The Bluemont Fair takes over a village of 300 people this Saturday and Sunday, $10 at the gate, and the parking is free.
The season turns Saturday: the pumpkin fields open at Great Country Farms, 9 to 5, and the same day ends with a flashlight corn maze.
A free Saturday close to home: Fall Fest at Claude Moore Park, 10 to 3. Park at the Loudoun Park Lane entrance, not the main one.
Live music for nothing: Lulu's Fate play 90 minutes at Ashburn Library Sunday afternoon.
The one deadline: Ashburn Village exterior modification applications are due Thursday at noon.
Two minutes before you close this: today's puzzle is right below, new every day.
Sat 9/19 and Sun 9/20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days · $10 at the gate, free for 9 and under; parking free · ~35 min, 33846 Snickersville Tpk, Bluemont · All ages
Fall Fest at Claude Moore Park is free, and the entrance is the part people get wrong. Park at the Loudoun Park Lane entrance by the Heritage Farm Museum. Rain or shine, per the county.
Sat 9/19, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. · Free in; crafts priced separately · ~15 min, 21668 Heritage Farm Ln, Sterling · Age range not posted
The Mills Pool throws a dog pool party Saturday, $10 a dog, no sign-up. People out at 3, dogs in at 4, benefiting Loudoun County Animal Services. The listing is written for Ashburn Village residents and says nothing either way about everyone else, so call ahead if you are outside.
Sat 9/19, 4-6 p.m. · $10 per dog; cash, check or card on site · In Ashburn, 43895 Grottoes Dr · Dogs and their people
The pumpkin fields open at Great Country Farms Saturday, and the same day ends with a flashlight corn maze. Separate tickets. Buying the day ticket ahead saves about $2 a head once the booking fee is in, and pumpkins are extra.
Day Sat 9/19, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., through 10/31; maze 6-8:30 p.m. · Day $14 child / $16 adult advance weekend plus a $1 ticketing fee, $18 at the gate age 3+, free under 2; maze $11 child / $13 adult online, $14 at the gate · ~30 min, Bluemont · All ages
The Reston Multicultural Festival runs seven hours, so go late morning or late afternoon and skip the crush. Its 25th year. The organizer publishes no admission price and does not say it is free either.
Sat 9/19, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. · No admission figure published · ~20 min, 11900 Market St, Reston · All ages
Last Ham Standing is the Saturday night out, $18 an adult and $15 for a senior, student or child. Long-form improv, and tickets are also sold at the door.
Sat 9/19, 8 p.m. · $18 adults, $15 seniors, students and children, plus fees · ~25 min, 36441 Blueridge View Ln, Purcellville · Adults and older kids
Reason to Rock is $20 ahead and $25 on the day, under 18s free. Live music for mental health programs. Check the address: this is Solace's Falls Church outpost, not the Sterling taproom.
Sat 9/19, from 1:30 p.m. · $20 advance, $25 day of; under 18 free · ~35 min, 444 W Broad St, Falls Church · All ages
Sportrock Sterling climbs for 24 straight hours, Saturday lunchtime to Sunday lunchtime. Teams of three rotate between climbing, belaying and resting. Members pay $15; the non-member price is not published.
Sat 9/19 11:30 a.m. to Sun 9/20 11:30 a.m. · $15 member entry; no non-member figure published · ~15 min, Sportrock Sterling · Teams of three
Lulu's Fate play Ashburn Library Sunday afternoon, 90 minutes, indoors, no ticket. Mandolin, cello and three-part harmony, listed from elementary up, so a sit-and-listen hour.
Sun 9/20, 2-3:30 p.m. · No charge posted; just turn up · In Ashburn, 43316 Hay Rd · Elementary and up
A fall makers market at Lark Brewing Sunday, free to walk into. Handmade and vintage vendors, taproom open alongside.
Sun 9/20, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. · Free admission · ~25 min, 24205 James Monroe Hwy, Aldie · All ages
The Brambleton farmers market is the calmer of the two EatLoco Sundays. Its own page calls it smaller and less crowded than Ashbrook, which is the honest reason to pick it with a stroller.
Sun 9/20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. · No charge posted; just turn up · ~10 min, Olympia Dr, Brambleton · All ages
Pre-K Skill Builders is a two-hour open window Friday morning, not a fixed start. Aimed at a child heading for kindergarten next year.
Fri 9/18, 10 a.m.-noon · No charge posted; drop in any time · In Ashburn, 43316 Hay Rd · Ages 3-5 with a caregiver
Highland dancing at Brambleton Library Thursday, right after school pickup. A watch-it hour rather than a craft table.
Thu 9/17, 4-5 p.m. · No charge posted; just turn up · ~10 min, 22850 Brambleton Plaza · Elementary
Cascades opens after hours for grades 6 to 12 Friday night, and the entry rules are worth reading twice. Arrival is 6:00 to 6:30 only, registration is required, and a parent has to come in to verify ID unless it was done beforehand.
