LoudounGo
An illustrated Loudoun weekend scene

This weekend · Fri 16 Oct – Sun 18 Oct

Farms by day, frights by night, pickles on Sunday

Watch our short film

Our top picks for the weekend

  1. Fri
    Fairy houses in Franklin Park at 5

    Friday 16 October · 5pm–6pm

    $10 a child · grown-ups free · register with the county
  2. Sat
    Farm Tour by day, a Halloween party by dark

    Saturday 17 October – Sunday 18 October · 10am–4pm

    Farms free · parties free to $5
  3. Sun
    Pickles in Sterling, or a pretend campout at Banshee Reeks

    Saturday 17 October – Sunday 18 October · 11am–6pm

    $5 a grown-up, kids free · the campout is free
If it rains SaturdayThe farms open rain or shine, but a wet field with a four-year-old is a choice. Swap in the free camping play lab indoors at Banshee Reeks, then Pumpkin Palooza, which runs indoors and out.
This weekend's guide is presented byEatLoco Farmers Markets

The weekend guide for families in Loudoun

Hand-picked events, and what to know before you go.

The question this week

Which Saturday Halloween party?

Three very different Saturdays. Choose by age and bravery.

Truck or Treat

Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum · Sterling

Saturday 17 October · 2pm–6pm

The classic

$5A person, grown-ups included · group discounts

Best for
Under-10s, a full afternoon
Know this
Online sales close Friday at 5pm. Hayrides, a hay maze and decorated trucks.

Pumpkin Palooza

Ashburn Recreation & Community Center · Ashburn

Saturday 17 October · 4pm–7pm

The little ones

$5A child · under 2 free

Best for
Ages 3 to 12, an early evening
Know this
Indoors and out, so a passing shower won't sink it.

Halloween in the Reeks

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve · Leesburg

Saturday 17 October · 7pm–9:30pm

The real scare

FreeRegister ahead · timed groups

Best for
Ages 10 and up, the brave ones
Know this
Under-16s need an adult. Anyone who makes it back gets a treat bag.
Prices from each organizer's own page.

The weekend guide

Our take

Saturday belongs to the Farm Tour: start at 10 at your farthest farm and work back toward home. Then pick your Halloween party by age, Truck or Treat for the little ones who like big wheels, the Reeks for anyone 10 and up who claims to be brave. Sunday, it's pickles in Sterling or a free pretend campout at Banshee Reeks.

Day
Area
Ages

Friday

Fri 16 Oct

Pumpkin Patch Fairy Homes

Franklin Park · Purcellville · 17501 Franklin Park Drive, Purcellville, VA 20132

Friday 16 October · 5pm–6pm

$10Ages 3+Indoor
Illustrated scene for Pumpkin Patch Fairy Homes

Your child turns a small pumpkin into a fairy home with moss, twigs and craft supplies, and arrives at the weekend with a whole new tenant to explain.

Parking
Plenty of it, but one visitor warns the park's signs are thin. The county doesn't say which building the class uses, so allow five spare minutes.
Arrive
By 4:50. It runs 5 to 6, so it slots in straight after school.
What it costs
$10 a child, supplies included. The grown-up who has to stay comes free.
Crowds
Registration caps the class, so no crush, but spots can go. Register now rather than Friday.

What to know before you go

Ages 3 and up, and a grown-up must stay. Register at loudoun.gov/PRCSConnect, activity 162773-01.
See full event

Moonlight Market at One Loudoun · One Loudoun Park · Ashburn · Through 30 Oct · Fridays, 5pm–9pm · Free entry · All ages

Makers and bakers every Friday through 30 October. Free, all ages, dinner all around. See full event

This weekend's guide is presented byEatLoco Farmers Markets

Saturday

Sat 17 Oct
Top pick

Loudoun Fall Farm Tour

34 farms across Loudoun

Saturday 17 October – Sunday 18 October · 10am–4pm

FreeAll agesOutdoor
Illustrated scene for Loudoun Fall Farm Tour

Thirty-four farms open their gates for free, with goats, alpacas, donkeys, a dairy with ice cream and farmers happy to talk. It's the best free weekend Loudoun does all year.

