Festival Season 2023

We're saying so long to Summer by bringing you a sampler of Oktoberfests, county fairs, oyster riots, and other festivals/happenings that ramp up with chilling air & falling leaves. We'll also highlight these events at the end of Thursday/Friday posts. Please shoot us an email to let us know about any we've missed, and we'll continue to expand the list.

DC Jazzfest – DC Wharf – Aug. 30-Sept. 3
DC Chinese Culture Festival – Pennsylvania Ave. NW – Sept. 2
12th Annual Labor Day Wine & Music Fest – Rebec Vineyard, Amherst, Va. – Sept. 2
49th Annual Virginia Scottish Games – The Plains, Va. – Sept. 2-3
Shenandoah Valley Music Festival – Orkney Springs, Va. – Sept. 2-3
National Symphony Orchestra Labor Day Concert – U.S. Capital West Lawn – Sept. 3
Porktoberfest – Old Ox Brewing, Ashburn, Va. – Sept. 3
Loudoun County Musicians Festival – 868 Estate Vineyard/Hillsboro, Va. – Sept. 3 

Maryland Cider Festival – Gaitherburg, MD – Sept. 9
Rosslyn Jazz Fest – Gateway Park – Sept. 9
Silver Spring Jazz Festival – Veterans Plaza – Sept. 9
Brine Oyster Fest – H Street NE – Sept. 9
Virginia Cider Festival – Fredericksburg, Va. – Sept. 9
Chestertown Jazz Festival – Chestertown, MD – Sept. 9
First Amendment Festival – DC Wharf – Sept. 9
Adams Morgan Day – where else? – Sept. 10
DC State Fair – Franklin Park NW DC – Sept. 10
NoMa Beer Run – NoMa/Brookland/Fort Totten – Sept. 10 

Lotus Festival of Food & Culture – Chinatown DC – Sept 12-17
Atlas Brew Works Oktoberfest – Navy Yard DC – Sept. 14
Silver Branch Brewing Oktoberfest – Silver Spring, MD – Sept. 14-17
Charles County Fair – La Plata, MD – Sept. 14-17
Wunder Garten's 9th Annual Oktoberfest Festival – NoMa DC – starting Sept. 15
Harvest Party – U.S. Botanic Garden, Capitol Hill – Sept. 15
Wharf Oktoberfest/Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash – DC Wharf – Sept. 15-17
20th Annual Ukrainian Festival – Silver Spring, MD – Sept. 15-17
Perchfest – Capital One Center, Tysons Corner – Sept. 15-17
Fells Point Fall Festival – Baltimore, MD – Sept. 15-17
St. Benedict Oktoberfest – Richmond, Va. – Sept. 15-17
Worcester County Fair – Snow Hill, MD – Sept. 15-17
Delaware Saengerbund Oktoberfest – Newark, DE – Sept. 15-17
Bluejacket 10th Anniversary Oktoberfest – Navy Yard DC – Sept. 16
Aslin Brewing 8th Anniversary – Herndon, Va. – Sept. 16
Alexandria Biergarten Oktoberfest Launch – Old Town – Sept. 16
Dacha Beer Garden Oktoberfest kickoff – Shaw DC – Sept. 16
Oyster & Sausage Oktoberfest – Mustang Sally Brewing, Chantilly Va. – Sept. 16
Shipgarten Oktoberfest Kickoff – Tysons Corner, Va. – Sept. 16
Third Hill Oktoberfest – Silver Spring, MD – Sept. 16
Solace Outpost Lagerfest – Falls Church, Va. – Sept. 16
Celebrate Virginia – Tysons Corner, Va. – Sept. 16
H Street Festival – Northeast DC – Sept. 16
Beer in the Garden – The Farm at Halley Rise, Reston – Sept. 16
Middleburg Oktoberfest – Middleburg, Va. – Sept. 16
Maryland Wine Festival – Westminster, MD – Sept. 16
Wheatland Spring Oktoberfest – Waterford, Va. – Sept. 16-17
Cox Farms Fall Festival – Centreville, Va. – Sept. 16-17
Bluemont Fair – Bluemont, Va. – Sept. 16-17
Stratford Hall Wine & Oyster Festival – Stratford, Va. – Sept. 16-17
Fall Wine Festival – Virginia Beach, Va. – Sept. 16-17
Café Berlin Oktoberfest – Capitol Hill DC – starting Sept. 16; pig roasts on Sept. 23 & Oct. 7 

