October in the DMV: Our Fall Short List
Food, film, fitness, fall color—and a dachshund race we absolutely had to include.
October is one of our favorite months in the DMV.
The weather finally cooperates, the neighborhoods come alive, and there’s no shortage of reasons to get outside and explore somewhere new.
Here’s what caught our eye this month.
Eat your way through Bethesda
Taste of Bethesda — Saturday, October 3 | 11 AM–4 PM
Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle fills with local restaurants, live music, and plenty of reasons to arrive hungry. Admission is free; food tastings are ticketed.
We love events like this because walking a neighborhood tells you so much more than driving through it.
Stretch it out on the waterfront
Greater DC Yoga Festival — Saturday, October 3 | 9 AM–3 PM
Yards Park turns into an outdoor wellness festival with yoga, meditation, music, workshops, and local vendors along the Anacostia waterfront. Bring your own mat and settle in for as much—or as little—as you want.
A pretty good way to reset before the holiday season starts speeding up.
Greater DC Yoga Festival details
Watch dachshunds race at The Wharf
Oktoberfest at The Wharf — Saturday, October 3 | 2–5 PM
Yes, there’s Oktoberfest. Yes, there’s stein hoisting.
But the real headline is the Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash on District Pier.
We’re not pretending to be sophisticated about this one. We’re there for the dogs.
Oktoberfest at The Wharf details
Peek inside some seriously interesting DC homes
Homes of the Southwest Waterfront Tour — Sunday, October 4 | 1–5 PM
This one feels particularly on brand for us.
The annual walking tour opens the doors to Southwest homes showcasing everything from mid-century design to condos, townhouses, and waterfront views. Tickets are $25, with proceeds supporting Waterfront Village.
Come for the architecture. Leave reconsidering your entire living room.
Homes of the Southwest Waterfront Tour details
Do the National Gallery after dark
National Gallery Nights: Monster Mash — Thursday, October 8 | 6–9 PM
The National Gallery’s East Building gets a Halloween-inspired takeover with music, artmaking, gallery activities, and some of the museum’s eerier works.
Admission is free, but passes are distributed through a lottery opening September 28 and closing October 1.
This is peak DC: world-class art after hours—and somehow still free.
National Gallery Nights: Monster Mash details
Spend a Saturday in Old Town Fairfax
50th Annual Fairfax Fall Festival — Saturday, October 10 | 10 AM–5 PM
Historic downtown Fairfax fills with more than 400 vendors, food, live entertainment, children’s activities, and beer gardens for the festival’s 50th anniversary. Admission is free.
It’s exactly the kind of event that gives you a feel for a community that a neighborhood description never could.
Run the capital
Army Ten-Miler — Sunday, October 11 | Pentagon
If your ideal Sunday morning involves running 10 miles through Washington instead of brunch, this one’s for you.
The Army Ten-Miler starts at the Pentagon and brings thousands of runners together for one of the region’s signature races. The 2026 event takes place October 11.
Not running? Cheering requires considerably less training.
Make a weekend of Middleburg
Middleburg Film Festival — October 15–18
Four days of narrative films, documentaries, filmmaker conversations, and special events—set against one of Virginia’s best fall backdrops.
The festival returns October 15–18, with individual tickets going on sale when the full slate is announced in early October.
If you want a weekend away without actually going very far, this is a strong contender.
Middleburg Film Festival details
Fully commit to fall at Cox Farms
Cox Farms Fall Festival — through November 8
Sometimes you just need pumpkins, hayrides, giant slides, cider, farm animals, and absolutely no attempt to resist the season.
The 2026 Fall Festival runs through November 8, with October dates generally open from 10 AM–6 PM. Tickets are sold online and popular dates can sell out.
Go early. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting dusty. Accept that you’re probably leaving with a pumpkin.
Cox Farms Fall Festival details
Get out and explore
One of the things we love most about the DMV is how quickly the experience changes.
In one month, you can go from yoga on the waterfront to a home tour in Southwest, a museum night downtown, a road race past some of Washington’s most recognizable landmarks, and a film festival in Virginia horse country.
That variety is also part of what makes deciding where to live here so interesting.
So this October, try somewhere new. Walk around. Have lunch. Notice the houses, the streets, and how the neighborhood actually feels.
And if one of those outings has you thinking, Could we live here? — we’d love to talk.
Bahar + Shah
Event details are current as of September 27, 2026 and may change. Check the organizer’s website before heading out.
Subscribe to our blog