Halloween events and activities near Fredericksburg, VA: pumpkin patches, trunk-or-treats, theme park events, and fall foliage within two hours.

Every October the same question comes up in our inbox: what is actually happening this year, and which of it is worth the drive? So we built the list. Everything below was checked on the venue’s own website, a city or county page, or an official state and national park listing. No aggregator sites, no copying last year’s dates.

Every entry links straight to its official source, so you can confirm times and buy tickets without hunting. We have grouped it by how far you are willing to go, starting with what is happening right here in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, and Caroline, then working outward to the farms, theme parks, state parks, and camping weekends within about two hours.

A note on dates: mid-September is early, and a lot of local trunk-or-treats have not posted 2026 dates yet. We put those in a watch list at the bottom rather than guess. Check back, because we will keep updating this through October.

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Disclaimer: We try to make this list as comprehensive and accurate as possible, and every entry was verified on an official source. Featured advertisers pay to be included. Dates, hours, and prices change constantly in October, so always confirm directly with the venue before you load everyone into the car.

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Halloween and Fall Events in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, and Caroline

Start here. These are the closest options, most of them under 30 minutes.

• Scarecrow Fest, downtown Fredericksburg (Caroline St.). Oct 1 to 31, all day, no admission fee. Pick up a scarecrow map at the Visitor Center starting Oct 1 and vote for your favorite.
• Quacktoberfest, Riverfront Park, Sophia St., Fredericksburg. Sat, Oct 17, 2 to 6 p.m. Free admission. Rubber duck race down the Rappahannock at 3 p.m., duck adoptions $5.
• Halloween Movies in the Park, Riverfront Park, Fredericksburg. Sat, Oct 17, 7 to 9:30 p.m. A Darkwing Duck episode followed by Hocus Pocus. Bring blankets and chairs.
• Halloween at the Market, Hurkamp Park, Fredericksburg. Sat, Oct 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Local artists and crafters set up alongside the regular farmers market.
• Stafford Fall Festival, John Lee Pratt Memorial Park, 120 River Road, Fredericksburg. Sat, Oct 3, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. General parking is off-site at the YMCA, 212 Butler Rd. The Great Pumpkin Derby requires pre-registration.
• 61st Annual King George Fall Festival, King George High School. Sat, Oct 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parade, midway rides, petting zoo, craft show, and car show. 2026 theme is America the Beautiful.
• Great KG Scarecrow Showdown, King George. Entry deadline Oct 1. A community scarecrow-building contest tied to the Fall Festival.
• Dog Days at Ferry Farm, George Washington’s Ferry Farm, 268 Kings Hwy, Fredericksburg. Sat, Oct 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $5 adults, free for ages 17 and under. Leashed dogs welcome on the historic grounds.
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community Day, Ferry Farm, 268 Kings Hwy. Sun, Oct 4, 1 to 3:30 p.m. ASL-interpreted programming, regular Ferry Farm admission applies.
• Mini Mornings at the Museum: Seasons, Historic Kenmore, 1201 Washington Ave, Fredericksburg. Thu, Oct 29, 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. A preschool-age program on the changing seasons.
• Music on the Green, The Green, Bowling Green. Fri, Oct 16, 6 to 8 p.m. Not Halloween themed, but it is the town’s confirmed October evening event.
• Sweeney Todd, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, 95 Riverside Pkwy, Fredericksburg. Sept 16 to Oct 25. The area’s big Halloween-season mainstage show, better for teens than little ones.
• Paranormal Investigations, Fredericksburg Area Museum, 907 Princess Anne St. Nov 21 to 22, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. An overnight guided investigation of two historic downtown sites. Older teens and adults.

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Library Halloween Programs (Central Rappahannock Regional Library)

All free with a library card, and they fill up, so check the library’s Halloween page to register where required.

• Scarily Bad CGI Movie Night, Fredericksburg Branch, 1201 Caroline St. Tue, Oct 6, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Grades 6 to 12. Bring snacks, pillows, and blankets.
• Park After Dark, Kenmore Park, 1101 Kenmore Ave. Fri, Oct 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Family-friendly outdoor spooky storytelling. Bring chairs.
• Spirit on a Budget Costume Contest, Fredericksburg Branch. Tue, Oct 13, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Grades 6 to 12, with prizes for the best budget costume.
• Spooky Stories, Salem Church Branch, 2607 Salem Church Rd. Tue, Oct 27, 6 to 7 p.m. Grades K to 6.
• Grow a Reader Special: Halloween Hoopla, Salem Church Branch. Fri, Oct 30, sessions at 10 and 11 a.m. Birth to age 5 with a caregiver.
• Halloween Celebration, Fredericksburg Branch. Sat, Oct 31, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Crafts and activities while supplies last, costumes encouraged.

