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  • 9 Family-Friendly Halloween Events in NoVA 
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9 Family-Friendly Halloween Events in NoVA 

From scavenger hunts to a Halloween safari, here are some non-scary ways to have fun this Halloween season.

By Kate Oczypok October 19, 2023 at 12:03 pm

Do some trunk-or-treating, have a spooky afternoon at a pool, go on a scavenger hunt, or take the family dog to a pet parade at these kid-friendly Halloween events across Northern Virginia. 

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Halloween Scavenger Hunt 

Daily, October 21–31, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. 

Search for Halloween-related treasures in Meadowlark’s Children’s Garden. Once you finish the hunt, volunteers will pass out treats. Halloween costumes and décor are strongly encouraged. All ages are welcome. 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct., Vienna, $7 per person 

Halloween on the Farm at Frying Pan Park 

October 27–28, 4:30–7:30 p.m. 

Trick or treat at Herndon’s Frying Pan Park with farm animals, crafts, and games. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult for the one-hour program. 2709 West Ox Rd., Herndon, $10 per person 

24th Annual Halloween Safari 

October 27, 7– 8 p.m. 

Kids will love this non-scary guided nighttime hike where you meet native “wildlife,” (aka costumed performers), who perform natural history skits. After the hike, there will be a bonfire and live music. Bring a flashlight. 17405 Beverley Mill Dr., Broad Run, $10 per person 

5th Annual Halloween Bark Bash

October 28, 1–3 p.m. 

One Loudoun’s Halloween festival includes a costume contest, dog caricatures, treat stations, kids’ activities, and a photo booth. Don your costume. Dress the dog and think about adopting one of the ones that will be there. 20626 Easthampton Plz., Ashburn, free 

Air & Scare 

October 28, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 

The annual Halloween event at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center will feature trick or treat stations, creepy crafts, spooky experiments, and photo ops with Star Wars characters. Tickets for the outdoor portion of the event are sold out. The indoor portion does not require tickets. 14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., Chantilly, $15 for parking 

Boo at the Pool

October 28, 12:30–4 p.m. 

The Reston Community Center is hosting a “Boo at the Pool” event with staggered pool times grouped by age. Treats to grab will float in the pool, while some will sink for a bit more adventure. Children wearing poolside costumes will get prizes, and each participating child gets a goody bag. Parents must accompany those who can’t swim. Registration required. 2310 Colts Neck Rd., Reston, $4 for Reston residents, $8 for non-residents 

Halloween at the Perch

October 28, noon.–4 p.m. 

Head to The Perch at Tysons for a Halloween weekend. Outdoor family activities include pumpkin painting, inflatable bounce houses, face painting, and a pie-eating contest. Costumes are encouraged! 1805 Capital One Dr., Tysons, free tickets but a donation to Miriam’s Kitchen is highly encouraged 

Old Town Manassas Holiday Crafts & Treats 

October 28, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 

A kids’ costume parade will be held, with the Best Costume prize awarded between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. A Halloween parade for pets will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the Manassas Museum Lawn. Don’t miss crafts and sweets, as well as arts vendors. 9101 Prince William St., Manassas 

Halloween Spooktacular at Great Falls 

October 31, 4–7 p.m. 

Take the whole family to the Village Centre Green and Great Falls Shopping Center to trick or treat and visit a spooky Haunted House created by Boy Scout Troop 55. The Langley High School band will provide creepy tunes to go along with the event. Don’t miss the pet parade that kicks off the event at 4 p.m. (Note: Pets must be cleared from the Village Green by 4:50 p.m.) Trick-or-treating from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 776 Walker Rd., Great Falls, free 

Feature image, Rawpixel.com/stock.adobe.com

For more seasonal events, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine’s Family newsletter.

Kate Oczypok

Kate Oczypok

Contributing Writer

Kate Oczypok has been a freelance writer since 2011, and is proud to be a regular contributor to Northern Virginia Magazine in digital and print since 2020. Her bylines have appeared in The New York Times, People.com, Better Homes and Gardens, and locally The Georgetowner and Washingtonian Magazine, among others. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Print Journalism from American University and a M.Ed. in Education from Penn State. She also teaches virtual piano lessons in the after school hours and does portrait photography on weekends.

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