Fri 9/18, 6-9 p.m. · No charge posted; you must register first · ~15 min, 21030 Whitfield Pl · Grades 6-12
A teen artist's own gallery show at Brambleton Sunday afternoon. A Walk Around Senegal, by Bahia Omais. Teen artists 12 to 19 can ask about showing their own work.
Sun 9/20, 3-4 p.m. · No charge posted; just turn up · ~10 min, 22850 Brambleton Plaza · Middle and high school
Outdoor Messy Art at Cascades meets in the back parking lot, and people miss that every time. Clothes you do not care about. The branch posts that it cancels in inclement weather.
Mon 9/21, 10:30-11:15 a.m. · No charge posted; just turn up · ~15 min, 21030 Whitfield Pl · 18 months to 5, with an adult
Custom stamp carving Tuesday evening, one of the few things a teen and a parent can do side by side. No registration is posted, so treat it as first come.
Tue 9/22, 6-8 p.m. · No charge posted; no sign-up listed, so turn up early · In Ashburn, 43316 Hay Rd · Middle school and up
A real laser cutter at Rust Library Wednesday evening, making a fall bookmark. Space and supplies are capped and no registration is posted, so turn up early. Under-12s need an adult.
Wed 9/23, 6-7:30 p.m. · No charge posted; no sign-up listed, so turn up early · ~20 min, 380 Old Waterford Rd NW, Leesburg · Middle school and up
Hispanic Heritage trivia at Brambleton Wednesday, and you can turn up alone and be put on a team.Wed 9/23, 6:30-8 p.m. · No charge posted; just turn up · ~10 min, 22850 Brambleton Plaza · High school and adults
Early in-person voting opens Friday, and for the next month Leesburg is the only place to do it. The four satellite sites, including the Ashburn Recreation and Community Center, do not open until Sunday October 18. No excuse needed.
Opens Fri 9/18, 8:30-5 · Free · ~15 min, 750 Miller Dr SE Suite 150, Leesburg · Registered voters
Out of the Darkness walks One Loudoun Saturday, free to join and free to register. Check-in 11, ceremony 12:30, walk 1, so plan a half day rather than a quick lap. A common source of teen service hours.
Sat 9/19, check-in 11 a.m., walk 1 p.m. · Free; free registration required · In Ashburn, One Loudoun · No minimum age posted
Western Loudoun Basketball is $200 a player and the October 1 close is tentative, not fixed. The league may move people to a wait-list earlier if divisions fill. Tryouts target 2 of 3 Saturdays on
the calendar: September 26, October 3 and October 10.
Open now; tentative close Oct 1, possibly earlier · $200 per player · Western Loudoun · Grades 1-12
Dulles Youth Basketball posts $200 early and $250 after September 1, so today it is $250, and it closes when it fills rather than on a date. Card only, online only, and evaluations are mandatory:
kindergarten Monday September 28 at 6:15 and second grade at 7, first grade Tuesday the 29th at 6:15 and third grade up at 7, make-ups October 13, all at Cedar Lane.
Open until capacity · $250 per child, card only · In Ashburn, Cedar Lane Elementary · Loudoun County residents, kindergarten and up
Central Loudoun Basketball has no deadline, because divisions close by filling. Middle school and grades 3 to 5 are already waitlisted; high school and grades 1 to 2 are open.
Open until each division fills · $200 elementary and middle, $180 high school, county fee included · Central Loudoun · Grades 1-12
Solace has trivia on the calendar for both Wednesdays in this stretch, sign-ups 6:30 and questions from 7. The taproom also advertises a standing Tuesday and Thursday night, so check the date before you go.
Wed 9/16 and Wed 9/23, 7-10 p.m. · No charge posted; just turn up · ~15 min, 42615 Trade West Dr, Sterling · Adults
Loudoun On Tap is at Lark Brewing Tuesday, $45 for chamber members and $65 for everyone else. Registration required, and it includes a look at Lark's new event space.
Tue 9/22, 5-7 p.m. · $45 members, $65 non-members · ~25 min, 24205 James Monroe Hwy, Aldie · Adults
Lovettsville Oktoberfest returns to the downtown streets on Saturday the 26th, and the location has changed. If you went last year, the Town Green is not where it is. The town publishes no admission price.
Sat 9/26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. · No admission figure published · ~35 min, downtown Lovettsville · All ages
Breaux Vineyards runs its harvest festival October 24 and 25, free to attend. The winery's own music lineup names both days, which settles a date that reads two ways elsewhere on the page.
Sat 10/24 and Sun 10/25, from 11 a.m. · Free to attend · ~30 min, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Ln, Purcellville · All ages
Fall kids crafts at Lark Saturday, free; bingo Monday and Harry Potter trivia Tuesday, also free.Sat 9/19, Mon 9/21, Tue 9/22 · Free · ~25 min, Aldie · Kids, then adults
The Virginia ABC rare bourbon lottery closes Thursday, and entering is free. Rock Hill Farms at $89.99 has 659 bottles and much the best odds; the other three run 22 to 122 bottles. Entry timing inside the window makes no difference.
Entries close Thu 9/17 · Free to enter; bottles $79.99-$399.99 · Online · 21+
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