The Weekend Scene: Welcome fall with pumpkins, H Street Fest, go-kart races in the DC area

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Say hello to full-on fall!

The autumn equinox happens on Sunday, ushering in the season of pumpkin patches, corn mazes and apple picking. (Unless you ask a meteorologist. They say fall begins on Sept. 1.)

We love getting out into nature this time of year, but this weekend is the perfect moment to celebrate your city.

In D.C., we have NoMa in Color, the District’s biggest free festival taking over H Street and the 5th birthday for The Kennedy Center’s REACH. Or, take a Walking Town tour to see your regular haunts in a new light.

Don’t sleep on the Crossroads Music Festival in Leesburg, the Alexandria Historic Homes Tour, Taste of Annandale and the Festival del Rio Anacostia in Bladensburg, either!

4 things to know for the weekend

• Weekend Weather: Don’t let this week rain on your parade. The sun will come out for the weekend, Storm Team4 says!
• It's Hispanic Heritage Month! Here's how to celebrate in the D.C. area.
• Here’s how to make the most of DC Theatre Week – it’s more than ticket discounts. This weekend, there's a free concert and historic theater walking tour.
• The HFStival returns this weekend, and a new documentary explores how the radio station WHFS influenced D.C.’s music scene.

Taylor Swift corn maze, apple picking and pumpkins patches

Is that... the smell of apple cider? Send off summer and greet fall with an outing to pick produce or take a hay ride.

Sunflowers, apple picking, pumpkins and corn mazes are all on the menu this weekend. Here are nine great places to find some farm-style fun, but we’re sharing a Maryland pick and a Virginia pick below.

Maryland Corn Maze: Taylor's Version
Through Nov. 4, Gambrills, Maryland,  $17.95
🔗 Details

What better place to shake off the cruel summer? This year, it’s the Maryland Corn Maze (Taylor’s Version). Answer Swift-themed quiz questions to find your way out of the maze. Don’t miss out on the Flashlight Nights if you want a challenge.

And while we doubt Taylor herself will emerge from this lavender maze, you can go on Oct. 2 for Kanin Wren's Taylor Swift Experience live concert.

The maze is open to Swifties and non-Swifties alike.

Hopefully, it doesn’t take a fortnight to get out. Afterward, explore the farm with pumpkins, animal petting, a hay pyramid, a jump pad and more.

Cox Farms Fall Festival
Through Nov. 5, Centreville, Virginia, $10-$25
🔗 Details

Cox Farms has just about everything you can think of when it comes to fall fun. The Fall Festival is a family affair with plenty of activities to choose from. You can ride the hayride, visit several attractions like themed slides, taste different apples and feed goats.

If you’re looking for a corn maze filled with surprises, the Cornundrum is just for you. Wind through the maze and you’ll come across pirates, caves and the Vortex!

The fun doesn’t stop there. Find spooky scares at their Fields of Fear starting on Friday.

Weekend highlights

Free pick
H Street Festival
Sat., noon to 7 p.m., H Street Northeast
🔗 Details

This weekend has tons of festivals, and H Street Festival is the mother of them all.

D.C.’s largest free festival will take over 13 blocks of H Street Northeast on Saturday.

“I want people to come down and discover what we have down here,” H Street Main Street president Anwar Saleem said.

Explore 13 stages with local bands and dancers (here’s the schedule), live art painting, a kids’ zone and food from every corner of the globe. Pop into bars and restaurants for drinks and snacks, or check out vendors lining the road.

The best way to do H Street Fest? We like to walk the entire thing from 3rd Street to 15th Street.

Heads up, over 150,000 people are expected – so be ready for crowds! It’s less crowded early in the day and near the stages at the ends of the festival.

Be prepared for road closures, too. The Union Station Metro station and parking lots are about a 15-minute walk from the festival entrance at 3rd and H Streets NE.

Race the District
Thurs. to Sat., Sept. 19-21, Union Market, $0 to $27
🔗 Details

Watching go-karts race around the Union Market parking lot is the banner event (and you'll need tickets to get in!), but nightly concerts, community races and more are free and open to the public.

Play with Events DC’s VR activation on Saturday and Sunday, or check out a Red Bull F1 car on display Friday and Saturday.

Free pick
Festival del Rio Anacostia
Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bladensburg Waterfront Park, Bladensburg, Maryland
🔗 Details

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the outdoors at this festival put on by Prince George's County for the 9th year in a row. The party will include crafts, food, live animals, free boat rides and fishing demos, so it's a great chance to get out of the city and touch some grass (or water).

Free pick
National Dance Day
Sat.,10 a.m. to 8 p.m., The Kennedy Center in D.C., free
🔗 Details

Celebrate dance with lessons and performances at The Kennedy Center. Stick around afterward for live music at the REACH @ 5 Block Party.

Free pick
Montgomery County Parks Ale Trail
Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lake Needwood in Rockville, free to join
🔗 Details

Hike 2.5 miles around Lake Needwood with a stop at the mid-way beer garden, live music and games at Needwood Mansion. Then head to the main festival area for more music, snacks and an archaeology activity for kids.

