Weekender Newsletter

Friday, Oct. 17 - Sunday, Oct. 19

Fall Harvest Fest and Carnival Fun

Friday, Oct. 17 - Sunday, Oct. 19, hours vary

Join us at Frying Pan Farm Park for a weekend of autumn fun at the Fall Harvest Fest. Enjoy games, rides, farm animals, farm demonstrations, seasonal treats and more. Admission is free and parking is $10.

Weekend-Long Events

Workhouse Fall Fest

Saturday and Sunday, hours vary

Celebrate community at the Workhouse Arts Center Fall Fest. Pick pumpkins on the historic baseball field, shop from local artisans, and experience a classic fall festival with a variety of interactive activities, experiences, food, drinks and fun.

Goblin Golf 

Saturday and Sunday, times vary

It's the last weekend to play a spook-tacular round of Goblin Golf at Burke Lake Park. Enjoy a festive themed experience with Halloween treats included. Bring a date, a friend or the whole family — this mini-golf experience is fun for everyone! Registration is $10.

Friday, Oct. 17 Events

Sponsored Night Sky Viewing (7 - 9 p.m.) Join us at Turner Farm Park in Great Falls to learn about the special sights appearing this month. Enjoy solar system walks and dark sky education. The event is free, but registration is required.

Library Book Sales (hours vary)

Shop a great selection of gently used books for all ages, as well as CDs, DVDs, audio books and puzzles, at the Oakton and Pohick libraries. Sales benefit library programs.

Domestic and Sexual Violence Annual Meeting (8:30 - 11:30 a.m.)

Join the county's Domestic and Sexual Violence Services and partners at the Fairfax County Government Center to celebrate milestones and recommit to continuing the work until everyone is safe. Featured events include a networking breakfast, an art therapy project and the domestic and sexual violence Community Awards.

QPR Suicide Prevention Training (9 a.m.)

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) is a free online training hosted by the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board that helps participants recognize the warning signs of suicide and help someone in crisis.

Classic Movie Matinee: 'Strangers on a Train' (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

Come to Burke Centre Library to watch the 1951 film "Strangers on a Train" directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Read to the Dog (4:30 - 5:30 p.m.)

Read a story to a trained therapy dog at the Burke Centre Library. Bring your own book or choose one from the library. Drop in for a session on a first come, first serve basis. For children ages 5 to 12.

Campfire Fridays (6:30 - 7:30 p.m.)

Join us for an evening campfire for the whole family at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield. Explore the wonders of our natural world through walks, interactive activities and animal presentations. End the evening with s'mores. Registration is $10.

Saturday, Oct. 18 Events

Tour de Mount Vernon (8 a.m. - noon) Take a scenic, community bike ride through the northern and central Mount Vernon District. The ride starts at Woodlawn and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House. Tickets are $35.

Paddle and Paint the Potomac (9 a.m. - noon)

Take a short paddling trip up the Potomac River from Riverbend Park in Great Falls and take in the beautiful scenery. Stop at an island to paint the views before paddling back to shore. Registration is $43.

Third Annual Climate Action Conference (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

Expand your understanding of the impact of climate change on water resources, from the oceans and Chesapeake Bay to the Potomac River and our local streams. Discover the role you play in protecting water quality and improving community resilience.

Centreville Day (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.)

Visit Historic Centreville Park to celebrate the 33rd annual Centreville Day. Enjoy a variety of activities including an Eco Expo, the Wonder Wagon, the Trick or Treat Trail, Pets in the Park, the Ghost Tour and more. 

Halloween Family Fun Day (noon - 2 p.m.)

Come dressed in your favorite costume and join the Reston Community Center for a day filled with fun. Little ghosts and goblins can test their skills at exciting games and enjoy thrilling performances.

Make Your Own Flying Squirrel Feeding Box (noon - 1 p.m.)

Visit the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale to make your own flying squirrel feeding box to take home, and learn how to encourage the squirrels to visit your backyard. Registration is $15 and supplies are $25.

Discover Cain’s Branch Trail (1:30 - 2:30 p.m.)

Hike the Cain's Branch trail and learn about the history of abandoned sites at the Sully Historic Site in Chantilly. Follow trails of forested areas and Cain’s Branch waterway to learn about the life of early inhabitants who made Sully their home. Registration is $10.

Haunted Herndon: Local Ghost Stories (3 - 4 p.m.)

Are there ghosts in the town of Herndon? Listen to chilling and thrilling real Herndon ghost stories by Herndon Historical Society Historian, Barbara Glakas, at the Herndon Fortnightly Library.

McLean Community Center 50th Anniversary Celebration (5 - 10 p.m.)

Come to the McLean Community Center's big 50th anniversary bash. Dance through the decades with dance instructors and demonstrations on the hour, sip a signature mocktail or cocktail, enjoy fabulous foods, immerse yourself in old-school video games, watch our 50th anniversary video and play trivia.

House of Reptiles (6 and 6:30 p.m.)

Play games, test your courage with a touch table and meet reptiles up close at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly. Calm your nerves by roasting s'mores at a campfire while listening to stories. End the night with a stroll through the darkening autumn woods. 

Boardwalk Astronomy (8 - 10 p.m.)

Join park naturalists at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria as they take you on a tour of constellations, comets and other current events happening in the skies above. Registration is $14.