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Washington DC family weekend planner

Things to do with kids this weekend in Washington DC

Updated October 25, 2026

October 23–25

The weekend of October 23–25 has 27 family events on across 7 Washington DC cities, led by library and festival programs. The busiest calendars are at Fairfax County Public Library and Gaithersburg Library. Every listing below comes from the organizer's own calendar, with times, venues, and official links — and the free ones are marked.

27 family events across 7 Washington DC cities this weekend — 21 likely free. Biggest clusters: library (23), festival (1), museum (1).

27 family events 21 likely free 7 cities

Don't miss this weekend

Ranked by how hard each one is to catch otherwise — marquee one-offs first, always-on drop-ins last.

  1. PokeFair

    Sat · All day · Montgomery County Fairgrounds - Building 6, Hall 2 · Gaithersburg

    Why it ranks rare one-off · city-wide festival · editor's pick

    PokeFair at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds — a Pokémon meet-up built for kids.

    Ages 2–11Official ↗

  2. Family Museum Program

    Sun · 2:00 PM · Smithsonian Events · Washington

    Why it ranks weekly · museum · editor's pick

    Smithsonian Family Museum Program — hands-on collections activities for all ages.

    $All agesOfficial ↗

  3. Halloween Take and Make

    Sun · 10:00 AM · Fairfax County Public Library · Tysons

    Why it ranks one-time special · library program · editor's pick

    Halloween Take and Make at Fairfax County Library — free craft kit to bring home.

    All agesOfficial ↗

  4. Pokémon Scavenger Hunt

    Sun · All day · Anacostia Neighborhood Library · Washington

    Why it ranks annual · library program

    FreeAll agesOfficial ↗

  5. Fall Fun Day!

    Sun · 2:30 PM · West End Neighborhood Library · Washington

    Why it ranks 21st annual · library program

    FreeAll agesOfficial ↗

  6. Night of the Living Zoo

    Sun · 7:00 PM · National Zoo · Washington

    Why it ranks always-on · major attraction · editor's pick

    Night of the Living Zoo — the National Zoo's after-hours Halloween event.

    Ages 6–11Official ↗

  7. Stories and Movement with Metropolitan Ballet Theatre

    Sun · 3:00 PM · Germantown Library · Germantown

    Why it ranks one-time special · library program · editor's pick

    Stories and Movement with Metropolitan Ballet Theatre — free dance-storytelling in Germantown.

    $Ages 2–6Official ↗

  8. Intro to GIMP Digital Art: Dress a Cat - In-person

    Sun · 2:00 PM · Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library · Silver Spring

    Why it ranks annual · library program

    FreeAges 8–12Official ↗

Story time & books 8Arts & crafts 7STEM & hands-on 6Active & outdoors 3Festivals & community 3Free only 21

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Free

Free family day

No-ticket or likely-free events that work well as the anchor for a low-cost weekend plan.

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Little kids

Toddler and preschool picks

Shorter, earlier programs with age signals that are easier for little kids.

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Indoor

Indoor backup plan

Libraries, museums, makerspaces, and indoor culture picks for weather or low-energy days.

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Low drive

Low-drive plan in Tysons

A tighter cluster in one city so the day does not turn into a long drive.

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Family events in Washington DC this weekend: October 23–25

Generated October 25, 2026 from official event sources

Interactive Event Finder

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Showing 27 of 27 events

Saturday, October 24

1 event · already happened

  1. PokeFair

    Montgomery County Fairgrounds - Building 6, Hall 2 · Gaithersburg · Ages 3–12

    Spooky Season PokeFair returns for a grand 2-day Pokémon celebration: The Shadow Ball.

    Official ↗

Sunday, October 25

26 events · 21 free

  1. Family Museum Program

    Smithsonian Events · Washington · $ · Ages 3–13

    Family-friendly museum programming, discovery activities, and exhibit-based learning in Washington DC.

    Official ↗

  2. Halloween Take and Make

    Fairfax County Public Library · Tysons · Ages 5–13

    Halloween is coming! What says "Halloween" more than bats? Visit the library's Information Desk to pick up a fun simple origami bat craft…

    Free Official ↗

  3. Fall Fun Day!

    West End Neighborhood Library · Washington · Ages 10–13

    Mitchell Park Visit the book bike and the DCPL table at the 21st annual Fall Fun Day at Mitchell Park (23rd & S Streets NW) . The event…

    Free Official ↗

  4. Night of the Living Zoo

    National Zoo · Washington · Ages 5–12

    Get ready for a spine-chilling evening! The Smithsonian's National Zoo is bringing its adults-only Halloween party back from the dead Oct.…

    Official ↗

  5. Stories and Movement with Metropolitan Ballet Theatre

    Germantown Library · Germantown · $ · Ages 1–12

    Germantown Library This 45-min. monthly REGISTRATION program will engage children in creative movement in connection with a story of the day.

    Official ↗

  6. Intro to GIMP Digital Art: Dress a Cat - In-person

    Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library · Silver Spring · Ages 5–12

    Learn the basics of the GIMP interface as you customize a rad cartoon cat!

    Free Official ↗

  7. Little Pages: English Learning Storytime

    Fairfax County Public Library · Tysons · Ages 3–12

    Enjoy stories and writing activities designed for kids learning English as a second language.

