Seasonal Activities

Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Camps

Spring
Belvedere Plantation is a 645 acre heritage farm, built in the 1760s on the historic Rappahannock River. It is a working farm, with grain crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans. They offer great activities for families each season. In the spring you can ride a tractor out to pick strawberries, pet the goats and bounce on the moonbounce.

Strawberry Hill Races is Central Virginia's 'Rite of Spring' with exciting steeplechase racing featuring thoroughbred horses from near and far on the best turf course in the nation. Support a worthy cause; Strawberry Hill Races and Strawberry Hill Race Week helps local charities with events leading up to and culminating in an annual Richmond tradition. Experience a great time together with friends and family, in your best finery, as you enjoy steeplechase history. Held in early April... check website for exact date.

Easter Bunny Train: Welcome Spring with a ride through beautiful farmland with Peter Cottontail as your Conductor. Peter will delight boys and girls with an Easter surprise as he greets them on board this special train. This year's train will be very unique because it will feature two steam locomotives on the same train! (Day trip - in Strasburg, PA)

National Easter Egg Roll is held the day after Easter. Tickets for the event are given out first come, first serve (be prepared to camp-out the night before... each adult gets a max of 2 adult and 3 kid tickets). Kids 7 and under will have the opportunity to roll a hard-boiled egg across the South Lawn of the White House. All attendees will recieved an autographed wooden egg.

Hurkamp Park offers free music concerts.

Summer
Free Summer Movies at Regal Cinemas. When school's out, kids around the country visit selected Regal theatres for the Free Family Film Festival. It's a fun-filled nine weeks of movies for kids and parents. Since 1991, Regal has provided this service to the community, and best of all it's FREE! Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. First-come, first-served seating is limited to theatre capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer. See the schedule here.

Hurkamp Park offers free music concerts.

Reston Town Center offers free concerts throughout the summer. See their schedule for more information.

Free Concerts on the National Mall: there are TOO MANY to mention individually... just check the website and you'll be sure to find something you want to go and see!

First Fridays in Warrenton. Stroll Historic Main Street Warrenton begining in May, the First Friday night of each month. Main Street will be closed to traffic while shops remain open late with open houses and spacials. There will be music, artists, entertainment for the children and dinner specials at award winning restaurants. Main Street will be bustling with shoppers, diners and fun. A sure not to miss for the summer! (540) 349-8606 for more information.

Fall
State Fair of Virginia: It's the Big Red Barn, Racing Pigs, the State Fair Animal Nursery, the famous State Fair Duck Slide and more! Get up close and personal with over 5,000 farm animals in 'Virginia's Largest Outdoor Classroom.' Celebrate the Commonwealth of Virginia's heritage while enjoying eleven days of fun for the whole family. Experience the best in blue ribbon competitions, animals, agricultural, historical and commercial exhibits, midway rides, shows and thrills. There's daily entertainment on the MusicFest Stage and great entertainment in the Classic Amphitheatre. It's a Virginia tradition and the only place to get that delicious State Fair food. Held in late September - check the website for exact dates.

Belvedere Plantation is a 645 acre heritage farm, built in the 1760s on the historic Rappahannock River. It is a working farm, with grain crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans. They offer great activities for families each season. In the fall they have a great festival with pumpkin picking, hayrides, a giant corn maze, rope swings, petting zoo and more.

Snead's Asparagus Farm is a working farm that grows asparagus, sugar snap peas, squash, zucchini, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, okra, tall tunnel tomatoes, corn (yellow, white and bi-color), sugar baby and seedless watermelons, super star and athena cantaloupes, mums, straw, cornstalk bundles, pumpkins, and free-range chicken eggs. During the fall they offer hay-rides, pumkin picking, an opportunity to pet the farm animals, swing on a rope swing, and wander through the fields. You can pre-pick you Christmas tree. Starting in early December they have "Cut-you-own" Christmas Trees. This farm is nice for younger kids (Belvedere can get a bit overwhelming).

Richmond Highland Games & Celtic Festival features two days of 'Music. Food. Large Men Throwing Stuff.' Competition abounds with the best athletes from around the world in the North American Highland Games Championship, along with Dance, Fiddle and Harp Competitions. Celebrate Celtic heritage with a Parade of Clans and Societies, pipe bands, living history encampments, Dogs of the British Isles Parade, and genealogical information. Enjoy traditional music and Celtic rock on two entertainment stages all weekend, shopping with over 60 authentic vendors and authentic food and drink. Dogs are welcome (Proof of current rabies vaccination is required.) Held in late October - check the website for exact dates.

Winter
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree... be green and make it a family tradition! There are lots of tree farms in Virgina, visit Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association to search for farms near you!

The National Christmas Tree is located in President's Park, just behind the White House in DC. The tree lighting ceremony by the President is the 1st Thursday in December and the tree remains lit until January 1st. Along the path to the tree are 56 smaller trees decorated by the 50 staes, 5 territories and DC itself. Musical entertainment is provided almnost nightly, as well as a yule log and a giant train set running around the base of the tree. The ligts are on from dusk until 11:00pm nightly during this time period.

Hurkamp Park has a tree lighting ceremony the Friday evening after Thanksgiving. Enjoy live Christmas Caroling, hot chocolate and Santa's arrival in a firetruck.

Reston Town Center's Pavilion is transformed into a gleaming ice covering skating rink from late October through the second week in March. Ice skates and other supplies are available inside of the Skate Shop (between Clyde’s and Wrap Works) directly beside the Pavilion.

The Nutcraker (performed by Chicago's world-renowned The Joffrey Ballet) is a Kennedy Center annual winter tradition to cherish, whether you're six or ninety-six.

Santa's Paradise Express: Recapture the magic of the holiday season. Potbelly stoves gently warm the passenger cars as you travel with Santa. Sing Christmas carols along with musicians as they stroll from car to car. If you listen carefully, you may even hear the sounds of ringing bells. (Day trip - in Strasburg, PA)