12 things to do in D.C. over Halloween weekend

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Every Thursday, we share weekend events happening around the city. Are you planning an event you’d like us to consider for this roundup? Send it to our team at 51st.news/submit-events.

Find even more events in our Civics Roundup, which focuses on ways to get more involved locally.

The veil is thin, the air is crisp, and the leaves are crunchy! Sweater weather is here — the ideal conditions for spending time outside with neighbors at all of these great events. You don’t want to miss out because the lineup is lineupping, with plenty of budget friendly options. Read on for movie nights, fall festivals, and the best of Halloweekend — from a block party to a bar crawl.

THURSDAY, OCT. 29

People watch a documentary screening at Urban Garden Brewing. — Catch a documentary film screening and panel discussion Thursday night. (Belinda Shao)

Late Night: Haunted Hall
📍 National Building Museum (1275 K St. NW)
⏰ 6 - 9 p.m.
💸 $20, $15 for students (adults only)
The museum of design and engineering is celebrating Halloween in style. Come out for live music, silent horror films, body painting, scavenger hunt — not to mention great exhibitions. Tickets include one drink, with the option to purchase more.

Defining Love Community Salon: Black Love in All Its Forms
📍 Busboys and Poets (2004 Martin Luther King Jr Ave. SE)
⏰ 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
💸 FREE with registration
Join your neighbors at the D.C. staple restaurant and bookstore for a community-forward evening. After a screening of local filmmaker Zoë Poindexter’s Defining Love: Voices of Black D.C., you’ll hear from two local guest speakers: Ayo Handy-Kendi, the founder of Black Love Day, along with romance novelist and cultural anthropologist Nikki Payne. The last edition of this event sold out, so register quickly!

Film screening: Swann Queen
📍 DC Liberation Center (337 H St. NE)
⏰ 7 - 9 p.m.
💸 FREE
October isn’t just spooky season! It’s also LGBTQ+ History Month. Mark the occasion at this event, where you’ll see a short film by L. Cedeño Miller inspired by the true, local story of William Dorsey Swann, the first self-identified drag queen. If you’re a yapper, this is for you: The screening will be followed by director talkback and community engagement.

FRIDAY, OCT. 30

The Air and Space Museum's renovation project wraps up this week, with the opening of two final galleries — including this exhibit. (National Air and Space Museum)

“At Home in Space”
📍 National Air and Space Museum (650 Jefferson Dr. SW)
⏰ 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m
💸 FREE (but snag a timed entry pass in advance)
Ever wondered what it would be like to actually live and work in space? The Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum is celebrating their 50th anniversary with a new exhibition, opening this Friday, that explores the question. Their after-hours event coming up next Thursday appears to be already sold out, but there are still passes available for the weekend.

Halloween Bar Crawl
📍 Meet at Atomic Billiards (3427 Connecticut Ave. NW)
⏰ 7 - 10 p.m.
💸 $18.92
Come through costume adorned and ready to bar ’til you crawl at Cleveland Park's Atomic Billards, Taco Cantina, and Nanny O’Briens. Join neighbors and friends at one or all locations — then, after drinking responsibly, get home safe via the Red Line from Cleveland Park station. Individual business specials will be announced at the time of the event.

Night of the Flick … At the Mall
📍 Comet Ping Pong and Pizza (5037 Connecticut Ave. Northwest)
⏰ Doors open at 4 p.m.
💸 FREE with RSVP
This event has got a little bit of everything going on: A pop-up Halloween mall-themed market! Pizza, beer, and more available for purchase! Pre-show entertainment! And … *drum roll please* … for the grand finale, a retro VHS film screening of Dawn of the Dead! It’s a classic for a reason. Come early to get a good spot at the beer-garden style tables, and leave at your own risk.

Zombie Apocalypse: A Halloween Fundraiser for Ward 1 Mutual Aid
📍 14th St. and Quincy St. NW
⏰ 6 p.m. - 12 a.m.
💸 FREE with RSVP
You might end up losing your brains — but at least this event has heart! Here’s the rundown: Put on your best post-apocalyptic fit or fresh-out-the-grave zombie costume for the costume contest. Snag a punchcard, which you can fill out by drinking responsibly (once again) at Lyman’s Tavern, Toro Bar, and Little Coco’s, who are donating a portion of proceeds to mutual aid. Don’t miss the door prizes! Want to see more good times for great causes? Don’t miss our Civics Roundup,

SATURDAY, OCT. 31

People carve pumpkins in D.C.'s Dupont Circle. — Head to Dupont Circle for a fall festival on Saturday. (Courtesy of Dupont Circle BID)

Dreaming Out Loud Annual Fall Fest
📍 The Farm at Kelly Miller (301 49th St. NE)
⏰ 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
💸 FREE
Dreaming Out Loud is a community-based nonprofit that offers sustainable and healthy food access through urban farms and community markets. This weekend, they’re bringing together farmers, neighbors, and … you? This is an event for the whole family, offering face-painting, pony rides, and local food in Ward 7 behind Kelly Miller Middle School.

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration
📍 National Museum of the American Indian (4th St. and Independence Ave. SW)
⏰ 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
💸 FREE
Gather with us to celebrate family and honor the cycle of life. Enjoy family-friendly activities, including dance performances by Grupo los Tecuanes, hands-on traditional craft-making, food demonstrations, and interactive Story Time. And be sure to catch a glimpse of the iconic skeleton fashionista La Catrina as she roams the festival!

Learn more

Dupont Fall Festival
📍 Dupont Circle (21 Dupont Circle NW)
⏰ 1 - 4 p.m.
💸 FREE with RSVP
This autumnal celebration is back for its 5th year in the center of the Northwest traffic circle. We’re talking live bluegrass; free pumpkin decorating; and not one, not two, but *three* costume contests — one each for kids, pets, and adults. So, saddle up the kiddies, and the pets, and head to the nearest Metro station because driving? Absolutely not.

Halloween Block Party: The Dark Light Experience
📍1400 Shepherd St NW
⏰ 5 p.m.
💸 FREE (RSVP here)
All ages? Oh, we in there! This family-friendly Petworth block party celebrates local culture with live hip-hop performances from Ama’d and Trelogy, a set from DJ Folabeats, food, and candy (obviously!). Bring the kids during or after trick-or-treating.

SUNDAY, NOV. 1

A go-go band performs at D.C.'s Metrobar. — Catch a go-go show before Sunday night football. (Courtesy of Metrobar)

Free Community Day
📍 National Museum of Women in the Arts (1250 New York Ave. NW)
⏰ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
💸 FREE (registration recommended)
One of two days a month when the downtown art museum offers free admission is also Quilt Documentation Day, celebrating the legacy and history of African-American quilt-making. If you would like to participate, you can register in advance to bring your own family’s quilt to be examined, photographed, and recorded in the national African American Quilt Registry, or just catch a pop-up demonstration and replicas of the famed Gee’s Bend quilters’ work.

Commanders vs. Eagles: Sunday Night Go-Go Concert & Watch Party
📍 Metrobar (640 Rhode Island Ave. NE)
⏰ 6 p.m. concert, 8:20 p.m. kickoff
💸 FREE
Let’s get ready to RAISE HAIL! Do you know what time it is? Check the clock! You can’t go wrong as the outdoor bar down the street from the Rhode Island Avenue Metro stop offers a live pre-game go-go session from Me & U Band along with wood-fired pizza, beer, and cocktails for purchase. Come for the vibes, stay for the game!