WASHINGTON — Cooler temperatures and changing leaves are just a few signs that fall is here. Festivals celebrating apples and pumpkins are another.
If you’re looking to get in the sweater-weather spirit this season, look no further. Here are 18 of the area’s best fall festivals.
Maryland Renaissance Festival
Through Oct. 22
The annual Maryland Renaissance Festival has it all — from jousting tournaments to fire-eaters, to pirates and puppetry. And this year, the fun lasts nearly two whole months. Read about some of the festival’s 2017 highlights on wtop.com. (Courtesy Maryland Renaissance Festival)
\n","caption":"Maryland Renaissance Festival The annual Maryland Renaissance Festival has it all \u2014 from jousting tournaments to fire-eaters, to pirates and puppetry. And this year, the fun lasts nearly two whole months. Read about some of the festival’s 2017 highlights on wtop.com.\u00a0(Courtesy Maryland Renaissance Festival)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" H Street Festival H Street is one of the city’s most thriving neighborhoods, and so is its annual festival. The free event includes food, face painting, live performances and more.\n \u201cIt\u2019s such a hip neighborhood now, and the festival has just exploded. Every year it gets more and more popular,” says D.C.-area travel and parenting writer Guiomar Ochoa.\u00a0\n But be forewarned:\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t take your car, take Metro. It\u2019s impossible to find parking,\u201d Ochoa adds.\u00a0(WTOP\/Dana Gooley)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" Virginia Hard Cider Festival Taste the fruits of the cider industry’s labor at the 2017 Virginia Hard Cider Festival in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Sample ciders from more than 25 local producers. Live music and food round out the event. (AP Photo\/Matthew Mead)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" Maryland Wine Festival Sample more than 150 wines from across the state, peruse merchandise from local arts and crafts vendors, taste cheese from Maryland’s creameries and kick back to live music at this year’s Maryland Wine Festival.\u00a0(AP Photo\/Eric Risberg)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"ad","media":" Queen City Mischief and Magic Potterheads, pay attention: This event is for you.\n Sept. 22 through 24, wizards, witches and muggles from around the area will flock to Staunton, Virginia, for a weekend celebrating all things “Harry Potter.”\n There will be butterbeer, Horcrux hunting and magical activities for fans of all ages. Read more about the Harry Potter-themed festival on wtop.com.\u00a0(Courtesy Kate Simon Lifestyle Photography)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" Barracks Row Fall Festival Travel and parenting writer Guiomar Ochoa says the annual Barracks Row Fall Festival is a great option for those looking to learn a little more about the city’s historic Marine barracks. There are tours of the post, as well as live entertainment, a petting zoo and a beer garden for adults.\u00a0(AP\/Manuel Balce Ceneta)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" Snallygaster\u00a0 Back now for its sixth year is D.C.’s largest craft beer festival, Snallygaster. Sample from more than 350 craft beers on draft, all while supporting the sustainable food nonprofit, Arcadia.\u00a0(AP\/Dave Martin)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" Taste of Georgetown Thirty of the Georgetown neighborhood’s top restaurants and chefs set up tents and tables for a day on K Street along the Georgetown waterfront to showcase their best dishes. Go hungry. (Courtesy Taste of Georgetown, Sam Kittner)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"ad","media":" Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival Parenting writer\u00a0Guiomar Ochoa says families will find pony rides, mazes, a petting zoo, wagon rides and more on this 130-acre farm in Middletown, Maryland.\n However, one of her favorite things to do while in the area is to hop over to neighboring South Mountain Creamery for ice cream, tours and unique farm activities. Ochoa says the creamery feeds its calves every day at 4 p.m., and if you get there early enough, the staff lets its visitors grab a bottle and feed the baby cows.\u00a0(AP Photo\/David Mercer)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" The Fall Festival at Summers Farm Visitors at this Frederick, Maryland, farm will find a corn maze, rides, slides and themed games, but parenting writer\u00a0Guiomar Ochoa says one of the coolest things about this fall festival is the option to “rent” a campfire. For $75, groups of 30 to 50 people get a picnic table, benches and all the wood needed for a campfire. There’s even an additional package for s’mores.\u00a0(Photo by Matt Cardy\/Getty Images)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" Frederick’s Oktoberfest\u00a0 Find bratwurst, beer and bands in Frederick, Maryland, at one of the biggest and best Oktoberfest celebrations in the D.C. area.\u00a0(AP Photo\/Matthias Schrader)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"photo","media":" Mount Vernon’s Fall Wine Festival and Sunset Tour This wine festival takes place on the historic grounds of George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Alexandria, Virginia. The event includes live blues music, tours of the Washingtons’ home and educational seminars.\u00a0(Maria Bryk for George Washington’s Mount Vernon)\n","ampmedia":"\n\n\t\t","alt":""},{"type":"ad","media":"
\nThrough Oct. 22\u00a0\n
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\nSaturday, Sept. 16\n
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\nSaturday, Sept. 16\u00a0\n
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\nSept. 16 and 17\n
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\nSept. 22, 23, 24\u00a0\n
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\nSaturday, Sept. 23\u00a0\n
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\nSaturday, Sept. 23\n
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\nSunday, Sept. 24\u00a0\n
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\nSept. 23 through Oct. 31\u00a0\n
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\nSept. 23 through Oct. 31\u00a0\n
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\nSept. 29 through Oct. 1\n
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\nOct. 6, 7 and 8\n
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