Most of Reston’s Halloween events this year fall between October 17 and November 1. The Reston Association, Reston Town Center and Reston Community Center each have their own, Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon has trick-or-treating on the farm, and a group of paddleboarders dressed as witches crosses Lake Anne the day after Halloween. Herndon also has a free costume swap and the Herndon High School homecoming parade. November’s events center on Thanksgiving, with a turkey trot in Herndon, a food drive in Reston and the Reston Holiday Parade the day after the holiday.
The calendar below covers the first weekend of October through the Saturday after Thanksgiving, in date order. Each entry lists the time, the place, the cost when the organizer has published one, and a link to the organizer’s page.
The first weekend of October: DogFest, bluegrass and the Fall 5K
- DogFest, Saturday, October 3, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Canine Companions fundraiser is at the Pavilion at Reston Town Center.
- The Seldom Scene, Saturday, October 3, 8 p.m. The bluegrass band plays the Leila Gordon Theatre at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Tickets are $25 to $35.
- Friends of Reston Fall 5K and Pumpkin Dash, Sunday, October 4. Both races start at Brown’s Chapel Park on Browns Chapel Road: the Pumpkin Dash for young children at 8 a.m. and the 5K at 8:15 a.m. The 5K course follows Reston’s paved trails. Registration for the 5K is $50 for adults and $35 for ages 14 and under, and the Pumpkin Dash is free. The money goes to Friends of Reston’s scholarship and enrichment programs.
October 8 to 12: Washington West, a costume swap and Rocktoberfest
- Washington West Film Festival, Thursday, October 8, through Monday, October 12. Most screenings are at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas on Market Street. Our festival guide lists every film by day.
- Kids Halloween Costume Exchange, Friday, October 9, 3 to 6 p.m., and Saturday, October 10, 9 a.m. to noon. Drop off gently used children’s costumes at the Herndon Community Center by noon on October 8, each one in its own bag. On either exchange day, each family can take home up to two costumes. The exchange is free.
- Rocktoberfest, Saturday, October 10. This free concert is at the Reston Town Center Pavilion. Sip and Stroll starts at 5 p.m., Virginia Coalition plays at 6, Everything at 7:30 and Vertical Horizon at 9. Parking in the garages is free. Bring lawn chairs for the area near the Pavilion; blankets belong on the Mercury Fountain plaza, and tents are not allowed.
- “Holding Liat” screening, Monday, October 12, 7:30 p.m. The last film of the festival screens at Reston Community Center, and director Brandon Kramer will answer questions afterward. Tickets are $5 to $10.
Saturday, October 17, has six events across Reston
- Reston Home Tour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Reston Museum’s annual fundraiser is a self-guided tour of six Reston homes and two other locations, which you can visit in any order. Tickets are $40, plus a $2.40 booking fee online; buying in person at the museum on Lake Anne Plaza avoids the fee, and the museum sells tickets on the day of the tour. Ticket holders get the addresses on the museum’s website a week ahead. The tour goes on rain or shine, and tickets are not refundable.
- Creatures of Halloween, 10:30 a.m. A Reston Association nature walk and craft at the Walker Nature Center about the spiders, toads, bats and owls of the season. A second session is on Tuesday, October 20, at 10 a.m.
- ChalkFest, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Families and professional artists draw on the sidewalks of Reston Town Center, with live music, face painting and public voting on the finished drawings. Admission is free. Artists who want to compete register in advance through Public Art Reston.
- Halloween Family Fun Day, noon to 2 p.m. Games, carnival treats and live performances at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods for children from infants to age 8. It is free, but registration is required, and an adult must stay with each child.
- Howl-O-Ween Dog Festival, 1 to 4 p.m. The Reston Association’s dog festival is on the baseball fields at Brown’s Chapel Park. Details are on the RA calendar.
- “Once Upon a Mattress,” 8 p.m. The Reston Community Players’ production of the musical opened the night before and continues on weekends at the Leila Gordon Theatre through November 7. Tickets are $28 to $33.
The next morning, Sunday, October 18, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s starts at Reston Town Center at 8 a.m.
October 23 to 25: trick-or-treating at the Nature Center, Frying Pan Farm and Market Street
- Halloween House and Trick-or-Treat Trail, Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24, starting at 5:45 p.m. The Reston Association’s annual Halloween event is at the Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive. Expect costumed characters, a few live animals, a decorated Halloween House, apple cider, popcorn and games. It has sound and light effects but is not a haunted house, and RA recommends it for ages 3 and up. Tickets are $15 for RA members and $20 for everyone else, through RA’s online registration. Park on Glade Drive and bring a flashlight, plus an umbrella if rain is in the forecast.
- Halloween on the Farm, Friday, October 23, 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, October 24, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Frying Pan Farm Park at 2709 West Ox Road in Herndon offers trick-or-treating among the farm animals, with crafts, games and a tour of the decorated farmhouse. Visitors register for hour-long time slots through the Park Authority. Registration is $12, with a two-adult minimum, and a registered adult must stay with each child.
- Boo at the Pool, Saturday, October 24, 12:30 to 4 p.m. Four half-hour swim sessions at the Reston Community Center pool for children from 6 months to 9 years, at $5 to $10. A parent or caregiver must be in the water with any child who cannot swim.
