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Wednesday, October 7, 2026
WeekendFamilyLocal NewsGames

Kids are off Monday, so the weekend runs three days. Olympic-level riders compete at Morven Park from Thursday to Sunday, Fairfax's Fall Festival turns 50 on Saturday, and Reston has a free rock show Saturday night. On Monday the libraries are closed, but the rec centers and the pumpkin farms are open.

The 5-second plan
Thursday to Sunday, about 20 minutes away: Morven Park International in Leesburg, free with a grounds pass.
Saturday, about 30 minutes away: Fairfax's 50th Fall Festival, free to walk in, with free shuttles.
Saturday night, about 20 minutes away: Rocktoberfest at Reston Town Center, free, with Vertical Horizon at 9.
Saturday and Sunday: fire station open houses, Sterling from 10 on Saturday and Arcola, ten minutes away, 1 to 4 on Sunday.
Monday, no school: the libraries are closed, but the pumpkin farms are open and Disney On Ice plays Fairfax at 1.
🧠 Before you go — today’s Ashburn puzzle. Two minutes, one Ashburn puzzle. Play →
Editor's Pick

Morven Park International runs Thursday to Sunday, free with a grounds pass. Olympic-level eventing riders compete in Leesburg over four days, with cross-country on Saturday. Saturday's tailgate spaces are sold out, but the grounds pass is free.

Thu–Sun 10/8–10/11, gates 8 a.m.–5 p.m. · Free daily grounds pass required; VIP day pass $175; Saturday tailgate spaces sold out · ~20 min, 41580 Sunday Morning Ln, Leesburg · All ages
Fairs, Festivals & Fall

Saturday has Fairfax's 50th Fall Festival, Pueblo Unido Day in Sterling, the Fall Races in Middleburg and a free rock show in Reston, and Clifton Day fills Sunday.

