Here are some of my favorite festivities!Â
I absolutely love fall! It knocks all of the other seasons out of the park. I finally feel scholarly; I can take out my favorite sweatpants and sweatshirt combo, and I just feel overall happier. Every year I find myself wanting to try out new things to do in fall, but also love to do some classic things here and there, like the annual pumpkin patch or buying the first of many apple cider jugs from the store. But this year, I feel a little more adventurous and want to try so many fun things, so here are some festivities that I already do or want to try that I would love for you to do too!
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Pumpkin Patch
Growing up, pumpkin patches were the peak announcement of fall arriving and just being by the haystacks and smelling the warm, spiced apple cider, solidified the start of the season like nothing else could.Depending on the kind of mood that you are in, whether wanting to spend the afternoon walking around or are more in for the spooky adventure kindI have two must try places for you!
As a kid I would go to the Pumpkin Village Fall Fest in Leesburg, which was more centered around kids, but they have a petting zoo, slides, and other fun activities that everyone can enjoy. If you are more into the haunted and scary side of fall then I recommend Cox Farms! I went for the first time last year with a group of friends and it was definitely a different experience than Pumpkin Village. They have a haunted hay ride that takes you through a dark path where they have themed buildings with scare actors, who I have to say do a pretty good job at acting!! They also have the corn maze where you go through themed buildings that definitely made me scream. They do also have the lightheartedness of fall with the apple cider and the best apple cider donuts ever!!!! They have slides and a petting zoo and a beautiful pumpkin patch that is great for those aesthetic photos!Â
Fall FestivalsÂ
Similarly, there are also many fall festivals happening across the Northern Virginia area. There are going to be vendors selling all different kinds of merchandise and celebrating the fall festivities that we love. You can find more information here: 2026 Fall Festivals in Fairfax County & Northern Virginia | FXVA! The events range from cute fall markets to Oktoberfest celebrations, definitely something to visit! Also with Farmer’s Markets coming to a close shortly, try and see the fun seasonal product that they have and get yourself into the fall spirit!Â
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Spirit HalloweenÂ
A must-go-to store of the season: Spirit Halloween! If you are looking for costume ideas, Halloween movie decor, or want to see some scary animatronics, Spirit Halloween is for you! There is nothing that can compare to a store designated to the fall spirit and being able to have all your Halloween needs in one place. It is always the best when taking the young cousins, nieces, and nephews to the store for the first time and have them experience the true wonders of horror. The stores tend to open around the beginning of September and fully close the first week of November, so take your chance to go now before they close, and before all of the cute halloween outfits are picked over!Â
Scary Movies!
Lastly, soak up the feeling of fall with the never-ending halloween movies that circulate media. If you’re not a huge fan of scary movies, then I recommend cute fall movies like Dead Poets Society, Halloweentown, and my favorite, Coraline! These are such comfort movies in my house and truly bring the festivities to life. If you are into the scarier movies, then I recommend Halloween, Conjuring franchise, and Sinister. These are just a few movies that I find catching myself watching at the start of the fall season, but there are loads and loads of movies that can bring that energy!Â
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Take this season to enjoy all of the wonders of fall and appreciate the air getting cooler. There are so many things that you can do, especially in the Northern Virginia area!Â