    Free Official ↗

  8. Battle of the Branches Chess Tournament

    Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library - Event Space · Washington · Ages 10–13

    Join your neighborhood library team in a DCPL system-wide chess showdown for the chance to be crowned DCPL chess champion!

    Free Official ↗

  9. Friends of the Virginia Room Book Sale

    Fairfax County Public Library · Tysons · Ages 3–12

    General public book sale hours are Friday October 23, Saturday October 24 and Sunday October 25 from 10am-3pm.

    Free Official ↗

  10. Friends of Fairfax City Library Fall Book Sale - Bag Sale

    Fairfax County Public Library · Tysons · Ages 3–12

    General public book sale hours are Friday October 23 and Saturday October 24 from10am-3pm.

    Free Official ↗

  11. Friends of Chantilly Library Used Book Sale

    Chantilly Conference Room, Chantilly Meeting Room · Tysons · Ages 5–12

    Find bargains and treasures from a great selection of gently used fiction and non-fiction books, plus DVDs, CDs and audio books, for children and adults.

    Free Official ↗

  12. Family Nature Program

    DC Department of Parks and Recreation · Washington · Ages 3–13

    Outdoor nature, ranger, garden, or recreation programming for families in Washington DC.

    Free Official ↗

  13. Lego Club

    James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library - Beth Patridge Meeting Room · Alexandria · Ages 5–12

    Calling all builders! (Ages 6-12) Calling all builders!

    Free Official ↗

  14. Learn to 3D Print with FTC team 47 Beavers

    Gaithersburg Library · Gaithersburg · $ · Ages 5–13

    Gaithersburg Library Design... Build...Print!

    Official ↗

  15. Family Storytime

    Rockville Memorial Library · Rockville · $ · Ages 1–5

    Rockville Library These 25-30-minute programs are designed to delight children of all ages and are filled with diverse stories and…

    Official ↗

  16. Tween and Teen STEM - Strawberry DNA Extraction

    Gaithersburg Library · Gaithersburg · Ages 10–13

    A MD STEM Festival Event Tweens and teens can join us for this fun STEM experiment in the honor of MD STEM Fest.

    Free Official ↗

  17. Math, Art, Play!

    White Oak Library · Silver Spring · Ages 5–12

    patterns, symmetry, and more! Explore math through art, pattern, and hands-on making! Explore the creative side of mathematics with…

    Free Official ↗

  18. Quilting 102!

    PO DIY · Tysons · Ages 10–13

    For next level quilting. This class is for confident and independent quilters. Learn more advanced techniques. No registration necessary…

    Free Official ↗

  19. Tween Graphic Novel Book Club

    Pohick Meeting Room 1 · Tysons · Ages 5–13

    Do you love graphic novels? Join our tween book club where we will compare and contrast two graphic novels at every meeting followed by a…

    Free Official ↗

  20. Chantilly's Close-KNIT Community

    Fairfax County Public Library · Tysons · Ages 10–13

    knitting group invites knitters of all levels to bring in a project, chat with fellow knitting enthusiasts, and learn from each other in this weekly get together.

    Free Official ↗

  21. Burke Historical Society Presents: Yankee Doodle Spies: Historical fiction and research

    Pohick Meeting Room 1, Pohick Meeting Room 2 · Tysons · Ages 10–13

    Burke Historical Society Lecture Series. Scott W. O’Connell, a retired U.S. Army officer and Senior Defense Intelligence Executive, will…

    Free Official ↗

  22. Washington Commanders Football

    Bellevue (William O. Lockridge) Neighborhood Library - Meeting Room (25-100 Person Capacity) · Washington · Ages 10–13

    NFL Football at Bellevue Library Come enjoy watching the Washington Commanders Football Team play.

    Free Official ↗

  23. Cricut Reservation

    Southwest Neighborhood Library · Washington · Ages 10–13

    Use the Cricut at the SOW STEAM Lab Reserve a Cricut for two hours to work on your own projects.

    Free Official ↗

  24. Sewing Machine Reservation

    Southwest Neighborhood Library · Washington · Ages 10–13

    Use the sewing machine at the SOW STEAM Lab Reserve a sewing machine for two hours to work on your own projects.

    Free Official ↗

  25. Chess at Rockville Memorial Library

    Rockville Memorial Library - Adult Programming Room · Rockville · Ages 5–13

    The Rockville Chess Club will host Open Play from 4:00pm to 5:50pm.

    Free Official ↗

  26. Pokémon Scavenger Hunt

    Anacostia Neighborhood Library · Washington · Ages 10–13

    Celebrate Pokémon's 30th Anniversary with a DC-themed Pokémon Scavenger Hunt!

    Free Official ↗

Browse by interest

Jump to the kind of weekend you're after — story time, hands-on science, music, the outdoors, and more.

Arts & crafts

Drop-in making, painting, drawing, and creative studio time.

Active & outdoors

Sports, playgrounds, swimming, biking, and run-around energy burners.

Animals & nature

Zoos, farms, gardens, and wildlife walks to get up close with the outdoors.

Food & markets

Farmers markets, food trucks, tastings, and cooking fun.

  • Fall Fun Day!West End Neighborhood Library · Washington · Ages 10–13

Coming up after this weekend

Plan ahead: Washington DC traditions coming up

This weekend by city

Weekly storytimes and library programs: the Washington DC library events calendar.

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