Fairfax County is offering a packed weekend of fall events from Friday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, including Salsa in the Park, the K9 Krawl 5K and early Halloween activities.
October brings cooler weather, changing leaves and exciting fall events to the county, with month-long celebrations, festivals and fairs, spooky Halloween activities and fall foliage drive tours and viewpoints listed by Visit Fairfax.
On Friday, Salsa in the Park runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Alabama Drive Park in Herndon, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a free, family-friendly evening of salsa dancing, nature exploration, gardening activities, music, food and community. Other Friday events include Discover the Joy of Mahjong at Thomas Jefferson Library in Falls Church from 1 to 3:30 p.m., a Family Costume Exchange at Kings Park Library in Burke from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., a free adoption pop-up at Reston Town Center's Fountain Square from 4 to 7 p.m., and Super Snakes at Burke Lake Park from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for $9.
Goblin Golf returns to the Burke Lake Park mini-golf course Saturday and Sunday every hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Halloween treats and ghosts and goblins for $12. Farmers markets run Friday through Sunday with varying hours, and SNAP is accepted at the Reston and Lorton markets.
Saturday's K9 Krawl 5K runs from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Public Safety Headquarters in Fairfax, starting with a live K-9 Unit demonstration at 8:45 a.m., followed by a best-dressed dog contest, photo booth, raffle prizes and vendors supporting animal welfare and domestic violence prevention. Also Saturday: the Chinese Culture Club Moon Festival Celebration at Oakton Library from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., the Discover Your Path Expo college and career fair at James Lee Community Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a Mason District shredding event and donation drive at Annandale High School from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Skeleton Science at Hidden Oaks Nature Center from 1 to 2 p.m. for $10, Exploring Exoplanets at Turner Farm Park from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for $13, and an outdoor screening of the 1931 film "Frankenstein" at Colvin Run Mill from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for $12.
Sunday features a Fall-o-ween Decor Swap at Chantilly Regional Library from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Foraging for Wild Edibles at Burke Lake Park from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for $20, and McLean Artfest at McLean Central Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Upcoming events include Parktober Fest on Saturday, Oct. 10, from noon to 5 p.m. at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, and the Farm Harvest Fest and Carnival from Friday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 18 at Frying Pan Farm Park. Weather and other reasons may impact events, so residents should check each event's link for status.