Community Corner

Your Guide to Halloween 2013 Events in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC

Haunted houses, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, ghost tours, zombie run and costume parties for kids and adults.

By Todd Richissin

Halloween 2013 events are all around the region, in Northern Virginia, in Maryland and in Washington, DC.

Here are some Halloween 2013 activities, some close to home and some just a short distance away.

Mall-O-Ween
The Fair Oaks Mall is hosting their 26th annual Fair Oaks Mall-O-Ween event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 31. More then 20,000 trick-or-treaters are expected to attend the event.  

Any Halloween happenings we failed to scare up? Add them to our Halloween 2013 Open Blog, to our calendar or send an announcement to Patch readers.

PUMPKIN PATCHES


Cox Farms Festival
15621 Braddock Road, Centreville, Va. (703) 830-4121
2013 Dates: Through Nov. 5; hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
November 2-3 is Pumpkin Madness Weekend; discounts to public servants Nov. 2-3. More than just a pumpkin patch, with a spaceship, mining sluice and mechanical bull new this year. The festival includes giant slides, hayrides, rope swings, farm animals, straw tunnels, apples and cider, food, entertainment Small patch pumpkins for everyone with paid admission.

Heather Hill Gardens
8111 Ox Rd., Fairfax Station, Va. (703) 690-6060
2013 dates: Through October. Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Zip on over to the zip line and be sure to visit the pumpkin fort. Look for a moon bounce and farm animals, too.

Ticonderoga Farms
26469 Ticonderoga Road, Chantilly, Va. (703) 327-4424
2013 dates: Through first week of November, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m
Hay rides and fun, spooky zones, hillside tunnels and a train ride, plus Noah’s Ark, petting animals, swinging bridge, antique tractors, fire pits, and, of course, pumpkins.

Leesburg Animal Park
19270 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg, Virginia (703) 433-0002
2013 dates: Through Nov. 5, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. (5 p.m. after Daylight Savings) All kinds of things for the little ones at this petting zoo. A hay maze, unlimited hayrides, straw mountains, rope swings and more.

Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Family Days
George Washington Parkway, Mount Vernon, Va. (703) 780-2000
2013 dates: Oct. 26 - 27, 2013, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Horse-drawn wagon rides at this huge fall festival but, alas, no pumpkins.

Burke Nursery and Garden Center
9401 Burke Road, Burke, Va. (703) 323-1188
2013 dates: Through Oct. 31. The annual Fall Festival and Pumpkin Playground runs daily from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Who doesn’t want some clowns to counteract all the ghosts this season — unless, of course, you’re afraid of clowns, too. All kinds of farm animals, magicians, musicians and wagon rides.

CORN MAZES

The Maize at Temple Hill Farm Regional Park
15789 Temple Hall Lane, Leesburg, Va. (703) 779-9372.
2013 dates: Through Nov. 5.
Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Corn Maze at Liberty Mills Farm
9166 Liberty Mills Road, Somerset, Va. (434) 882-MAZE (6293).
2013 dates: Through Nov. 3
The big-daddy of Virginia corn mazes. Four separate trails range in difficulty and take about 30 minutes for the easiest. Feeling bold? Take 2-3 hours for the most challenging. Picking: flowers, produce, pumpkins or strawberries.

Corn Maze in the Plain
Old Tavern Rd., Just off I-66, Exit 31, The Plains, Va. (540) 456-7339.
2013 dates: Through Nov. 3. Fridays 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 14) 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Corn maze adventure, giant slides, animals and hayrides.

Summers Farm Corn Maze
5614 Butterfly Lane, Frederick, Md. (301) 620-9316.
2013 dates: Through Nov. 5.
Part of Summers Farm Adventure which includes a huge jumping pillow, a pumpkin train and — wait for it — pig races!

Dairy Farm Tours Corn Maze Adventure at Cows-N-Corn
5225 Catlett Road, Midland, Va. (540) 439-4806.
2013 dates: Weekends through October. Friday 4-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 12:30-8 p.m.
Corn maze, haunted corn maze, gift shop, hay rides and, you got it, cows.

A-BOOS-MENT Fright Fest at Six Flags America
Mitchellville, Md. Directions.
2013 Dates: Through Oct. 27.
Billed as one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the metro area, Six Flags has street entertainment, and a trail for kids to trick-or-treat.

Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion
Doswell, Va. Directions.
2013 dates: Through Oct. 27
Special mazes and scare zones, and a special, less-scary place for kids.

Halloween's A Zoo Boo at the Zoo 
National Zoo, Washington, DC
2013 dates: Oct. 25-27, 2013, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Kids can trick-or-treat while visiting bats, spiders, owls, and other animals. Haunted trails at the annual National Zoo’s Halloween celebration. More than 40 stations will be manned by costumed volunteers handing out candy.

Night of the Living Zoo 
National Zoo, Washington, DC
2013 Date: Oct. 30, 2013, 6:30 - 10 p.m.
Palm readers, fire eaters, talking bats, and illusionists. 21 years and older only, with a valid ID.

GHOST TOURS

Alexandria’s Original Ghost & Graveyard Tour
Alexandria’s Footsteps to the Past
Leesburg Ghost Tours
Paranormal Tours at Oatlands
Historic Occoquan Ghost Tours
Call (571) 572-9410 or email Hauntedoccoquan@gmail.com.

LOVE A PARADE

Leesburg Kiwanis Halloween Parade
Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m. Ida Lee Park, King Street to Fairfax Street, Leesburg, Va. This Northern Virginia community has held an annual parade every year since 1957, except for last year due to Hurricane Sandy, so be sure to come out this year!

Vienna
October 23, 7 p.m. Maple Avenue (Route 123) from Branch Road to Center Street. Vienna, Va. The parade brings the community together to show off their Halloween costumes. Held rain or shine.

Falloween at Market Commons
Oct. 26, 11:30 a.m. Market Common Clarendon, 2800 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington, Va.

Del Ray Halloween Parade
Oct. 27, 2-3:30 p.m. Del Ray (Alexandria), Va. 17th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade along Mount Vernon Avenue between Bellefonte Avenue and the playing fields at Mount Vernon Recreation Center. There have been thousands of participants in the past. Costumed children, adults, strollers and pets are all invited to march. There is no registration for children and families that march in the parade. Those participating gather on Mount Vernon Avenue south of Bellefonte Avenue prior to 2 p.m.
HALLOWEEN RUNS AND ZOMBIE WALKS

Air & Scare at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Oct. 26, 2013, 2-7 p.m. National Air and Space Museum, Chantilly, Va.

Blood and Guts Run
Oct. 26, 2013, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Bull Run Regional Park, Centreville, Va.
Among the events: A 5k zombie obstacle course.

Zombie Run at National Harbor
Oct. 26, 2013, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Plaza at National Harbor in Maryland at the foot of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. 5K run to raise money for Smile Train, an international charity that provides cleft palate surgery to children in developing countries.


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