Fun Things to Do With Kids in the DC Area This Weekend

Looking for things to do with kids in DC this weekend? Halloween falls on Saturday, Oct. 31, and families have plenty to celebrate across DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. From Mystery Mansion in Chevy Chase to the National Postal Museum’s free Stamp & Scream Family Festival and Strathmore’s “Coco” concert, there are plenty of ways to make the most of the weekend.

There’s no shortage of free options, from Occoquan’s Saturday-morning costume parade to Alexandria Fall-O-Ween, the Bat Week Extravaganza at the National Museum of Natural History and Wolf Trap’s free Nature Quest Adventure on Sunday. Remember that clocks fall back an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Want more ideas? Browse the Washington Parent events calendar for even more things to do with kids all weekend long.

Here are our favorite things to do with kids in DC this weekend.

Stamp & Scream Family Festival

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
• Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Location: Smithsonian National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington, DC

The National Postal Museum turns its galleries into a free Halloween festival, with a costume parade through the museum at 1 p.m., story times with DC Public Library at noon and 2 p.m. (with ASL interpretation), and crafts that include Jack-o’-Lanterns in a Bag and spooky silhouette printmaking. Kids can also pose for a stamp-themed family portrait and take part in Animal Hunt in the Forest. No registration is required. Costumes are encouraged, but masks, face coverings and fake weapons are not allowed.

The World & Me: Bat Week Extravaganza With Special Guests… Arachnids!

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
• Time: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Location: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 1000 Madison Drive NW, Washington, DC

Kids can see bat and spider specimens up close, make bat- and spider-themed art and learn how to help these animals year-round. Admission is free, and families can drop in at any time during the program. Costumes in bat or spider themes are welcome. Enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance; Q?rius is on the right.

Halloween Spooktacular Trick-or-Treat at Union Market

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
• Time: 2-6 p.m.
• Location: Union Market District, 1309 5th St. NE, Washington, DC

Kids 12 and under can trick-or-treat at participating shops and restaurants around the Union Market District at no cost. The event page does not mention registration. Check the Union Market website for the list of participating businesses before you head out.

Celebración Día de los Muertos at The Wharf

• Date: Sunday, Nov. 1
• Time: 3-6 p.m.
• Location: M Street Landing, The Grove and Recreation Pier, 760 Maine Ave. SW, Washington, DC

This free Sunday-afternoon celebration features performances by Ballet Folklorico El Tepeyac, live music from La Unica, Sol y Rumba and Mariachi Imperio, and a community light procession along the waterfront at sunset, with LED candles handed out at M Street Landing. Kids can get their faces painted and decorate sugar skulls near the Boathouse on Recreation Pier. No tickets are needed. The closest garage is Garage 3 at 602 Water St. SW, and the Wharf Shuttle runs from L’Enfant Plaza Metro.

Key takeaways: DC

• Saturday is the big day. The National Postal Museum’s Stamp & Scream, the Bat Week Extravaganza and Union Market’s trick-or-treat are all free.
• The Smithsonian events are drop-in and don’t require registration.
• Sunday’s Día de los Muertos at The Wharf is free and includes a community light procession at sunset.

Here are our favorite things to do with kids in Virginia this weekend.

Halloween at Upton Hill

• Date: Friday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 1
• Time: Friday-Sunday, 4-9 p.m.
• Location: Upton Hill Regional Park, 6060 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.

This isn’t a free event, but it’s a handy Friday-night option. NOVA Parks adds Halloween touches to its haunted mini golf and Climb UPton ropes course, along with pumpkin contests, cotton candy and games. Mini golf costs $6 for ages 12 and under and $8 for ages 13-54. Climb UPton passports run $19.95 for ages 5-7, $39.95 for ages 8-15 and $49.95 for ages 16 and up. Book online ahead of time, and costumes are encouraged.

Costume Parade & Contest in Occoquan

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
• Time: 10 a.m.
• Location: Downtown Occoquan, Occoquan, Va.

Kick off Halloween morning by joining the Town of Occoquan’s costume parade. There is no registration; kids just show up in costume. Prizes go to the cutest, scariest, funniest, most original and best family or group costumes. Fall-themed activities in the park before and after the parade are free, and select businesses hand out treats starting at 11 a.m.

Alexandria Fall-O-Ween

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
• Time: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Location: John Carlyle Square Park, 300 John Carlyle St., Alexandria, Va.

Admission is free to this Old Town Halloween festival, which features pumpkin painting, face painting and other kids’ activities, plus a costume parade. Local artisans sell handmade Halloween décor, and there are Halloween-themed treats and a beer garden for the grown-ups. The event runs rain or shine, and parking is available on nearby streets and in garages. The organizers haven’t posted a parade time, so plan to arrive early.

