What To Do This Weekend in the DMV: Oct 23-25

Weekend Guide

What To Do This Weekend in the DMV

October 21, 2026 · by Claude Labbe, REALTOR | Douglas Elliman

Wide view of the Marine Corps Marathon finish area in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia on a late-October morning, distant runners crossing Route 110 near the Pentagon in golden low sunlight, the Marine Corps War Memorial on its grassy hill, and autumn trees in red and orange

Key Takeaways

  • The 51st Marine Corps Marathon starts Sunday at 7:20 AM on Route 110 near the Pentagon and finishes at the Marine Corps War Memorial in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, with the free Finish Festival in Rosslyn running 8 AM to 4 PM
  • Jerry Seinfeld plays The Anthem at the Southwest Waterfront on Friday at 7 PM and twice on Saturday at 5 PM and 8 PM, and Beck closes the weekend there on Sunday at 7:30 PM with Ioanna Gika
  • Saturday is sports and fall-festival day: the Capitals host the Sabres at Capital One Arena at 7 PM, the Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Festival opens at 9 AM, and the free Air & Scare event fills the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly
  • Ahead of Halloween, Soul Strolls ghost tours of Congressional Cemetery on Capitol Hill run Friday and Saturday nights, and the Wizards host the Toronto Raptors at Capital One Arena on Friday at 7 PM
  • In the city of Alexandria, Lost Boy Cider's Fall Fest runs Saturday from noon to 6 PM with live music and ciders, and Silver Spring wraps the weekend with Fall-O-Ween on Sunday

Looking for things to do this weekend in the DMV? The last full weekend of October is marathon weekend: the 51st Marine Corps Marathon finishes Sunday in Rosslyn, Jerry Seinfeld and Beck both headline The Anthem at the Southwest Waterfront, and the Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Festival runs in Fairfax County. Here is the day-by-day guide to October 23 through 25.

Friday, October 23

Friday night in the District belongs to the arena crowd. Jerry Seinfeld brings his stand-up set to The Anthem at 901 Water Street SW at 7 PM, while a block away at Capital One Arena the Washington Wizards host the Toronto Raptors at 7 PM. Show and game times are on The Anthem's event list and the Capital One Arena calendar.

On the water, Give a Shuck: A Taste of The Wharf raises money for St. John's Community Services from 6 to 10 PM at the Dockmaster Building, with oyster shucking, tastings, and local pours. It is one of several fall fundraisers on The Wharf's upcoming events page.

Halloween season gets an early start with Soul Strolls, the lantern-lit walking tours of Congressional Cemetery on Capitol Hill, running Friday and Saturday nights. The Howard neighborhood hosts a Fall Fest & Movie Night on the Art Place Fort Totten lawn at 6 PM, part of District Fray's community events calendar. For more on the rowhouse blocks and parks of the Hill, Claude's Capitol Hill guide covers the neighborhood from Eastern Market to the cemetery.

Saturday, October 24

Marathon weekend warms up Saturday morning. The Marine Corps Marathon Health & Fitness Expo wraps its run at the National Building Museum in Washington from 10 AM to 6 PM, the MCM 8K steps off at East Potomac Park at 7:30 AM, and the MCM Kids Run brings runners ages 5 to 12 to West Potomac Park. Details are on the official Marine Corps Marathon weekend events page.

In the evening, Jerry Seinfeld plays two shows at The Anthem, at 5 PM and 8 PM, and the Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres at Capital One Arena at 7 PM for the first full NHL curtain-raiser of the season in the District.

In Fairfax County, the Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Festival opens at 9 AM and runs until 3:30 PM both Saturday and Sunday at George Washington's estate on the Potomac, with heirloom demonstrations, games, and seasonal food. Out in Chantilly, the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center hosts Air & Scare, the free family Halloween celebration with costume parades and aviation-themed activities. Both are part of the region's October lineup on Visit Fairfax's fall festivals roundup.

George Washington's Mount Vernon mansion on the Potomac in Fairfax County on an October afternoon, full autumn color on the trees, pumpkins and gourds near the garden, and a few visitors on the paths

In the city of Alexandria, Lost Boy Cider hosts its Fall Fest 2026 from noon to 6 PM at 317 Hooffs Run Drive with live music, food trucks, and cider flights, and the Countdown to the Holidays craft show fills 9000 Richmond Highway from 10 AM to 4 PM. In the city of Arlington, the ARTS Place Pop-Up on Langston at 3130 Langston Boulevard shows local artists' work from noon to 6 PM through the weekend. Claude's Arlington guide maps the city's 30-plus neighborhoods, from the Rosslyn and Clarendon urban villages to quieter Columbia Pike blocks, if the weekend makes you curious about living here.