Mid-Autumn Night Market – Union Market, NE DC – Sept. 20-21
7 Locks Oktoberfest – Rockville, MD – Sept. 22
Lovettesville Oktoberfest – Lovettsville, Va. – Sept. 22-23
Virginia State Fair – Sept. 22-Oct. 1 – Doswell, Va. 
Port City Wunderfest – Alexandria, Va. – Sept. 23
Taste of Falls Church – Falls Church, Va. – Sept. 23
Celebrate Petworth – Upshur St. NW – Sept. 23
Zinnia Oktoberfest – Silver Spring, MD – Sept. 23
Mosaic District Fall Festival – Merrifield, Va. – Sept. 23
Reston Multicultural Festival – Reston, Va. – Sept. 23
G34.3 Brewing Oktoberfest – Lorton, Va. – Sept. 23
Catholic Community of South Baltimore Oktoberfest – Federal Hill – Sept. 23
Mount Airy Oktoberfest – Mount Airy, MD – Sept. 23
Lynchburg Beer, Wine & Cider Festival – City Stadium – Sept. 23
Guinness Open Gate Oktoberfest – Baltimore, MD – Sept. 23-24 (and nest two weekends)
West Annapolis Oktoberfest – Annapolis Street – Sept. 24

Calvert County Fair – Prince Frederick, MD – Sept. 27-Oct. 1
Fort Belvoir Oktoberfest – Fort Belvoir, Va. – Sept. 28-Oct. 1
Aslin Oktoberfest – DC, Alexandria & Herndon locations – Sept. 28-Oct. 1
Old Town Winchester Oktoberfest – Winchester, Va. – Sept. 29
Oktoberfest Dinner & Dance – German-American Heritage Museum, Chinatown/Cap One area – Sept. 29
Frederick’s Oktoberfest – Frederick, MD Fairgrounds – Sept. 29-30
Döner Bistro Oktoberfest – Leesburg, Va. – Sept. 29-Oct. 1
World Culture Festival – National Mall DC – Sept. 29-Oct. 1
Lawntoberfest – Union Market NE DC – Sept. 29-Oct. 1
Hi/Fi Oktoberfest – Del Ray/Alexandria, Va. – Sept. 30
Clarendon Day – Clarendon, Va. – Sept. 30
Oktoberfest at the Boro – Tysons Corner – Sept. 30
Art All Mini Markt & Biergarten Special Hours – Heurich House, Dupont Circle – Sept. 30
All Things Go Music Festival – Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD – Sept. 30
Alexandria Arts Festival – Carlyle District – Sept. 30
Atlas Brew Works 10th Anniversary – Ivy City DC – Sept. 30
Roost Oktoberfest – Potomac Ave. SE DC – Sept. 30
Shipgarten Dogtoberfest IPAs, Sours & Whiskey Festival – Tysons Corner, Va. – Sept. 30
Rocktobierfest – Rockville Town Center – Sept. 30
Black-Owned Wine & Spirits Festival – Navy Yard SE DC area – Sept. 30
OktoberForest Fest – Black Narrows Brewing, Chincoteague, Va. – Sept. 30
Takoma Park Street Festival – Takoma Park, DC/MD – Oct. 1
PIKEtoberfest – Pike & Rose, North Bethesda – Oct. 1
Silver Spring Oktoberfest/Fall Fair – Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring MD – Oct. 1
MPAartfest – Central Park, McLean, Va. – Oct. 1

