Special Event: Halloween Treats!

The Market Commons at Clarendon
Fall Festival and Trick or Treating

October 25 ~ 3pm - 5pm

Bring the kids in their Halloween costumes for a fun filled afternoon at our annual Fall Festival. Children are invited to Trick-or-Treat at participating stores. Other activities include pumpkin painting, moon bounce, entertainment, face painting and more. For more information or in the event of inclement weather, please call (703) 807-2922.

Vienna Halloween Parade

October 29th ~ 7pm

Check the website for all the relevant information. Kids can participate in costume in the parade.

Ballston Mall Trick or Treating

October 31st ~ 5-7pm

This Halloween, come trick-or-treat with us at Ballston Common Mall. Join us Friday, October 31 from 5:00-7:00 PM for a spooky celebration! First, stop by the food court to pick up your free Halloween trick-or-treating bag, and get a list of participating stores for trick-or-treating. Then, visit your favorite retailers for great goodies! Don’t miss out on face painting, balloon sculptures, and much more located throughout the mall.

Halloween at Tysons Corner Center

October 31st ~ 4-6:30pm

Trick or Treat at Tysons Corner Center!

Join us on Halloween for treats for the mind and a spooktacular show!

WASH-FM 97.1 FM – 4:00 to 6:30

4:00-4:45 - Halloween Spooktacular
5:00-5:45 - Magic Show
6:00-6:30- Creepy Creatures Alive

Trick or Treating: 4:00pm to 6:30pm
Children may pick-up there spooktacular treat bag at the Guest Services 1 (Macy’s Court) or 2 (Restaurant Court). Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Special Event: Pumpkin Patches

Pumpkin patches are my favorite part of Halloween. I could live without the rest of it, but I really like going out and selecting pumpkins.

This is where we go:

Arlington United Methodist Church
Glebe Road
Arlington, VA
We have been selecting our pumpkins from this close by 'patch' (really just the yard of the church with lots of pumpkins on it) for the last 3 years. For the 2 and under set it definitely enough. Our pictures are all from this 'patch.' The pumpkins are not locally grown but the sales do benefit local organizations.


On 10/25 from 10am-2:30pm the church is having a special festival:
"Children's Festival & Book FairAn array of children's activities will be offered in conjunction with the Pumpkin Patch -- moon bounce, face painting, target games, improv, sing-a-long, crafts, & much more. The book fair will also be offered for parents and others to enjoy that day as well."


Other places to check out:

Burke Nursery and Garden Centre
9401 Burke Road, Burke, VA
Phone: 703-323-1188
Fairfax County, Virginia

Cox Farms
15621 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120
Phone: 703-830-4121
Fairfax County, Virginia

Cox Farm Market
2599 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna, Virginia
Phone: 703-281-0165
Fairfax County, Virginia

Heather Hill Gardens
8111 Ox Road, Fairfax Station, VA
Phone: 703-690-6060
Fairfax County, Virginia

Krop's Crops
11110 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA
Phone: 703-430-8955
Fairfax County, Virginia

Meadows Farms
10618 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA
Phone: 703-759-3900
Fairfax County, Virginia

Mount Vernon
South end of George Washington Memorial Parkway
Phone: 703-780-2000
Fairfax County, Virginia

Nalls Produce
7310 Beulah St., Alexandria, VA
Phone: 703-971-4068
Fairfax County, Virginia

Special Event: Firestation Open House

I have to admit that I still think fire trucks are pretty cool. They're big, they light up, and they make a lot of noise; what's not to like?

I know LG thinks firemen (and police officers) are pretty great as well, so I was glad to read that Arlington County is having their Fire Prevention Week Open House on Saturday, 10/11 from 10AM-4PM.

The Fire Department does this each year to promote fire safety and Fire Prevention Week. I've seen that they've had this in the past but have never been. It looks like they have activities for kids as well as tours of the stations and safety presentations. You can head down to your local station on Saturday to check it out.

BTW, it looks like many of the Northern VA counties hold the same open house program, and I'd imagine DC and MD do too.

Playground: Alcova Heights

Alcova Heights Park
901 S. George Mason Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22204

This newly renovated playground reminds me of Lacey Woods, which is a very good thing. We always have a great time at Lacey Woods. The equipment here is very similar as is the shaded playground space. I doubt LG will want to stop at Doctor's Run again now that she knows this playground exists just a few blocks away.

Equipment:

• Swings ~ bucket, regular, and tire!
• Slides ~ small, tall, covered, and even two metal slides (watch out in hot weather)
• Playhouse, well actually it is a train but it has a table with benches.
• Multiple window openings below climbing equipment
• Zip line (that is best description I can come up with)

Facilities:

• Street Parking
• Restrooms
• Water Fountains

Bonus Features:

• Creek with wooden bridge
• Large field
• Picnic Pavillion

As I mentioned, this park is very close to Doctor's Run park so I want to highlight a few of the differences between the parks in case you are trying to choose. Doctor's Run has a sandbox and is overall smaller than Alcova. Alcova is more removed from the street and has much larger equipment. Alcova also has a large field for children who like to play ball. Doctor's Run is equipped with a handicap accessible swing. Though LG prefers Alcova, your child may not so check them both out.