Fairs and festivals
Pueblo Unido Day brings food trucks, dance troupes and alpacas to the Sterling Community Center. The county's yearly celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture has music and dance performances, a petting zoo, a moonbounce and a mechanical bull.
Sat 10/10, noon–4 p.m. · Free · ~15 min, Sterling Community Center, 120 Enterprise St, Sterling · All ages
Rocktoberfest puts Vertical Horizon on a free stage at Reston Town Center on Saturday night. Virginia Coalition opens at 6 and Everything plays at 7:30, before Vertical Horizon at 9. The garage parking is free too.
Sat 10/10, 5–11 p.m.; Vertical Horizon at 9 p.m. · Free; free garage parking · ~20 min, Reston Town Center Pavilion, Reston · All ages
ParktoberFest fills the lawn at Cabell's Mill in Ellanor C. Lawrence Park on Saturday afternoon. The Walkaways play, ONO Brewery pours, and food trucks, local vendors, bakers and makers set up.
Sat 10/10, noon–5 p.m. · Price not posted by the organizer · ~20 min, Cabell's Mill, Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Chantilly · Age guidance not posted
Dandiya and garba at John Champe High School on Saturday night, tickets $28.52. Dandiya Dhamal is a four-hour Navratri dance night, and a second night follows on Saturday, October 17.
Sat 10/10, 7–11 p.m. · $28.52 with fees (cheaper tiers have ended) · ~20 min, 41535 Sacred Mountain St, Aldie · All ages
Fairfax's Fall Festival turns 50 on Saturday, free to walk in, with free shuttles from GMU and Fairfax High. More than 400 craft, food and information vendors fill downtown Fairfax, with entertainment stages and a children's area of rides. The shuttles run 9:30 to 5:30 from the GMU Rappahannock Parking Deck and Fairfax High School, which is the easy answer to downtown parking. The city asks you to leave pets at home.
Sat 10/10, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · Free admission; kids' rides $3–$5 each or $30 for an all-day wristband · ~30 min, 10415 North St, Fairfax · All ages; pets discouraged, service animals welcome
The Virginia Fall Races are Saturday, $50 a car, cash at the gate or bought online. Steeplechase racing at Glenwood Park, with the first race at 12:30. Reserved parking spaces are sold out, so general admission is the way in.
Sat 10/10, first race 12:30 p.m. · $50 a vehicle, $10 for each additional person; cash only at the gate · ~40 min, Glenwood Park, Middleburg · All ages
Clifton Day fills the little town of Clifton on Sunday with more than 100 vendors and a beer garden. Local makers, food, live music and a KidsFest with games and face painting. Check the festival's parking page before you go.
Sun 10/11, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. · Admission not posted · ~35 min, historic Clifton, Fairfax County · All ages
Pumpkins, haunts and corn mazes
Fields of Fear adds a Sunday night, October 11, before the Monday holiday. The Cox Farms haunt normally runs Fridays and Saturdays, and all three nights, Friday to Sunday, are $45, sold online.
Fri 10/9–Sun 10/11, 7:30–11 p.m., last entry 10 p.m. · $45 each night · ~30 min, 15621 Braddock Rd, Centreville · Not recommended under 12; under 14 with an adult
Milltown Haunt in Lovettsville is open Friday to Sunday, from $40. Loudoun's own haunt runs Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 11 and Sundays from 7 to 10, with gates opening at 6. Sunday is First Responders night, with 15% off admission with a valid ID.
Fri 10/9–Sun 10/11; Fri–Sat 7–11 p.m., Sun 7–10 p.m. · General admission $40; R.I.P. skip-the-line $55; no refunds · ~40 min, 13936 Milltown Rd, Lovettsville · Age guidance not posted; no open-toed shoes
Adult corn maze nights at Great Country Farms on Friday and Saturday, $45 in advance. Each ticket includes a complimentary pour of Henway Hard Cider or Bluemont Vineyard wine, with live music and fire pits; the farm says these nights sell out.
Fri 10/9 and Sat 10/10, 6–9 p.m. · $45 advance, $49 at the gate · ~40 min, 18780 Foggy Bottom Rd, Bluemont · Adults only
The pumpkin farms are open on Monday's school holiday, most at weekend prices. Pumpkin Village charges its $24.95 weekend price on Monday, and holiday tickets must be bought online ahead. Temple Hall charges $15 with a pumpkin included and sells at the gate only. Its page offers $3 off on weekdays but doesn't say whether the holiday counts. Great Country Farms also prices Monday as a weekend day and runs pig races at 11, 1 and 3, and Cox Farms is open Thursday through Monday all season.
Mon 10/12 · Pumpkin Village $24.95, online in advance only, under 2 free; Temple Hall $15, under 2 free; Great Country Farms $14 child, $16 adult online plus $1, $18 at the gate; Cox Farms $30, online only, under 2 free · ~20 min, 19246 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg; ~25 min, 15855 Limestone School Rd, Leesburg; ~40 min, 18780 Foggy Bottom Rd, Bluemont; ~30 min, 15621 Braddock Rd, Centreville · All ages
This Weekend

Friday has stand-up in Ashburn, Saturday morning has a Halloween swim in Sterling, and on Monday the rec centers stay open while the libraries close.

