Summer's wound down, but never fear — sweater season (almost) is here.
There's no shortage of fall fun this year in the D.C. metro area. Mark your calendar and start your planning.
Maryland Renaissance Festival
Weekends through Oct. 20
Hear ye! Hear ye! Don your best 15th-century garb and grab a turkey leg at the Maryland Renaissance Festival (1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, Md.). Performances including jousting, music, science demos and Shakespeare, are plentiful. Check out the schedule in advance so you don't miss your favorites. Tickets are $27 for ages 16-61, $23 for seniors, and $12 for kids 7-15. Kids younger than 7 get in for free.
Fall for the Book
Oct. 10-12
Authors, performances, readings, discussions and more are open to all at the Fall for the Book festival (George Mason University, Fairfax, with speakers at multiple locations). The event is free and features more than 150 authors, including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of "We Should All Be Feminists," and Delia Owens, author of "Where the Crawdads Sing."
All Things Go Fall Classic
Oct. 12-13
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Catch artists including Chvrches, Melanie Martinez and Betty Who during the two-day All Things Go Fall Classic music fest at Union Market (1309 5th St. NE). Food vendors will include &Pizza, Arepa Zone, Bun'd Up and more. You'll also find fun activities; past highlights have included 360-degree, slo-mo photo booths and virtual reality lounges. A two-day advance ticket is $99 plus fees; one-day advance tickets are $69 plus fees.
Pumpkin Village
Now through Nov. 5
Leesburg Animal Park (19270 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg, Virginia) is transformed into Pumpkin Village and packed with fall fun that's sure to make kids shriek with joy. Jump in the corn bin, sail on a zip line, ride a camel or rocket down a giant slide any day of the week. There's also live music and special events on weekends. Weekend tickets start at $18.95 for adults and $15.95 for kids (aged 2-12) and seniors.