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Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, and Fall Farm Festivals

Three of these are within 20 minutes of downtown. The rest are worth the drive on a clear Saturday.

Closest to Fredericksburg

• Braehead Farm, 1130 Tyler St, Fredericksburg. Weekends, Sept 26 to Oct 25, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. $6 playground plus a $9 festival add-on, $15 total per person, under 2 free. The only one inside city limits, and you can do just the playground on a low-energy day.
• Belvedere Plantation, 1410 Belvedere Dr, Fredericksburg. Sept 12 to Nov 7. October weekend tickets $27.95 online, $5 more at the gate, ticket required age 3 and up. More than 30 attractions. Closing day, Nov 7, is Pumpkin Smashing.
• Snead’s Farm, 18294 Tidewater Trail, Fredericksburg. Sept 26 to Nov 1, daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., last entry 4:45 p.m. $20 weekends, $15 weekdays, under 2 free. Military Day on Oct 12 is $10 for active and retired service members.

Within about an hour

• Round Hill Farm, 6347 Everona Rd, Culpeper. Sept 19 to Nov 8. $18.95 online, $22.95 at the gate, season pass $44.95. A 30th-anniversary corn maze with a scavenger hunt built in.
• Maple Tree Farm, 8275 Maple Tree Ln, Warrenton. Every Saturday and Sunday in October including Oct 31. $15 plus fee, under 2 free. The Lily the Cow puppet show and the Maple Tree Express train make this the strongest toddler pick on the list.
• Sarah’s Pumpkin Patch, Madison County. Opening late September or early October, the farm has it listed as TBD. Corn maze $5 age 12 and up, $3 ages 5 to 11. New quarter-acre pick-your-own sunflower field for 2026.
• Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival, 205 Graves Mountain Ln, Syria. Oct 3 to 4, 10 to 11, and 17 to 18, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $5 for adults 16 and up, 15 and under free. Live bluegrass daily and $3 orchard hayrides. The cheapest gate price here.
• Chesterfield Berry Farm, 26002 Pear Orchard Rd, Moseley. Opens Sept 12. $19.99 online, $24.99 gate, under 2 free. An 8-acre corn maze cut for the country’s 250th.

Northern Virginia and Loudoun, roughly 75 minutes to two hours

• Cox Farms Fall Festival, 15621 Braddock Rd, Centreville. Sept 19 to Nov 8. Date-tiered at $15, $20, $25, or $30, ticket required age 2 and up. Online only, and peak October Saturdays sell out, so buy early for the cheap tiers.
• Temple Hall Farm, 15855 Limestone School Rd, Leesburg. Sept 26 to Nov 3, daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $15 per person, $3 off weekdays. Admission includes a pumpkin, which makes the real price very competitive.
• Great Country Farms, 18780 Foggy Bottom Rd, Bluemont. Sept 19 to Oct 31, daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From $12 child and $14 adult on weekdays. Last pumpkin wagon leaves at 4 p.m., which is the thing families miss.
• Leesburg Animal Park Pumpkin Village, 19246 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg. Sept 19 to Nov 8. Wild Wednesdays are $14.95, prime weekends $24.95, under 2 free. Petting zoo plus giant hill slides.
• Wegmeyer Farms, 38299 Hughesville Rd, Hamilton. Pick-your-own pumpkins Sept 19 to Oct 31, Thu to Sun, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. No admission fee listed. A straight pumpkin field with no midway, good if you want photos without crowds.
• Wayside Farm Fun, 5273 Harry Byrd Hwy, Berryville. Sept 19 to Nov 1. A 10-acre corn maze, pig races on weekends, and a goat walk 20 feet overhead.
• Hollin Farms, 1524 Snowden Rd, Delaplane. Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., last admission 1:30. Dig-your-own peanuts at $5 a pound and dig-your-own potatoes, which nothing else around here offers.
• Marker-Miller Orchards Pumpkin Festival, 3035 Cedar Creek Grade, Winchester. One day only, Sat, Oct 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cow train, wagon rides, and a bakery running pumpkin donuts.

