger picture: DC, Maryland and Virginia families have a slew of Halloween events to choose from, spread across a full month of festivities.
• More details: Options include community festivals like Boo at the Zoo and Fall-O-Ween, neighborhood trick-or-treat destinations such as Kalorama and Del Ray, and family-friendly ghost tours like the Alexandria Ghost & Graveyard Tour for older kids who enjoy a spooky story.
• Why this helps: Some popular events, like Boo at the Zoo, require advance tickets and sell out quickly, so planning ahead and booking early can help families lock in their preferred activities.

Below, we’ve rounded up 16 family-friendly ways to celebrate — organized by community festivals, trick-or-treat events, famous decorated neighborhoods, as well as family-friendly ghost tours and haunted houses for the braver goblins.

Family Halloween events in the DMV: festivals and parties

Halloween Outdoor Movie Night — Rockville, MD

• Date: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 9 
• Address: Milton at Twinbrook Quarter, 850 Festival St., Rockville, MD

Grab a blanket and settle in for an outdoor screening of “Hocus Pocus” at The Milton at Twinbrook Quarter. The event is a relaxed, low-key way to kick off the season without fighting a crowd and also includes free popcorn, facepainting and Halloween treats.

Boo at the Zoo — Washington, DC

• Date: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 16-18 (members get early entry at 5 p.m.)
• Address: Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo throws one of the region’s most beloved family Halloween parties, taking place this year Oct. 16-18. Kids in costume can collect treats at trick-or-treat stations scattered around the zoo, watch animals enjoy pumpkin enrichment and stroll past Halloween scenes along the Olmsted Walk. The event is included in the zoo’s regular admission. Tickets are $35 per person, with members receiving 15% off. Parking costs $30 in advance or $40 on the day of the event.

Falloween — Manassas Park, VA

• Date: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 17 
• Address: Manassas Park, 100 Park Central Plaza, Manassas Park, VA

A newer addition to the Manassas Park fall lineup, the Falloween event will feature spooky arts and crafts, interactive games along with local vendors and entertainment.

Halloween Party and Costume Parade — Chevy Chase, MD

• Date: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 28
• Address: The Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase, MD

Come dressed up for the costume parade at 6 p.m., then stick around for refreshments, crafts, games and a trip through the Haunted House. Trippy Tacos food truck will be parked on-site from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., serving up tasty bites for purchase. Want to skip the line? Pre-order details will be shared in the weekly Village blast emails and posted on the Village website homepage. Prefer to order in person? Walk-ups are welcome too!

Leesburg Kiwanis Halloween Parade — Leesburg, VA

• Date: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28 
• Address: Ida Lee Park, down King Street to Fairfax Street, Leesburg, VA

Running since 1957, this is one of the oldest Halloween parades in the eastern United States. In recent years it’s been held before Halloween so families can enjoy both the parade and trick-or-treating without a scheduling conflict. Floats, marching bands and community groups will make their way from Ida Lee Park down King Street to Fairfax Street. The parade, which is also a food drive for Loudoun Hunger Relief, is free to attend and to march if you would like to participate. 

Fall-O-Ween — Alexandria, VA

• Date: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 31
• Address: John Carlyle Square Park, 300 John Carlyle St., Alexandria, VA 

The City of Alexandria’s family Halloween celebration at John Carlyle Square Park will be full of fun for the whole family. The event features a kids’ costume parade, a pet costume parade, a festive marketplace, holiday arts and crafts plus a Día de los Muertos celebration woven into the day. Prizes will be given out for best costumes and there will be plenty of food and drinks for everyone to enjoy.

Trick-or-Treating at Mount Vernon — Mount Vernon, VA

• Date: 2-5 p.m. Oct. 31
• Address: George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA 

George Washington’s estate goes full 18th-century for the Halloween afternoon. Kids can collect candy in special Mount Vernon treat bags as they wander the historic grounds, watch a costume parade at 4 p.m., catch a Punch & Judy puppet show and an 18th-century baking demonstration and snap a photo at the straw-bale selfie station in front of the Mansion. Tickets for candy-collecting guests ages 12 and older are $31 for the public or $24.80 for members; ages 11 and younger are $26 for the public or $20.80 for members. Adults 12 and older not collecting candy are $30 for the general public; members not collecting candy are free but must register.