Stafford County Fair – Fredericksburg, Va. – Oct. 5-8
St. Matthew Oktoberfest – Columbia, MD – Oct. 6
Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival – George Washington’s Mount Vernon – Oct. 6-8
Waterford Fair – Waterford, Va. – Oct. 6-8
Vienna Oktoberfest – Vienna, Va. – Oct. 7
Rustico Oktoberfest – both Alexandria & Ballston locations – Oct. 7
Taste of Bethesda – Woodmont Triangle – Oct. 7
Open Streets Georgia Ave. – Georgia Ave. NW above Howard U. – Oct. 7
Art on the Avenue – Del Ray/Alexandria, Va. – Oct. 7
Hops & Harvest Festival – Columbia, MD – Oct. 7
Easton Beer Fest – Easton, MD – Oct. 7
Manassas 40th Annual Fall Jubilee – Manassas, Va. – Oct. 7
Gordonsville Fried Chicken Festival – Gordonsville, Va. – Oct. 7
Uptown Martinsville Oktoberfest – Martinsville, Va. – Oct. 7
Kentlands Oktoberfest – Gaithersburg, MD – Oct. 8
Porchfest DC – all around town – Oct. 8
Clifton Day – Clifton, Va. – Oct. 8

Nature Conservancy Taste of Virginia Tap Takeover – Rustico Alexandria – also taking place at other spots in Charlottesville, Richmond, Virginia Beach & Norton – Oct. 12
Good Beer Festival – Salisbury, MD – Oct. 13-14
Snallygaster 2023 – Downtown DC – Oct. 14
City of Fairfax Fall Festival – Downtown FFX – Oct. 14
DC Wine Fest – Union Market, NE DC – Oct. 14
Berlin Oktoberfest – Berlin, MD – Oct. 14
Chesapeake Wine Festival – Chesapeake, Va. – Oct. 14
Georgetown Fall Market – all around Gtown – Oct. 14-15
Bethesda Row Arts Festival – Bethesda, MD – Oct. 14-15
31st Annual Virginia Wine and Garlic Festival – Rebec Vineyard, Amherst, Va. – Oct. 14-15
Other Half Brewing 3rd Anniversary – NE DC – Oct 15

Dumbarton at Dusk Fall Festival – Georgetown – Oct.19
Richmond Oktoberfest – Meadow Event Park/Doswell, Va. – Oct. 20-21
Boo at the Zoo – National Zoo, NW DC – Oct. 20-22 (note: Sat. sold out)
Alexandria Oktoberfest – Carlyle Square – Oct. 21
Vola's Fall Oysterfest – Old Town Alexandria – Oct. 21
Haymarket Day – Haymarket, Va. – Oct. 21
Rock the Park – Franklin Square NW DC – Oct. 21-22
U.S. Oyster Festival – Leonardtown, MD – Oct. 21-22
Aslin Oysterfest – Herndon, Va. – Oct. 22

Lawson's Tap Takeover – Rustico Ballston – Oct. 27
Das Best Oktoberfest – Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD – Oct. 28
Virginia Gold Cup – The Plains, Va. – Oct. 28
First Ever Old Hat Halloween Party –  Old Town Alexandria – Oct. 28
Halloweekend at The Perch – Tysons Corner – Oct. 28
Nightmare in Navy Yard – Oct. 28
Nightmare on Wilson Blvd. Bar Crawl – Clarendon – Oct. 28
Nightmare on M Street Bar Crawl – Downtown/Dupont Circle – Oct. 28
5th Annual Mactoberfest Mac & Cheese Festival – Ridgely, MD – Oct. 28
27th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade – Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria Va. – Oct. 29

El Dia de los Muertos Festival – National Portrait Gallery – Nov. 2
Urbanna Oyster Festival – Urbanna, Va. – Nov. 3-4
DC Beer Festival – Nationals Park – Nov. 4
Adams Mogan Fall Porchfest – NW DC – Nov. 4
Baltimore Craft Beer Festival – Canton Waterfront Park – Nov. 4
Sykesville Craft Beer Festival – Sykesville, MD – Nov. 4
Montpelier Hunt Races – Montpelier Station, Va. – Nov. 4

Eastern Market 150th Anniversary Weekend – Capitol Hill – Nov. 10-12
Hook Hall Cider & Beer Festival – Georgia Ave. NW DC – Nov. 11
Hellbender Brewing 9th Anniversary – upper NW DC – Nov. 11
Lost Generation Brewing First Anniversary – Eckington/NE DC – Nov. 11
757 Battle of the Beers – Virginia Beach – Nov. 11

Old Ebbitt Oyster Riot – NW DC – Nov. 17-18

Washingtonian Whiskey & Fine Spirits Festival – Dock 5/Union Market, NE DC – Nov. 30 – code LOYAL should get you a 15% discount