Charlottesville area

• Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trail, Charlottesville. Ticketed fall weekends Sept 12 through Nov 15. $10 per person age 12 and up, under 12 free. Entry does not include fruit and visits are capped at 3 hours, so plan your order of operations.
• Chiles Peach Orchard, 1351 Greenwood Rd, Crozet. Pick-your-own pumpkins from Sept 19, with Patch of Fun weekends through Nov 3. There is an apple cannon alongside the hayrides.

Maryland, at the edge of two hours

• Montpelier Farms, 1720 N Crain Hwy, Upper Marlboro, MD. Sept 12 to Nov 8. From $19.95 online. Two mazes, including a Spookley the Square Pumpkin maze sized for little kids.
• Butler’s Orchard, 22222 Davis Mill Rd, Germantown, MD. 46th Pumpkin Festival, Sept 19 to Nov 1, Wed to Sun. From $12 reserved on weekdays. Most weekend days sell out and walk-ins are not admitted.
• Bowles Farms, 22880 Budds Creek Rd, Clements, MD. Weekends Sept 26 to Oct 31. $15 per person, 3 and under free. A 15-acre corn maze cut as the Statue of Liberty, the biggest maze on this list.
• Summers Farm, 7503 Hollow Rd, Middletown, MD. Sept 26 to Nov 1. A 6-acre corn maze carved as Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals jersey, with trivia along the route.
• Gaver Farm, 5501 Detrick Rd, Mt. Airy, MD. Sept 4 to Nov 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The earliest opening in the region.
• Clark’s Elioak Farm, 10500 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD. Sept 19 to Nov 8. $8 farm admission. Home to the rescued Enchanted Forest storybook figures, with costume parades Oct 24 to 25.

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Theme Parks, Zoos, and Big Ticketed Halloween Events

Worth noting which of these are actually built for young kids and which are the after-dark scare events. Several parks run both, on the same day.

Made for younger kids

• Halloween Spooktacular, Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept 19 to Nov 1. Included with park admission. Sesame Street themed daytime trick-or-treating designed for ages 9 and under.
• Boo at the Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Washington DC. Oct 16 to 18. $35, members save 15 percent, everyone over age 2 needs a ticket. Do not confuse it with Night of the Living Zoo, which is the adult version.
• Trick-or-Treating at Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy. Sat, Oct 31, 2 to 5 p.m. $26 for kids 11 and under collecting candy. Costume parade at 4 p.m., and kids 12 and under eat free at Mount Vernon Inn from 5 to 8 with each adult entree.
• Fall Harvest Family Days, Mount Vernon. Oct 24 to 25, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $30 adults 12 and up, $16 youth 6 to 11, ages 0 to 5 free. The wheat-treading demos at 11 and 1 need a separate free ticket, so grab one on arrival.
• ZooBOO, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Oct 2 to 31, included with zoo admission. Runs across several weekends rather than one day, and costumes are encouraged all month.
• Ice Age Invasion, Metro Richmond Zoo, Moseley. Aug 29 to Oct 31, included with regular admission, no upcharge. Life-size prehistoric animatronics near the lemurs. Not Halloween themed, but it ends on Halloween.
• Garden Glow, Maymont, Richmond. Oct 14 to Nov 8, final entry 9 p.m. $16 to $25 depending on age and night. Note that Oct 31 is an adults-only night, and there are flashing light sequences if you have a light-sensitive kid.
• Halloween on the Farm, Frying Pan Farm Park, Herndon. Fri, Oct 23 and Sat, Oct 24, in timed slots. $12 advance, $15 day-of. Trick-or-treating, farm animals, and farmhouse tours, capped by registration.
• Farm Harvest Fest and Carnival, Frying Pan Farm Park, Herndon. Oct 16 to 18. $10 parking per vehicle, ride wristbands $23.25 presale. Big Truck Night is a serious draw for the preschool set.

For teens and grown-ups

• Howl-O-Scream, Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Select nights, Sept 11 to Nov 1, included with park admission. The park itself says it contains amplified scares not recommended for children. It runs after dark in the same park as Spooktacular, so you can do the daytime event and leave.
• Fields of Fear, Cox Farms, Centreville. Fridays and Saturdays, Sept 25 to Nov 7, plus Sunday Oct 11. A separate ticket from the daytime festival at the same farm.
• Halls of Hysteria, Fredericksburg Convention Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Pkwy. Oct 16 to 31, $25 per person. An adult-oriented haunt with a corn maze section. Times were still listed as coming soon at time of writing.
• Sully Illuminated, Sully Historic Site, Chantilly. Nov 7, 14, and 21 at 5:30 p.m. Ages 8 and up, preregistration required. A candlelit after-dark tour, atmospheric rather than scary.