Friday
Stand-up at Lost Rhino on Friday, $27 with fees included. Next Stop Comedy brings a lineup to the Ashburn brewery, with seating from 7. The same company runs a later show at Vanish Brewery in Lucketts at 8.
Fri 10/9; Lost Rhino seating 7 p.m., show 7:30; Vanish 8–9:30 p.m. · Lost Rhino $27, fees included; Vanish $27.86 with fees · In Ashburn, 21730 Red Rum Dr, Ste 142; ~25 min, 42245 Black Hops Ln, Leesburg · Adults; neither venue posts an age rule
Wear pink to Lark Brewing on Friday for a night supporting a breast cancer charity, with s'mores and face painting. The Pink Party supports Bosom Buddy Baskets, which provides comfort to women recovering from mastectomy surgery. Expect live music, raffles and things for kids to do. Tickets are non-refundable.
Fri 10/9, 5–8:30 p.m. · $49.87 with fees; kids 12 and under $23.18 · ~20 min, 24205 James Monroe Hwy, Aldie · All ages
Two tribute nights at the Tally Ho: 70s rock on Friday and 80s hits on Saturday. 70's Rock Parade, a Long Island band, plays Friday, and The Reagan Years play Saturday. General admission doesn't guarantee a seat on Friday and is standing room on Saturday.
Fri 10/9 and Sat 10/10, doors 7 p.m., start times not posted · Friday $26.03, Saturday $26.65, general admission with fees · ~20 min, 19 W Market St, Leesburg · All ages Friday; no age limit posted Saturday
Saturday
Swim with skeletons and dive for ghosts at Claude Moore in Sterling on Saturday morning, $7. Spook & Swim also has a floating pumpkin patch to collect from. Register ahead through the county.
Sat 10/10, 9–10:30 a.m. · $7 (activity #173780-01); register at loudoun.gov/PRCSConnect · ~15 min, Claude Moore Recreation and Community Center, Sterling · All ages
Drop in at Algonkian's Big Sit any time from 7 to 7 and count birds for as long as you like. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy birders keep a tally all day near the boat ramp, and newcomers can join for five minutes or an hour.
Sat 10/10, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. · No charge posted · ~15 min, Algonkian Regional Park, 47001 Fairway Dr, Sterling · All ages
Civil War nursing, from both sides, at Mt. Zion for $10 cash. "The Healing: Conversations Between Nurses North and South" is an hour-long program at the NOVA Parks historic site.
Sat 10/10, 1–2 p.m. · $10 a person, cash only · ~20 min, 40309 Little River Tpke, Aldie · History-minded adults and older kids
Sunday
Pancakes after Mass at St. Theresa on Sunday, $10 for adults and $5 for kids. The Knights of Columbus serve after the 7:30, 8:45 and 10:30 Masses.
Sun 10/11, after the 7:30, 8:45 and 10:30 a.m. Masses · Adults $10, ages 3–11 $5, under 3 free · In Ashburn, 21371 St. Theresa Ln · All ages
Fire truck rides at the Arcola fire station on Sunday afternoon, and two more stations open Saturday. Arcola puts its vehicles on display, and kids can meet the crews, play games and learn fire safety. On Saturday, Sterling runs station tours and a touch-a-truck, and Purcellville adds truck rides and equipment demonstrations.
Arcola Sun 10/11, 1–4 p.m.; Sterling Sat 10/10, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Purcellville Sat 10/10, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. · No charge posted · ~10 min, 23675 Belmont Ridge Rd, Brambleton; ~15 min, 104 Commerce St, Sterling; ~30 min, 500 N Maple Ave, Purcellville · All ages
Monday (no school)
Hyper Kidz in Ashburn charges its weekend price on Monday, $18.99 for ages 3 to 13. Federal holidays count as weekend days there, and two adults per family get in free with a paying child.
Mon 10/12, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. · $18.99 ages 3–13, $16.99 ages 1–2; two adults free per family, third adult $6.99 · In Ashburn, 21641 Beaumeade Cir, Ste 311 · Ages 1–13
Lucketts has the only county full-day camp with room on Monday, $40, 8 to 5. It's for ages 5 to 11, and kids must have turned 5 by September 30. Pack a lunch, a snack and a water bottle. The full-day camps in Ashburn, Dulles South, Claude Moore and Lovettsville are waitlisted, but Ashburn's $40 preschool half day, 9 to 1 for ages 3 to 5, still had room Tuesday night. Libraries and the Franklin Park Arts Center are closed Monday, while county rec centers keep normal hours and park grounds and trails stay open.
Mon 10/12; Lucketts 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Ashburn preschool 9 a.m.–1 p.m. · Lucketts $40 (activity #109211-03); Ashburn preschool $40 (#172198-01); register at loudoun.gov/PRCSConnect · ~25 min, Lucketts Community Center; in Ashburn, 21105 Coopers Hawk Dr · Ages 5–11 at Lucketts; ages 3–5 in Ashburn
Disney On Ice has a 1 p.m. show on Monday, the last of its Fairfax run. It plays EagleBank Arena from Thursday, with morning, afternoon and evening shows over the weekend.
Thu 10/8, 7 p.m.; Fri 10/9, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Sat 10/10 and Sun 10/11, 10:30 a.m., 2:30 and 6:30 p.m.; Mon 10/12, 1 p.m. · Monday from $36.35 with fees on Ticketmaster; prices move · ~30 min, 4500 Patriot Cir, Fairfax · All ages; everyone 2 and up needs a ticket
All weekend
The Washington West Film Festival runs Thursday through the Monday holiday, with screenings in Reston. Five days of screenings at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas at Reston Town Center and at venues in Arlington and Tysons, and the festival gives its net box office to charity.
Thu 10/8–Mon 10/12 · Prices not posted · ~20 min, LOOK Cinemas, Reston Town Center · Adults; check each film
Public skating at the Ashburn Ice House is $15, with a Rockin' Skate on Friday night. Kids 2 to 9 get their own Playground on Ice session Saturday morning for $18. There is no public skate on Monday's school holiday.
Fri 10/9, 8:10–9:10 p.m.; Sat 10/10, 12:40–1:40 p.m.; Sun 10/11, 2–3 p.m.; Playground on Ice Sat 9:40–10:30 a.m. · $15 public skate; $18 Playground on Ice; book online · In Ashburn · Ages 3–99; Playground on Ice ages 2–9
Family

