Best Halloween Events 2011 in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia

Looking for some great Halloween fun in the Washington, DC Area? During the month of October, celebrate Halloween and get spooked at a haunted house, romp around a pumpkin patch or go on a haunted city tour or through a haunted forest in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia.

Fright Fest at Six Flags America
October 1-30, 2011. Mitchellville, Maryland. Enjoy the spooky attractions and shows at one of the Washington, DC Area’s largest Halloween celebrations. Enjoy a family friendly event with street entertainment, your favorite rides in the dark and a special trick-or-treat trail just for kids. - Buy Tickets Online

Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion
September 30-October 30, 2011. Doswell, Virginia. The amusement park features nine mazes, five scare zones and more monsters and creepers than ever before. While the attractions of Haunt bring out the scares at night, families and children may still enjoy Halloween fun of Howl-O-Fest, the ultimate kids Halloween party. During daylight hours, age-appropriate Halloween Fun awaits little ghouls and goblins in KidZville and Nickelodeon Central.

Boo at the Zoo
October 21-23, 2011, 5:30-8:30 p.m. National Zoo, Washington, DC. Visit bats, spiders, owls, and other animals at the zoo while trick-or-treating. Enjoy animal encounters, keeper talks, festive decorations, and haunted trails at the annual National Zoo’s Halloween celebration. Costumed volunteers will hand out candy at more than 40 treat stations.

Pumpkin Patches in the Washington DC Area
Find the best pumpkin patches and fall festivals in the DC area, including Maryland and Virginia. Enjoy family-friendly farm activities and enjoy the Halloween and fall harvest season.

Corn Mazes in Maryland and Virginia
In recent years, this has become a favorite family fun way to celebrate the Halloween season. Stroll through a giant corn maze and find puzzle pieces that will complete your own maze map.

Ghost Tours in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia
Take a guided walking tour and hear ghost stories and legends about infamous haunted places such as Lafayette Square Park, Historic Alexandria or downtown Annapolis. Find ghost tours around the region.

DC Drag Queen Race
Each year, the Tuesday before Halloween, a crowd gathers in Dupont Circle for an informal street parade and race of costumed drag queens. See photos and details.

Halloween Costume Parties in Washington, DC for Adults
For adults ages 21 and over. Gather your friends and get creative and dress up for a night of fun and frolicking. Find the details of nightclub events.

Halloween Movies and Horror Films
See the schedule of spooky movies showing around the DC area.

Silver Spring Zombie Walk
October 22, 2011. Pre-walk party at the Quarry House Tavern, 8401 Georgia Ave. begins at 8 p.m., Walk departs at 9:30 p.m. from the corner of Georgia Ave. and Bonifant St. The event concludes at the AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., for a special screening of the 2004 British romantic zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead.

Halloween Parades Around the Washington DC Area
Get in the spirit of the season and check out the season’s most popular and creative costumes. Many communities around the region host a parade to encourage kids to show off their costumes.

Greenbelt Pumpkin Walk and Carving Festival
October 28-29, 2011. Greenbelt, Maryland. Enjoy jack o’lantern carving while listening to live musical entertainment, followed the next evening by a nighttime pumpkin-lit wooded trail walk. The walk is not spooky and is appropriate for children and adults.

Air & Scare at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
October 29, 2011, 2-8 p.m. National Air and Space Museum, Chantilly, Virginia. Join creepy space aliens, mysterious astronauts and ghostly pilots for safe, indoor trick-or-treating. Visitors will enjoy story times, face-painting stations, hands-on activities, free screenings of an episode of “The Jetsons” in the Imax Theater, karaoke, simulation games and robotics demonstrations.

Tilted Torch: Spook-o-rama!
October 30, 2011, 9:00 p.m., Red Palace, 1212 H Street NE, Washington, DC. This spooky variety show features Miss Joule’s horrifying hooping and Malibu's vicious variety, while Shakra brings eerily haunting belly dance to this petrifying production. Cherokee Rose and Boobz Allen Hamilton will rattle your skeleton bones with their wicked burlesque.

See Haunted Houses and Haunted Trails on Page 2

Need a Halloween costume? Find here the best places to buy Halloween Costumes and Decorations in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.