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State Parks, Trick-or-Treat Trails, and Fall Foliage

This is the best value on the whole list. Most of these cost nothing beyond the parking fee.

Trick-or-treat trails and Halloween programs

• Trek n’ Treat, self-guided, Widewater State Park, 101 Widewater State Park Rd, Stafford. Oct 12 to 31 during park hours. Parking $7 weekdays, $10 weekends. Pick up a pamphlet at the Visitor Center, hike the decorated Long Pond Trail, and a ranger hands out sweets at the end. Costumes encouraged.
• Trek n’ Treat, ranger-guided, Widewater State Park. Oct 16, 23, and 30 at 2 p.m., Oct 17, 24, and 31 at 11 a.m. Parking fee only, no registration. The Saturday 11 a.m. slots land before nap time.
• Halloween Howl, Caledon State Park, 11617 Caledon Rd, King George. Fri, Oct 30, 6 to 8 p.m. Event is free, $5 parking. A not-so-haunted wagon ride, a Skeleton Zoo, and trick-or-treat s’mores at a campfire. Explicitly billed as not scary, which makes it one of very few genuinely preschool-safe night events.
• Tree-t Trek, Westmoreland State Park, Rock Springs Pond Trailhead, 145 Cliff Rd, Montross. Sat, Oct 31, 10 to 11 a.m. Parking fee only. Half a mile on a paved, stroller-friendly trail, with candy along the way.
• Fall Festival with trunk-or-treat, Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr, Woodbridge. Sat, Oct 24, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $10 parking. Hayrides, crafts, and the closest true trunk-or-treat-at-a-state-park to Fredericksburg.
• Howl-O-Ween B.A.R.K. Ranger Hike, Sweet Run State Park, 11661 Harpers Ferry Rd, Hillsboro. Sat, Oct 31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A costume-friendly hike for dogs and owners. Terrain is moderately steep and rocky, so not a stroller hike.

Fall programs and foliage

• Finding Fall wagon ride, Caledon State Park, King George. Sat, Oct 17, 10 a.m. to noon. $5 parking plus $8 per person or $20 per family, which caps your cost. Registration required at 540-663-3861. Rangers lend binoculars.
• Fall Foliage Fun, Caledon State Park. Sat, Nov 14, 10 a.m. to noon. $5 parking. A mid-November option if you miss the October rush.
• Fall Farm Day, Sky Meadows State Park, 11012 Edmonds Ln, Delaplane. Sat, Oct 3, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $10 parking. Hay wagon rides with real working farm demonstrations, built around the park’s nearly 200-year history.
• Fall Foliage Festival, Sky Meadows State Park. Sat and Sun, Oct 17 to 18, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $10 parking. The park sits right against the Blue Ridge, so the foliage views are the real thing. Sunday is the calmer day.
• Harvest Moon Hike, Shenandoah River State Park, 350 Daughter of Stars Dr, Bentonville. Sat, Sept 26, 7:30 to 9 p.m. A night hike that starts early enough for elementary-age kids.
• Autumn Tree ID Walk and Nature Journaling, Powhatan State Park. Sat, Oct 24, walk from 10 to 11 a.m. and journaling from 1 to 3 p.m. Parking is $5, the cheapest in the system, and two programs run on one parking fee.
• Montross Fall Festival, 15803 Kings Hwy, Montross. Sat, Oct 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No admission or parking fee, because it is in town rather than in the park. Westmoreland rangers run a booth with displays and prizes, and there is a parade at 3 p.m.
• Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park, $30 per vehicle, good for 7 days, and the park is fully cashless. Fee-free days include Oct 27 and Nov 11. The Park Service says plainly that peak color cannot be predicted, and that the typical fall season runs late September through November. Weekdays are far calmer.
• Junior Ranger at Shenandoah National Park, free booklet at Byrd or Dickey Ridge Visitor Centers, ages 7 to 12. The badge needs 12 of 15 activities plus two ranger-led programs, so plan the visit around program times.
• Junior Ranger at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, 120 Chatham Ln, Fredericksburg. No entrance fee, booklets free. Four separate booklets earning four patches, which makes it a repeatable fall-weekend project rather than one and done.
• Blue Ridge Parkway, northern end at Rockfish Gap, no entrance fee. The Park Service rule of thumb: most trees change during October, starting on the highest peaks early in the month and moving down the mountainsides as it passes.
• DCR Fall Foliage Report for Northern Virginia State Parks, not a destination, a tool. Rangers post weekly in-season observations for Leesylvania, Shenandoah River, Sky Meadows, Sweet Run, and Widewater. Check it the week you want to go rather than trusting any predicted peak date.