Parking
Each farm parks you on its own land, often on grass, so wear shoes you don't love. Organizers say some farm stores sit apart from the farm itself, so follow each farm's tour signs.
Arrive
At 10, at your farthest farm, then work back toward home. Farms close at 4.
What it costs
Free, no tickets. Bring a card or cash for extras: an ice cream cone at Brookfield Dairy, pumpkin decorating at Danny's Dream Acres, lunch from the food truck at The Sassy Ass.
Crowds
Organizers say thousands come to every tour, and don't break it down by farm. Mornings beat afternoons almost everywhere, and Sunday is the same tour with the same hours.

What to know before you go

Our three for kids: Brookfield Dairy (cows, calves and a milking demo at 1:30 both days), Rivenwool (feed the sheep, goats, geese and ducks) and The Sassy Ass (miniature donkeys and a free s'more at the fire pit). Double 8 Alpaca asks you to leave dogs at home. Printed farm lists are at most county libraries.
See full event

Truck-or-Treat at Claude Moore Park

Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum · Sterling · 21668 Heritage Farm Ln, Sterling, VA 20164

Saturday 17 October · 2pm–6pm

$5 a person, group discounts availableAll ages
Illustrated scene for Truck-or-Treat at Claude Moore Park

Hayrides, a hay maze, a not-so-scary haunted house, spooky storytime and a lineup of decorated trucks. Your under-8s will absolutely love this.

Parking
Park in the museum's own lot off Heritage Farm Lane. If it's full, there's overflow parking next to the ballfields. Claude Moore Park has several entrances, so aim for the museum's.
Arrive
At 2, when it opens. Online sales close Friday at 5pm; miss that and you can still buy at the entrance gate.
What it costs
$5 a person, grown-ups included, with group discounts. A family of four is $20 before any discount.
Crowds
The museum doesn't publish numbers. Four hours is a long window, and earlier beats later almost everywhere.

What to know before you go

Buy online by Friday at 5pm, or at the gate on the day. It all happens outdoors, so dress for the weather. Parents rave about the indoor exhibits, including a cow you can practise milking on, but the museum is closed during the party. Save the cow for a quieter weekend.
See full event

Pumpkin Palooza

Ashburn Recreation & Community Center · Ashburn · 21105 Coopers Hawk Drive, Ashburn, VA 20148

Saturday 17 October · 4pm–7pm

$5, under 2 freeAges 3–12
Illustrated scene for Pumpkin Palooza

A trunk-or-treat, games, crafts and pumpkin picking at Ashburn's big new rec center, for about the price of a coffee.

Parking
The rec center's own lot. Nobody publishes event-night numbers, so come at 4 and take a space near the door.
Arrive
At 4, for first pick of the pumpkins.
What it costs
$5 a child, under 2 free.
Crowds
Not published. It spreads across indoors and out, though one parent says the main hall gets loud. Ear defenders for the sensitive ones.

What to know before you go

Ages 3 to 12. It runs indoors and out, so a passing shower won't sink it.
See full event

Halloween in the Reeks (Banshee Reeks)

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve · Leesburg · 21085 The Woods Rd, Leesburg, VA 20175

Saturday 17 October · 7pm–9:30pm

Free, registration requiredAges 10+
Illustrated scene for Halloween in the Reeks (Banshee Reeks)

Timed groups walk a haunted trail through Loudoun's only nature preserve after dark, and anyone who makes it back gets a treat bag. This is the real scare.

Parking
Free, and one visitor mentions two lots. The county says to meet at the Education Annex, so park nearest that.
Arrive
Groups go in first come, first served from 7 until 9:30, so 7 means less waiting.
What it costs
Free, but advance registration is required.
Crowds
Timed groups keep the trail from bunching. The line at the start is the only crowd, and it's shortest early.

What to know before you go

Recommended for ages 10 and up. Expect darkness, loud noises and jump scares; the county leaves the call to parents, and so do we. Under-16s need an adult. One visitor warns about ticks at the preserve, so spray before you go.
See full event

Not-So-Scary Spider Oobleck · Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park · Aldie · Saturday 17 October · 10:30am–11:30am · $8 · Ages 4–12

Spiders, webs and Halloween oobleck to take home. Done by 11:30, with the day still yours. See full event

Fairy House Building · Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park · Aldie · Saturday 17 October · 2pm–3:30pm · $15 · Ages 4–12

All supplies provided, the mess stays there, and a fairy house comes home. See full event

Archaeology for Kids · Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve · Leesburg · Saturday 17 October · 2pm–3pm · $10 · Ages 8–12