On Tuesday after school, kids paint a pumpkin to take home at the Ashburn library, and on Wednesday, October 14, LCPS talks parents through childhood anxiety.

Kids
The Ashburn library's Hispanic Heritage StoryWalk comes down after Sunday. Squawk of Spanish is posted page by page to read as you walk.
Through Sun 10/11, during library hours · No charge posted · In Ashburn, 43316 Hay Rd · Little kids and elementary
Kids decorate a piggy bank and learn why saving matters, Thursday at Gum Spring. An after-school hour on money basics with Loudoun financial literacy educator Abbey Burnett.
Thu 10/8, 4–5 p.m. · No charge posted · ~20 min, 24600 Millstream Dr, Stone Ridge · Elementary
Family bingo for prizes at Cascades on Saturday afternoon. An hour of the classic game, drop in.
Sat 10/10, 2–3 p.m. · No charge posted · ~15 min, 21030 Whitfield Pl, Potomac Falls · Ages 0–5 and elementary
Kids taste pumpkin, then paint one to take home, at the Ashburn library on Tuesday. A nutrition educator reads From Seed to Pumpkin and walks through how pumpkins grow. Supplies are limited and it's first come, first served. Cascades runs its own pumpkin story-and-taste hour on Thursday.
Tue 10/13, 4–5 p.m.; Cascades Thu 10/8, 4:30–5:30 p.m. · No charge posted · In Ashburn, 43316 Hay Rd; ~15 min, 21030 Whitfield Pl, Potomac Falls · Elementary
Storytime moves to the county animal shelter on Tuesday morning. Library staff lead a half hour of stories, songs and action rhymes, and you can see animals available for adoption.
Tue 10/13, 10:30–11 a.m. · No charge posted; sign-up requested, and it can fill · ~20 min, 42225 Adoption Dr, Leesburg · No age posted
Saturday's movie night at Franklin Park is cancelled. The county now lists Toy Story 5 at Hanson Regional Park on Saturday, October 24, at 7:15.
Sat 10/10 cancelled; Toy Story 5 Sat 10/24, 7:15 p.m. · Free · ~20 min, Hanson Regional Park, Aldie · Families
Teens
Teens play life-sized Battleship at Cascades on Friday night, and every one needs a sign-up. A teen who hasn't verified ID this year needs a parent to come in once and show it, and the Cascades front desk can do that ahead. Teens arrive between 6 and 6:30.
Fri 10/9, 6–9 p.m. · No charge posted; registration and a yearly parent ID check required · ~15 min, 21030 Whitfield Pl, Potomac Falls · Grades 6–12
Teens join a peer-led Dungeons & Dragons bonus session at the Ashburn library on Wednesday, October 14. Character sheets and game materials are supplied, or bring your own sheet.
Wed 10/14, 6:30–8:30 p.m. · No charge posted · In Ashburn, 43316 Hay Rd · Middle and high school
Teens run a pop-up haunted house at the Rust library on Wednesday, October 14. The library's Teen Leadership Council builds and runs it for an hour.
Wed 10/14, 7–8 p.m. · No charge posted · ~20 min, 380 Old Waterford Rd NW, Leesburg · Middle and high school
For parents and history fans
How the W&OD went from railroad to trail, told by a NOVA Parks historian on Sunday. Paul McCray covers the line's history at the Rust library.
Sun 10/11, 2–3:15 p.m. · No charge posted · ~20 min, 380 Old Waterford Rd NW, Leesburg · Middle school and up
LCPS holds Parenting the Anxious Child in Ashburn on Wednesday, October 14. Ninety minutes on coping skills for anxiety and how parents and caregivers can support an anxious child. Registration is required.
Wed 10/14, 6:30–8 p.m. · No charge posted; registration required · In Ashburn, LCPS Administration Building, 21000 Education Ct · Parents and caregivers
What Actually Matters

