Things to do with kids in the DC area this week

6 PM – 6:45 PM·Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library · Alexandria

Storytelling Spooktacular at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library offers gentle spooky tales early, followed by spine‑tingling stories later, all ages.

9:30 AM – 1:30 PM·National Zoo, Bird House Classroom · Washington

Creative drop‑in play about bats in the Bird House Classroom, with hands‑on activities for early learners and families, all ages welcome.

4 PM – 6:30 PM·Beltsville

Free Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets screening on a big screen at the Beltsville library, with a craft activity, for ages 5 and up.

4 PM – 6 PM·Northeast Neighborhood Library · Washington

PumpkinPalooza at Alethia Tanner Park offers delicious food, free pumpkins from NoMa BID, and live costumed characters, for all ages.

7 PM – 8:30 PM·Maple Avenue, Vienna, VA 22180

Half-mile costumed parade with floats, bands and fire trucks rolls down Maple Avenue, a rain‑or‑shine tradition since 1946, lasting about 90 minutes, free, all ages.

4:30 PM – 7 PM·Bethesda Row, 7262 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda

Trick‑or‑Treat stroll through Bethesda Row provides treats from 25+ shops, a glow stick, meet‑and‑greet with Buzz, Woody and Jessie, balloon‑twist art, tote for first 50.

1 PM – 6 PM·Butler's Orchard, 22222 Davis Mill Rd, Germantown, MD 20876

Butler's Orchard hosts a pumpkin festival with hayrides, jump pads, corn maze, farm animals, slides, pedal tractors and live music, pumpkins $0.79 per pound, all ages.

5 PM – 7 PM·Police Headquarters · Alexandria

Trunk or Treat at Alexandria Police Headquarters features decorated police, fire and emergency vehicles offering treats and first responder meet‑ups; costumes encouraged, free, all ages.

1 PM – 3 PM·Natural History Museum, 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall · Washington

Costumed scientists present curious creatures and spooky specimens in the Ocean Hall, including a NOAA chimaera photo, for an eerie educational experience.

5:30 PM·Richardson Park, 4701 31st Pl, Mount Rainier, MD Thomas S Stone Elementary School Parking Lot, Mount Rainier

A Halloween parade moves from Richardson Park to Thomas Stone Elementary parking lot, followed by trunk‑or‑treat, arts and crafts, and light refreshments.

7 PM – 9 AM·American History Museum · Washington

Sleepover at the American History Museum offers an overnight road‑trip adventure through galleries, with maps and engine sounds, for ages 8–14.

5 PM – 9 PM·Downtown Silver Spring

Mystery Mansion in Downtown Silver Spring offers a family‑friendly haunted house with live music, firepits, s’mores, and timed indoor scares, for all ages.

5 PM – 8 PM·Old Firehouse Center, 1440 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA 22101

Live music, games, food, contests and candy fill the Old Firehouse Center for a Halloween costume celebration, free admission, for all ages.

1 PM·Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD 20812

Halloween fun at Glen Echo Park features Trick‑or‑Treat bag decorating, crafts, a fall photo‑op, costume contest, studio Trick‑or‑Treating, music by the Washington Conservatory of Music, and free admission.

2 PM·Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st Street, NW, Washington

Spooky classics performed by ghoulishly attired National Symphony Orchestra musicians at Lisner Auditorium, Washington, in a Halloween celebration concert, for ages 2 and up.

11 AM – 3 PM·Postal Museum, National Postal Museum · Washington

Spooky stamps, hands‑on art, a museum‑wide costume parade, and a Wizard of Oz stamp station where participants design a Toto costume at the National Postal Museum.

6 PM – 9 PM·Tucker Road Athletic Complex, 1770 Tucker Road, Fort Washington MD 20744

Costume contest, candy, games, pumpkins, haunted hayride, and haunted house fill the Tucker Road Athletic Complex for an annual Halloween trick‑or‑treat night.

10 AM – 5 PM·American Indian Museum DC · Washington

Dance performances, live Catrinas, paper marigold making, papel picado demos, pan de muerto baking, and a butterfly memorial arch fill the American Indian Museum, Washington, for all ages.

3 PM – 5 PM·The Music Center at Strathmore · Bethesda

Full film screening with live orchestral performance by Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México at The Music Center at Strathmore.

10 AM – 5 PM·Cox Farms, 15621 Braddock Rd, Centreville, VA 20120

Cox Farms offers giant slides, hayrides through Imaginature Trail, a corn maze, farm animals, apple cider and pick‑your‑own pumpkins, all ages.

5 PM – 8 PM·Kogod Courtyard and G and 9th Streets · Washington

El Día de los Muertos (Kogod Courtyard and G & 9th Streets) — Music, Mexican folk‑dance, workshops, video art by MasPaz and Guache projected on museum, all ages.

10:30 AM – 12 PM·Chantilly Regional Library — Chantilly Meeting Room

Diwali Festival of Lights at Chantilly Regional Library features crafts, storytime, and a photo booth for ages 3–10.

3 PM – 6 PM·The Wharf · Washington

Celebración Día de los Muertos at The Wharf — festive afternoon honoring the holiday with family fun, partnered with Fiesta DC and Modelo, all ages.

10:30 AM·the Puppet Co. Playhouse, Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD 20812

Jennie the cat explores Halloween with puppets, skateboarding, shadow puppetry, pumpkin carving, original music and audience interaction at the Puppet Co. Playhouse, $17.93, for ages 4+.

Museum of Contemporary Arts Arlington, 3550 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201

Evening picnic on the museum lawn features family‑friendly activities, vendors, food trucks, folklórico and mariachi performances.

2 PM – 4 PM·The Music Center at Strathmore · Bethesda

Full film screening with live orchestral performance by Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México at The Music Center at Strathmore.

10:30 AM – 12:15 PM·Thomas Jefferson Library — Thomas Jefferson Meeting Room 1, Thomas Jefferson Meeting Room 2 · Falls Church

Toy Story 5 screening in Thomas Jefferson Library meeting rooms, with free popcorn and space for blankets, pillows, or chairs, for ages 3–10 and 13–18.

12 PM – 1 PM·Little Falls Library · Bethesda

Live animal science visit at Little Falls Library features tarantulas, scorpions, and a UV scavenger hunt exploring spider silk, hunting, and defense, for ages 3–10.

Lubber Run, 300 N Park Drive, 22203 · Arlington

Decorate sugar skull cookies while watching the movie Coco at Lubber Run, honoring ancestors on Day of the Dead, open to all ages.