What Fall Fairs are Worth the Trip?

Is that a nip in the air? Or do D.C. summers just make 70 degrees feel like fall? Regardless, it’s fall fair season! Whether you’re a medieval freak (me), a basic autumnal babe (me), or a sicko that likes to be scared senseless (me), there’s something for everyone.

All the big fall fairs are a ways out of D.C., so which ones are actually worth the effort? We asked an expert; try these:

Historical Fairs:

Maryland Renaissance Fair (Annapolis, MD): One of the country’s largest ren fests, it’s basically impossible to not have a great time. Turkey legs, jousting, singalongs, and sexy pirates, what's not to like?

Mt. Vernon Fall Harvest Festival (Mt. Vernon, VA): This fair on Oct. 21 & 22 is full of 18th-century activities and demonstrations like candle making, horseshoeing, and wheat treading (?).

Farm Festivals:

Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival (Germantown, MD): Embrace Christian girl autumn and pull up to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch in your best scarf and leather boots. Stay for the kettle corn, tractor pull, and other family-friendly activities.

Magnolia Meadow Farms Fall Festival (Thurmont, MD): Home of Maryland’s biggest corn maze, this festival also has hay rides, zip lines, petting zoos, and fresh apple cider donuts.

Cox Farms Fall Festival (Centerville, VA): Similar but even larger than the last two, this festival has a “foamhenge”, a goat village, a treetop slide, AND a volcano slide (because you need both).

Haunted Horrors:

Markoff’s Haunted Forest (Dickerson, MD): A City Cast DC favorite (despite our screams throughout this episode), Markoff’s is the most elaborate Halloween production you’ll ever see, with hundreds of costumed actors, a whole haunted village, bonfires, and extremely realistic jump-scares.

Field of Screams (Olney, MD): Slightly smaller in scale but no less scary, this haunted forest has two different walks, along with games like ax throwing and hammer smashes to get your adrenaline going.