Early voting is open on weekdays in Leesburg and comes to Ashburn on October 18, and Saturday's electronics drop-off takes credit cards only.

You can vote early in Leesburg now, and Ashburn gets its own early-voting site on Sunday, October 18. The Office of Elections takes voters weekdays 8:30 to 5, and it's closed Monday, October 12. From October 18 through 31, the Ashburn Recreation and Community Center is one of four satellite sites, with Claude Moore in Sterling, Dulles South and Carver Senior Center in Purcellville.
Leesburg weekdays 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Mon 10/12; satellites Sun 10/18–Sat 10/31 · Free · ~20 min, 750 Miller Dr SE, Suite 150, Leesburg; in Ashburn from 10/18, 21105 Coopers Hawk Dr · Registered Loudoun voters
Bring old electronics to the Leesburg Park and Ride on Saturday, and bring a credit card for the fees. The county takes computers, phones, cables, printers, gaming consoles and small appliances like coffee makers and hair dryers. Old tube TVs and monitors cost $20 each and flat screens $30, and it's cards only. Refrigerators, air conditioners, washers, dryers and fluorescent bulbs are turned away.
Sat 10/10, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. · Tube TV or monitor $20; flat-screen TV or monitor $30; hard drive shredding $10, or $20 with removal; phone or tablet shredding $20; credit cards only · ~20 min, 41951 Gourley Transit Dr, Leesburg · Anyone clearing out a closet
The School Board takes up its out-of-zone transfer rules again on Tuesday, October 13. The board heard revisions to Policy 8155, which covers moving a child to a school outside their attendance zone, on September 8, and on September 22 postponed them to this meeting. LCPS hasn't published what the changes are, so check the agenda before the meeting if a transfer is on your mind.
Tue 10/13, start time on the posted agenda · Public meeting · In Ashburn, LCPS Administrative Offices, 21000 Education Ct · Parents weighing a school transfer
The Spring Valley Technology Park data-center rezoning is off the supervisors' October 14 hearing. The application to rezone about 325 acres in the Ashburn district for up to 3.25 million square feet of data centers is marked deferred on the agenda, so it won't be heard that night. The hearing still covers using eminent domain to acquire land for the Waxpool Road and Ashburn Road intersection at Ryan Corner Place. To sign up ahead to speak, call 703-777-0200 by noon that day.
Wed 10/14, 6 p.m.; speaker sign-up by noon · Free, open meeting · ~20 min, 1 Harrison St SE, Leesburg · Anyone who planned to speak on Spring Valley, and Waxpool Road drivers
Registration Radar

i9 Sports' early prices end Friday, and Tuesday night is the only make-up evaluation for Dulles Youth Basketball.