Sunday, October 25

Sunday belongs to the 51st Marine Corps Marathon. Runners start at 7:20 AM on Route 110 at the Pentagon North Parking Lot in Arlington, cross the river into Washington, and finish at the Marine Corps War Memorial (the Iwo Jima Memorial) in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington. Spectators can cheer the finish and browse the MCM Finish Festival in downtown Rosslyn from 8 AM to 4 PM. Full course, start time, and road-closure details are on the official MCM race day page, and the Stay Arlington marathon page lists where to watch along the route.

Sunday night wraps with a pair of big shows. Beck brings the Ride Lonesome Tour to The Anthem at 7:30 PM with Ioanna Gika, and up at Capital One Arena, Rush plays night one of its Fifty Something tour at 7:30 PM. On the water, Pints for Paws at The Wharf pours for the Brandywine Valley SPCA from noon to 3 PM.

Out in the suburbs, the Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Festival runs its second day, Reston Station Fallapalooza closes the weekend with music and activities from 4 to 7 PM, and Silver Spring Fall-O-Ween brings trick-or-treating and costumes to downtown Silver Spring. Montgomery County's full weekend lineup, including the pumpkin festival at Butler's Orchard in Germantown, is on Visit Montgomery's events calendar, and Washington.org's October guide rounds up everything else in the District.

Between the marathon, the ghost tours, and the harvest festivals, this is a true come-see-the-region weekend. Each of the DMV's cities and communities has a different feel, and the market varies just as much, so Claude's county-by-county breakdown of DC, Montgomery, and Fairfax is a useful starting point, and the buying guide walks through the whole search if a weekend visit turns into something more. Last week's weekend guide covered Howard University Homecoming and shows at The Anthem, so you can compare one October weekend to the next.

Claude Labbe

Claude Labbe

REALTOR · Douglas Elliman · DC, MD, VA

A Washington, DC metro REALTOR with more than two decades in real estate. Douglas Elliman's Washington DC office is at 1027 33rd St NW in Georgetown.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What's happening this weekend in DC?
The headline is marathon weekend: the 51st Marine Corps Marathon starts Sunday at 7:20 AM on Route 110 near the Pentagon and finishes at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn. Jerry Seinfeld plays The Anthem on Friday at 7 PM and Saturday at 5 PM and 8 PM, Beck plays The Anthem Sunday at 7:30 PM, and the Wizards and Capitals both host games at Capital One Arena. Soul Strolls ghost tours of Congressional Cemetery run Friday and Saturday nights ahead of Halloween.
What time does the Marine Corps Marathon start and where does it finish?
The 51st Marine Corps Marathon starts at 7:20 AM on Sunday, October 25 on Route 110 at the Pentagon North Parking Lot in Arlington and finishes at the Marine Corps War Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington. The MCM Finish Festival in Rosslyn runs from 8 AM to 4 PM, and the Health and Fitness Expo wraps Saturday at the National Building Museum. Check the official MCM race day page for road closures and spectator spots.
What concerts are in the DMV the weekend of October 23-25?
Jerry Seinfeld plays The Anthem on Friday at 7 PM and twice on Saturday at 5 PM and 8 PM. Beck brings the Ride Lonesome Tour to The Anthem on Sunday at 7:30 PM with Ioanna Gika, and Rush plays Capital One Arena on Sunday at 7:30 PM. Sports fans also have the Wizards versus the Raptors on Friday night and the Capitals versus the Sabres on Saturday night.
What's happening in Arlington and Alexandria this weekend?
In the city of Arlington, the Marine Corps Marathon starts near the Pentagon on Sunday morning and finishes at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn, with the Finish Festival in Rosslyn from 8 to 4. The ARTS Place Pop-Up on Langston at 3130 Langston Boulevard shows local artists through the weekend. In the city of Alexandria, Lost Boy Cider's Fall Fest runs Saturday from noon to 6 PM at 317 Hooffs Run Drive, and the Countdown to the Holidays craft show fills 9000 Richmond Highway from 10 AM to 4 PM.
What family-friendly activities are happening in the DMV this weekend?
The Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Festival runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 3:30 PM at George Washington's estate, and the Smithsonian's Air and Scare at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly is free on Saturday with registration. The MCM Kids Run takes young runners to West Potomac Park on Saturday morning, the Howard neighborhood's Fall Fest and Movie Night fills the Art Place Fort Totten lawn on Friday, and the pumpkin festival at Butler's Orchard in Germantown keeps weekend hours in Montgomery County.

Thinking about making the DMV home?

Claude Labbe helps buyers, sellers, and investors make clear real estate decisions across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. He works out of Douglas Elliman's Washington DC office at 1027 33rd St NW in Georgetown. Call 703-868-7774 or visit the contact page to schedule a consultation. Talk soon.

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