Fall is synonymous with pumpkin spice lattes, changing leaves, pumpkin patches, and fall festivals. There’s still plenty of time to don a vest, grab your metro card and explore all the festivities that come with fall.
Here are some of our favorite fall festivals and events for this season:
Taste of Bethesda
If you’ve ventured to Bethesda, Maryland, then you know that this city is actually quite “high end.” This not only applies to the material stores but the restaurants as well. Many high-end food joints are found just steps outside of the Bethesda Metro station. So a day spent sampling all (or at least 60 ) of Bethesda’s different food venues is a touchdown for your taste buds. Plus, admission is free. Tickets are sold at the event and in bundles of four tickets for $5. More information can be found at their website.
When: Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle
Metro stop: Bethesda, Red Line
Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival
If you like scary films and wish to congregate with other people who enjoy being scared out of their wits then this is the place to be this October. On Oct. 9 they will be showing “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,” “400 Ways to Kill a Vampire” and “The Working Dead,” a movie about a girl who dreams her boss is a zombie only to awaken and find her nightmare is now a reality. Films like these will be playing the whole week. More information can be found at the event’s website.
When: Oct. 9 to Oct. 18
Where: AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD
Metro Stop: Silver Spring Metro, Red Line
Bethesda Row Arts Festival
Do you enjoy art? Do you also enjoy supporting local artists? If so, you’re in luck, because the Bethesda Row Arts Festival is right around the corner and will be chock full of local artists displaying their art. There will also be live music (venues are listed on their website) and crab cakes. Admission to the festival is free. More information can be found at the event’s website.
When: Oct. 18-19, Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Located on Bethesda row, on Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues, Elm Street
Metro Stop: Bethesda, Red Line
Maryland Renaissance Festival
If dueling dragons, wizards, unicorns and knights are your forte then you can head deep into Maryland woods for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Fun fact: Maryland’s renaissance festival is the second largest in the country. The festival includes a 25-acre English village, 140 craft/specialty shops, plenty of food and drink stands and a jousting arena that fits 3,000 villagers. Tickets are available online for $22. For more information check out the event’s website. On that note, “Let merriment abound.”
When: Oct. 11-12, 18-19 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Metro Stop: Unfortunately this festival is not accessible via metro. We recommend making a group day trip of it and car-pooling to the festival – it’s all part of the adventure.
National Geographic Harvest Festival
Another foodie-centric event. There will be lots of food samples, a smoothie-bike, a mini farmers market as well as vegetable watercolors. Not sure what a smoothie-bike is or how to use vegetable watercolors? Let that be your incentive to come to the event. The fun, after all, is in the discovery. More information can be found at the event’s website.
When: Oct. 25, 10 a.m.
Where: National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th Street NW
Metro Stop: Farragut North, Red Line
Fotoweek DC
Calling all photography enthusiasts. This week long festival will feature the photography of local photographers as well as included the work of some renowned photographers. One of this years main exhibitions is called “THE SOCHI PROJECT: An Atlas of War and Tourism in the Caucasus” (photography by Rob Hornstra and Arnold van Bruggen). More information can be found at the event’s website.
When: Kickoff party on Nov. 7 from 7-11 p.m., event runs through Nov. 8-16
Where: Former Spanish Ambassador’s Residence, 2801 16th St. NW
Metro Stop: Columbia Heights Metro, Green/Yellow Lines