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Halloween Camping Weekends

Campgrounds go all out for Halloween, usually across several weekends, and most require you to be a registered guest.

• Fredericksburg / Washington DC South KOA, 7400 Brookside Lane, Fredericksburg. Halloween Weekend, Oct 29 to Nov 1. Campsite rates apply, with $10 off the Thursday night. Daytime activities and Saturday trick-or-treating, plus a free year-round scavenger hunt.
• Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, Luray, 2250 US-211 East. Six Halloween weekends, Sept 25 to Nov 1. Costume contest, site-to-site trick-or-treating, golf cart parade, haunted trail, and a magic pumpkin patch where kids plant seeds that grow overnight. Budget carefully: the optional Frightfully Fun Pass is $46 per person on top of the site.
• Harpers Ferry / Civil War Battlefields KOA, 343 Campground Rd, Harpers Ferry, WV. Halloweekends on Oct 9 to 10, 16 to 17, 23 to 24, and 30 to 31, with a gentler Harvest Weekend Oct 2 to 3. Registered on-site guests only, advance reservations required, so you cannot drive in for the day.
• Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA, three themed weekends, Oct 17, 24, and 31. The Oct 31 weekend has an actual Halloween carnival plus a haunted hayride, and it sits near the southern Skyline Drive entrances.

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Grown-Ups Only

Because October is long and you are allowed to have plans too.

• Fun Land After Hours Halloween, 1351 Central Park Blvd, Fredericksburg. Sat, Oct 31, 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. $30 plus tax, ID required, two drink tickets included.
• Roswell 1947: An Intergalactic Halloween, Happy Endings Bar and Grill, 1315 Princess Anne St. Oct 30 to 31. The venue’s 20th anniversary party with a costume contest and cash prizes.
• Enclosed Halloween Terrarium Workshop, Green Eyed Vines, 719 Caroline St. Fri, Oct 23, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. $70.

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Watch This Space: Local Favorites Without 2026 Dates Yet

These are real, recurring, and worth watching, but as of mid-September none had posted a 2026 date. We did not want to print last year’s and send you somewhere on the wrong day. Links go to the page to keep an eye on.

• Treats on the Streets, downtown Fredericksburg trick-or-treat, organized by Fredericksburg Main Street. The city calendar points to Oct 31, but the event page still carries 2025 details.
• ScarecrowFest Family Costume Stroll, which traditionally feeds straight into Treats on the Streets.
• Kings Dominion Tricks and Treats Fall Fest, Doswell. The park’s all-ages, scare-free daytime event and the separate Halloween Haunt. The site blocks automated checking, so confirm 2026 dates directly with the park.
• Caledon State Park Trunk-or-Treat and Zombie Games, King George, which ran free on Halloween night in 2025.
• King George County Parks and Recreation Halloween Trunk or Treat, call 540-775-4386.
• Trunk or Treat at Dominion Raceway, 6501 Dominion Raceway Ave, Thornburg.
• Wilderness Presidential Resort trunk or treat, 9220 Plank Road, Spotsylvania.
• Bowling Green and Caroline County Harvest Festival, historically mid-October.
• Monster Roll Skate Night, on the City of Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation calendar for Oct 9, with no time or venue posted. Call 540-372-1086.
• Widewater State Park additional programming, Stafford. More October programs are typically added to the park page through the season.

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A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

Almost nothing here is truly free. We only call something free when admission and parking are both free and it is open to everyone. Most state parks charge $5 to $10 to park even when the program itself costs nothing, so budget for it.

A spring freeze hit the region’s fruit trees hard this year. Several orchards lost most or all of their apple and peach crops for 2026. If apple picking is the whole point of your trip, call that specific orchard before you drive.

Liberty Mills Farm in Somerset has permanently closed. It ran one of Virginia’s largest corn mazes for 16 years and still shows up on a lot of Halloween roundups, so cross it off your list.

Book the big ones early. Cox Farms, Butler’s Orchard, and Belvedere all sell out on peak October weekends, and several do not admit walk-ins once capacity is reached.

Looking for more? Our events this month page is where the full local calendar lives, our Fredericksburg business directory lists local businesses serving families, and our local guides collect everything else we have put together for families around Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Spotsylvania.

Hosting a trunk-or-treat or fall event? Submit it to our events calendar!