Trick-or-Treating at Mount Vernon

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
• Time: 2-5 p.m.
• Location: Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Va.

Trick-or-treating at George Washington’s estate happens rain or shine. A costume parade starts at 3:30 p.m., and Punch & Judy puppet shows run at 2:30 and 4 p.m. Kids can also catch 18th-century magic shows, watch blacksmith and bake-oven demonstrations and meet George and Martha Washington. Tickets are required and sold online: $26 for ages 11 and under and $31 for ages 12 and up who collect candy, and $30 for adults who aren’t collecting candy. Bring a treat bag. Parking is free, and dogs aren’t allowed. Kids 12 and under eat free at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant from 5-8 p.m. with an adult entrée purchase.

Great Falls Halloween Spooktacular

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
• Time: 3-7 p.m.
• Location: Village Centre Green, Great Falls, Va.

This free, rain-or-shine community event starts with a dog costume parade and contest from 3 to 4 p.m. (registration is at the gazebo at 3 p.m.). Trick-or-treating runs from 5 to 7 p.m., and kids can also visit a haunted house run by Boy Scout Troop 55 and have family photos taken in the gazebo. Pets must be leashed for the dog parade and are not allowed during trick-or-treating.

Wolf Trap National Park Explorers: Nature Quest Adventure

• Date: Sunday, Nov. 1
• Time: 1-3 p.m.
• Location: Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Va.

Pick up an Explorer’s Passport and collect stamps at stations covering nature, butterflies, music, art, stargazing and Native American stories. The event is free, but space is limited and an RSVP on Eventbrite is required. Capital Naturalist Alonso Abugattas opens with storytelling from 1 to 1:30 p.m. It takes place outdoors in the meadow behind the Filene Center, so bring water, sunscreen, closed-toe shoes and a snack, because food isn’t provided. The event will be rescheduled in heavy rain.

Key takeaways: Virginia

• Saturday morning is for parades. Occoquan’s costume parade starts at 10 a.m. and is free.
• Plan ahead for Mount Vernon trick-or-treating, which requires tickets, and Wolf Trap’s free Nature Quest Adventure, which requires an RSVP.
• Looking for Friday night? Halloween at Upton Hill in Arlington runs 4-9 p.m.

Here are our favorite things to do with kids in Maryland this weekend.

Mystery Mansion

Washington Parent partner: The Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase

• Date: Friday, Oct. 30; Saturday, Oct. 31; Sunday, Nov. 1
• Time: Friday, 5-9 p.m.; Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Sunday, 5-9 p.m.
• Location: The Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase, 7931 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase, Md.

The Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase turns its historic mansion into a family-friendly haunted house that organizers say is best for ages 3 to 12. This isn’t a free event, and entry is by timed ticket, so buy in advance. A Family Friendly Hour offers a reduced ticket price for the kid-friendly rooms. Dark Space is a scarier option for older kids and adults, and a Bonfire Bash on the grounds includes food and live music.

Coco Live-to-Film Concert

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1
• Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
• Location: The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md.

Disney Pixar’s “Coco” plays on screen while the 20-member Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México performs Michael Giacchino’s score live, including the Oscar-winning song “Remember Me.” Tickets run $28 to $78, and Strathmore says discounted community access tickets under $30 may be available by request at least a week before the show. It’s a good pick for families with school-age kids who want a Halloween-weekend indoor option.

Glen Echo Park Fall Frolic

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
• Time: 1-4 p.m.
• Location: Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Md.

Glen Echo’s Halloween afternoon includes arts and crafts, a fall photo spot, trick-or-treating at the park’s artist studios and galleries and a costume contest with Most Spooky, Most Creative and Best Group categories. There is a suggested donation of $10, and RSVPs are preferred but not required. Ticketed shows are also on the schedule: “Beatrice Likes the Dark” at Adventure Theatre (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) and “Jennie the Cat: A Halloween Adventure” at The Puppet Co. (11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.). Parking is free at 5801 Oxford Road.

Homestead Gardens Fall Family Weekends

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1
• Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Location: Homestead Gardens, 743 W. Central Ave., Davidsonville, Md.

It’s the final weekend of the season at this farm-style fall festival, which has pony rides, tractor hayrides, a hay maze, pumpkin painting, bounce houses, face painting, live music and barnyard animals. Tickets are $15 per person and must be purchased online; children 3 and under are free. Plan on a few hours outside.

Key takeaways: Maryland

• Mystery Mansion is the only Maryland option open all three days, and it’s the best Friday-night pick for ages 3 to 12.
• Strathmore’s “Coco” concert is a good indoor choice, with shows Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
• Glen Echo and Homestead Gardens are the daytime picks for outdoor Halloween fun, but Homestead Gardens requires online tickets.