What To Do This Weekend in the DMV

Looking for things to do this weekend in the DMV? The third weekend of October is homecoming weekend in Washington: Howard University's Bison host Morehouse College at Greene Stadium on Saturday, SOFI TUKKER and Steve Lacy both headline The Anthem, and fall festivals fill the cities of Arlington, Alexandria, and Gaithersburg. Here is the day-by-day guide to October 16 through 18.

Friday, October 16

The weekend opens with Howard University Homecoming, which runs through Sunday under the theme "Wildest Dreams." Friday brings International YardFest Day 1 and the Alumni Tent to The Yard on Howard's campus in the Shaw and LeDroit Park neighborhoods from noon to 6 PM, along with the Divine 9 Brunch and the State of the University Address. The full schedule, including the Saturday game and ticket links, is on the official Howard University Homecoming site and the Homecoming events calendar.

In Montgomery County, the free Little Jams family concert series brings the Jennifer Schimpf Trio to Cabin John Regional Park from 10 to 11:30 AM. It is part of Montgomery Parks' events calendar, which lists the season's remaining outdoor programs.

Friday night on the Southwest Waterfront, SOFI TUKKER Presents: ANIMAL TALK lands at The Anthem at 7:30 PM with special guest Kungs. Tickets and show details are on the Live Nation event page. A few blocks north, Sienna Spiro brings her My House Tour to the Lincoln Theatre on U Street NW at 8 PM.

Saturday, October 17

Saturday's centerpiece is Howard University Homecoming football, with the Bison hosting Morehouse College at Greene Stadium at 3:30 PM. The traditional homecoming parade is on hold this year while campus construction continues, so the game and the surrounding events carry the weekend. Tickets and kickoff details are on the Homecoming events calendar. Downtown, the DC Comedy Festival takes over The National Theatre on Pennsylvania Avenue NW for a day of headliners and showcases.

On the waterfront, the Shatterproof Walk to End Addiction steps off at The Wharf from 8 AM to 1 PM, a family-friendly morning supporting addiction recovery programs. Registration and route details are in The Wharf's upcoming events list.

Across the Potomac in the city of Arlington, Saturday night belongs to the Clarendon neighborhood: DJ duo Snakehips plays the Clarendon Ballroom at 9 PM, and the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse screens the Teton Gravity Research ski film Actually, It Is Rocket Science at 7 PM. Arlington is a city of more than 250,000 residents made up of 30-plus neighborhoods, including Ballston, Clarendon, Rosslyn, and Columbia Pike, and the Stay Arlington October roundup lists the month's events across all of them. If Clarendon's walk-to-everything balance is your style, Claude's Arlington guide covers the city's neighborhoods, schools, and commute options.

In the city of Alexandria, Sticker Treat 2026 runs Friday through Sunday in Old Town: pick up a map at Gadsby's Tavern Museum or Penny Post and collect stickers at more than 20 participating businesses during museum hours. Saturday morning adds Dior's Dash at Ben Brenman Park from 9 AM to 1 PM, Velocity's Monthly Used Bike Sale at 1502 Mount Vernon Avenue, the Discovering Alexandria Architecture Walking Tour starting at 121 North Fairfax Street at 10 AM, and the Mt. Vernon Vintage, Antique & Artisan Market at 8717 Fort Hunt Road from 8 AM. The City of Alexandria's Historic Alexandria newsletter has the full rundown, and the Alexandria Colonial Ghost Tours keep running through October for evening walks through Old Town. For a sense of daily life in the city's walkable districts, see Claude's Alexandria guide.

In Montgomery County, the Kentlands Art Show & Fall Craft Fair fills the Kentlands neighborhood of Gaithersburg from 10 AM to 6 PM with local artists, crafts, and live music, and Poolesville's Annual RocktoberFest brings music and food to the town on the county's western edge. Both are listed on Visit Montgomery's events calendar.

Sunday, October 18

Sunday afternoon, the Fall Family Fest takes over Waterfront Park at The Wharf from noon to 3 PM with games, crafts, and seasonal activities for kids on the Southwest Waterfront, listed on The Wharf's events page. Sunday night, Steve Lacy brings his Oh Yeah? Tour to The Anthem with doors at 6 PM and the show at 7 PM, a fitting close to a weekend that has had the venue busy since Friday.

Out in the country, Northern Star Farm Fall Fest in Trappe, Maryland runs Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM through November 1, with hayrides, a corn maze, and farm animals. And back in the city of Arlington, the Fall Themed Paint and Sip at Day Drift Books & Cafe starts at noon for a low-key creative afternoon.

With homecoming crowds downtown, nightlife in Arlington, and farm country in Maryland, this is a good weekend to see how different the DMV's cities and communities feel from one another. If a weekend of events gets you thinking about where you want to live, the region's market varies more than people expect, and Claude's county-by-county breakdown of DC, Montgomery, and Fairfax is a good place to start. Last week's weekend guide covered Snallygaster on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, the US Women's National Team at Audi Field, and Pike Fest in Arlington, and the buying guide walks through the full search process if you are ready to make a move. Come see the region for yourself.

Claude Labbe

REALTOR · Douglas Elliman · DC, MD, VA

Douglas Elliman's Washington DC office is at 1027 33rd St NW in Georgetown.