A short history hike and a look at what archaeology has turned up at Banshee Reeks. See full event

Hanson Halloween Hunt · Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park · Aldie · Through 4 Nov · Mon–Sat, 7am–7pm · Free · All ages

Still on: pumpkins and friendly ghouls to find around Hanson Park. Grab the free hunt sheet at the Nature Center, open 10 to 4, Monday to Saturday. See full event

From our partner

Sat & Sun
EatLoco Farmers Markets marketPresenting partner

Meet the farmer before the pumpkin patch

EatLoco Farmers Markets · Ashburn and Brambleton

Sat 9am–1pm · Ashbrook, 44505 Atwater Dr, AshburnSun 9am–1pm · Brambleton Town Center, Olympia DrFree entryLeashed dogs welcome

Local produce, bakers and makers, from the people who grew and made it. Open year-round, so the morning is sorted before the afternoon plan starts.

Find this weekend's market

Partner content. Our weekend picks are never for sale.

Sunday

Sun 18 Oct

Pickle & International Food Festival

Crooked Run Sterling · Sterling · 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling, VA 20164

Saturday 17 October – Sunday 18 October · 11am–6pm

$5 a day, kids 12 and under freeAll ages
Illustrated scene for Pickle & International Food Festival

More than ten pickle vendors, global food trucks, a makers' market, live music, a kids' zone and, yes, alpacas. If your family has a pickle person, this is their Super Bowl.

Parking
Park at the buildings around Crooked Run; organizers say they share a landlord, so those lots are fair game. The lot's Davis Drive entrances are closed; the way in is the far corner, right past the alpacas.
Arrive
Right at 11, when general admission opens both days. VIP ticket holders get the 10 o'clock hour, so the gates will already be humming when you walk up. It wraps at 6 both days.
What it costs
$5 a grown-up for the day, and kids 12 and under are free, though they still need a free ticket. Buy ahead for express check-in; all sales are final. Food, drinks and pickles are extra, and you will buy pickles.
Crowds
Organizers bill it as Loudoun's largest pickle festival and ask you to leave pets home because of the crowd. Go at opening.

What to know before you go

Get the kids' free tickets too, and under-12s must be with an adult 18 or over. There's one way in, at the corner farthest from Davis Drive. The kids' zone runs along the side of the building, and Sunday's live music starts at 3. Leave the dog at home (service animals are welcome). Small strollers are fine, there's no outside food or big coolers, and bags are searched. Rain or shine.
See full event

Little Explorers Camping Play Lab

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve · Leesburg · 21085 The Woods Rd, Leesburg, VA 20175

Tuesday 1 September – Monday 30 November · 9am–4pm

FreeAll agesIndoor
Illustrated scene for Little Explorers Camping Play Lab

A tent, a sleeping bag, a pretend campfire and make-believe marshmallows, then outside to look for real wildlife. Free, indoors, and pitched perfectly at preschoolers.

Parking
Free, in the preserve's own lots; one visitor mentions two. The county doesn't say how full they get.
Arrive
Any time from 9 to 4. Go after lunch if the Farm Tour has your morning.
What it costs
Free, no registration listed.
Crowds
Not published. It's a drop-in exhibit that runs all fall, so there's no prize for being first.

What to know before you go

Every day through 30 November, 9am to 4pm, all ages. One visitor warns about ticks on the trails, so spray before the wildlife part.
See full event

Insect scavenger hunt at Claude Moore Park · Claude Moore Park · Sterling · Through 30 Nov · 7am–8pm · Free · All ages

The creepy-crawly hunt is still on. Pick up the flyer at the Visitor Center; finish it for a spooky treat. See full event

Before it fills

Book this now

Sat 17 Oct

Truck or TreatOnline sales close Friday at 5pm, then it's gate sales only. $5 a person.Get tickets

Fri 23 Oct

Trunk or Treat Trail, Dulles SouthDecorated trunks and a not-too-scary trail. $10 a person, 2 and under free.Pre-register with the county

Your turn

What should we know for next weekend?

Found a brilliant family event, or spotted something we should check? Send it our way.

hello@loudoungo.com

Halloween in Loudoun

Two weekends of Halloween, sorted

Trunk-or-treats, the parade, the farms, and the trick-or-treat hours most places don't publish.

See the guide
LoudounGo

The weekend guide for families in Loudoun

Hand-picked events, and what to know before you go.