Community trick-or-treat and trunk-or-treat events

Manassas Haunted Happenings — Manassas, VA

• Date: 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 24
• Address: Historic Downtown Manassas, 9431 West St., Manassas, VA

Historic Downtown Manassas hosts its long-running trick-or-treat morning where kids can visit local vendors, enter a costume parade and contest and more. 

Falls Church Halloween Carnival — Falls Church, VA

• Date: 1-3 p.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. Oct. 24
• Address: City of Falls Church Community Center/Cherry Hill Park, 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church, VA

A City of Falls Church tradition for more than 30 years, this event includes carnival-style games, an inflatable bounce house, obstacle course, candy and more. It is typically split into two age-group timeslots with younger kids from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., then older elementary-age kids from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Halloween Trick or Treat Trail — Arlington, VA

• Date: 2-4 p.m. Oct. 24
• Address: Village at Shirlington, 2700 South Quincy St., Arlington, VA

Join The Village at Shirlington for their annual Halloween event, featuring a trick-or-treat trail through the neighborhood. Dress in your spookiest or most creative costume and enjoy a fun afternoon for the whole family, complete with candy, prizes and plenty of Halloween spirit. RSVP to receive a digital map highlighting participating shops and restaurants where candy will be available.

Trick or Treat at Tudor Place — Washington, DC

• Date: 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 31
• Address: Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW, Washington, DC

Join us for more treats than tricks at this annual fall event on the Tudor Place grounds. Costumes encouraged. Celebrate our annual Trick or Treat at Tudor Place, a favorite fall tradition for families in Georgetown. Wander the gardens collecting treats, show off your costume, and enjoy coffee, cider, crafts, games, and facepainting. The event is held outdoors, rain or shine.

Neighborhoods famous for decor and trick-or-treating

Chevy Chase, DC

Rittenhouse Street between Broad Branch Road and Utah Avenue NW is a perennial favorite — wide sidewalks, close-together houses and reliably generous candy givers make it an easy route for younger trick-or-treaters. Afterward, families often walk up Connecticut Avenue, where some local shops tend to hand out treats to kids in the early evening.

Del Ray/Old Town Alexandria, VA

Del Ray’s tight-knit blocks are already primed for Halloween thanks to the neighborhood’s parade earlier in the month and residents keep the spooky momentum going with decorated homes on Halloween. A short drive away, Old Town Alexandria’s brick sidewalks and colonial-era homes help to create an atmospheric and very walkable trick-or-treat route, especially along the residential blocks off King Street.

Family-friendly ghost tours and haunted houses

Loudoun Museum Hauntings — Leesburg, VA 

• Date: Oct. 22-24
• Address: Loudoun Museum, 16 Loudoun St. SW, Leesburg, VA

This annual 80-minute walking-tour fundraiser leads guests through historic downtown Leesburg with guides sharing spine-tingling (but not gory) stories about the town’s historic homes, cemeteries and buildings, including the Loudoun County Courthouse. Other stops include Johnston House/Embark Center, Leesburg Presbyterian Church, Shoes Cup and Cork, St. James Cemetery and Charles Hamilton Houston Courthouse. 

Alexandria Ghost & Graveyard Tour — Alexandria, VA

• Date: Dates and times vary based on tour
• Address: Meeting location varies

Several tour operators, including Alexandria Colonial Tours, run lantern-led ghost walks through Old Town’s cobblestone streets nightly throughout October. The stories lean toward spooky storytelling rather than gore, making them a good but not so scary option for families with older kids who like a good legend. Tickets are required for the tours.

Halloween Nights Fun at the O Street Museum Mansion – Washington, DC

• Date: 4-10 p.m. Oct. 23-Nov. 1
• Address: O Street Museum Mansion, 2020 O St. NW, Washington, DC  

Explore the mansion at the O Street Museum on the days leading up to Halloween. The 100-room mansion decorates each year specifically for Halloween and includes over 80 secret doorways hidden throughout. The night includes a costume contest as well as an available cash bar and all proceeds go to support the museum as well as resident artists. 

Tips for planning family Halloween events in the DMV

Ready for some fall fun? Snag your tickets early for Boo at the Zoo or Trick or Treating at Mount Vernon; these popular events fill up fast. Check each event’s website for weather updates before you go. Still figuring out your October plans? Head out to one of the 11 best pumpkin patches near DC and let the kids pick their perfect pumpkin. Afterward, swing by one of these 7 bakeries for spiderweb cakes and ghost cookies; Halloween treats everyone will love. Looking for free ways to celebrate? Our list of no cost things to do with kids in October is packed with fall adventures.