i9 Sports' early prices end Friday, $169 for the late-fall leagues and $176 for winter. i9 has moved its late-fall cutoff a week later, to October 9. Late-fall basketball runs Saturdays, November 7 to December 5, for ages 5 to 12, with a girls-only league and a girls volleyball league at the same price. The winter basketball and winter volleyball leagues start January 9.
Pay by Fri 10/9 · Late fall $169 (then $189), winter $176 (then $196), if paid by 10/9 · In Ashburn, Virginia Academy, 19790 Ashburn Road · Basketball ages 5–12; girls volleyball 7–14 (winter 7–16)
Register by Tuesday, October 13, for a free day of Mental Health First Aid training. The county course teaches how to spot and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use, and it runs October 20 in Sterling. A one-hour online REVIVE! class on reversing an opioid overdose is this Friday at noon, you can sign up the same day, and people who finish get free naloxone nasal spray.
Sign up by Tue 10/13 at loudoun.gov/MHFirstAid; course Tue 10/20, 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; REVIVE! Fri 10/9, noon–1 p.m. online at loudoun.gov/revive · Free · ~15 min, 21641 Ridgetop Cir, Suite 210, Sterling; REVIVE! online · Anyone
Tuesday at 6:15 is the only make-up evaluation for Dulles Youth Basketball. Every player has to attend one evaluation to be placed on a team, so anyone who missed the September sessions needs this one. If your child won't play after all, refund requests close Thursday, October 15.
Tue 10/13, 6:15 p.m.; refund requests due Thu 10/15 · No charge posted for evaluations · In Ashburn, Cedar Lane Elementary, 43700 Tolamac Dr · Registered players
Sign up now for Dulles Youth Sports club volleyball tryouts, which start October 23. Girls 14U and younger try out October 23 to 27, and 15U and older October 30 to November 3. The club will post times and the venue later.
Tryouts Fri–Tue 10/23–10/27 (14U and younger), Fri–Tue 10/30–11/3 (15U and older) · Tryout fee not posted · Venue to be posted · Girls, by age group
AYBL sign-ups for high schoolers and First Step players close Friday, October 30. Grades 3 to 8 have already closed. The league offers multi-player discounts and scholarships.
Registration closes Fri 10/30 · $240 a player · In Ashburn · High school and First Step players
Out & About

Thursday is the night out, with Lalah Hathaway at the Birchmere and two candlelit tribute concerts in Purcellville, and two wineries have music or rosé all weekend.