Free pick
Peace Day in the Park
Sun., Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park (1800 Piccard Drive, Rockville)
🔗 Details

It’s been more than twenty years since Mattie Stepanek, the young poet from Rockville with dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy, captivated the country with his inspiring message of peace.

His “Heartsongs” books were best sellers and caught the attention of Jimmy Carter, Oprah and everyone around the Beltway.

This Sunday, everyone’s invited to Peace Day in the Park at Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park (1800 Piccard Drive, Rockville) for an afternoon of music, art activities and a first look at the new Mattie Stepanek Park labyrinth.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find more information at mattiespeacefoundation.org.

The Great Frederick Fair
Sept. 13-21, Frederick, Maryland, $8 in advance or $10 at the gate for adults, free for kids under 10
🔗 Details

Frederick, Maryland, has a classic county fair with rides, funnel cakes and animals, plus a grandstand with music acts including Flo Rida. Heads up: Carnival rides and grandstand shows cost extra.

Concerts this weekend

Old 97’s, 7 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 Club, $35

Alt-country icons Old 97’s return to the club. Three decades on, frontman Rhett Miller remains a hip-shaking human shampoo commercial heartthrob. Details.

My Brightest Diamond, 8 p.m. Saturday, Pearl Street Warehouse, $20-$30

Shara Nova’s eclectic chamber pop music is a perfect backdrop for her dynamic, operatic vocals. Details.

Buena Vista Social Orchestra, 8 p.m. Sunday, Warner Theatre, $28+

Trombonist, composer and conductor Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos continues the tradition of spreading traditional Cuban music that started with the Oscar-nominated documentary “Buena Vista Social Club.” Details.

Things to do in D.C.

NoMa in Color: Sept. 12-23

Race the District: Thurs. to Sat., Union Market, free

A Night at the Museum: Celebrating 57 years of Anacostia Community Museum: Thurs., 7-10 p.m., 1901 Fort Place SE, free but registration required 

Live! At The Library of Congress: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Latino Poets Spotlight: Thurs., 5-8 p.m, free but special ticket required

Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever: Thurs., 7 p.m., Capital One Arena, $45+

PARK(ing) Day: Fri., 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., free

NC Society BBQ & Bluegrass Festival: Fri., Sept. 20, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Hill Center DC in Southeast, $15 for children under 12, $55 for non-members, $35 for members, $70 at the door

Garden Party de la Rentrée: Fri., 7-10 p.m., Embassy of France in Northwest D.C., $105-$795

Ana Gabriel: "Un Deseo Mas" Tour: Fri., 8 p.m., Capital One Arena

H Street Festival: Sat., H Street Northeast, free entry

Homecoming at President Lincoln’s Cottage: Sat., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 140 Rock Creek Church Rd NW, free

National Dance Day: Sat., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., The Kennedy Center, free

BLOMPPST Festival: Sat., noon to 9 p.m., RHIZOME in Takoma, $15-35

HFStival: Sat., Nationals Park, $150-$250

The World’s Largest Pickle Party: Sat., Baltimore, $24.99+

Try Guys: Eat The Menu Tour: Sat., 7:30 p.m., Warner Theatre, $40+

Jelly Roll: Beautifully Broken Tour: Sat., 7 p.m., Capital One Arena

Hirshhorn Ball: Sat., 6:30-11 p.m., Hirshhorn Museum, $250+

REACH @ 5 Block Party!: Sat., 8:15 p.m. to 11 p.m., The Kennedy Center REACH, free

Don't Tell Comedy: Sat., various venues, $25

Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers (preseason): Sun., 3 p.m., Capital One Arena

Things to do in Maryland

Montgomery County Parks Ale Trail: Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lake Needwood in Rockville, free to join

Annapolis Baygrass Festival: Sept. 21-22, Sandy Point State Park

Festival del Rio Anacostia: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bladensburg Waterfront Park, free

Celebrate Africa: Sun., 1-6 p.m., Fairwood Park in Bowie, free

Craig Walsh’s Monuments: Through Oct. 6, Strathmore in North Bethesda, pay what you wish

• FYI: The exhibit is a series of large-scale projections outdoors. Catch live music and lectures on Mondays. Food and drink will be available on Fridays and Saturdays.

Things to do in Virginia

Crossroads Music Festival: Fri. and Sat., downtown Leesburg, Virginia, $10-$120

Fields of Fear at Cox Farms: Sept. 20 to Nov. 2, Centreville, Virginia, $30-$40

Taste of Thai Festival: Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center, free

Claude Moore Park Fall Fest: Sat., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Claude Moore Park in Sterling, free

Pueblo Unido Day: Sat., 1-6 p.m., Sterling Community Center, free

Alexandria Historic Homes Tour: Sat., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., $45+

Taste of Annandale: Sat., 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Eileen Garnett Civic Space, free entry

Middleburg Oktoberfest: Sat., Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., S. Madison and Federal streets, free entry

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