Things to Do

White House Garden Tours
October 13-14, 2012. View the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden, Children’s Garden and South Lawn of the White House.

Boo at the Zoo
October 26-28, 2012. Visit bats, spiders, owls, and other animals at the zoo while trick-or-treating at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Enjoy animal encounters, keeper talks, festive decorations, and haunted trails at the annual National Zoo’s Halloween celebration. Advance tickets are required.

Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Days
October 27-28, 2012. Celebrate the season with horse-drawn wagon rides, wheat treading in the 16-sided barn, a straw bale maze, early-American games, music and demonstrations. (Mount Vernon is not directly accessible by Metro. You can take Metro to Huntington Station and transfer to the Fairfax Connector bus #101 to Mount Vernon.)

Marine Corps Marathon
October 28, 2012. The annual race includes a full weekend of events including the Health and Fitness Expo, Healthy Kids Fun Run, Crystal Run (a festival in Crystal City), and Marine Corps Marathon Finish Festival.

DC Drag Queen Race
October 30, 2012. Thousands of spectators flock to Dupont Circle to watch costumed drag queens show off their elaborate Halloween costumes and race down 17th Street.

Night of the Living Zoo
On October 30, 2009 from 8 p.m. to midnight, the National Zoo is hosting an adults-only Halloween party with live music, a costume contest, palm readers, fire eaters, talking bats, and illusionists.

Day of the Dead
October 29-November 3, 2012. Los Días de los Muertos is a Mexican custom honoring and remembering those who have died.