Music and shows
Two candlelit tribute concerts at Franklin Park on Thursday, tickets online only. Fleetwood Mac songs at 6:30, then Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons at 8:30. Nothing is sold at the door.
Thu 10/8, 6:30–7:30 p.m. and 8:30–9:30 p.m. · $75–$100 posted for the 6:30 show; 8:30 price not shown · ~30 min, 36441 Blueridge View Ln, Purcellville · Ages 8 and up; under 16 with an adult
Lalah Hathaway plays the Birchmere Thursday, and tickets are still on sale. Her Friday show is sold out. Buying at the box office costs $18.80 less than Ticketmaster.
Thu 10/8, 7:30 p.m. · $99.50 ticket; $106.50 at the Birchmere box office, $125.30 through Ticketmaster · ~45 min, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria · Adults
Raven's Night brings a spooky-season belly dance show, Arcana, to the Birchmere on Saturday. It is a dark fusion belly dance production by Belladonna and Ken Vegas, with guest dancers from Chicago and New York and plenty of swords. Buying at the box office costs $5.80 less than Ticketmaster.
Sat 10/10, 7:30 p.m. · $35 ticket; $42 at the Birchmere box office, $47.80 through Ticketmaster · ~45 min, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria · Age guidance not posted
Aoife O'Donovan takes requests at the Birchmere on the holiday Monday. A solo acoustic "All Request Show," with The Sweater Set.
Mon 10/12, 7:30 p.m. · $45 ticket; $52 at the Birchmere box office, $60.80 through Ticketmaster · ~45 min, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria · Adults
Wine country
Live music at Breaux Vineyards on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, 2 to 5. Levi Stephens plays Saturday and Ben Fisher plays Sunday. No reservation is needed on the front terrace for groups of 10 or fewer.
Sat 10/10–Sun 10/11, 2–5 p.m. · No cover posted; tasting prices not posted · ~30 min, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Ln, Purcellville · All ages welcome; wine 21+
Bluemont Vineyard's Daydream Days pair its rosé with a pink-ribbon tribute on the vines, every day in October. For a $5 donation you can tie a ribbon with a name or message to the vines; proceeds go to the Loudoun Breast Health Network. Weekend reservations are encouraged.
Daily through 10/31, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. · Tasting prices not posted; ribbon $5 donation · ~40 min, 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd, Bluemont · All ages (family-friendly tasting room)
Chocolate and wine, paired, at Ashburn Wine Shop on Sunday afternoon. It's an RSVP event, so book online before you go.
Sun 10/11, 2–4 p.m. · Price not posted; RSVP online · In Ashburn, 44050 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, Ste 159 · 21+ with ID
Classes and talks
Elizabeth Letts talks about Fallen for France in Middleburg on Thursday evening. The bestselling author speaks and signs at the National Sporting Library & Museum, and earlier that day she teaches a three-hour writing workshop there.
Thu 10/8, talk 5–7 p.m.; workshop 10 a.m.–1 p.m. · Prices not posted · ~40 min, 102 The Plains Rd, Middleburg · Adults
Paint a Bob Ross landscape in three hours, ten seats, $85. A certified instructor walks the class through one painting, and the materials are included.
Fri 10/9, 4–7 p.m. · $85 · ~30 min, 36441 Blueridge View Ln, Purcellville · Ages 16 and up
Learn line-dancing basics at the Brambleton library on Friday night. Danielle Schill of LineDance4You teaches the grapevine, shuffles and starter steps; boots are not required, comfortable shoes are.
Fri 10/9, 7–9 p.m. · No charge posted · ~10 min, 22850 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn · Adults
Author Derek Baxter tells the global story of the American Revolution at the Rust library on Saturday. His book The Forgotten World War blends modern travel and history; a signing follows.
Sat 10/10, 2–3 p.m. · No charge posted · ~20 min, 380 Old Waterford Rd NW, Leesburg · High school and adults
Uruguayan-born guitarist Osvaldo Gold plays Latin American classical guitar at the Cascades library on Sunday. A program of works by Latin American composers, built on the region's rhythms and melodies.
Sun 10/11, 2–3:30 p.m. · No charge posted · ~15 min, 21030 Whitfield Pl, Potomac Falls · Elementary through adults
Every week
Sip & Solve trivia night at Ashburn Wine Shop, every Wednesday. Ms. Shirley hosts themed rounds with music and picture questions and prizes for the winning team; the shop asks you to RSVP.
Wednesdays, including 10/7 and 10/14, 7–9 p.m. · No charge posted · In Ashburn, 44050 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, Ste 159 · Adults
One Loudoun's Friday Moonlight Market has three Fridays left after this one. Local makers and vendors set up on the plaza on Friday evenings through October 30.
Fri 10/9, 5–9 p.m.; Fridays through 10/30 · Free · ~10 min, One Loudoun, 20387 Exchange St, Ashburn · All ages
Save the Date

Supervisors vote October 20 on pausing data center applications, and October 23 is the last day to register to vote.