- Herndon High School Homecoming Parade, Saturday, October 24, 9:30 a.m. This year’s theme is “Hollywood Through the Years.” Lynn Street closes at 6:30 a.m. for the parade lineup, and Elden Street closes at 8 a.m. from Locust Street to Monroe Street. The town expects the parade route to reopen around 1 p.m.
- DJ Dance Party, Saturday, October 24, 5 to 11 p.m. Three DJs play from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the Reston Town Center Pavilion, and Sip and Stroll is in effect. Admission is free.
- Trick or Treat Beyond Market Street, Sunday, October 25, noon to 3 p.m. Participating Reston Town Center businesses give out treats and prizes, and the street has live music, face painting, costumed characters and stilt walkers.
Halloween is a Saturday this year, and the witches paddle Lake Anne on Sunday
- Pet adoption at Reston Town Center, Friday, October 30, 4 to 7 p.m. Fairfax County Animal Services brings adoptable dogs to the Mercury Fountain and waives adoption fees. Each dog goes home microchipped with a leash, collar and food.
- RCC Spooktacular, Saturday, October 31, noon to 3 p.m. A free Halloween afternoon at Hunters Woods Plaza, part of the One Hunters Woods neighborhood series.
- Spooktacular Splash, Saturday, October 31, 1 p.m. A free family swim at the Reston Community Center pool, next to the plaza.
- SUP Witches Halloween Paddle, Sunday, November 1, 1 p.m. Stand-up paddleboarders in witch costumes leave the Lakeside Cluster dock on Lake Anne at 1 p.m. It is the large marina dock with about ten pontoon boats tied up. Paddlers can park on Orchard Lane and carry their boards to the dock, or launch from the Lake Anne boat ramp on Inlet Court, off Wiehle Avenue, at the far end of the lake from the plaza. From the ramp, the paddle to the dock takes 10 to 15 minutes, so the organizers suggest being on the water by about 12:30. The group stops at Lake Anne Plaza for a photo on the dock, and Lake Anne Brew House, open until 6 p.m., offers discounts to anyone in costume. Paddlers head back whenever they like. The organizers, Steve Gurney and Barry Nobles, describe it as a public event with no connection to Reston Association, the Lake Anne condominium association or the plaza businesses, and they post details on the event’s Facebook page. Spectators can watch from Lake Anne Plaza.
November: Veterans Day, the last farmers markets and the Reston Holiday Parade
- RCC Thanksgiving Drive, November 1 to 25. Reston Community Center, the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstones collect food for local families. RCC will post the donation list and drop-off locations on November 1.
- Reston Community Orchestra, “250 Years of America,” Saturday, November 7, 5 p.m. At Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Tickets are $18 to $25.
- Run for Valor 5K, Wednesday, November 11, 8 a.m. Reston Town Center’s second annual Veterans Day race. All registration fees go to FourBlock, which helps service members and military spouses move into civilian careers.
- Herndon Turkey Trot 5K, Saturday, November 21, 4 p.m. The town’s cross-country style race is open to runners 4 and older, and everyone must finish within 45 minutes. Pre-registration is $40 for adults and $25 for runners 20 and under, and it closes at noon on November 20; registering on race weekend costs $5 more. Packet pickup is at a new location this year, Izzi’s at 771 Elden Street, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, November 20. Bring a canned food donation for LINK, and leave strollers, bikes and dogs at home.
- Thanksgiving Centerpieces, Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Two Reston Association workshop sessions at the Walker Nature Center.
- “The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged),” Saturday, November 21, 3 and 7 p.m. The Reduced Shakespeare Company performs its holiday comedy at Reston Community Center. Tickets are $25 to $35.
- Reston Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting, Friday, November 27. The parade starts at 11 a.m. at Reston Town Center. In the afternoon, Santa and Mrs. Claus visit, and there are train and carriage rides and ice skating. Sip and Stroll is from 4:30 to 8 p.m., and the tree lighting is at 6. Admission and garage parking are free. Our guide to doing the parade like a local covers where to stand and where to park.
Both farmers markets close for the season this fall. The Herndon market, Thursdays from 8 a.m. to noon at 765 Lynn Street, has its last day on October 29. The Reston market at Lake Anne, Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon at 1609 Washington Plaza North, has its last day on November 21.
Early December: Winterfest and Herndon’s tree lighting
The Reston Association’s Winterfest returns December 3 to 5, and RA says event details are coming soon. In Herndon, the Holiday Tree Lighting and Sing-Along is on Saturday, December 5, and the Holiday Arts and Crafts Show is at the Herndon Community Center on Sunday, December 6. Both are listed on the town’s special events page.
Two October dates for homeowners
Fairfax County personal property taxes, the bill that includes the car tax, are due Monday, October 5. MyFairfax accepts e-check payments at no charge. In the Town of Herndon, curbside leaf collection starts October 12 and alternates weekly between neighborhoods north and south of the W&OD Trail. Rake leaves to the curb, but keep them off storm drains and sidewalks. Leaves will keep falling well into November, since our fall foliage forecast puts peak color in Reston and Herndon between November 2 and 8.
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