The School Board starts its review of eastern Loudoun elementary attendance zones on October 15. Zones decide which elementary school a child is assigned to. An overview meeting comes first, then public hearings on October 22 and November 12.
Thu 10/15, 6:30–8 p.m.; hearings Thu 10/22 and Thu 11/12 · Free, open meetings · In Ashburn, 21000 Education Ct · Parents of elementary-age children
Frying Pan Farm Park's carnival wristbands are $5 cheaper if you buy before Friday, October 16, at 5 p.m. The Fall Harvest Fest and Carnival runs three days at the farm park off West Ox Road.
Fri 10/16–Sun 10/18 · Unlimited-ride wristband $23.25 presale, $28.25 a person per day after; parking $10 a vehicle · ~20 min, 2709 West Ox Rd, Herndon · All ages
Pumpkin Palooza at the Ashburn rec center is $5, and you register ahead. Come in costume for trunk-or-treat and pick a pumpkin from the center's patch. Children under 2 are free.
Sat 10/17, 4–7 p.m. · $5 (activity #172700-01); under 2 free · In Ashburn, 21105 Coopers Hawk Dr · Ages 3–12
The Loudoun Fall Farm Tour opens farms across the county on October 17 and 18. It's a self-guided weekend, and some stops charge for food, drinks or special activities.
Sat 10/17–Sun 10/18, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. · Free; fees at some farms · Countywide · All ages
Supervisors vote October 20 on pausing new data center and substation applications for up to a year. If it passes, the pause holds final Board votes on applications that need legislative approval while the county finishes rewriting its data-center rules.
Tue 10/20, 4 p.m. · Free, open meeting · ~20 min, 1 Harrison St SE, Leesburg · Anyone following data-center growth
October 23 is the last day to register to vote, or to ask for a mail ballot, for November 3. The ballot has the U.S. Senate, the 10th District congressional seat, three amendments to the state constitution and three county bond questions.
Deadlines Fri 10/23; Election Day Tue 11/3, polls 6 a.m.–7 p.m. · Free · ~20 min, 750 Miller Dr SE, Suite 150, Leesburg · Loudoun voters
Kids are off Thursday and Friday, October 29 and 30, and four libraries throw Halloween parties. Ashburn does costume trick-or-treating Thursday from 3 to 4, Gum Spring has a drop-in from 1:30 to 4, and Brambleton runs crafts and games from 4 to 5. Cascades holds a little-kid dance party Friday at 10:30.
Thu 10/29–Fri 10/30 · No charge posted · In Ashburn and nearby branches · Families with school-age kids
Extra Credit
Rabies shots for $10, and free microchips for Loudoun residents, at Animal Services on Thursday morning. The low-cost clinic also gives DHPP and FVRCP vaccines at $10 each and sells dog licenses.
Thu 10/8, 9–11 a.m. · Microchip $15, free for county residents; rabies, DHPP and FVRCP $10 each; dog license $10 a year · ~20 min, 42225 Adoption Dr, Leesburg · Dog and cat owners
Kilwins celebrates its Leesburg shop with free samples and a ribbon cutting on Thursday. The shop is already open, and this is its official celebration, with the Kilwins moose mascot and giveaways.
Thu 10/8, 1–2 p.m.; ribbon 1:15 · Free · ~20 min, 17 S King St, Leesburg · Anyone free on a weekday afternoon
A weekend vendor market sets up in front of Macy's at Dulles Town Center. The Loudoun Fall Festival runs Saturday and Sunday in the open-air lot; the organizer hasn't posted a vendor list.
Sat 10/10–Sun 10/11, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. · Admission not posted · ~15 min, Dulles Town Center, open-air lot in front of Macy's, Sterling · Audience not posted
The Purcellville library holds a book sale on Saturday, 9 to 4. The Library Advisory Board sells books, movies, music CDs and more, and all proceeds go to the Purcellville library.
Sat 10/10, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. · Prices not posted · ~30 min, 220 E Main St, Purcellville · Readers of all ages
The Capitals play at home Sunday at 5, and D.C. United host the Red Bulls on Wednesday, October 14. Seattle visits Capital One Arena. The Caps also host the Rangers on Friday at 7. D.C. United kick off at Audi Field at 7:30.
Sun 10/11, 5 p.m.; Caps also Fri 10/9, 7 p.m.; D.C. United Wed 10/14, 7:30 p.m. · Prices not posted · ~45 min, 601 F St NW and 100 Potomac Ave SW, Washington · Hockey and soccer fans
Applications to train as a Loudoun Extension Master Gardener close Tuesday, October 20, or sooner if the class fills. Virginia Cooperative Extension trains volunteers who then answer gardening questions and teach in the community.
Apply by Tue 10/20 · $235 class fee listed (the applicant letter still says TBD); classes start January 19 · Countywide · Adults

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The big days coming up
Oct 10Virginia Fall Races~30 min
Oct 15Middleburg Film Festival~30 min
Oct 16Lucketts Fall Market~35 min
Oct 17Loudoun Fall Farm TourCountywide
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Ashburn Pulse · Ashburn, VA · Links in this issue were hand-checked the week it ran (Oct 7, 2026).
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