Once the farmers' market packs up its last tents on Oct. 31, where does Old Town Fairfax's calendar go? Most of November's public events in the City of Fairfax happen at three addresses: the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center at 3740 Blenheim Blvd., Historic Blenheim at 3610 Blenheim Blvd. and Old Town Hall at 3999 University Drive. The rules change along with the location. October's outdoor events let you walk up with a folding chair. Many of November's events need a registration, a ticket or a check of the closure calendar first.
Here's how the handoff plays out, in date order.
The walk-up season has three weekends left
Old Town's warm-weather series start wrapping up on Oct. 23. By Oct. 31, both Rock the Block and the farmers' market are finished for the year.
- Friday, Oct. 23: Rock the Block plays its last 2026 show at Old Town Square, 10415 North St., from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The series runs on fourth Fridays from May through October, so this is the finale. The October band is Groovalicious, which plays funk, soul, R&B and dance covers. The City provides a beer garden and food vendors. Bring chairs or blankets. No pets are allowed except service animals.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: The Fairfax Saturday Farmers' Market at 10500 Page Ave. closes out its May 9 to Oct. 31 season, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Downtown Fairfax Coalition started the market more than 25 years ago, and it has about 45 vendors. The organizers warn that popular vendors draw lines and sometimes sell out early.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: The Fairfax Funky Flea sets up the same morning at 4031 University Drive, in the large lot behind the United Bank, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It has more than 70 vendors.
- Sunday, Nov. 1: The Main St. Market lines the sidewalks of Main Street between Chain Bridge Road and University Drive from noon to 4 p.m.
The flea and the Main St. Market both run past October. The flea meets on the last Saturday of each month from April through November, so its final 2026 date is Nov. 28. The Main St. Market has one more date after Nov. 1, on Sunday, Dec. 6, according to FFXnow's event listing. The farmers' market is the hard stop. Its current schedule shows no 2026 winter market.
Even the Old Town Square spray pad follows the season. The City lists its run as April through October.
Halloween comes a week early, and Blenheim Boulevard gets busy first
The weekend of Oct. 23 to 25 has more going on than Halloween night itself, and it gives an early look at November. Several of Saturday's events are already on Blenheim Boulevard.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, Historic Blenheim hosts Play Ball! A Historic Baseball Experience from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Players use 19th-century rules and equipment while George Mason University's 8th Green Machine Band plays period music. Anyone age 6 and up can play, spectator seating is available, and everyone has to register. A short way up the same road, OSA Martial Arts holds a Halloween party at 3848 Blenheim Blvd. from 4 to 6 p.m.
The same afternoon, George Mason University runs its 5th Annual Mason Trunk or Treat from 4 to 6 p.m. in Parking Lot L, off Patriot Circle. It's open to families from the university and the wider Fairfax community, and registration goes through Eventbrite. The posted rules are specific. Costume masks aren't allowed for anyone over 16, toy guns aren't allowed, and staff inspect costume swords at the entrance.
After dark, Wright Adventure Company runs ghost tours of downtown at 7 and 9 p.m. on Oct. 24 and again on Oct. 30. Each tour lasts 90 minutes and makes just under 20 stops. Tickets are $26.50 for ages 12 and up and $21.20 for children 11 and under. The tours include several sets of stairs, and the company says they aren't wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, Oct. 25 goes back to the square. Haunting for Candy runs Halloween games with treats and prizes at Old Town Square from 4 to 6 p.m., and it's free. On Thursday, Oct. 29, Patriots Pub & Grill has a comedy night with Drew Vu at 8 p.m.
On Saturday alone, Play Ball! and the Trunk or Treat require registration and the ghost tours sell tickets. Sunday's Haunting for Candy is the free event you can just walk up to. November leans even more toward events you book ahead.
November's calendar, by address
Almost every dated City event in November takes place at one of three addresses, and most of them are free.
| Date | Event | Venue | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6 | iMusical, Old Town Hall Performance Series | Old Town Hall, 3999 University Dr. | 8 to 9:30 p.m., free |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | A History Mystery | Historic Blenheim, 3610 Blenheim Blvd. | Ages 10 to 14; registration opens Oct. 17 at noon |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | ARTScreen: "The Conductor" (Marin Alsop) | Sherwood Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd. | 7 to 9 p.m., free |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Civil War Survival Skills | Historic Blenheim | 10 to 11:30 a.m.; registration required; adult must accompany |
| Nov. 16 | Mr. Lilo Music, Early Childhood Arts Program | Sherwood Center | 10:30 a.m.; preregistration required |
| Nov. 18 | Virginia Opera, "Arias & Duets" | Sherwood Center | Free concert |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Bokor / Snedecor / Hill, Old Town Hall Performance Series | Old Town Hall | 8 to 9:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Cooking Through History: A Taste of Sri Lanka | Historic Blenheim | See City listing |
| Nov. 30 | Drew Blue Shoes Magic, Early Childhood Arts Program | Sherwood Center | 10:30 a.m.; preregistration required |
The Sherwood Center also has an exhibit running the whole month. AB EX FFX, an abstract expressionist show and sale curated by The Rogue Art Project, hangs in the Rotary Gallery through Dec. 18. The free opening reception is this Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Historic Blenheim has a standing offer that needs no reservation for small groups. Free guided house tours start Saturdays at 1 p.m. in the Civil War Interpretive Center. Each tour is limited to 15 people and covers the first floor and the historic landscape. The 12 acres of grounds are open from dawn to dusk for self-guided walks with interpretive signs. Groups of four or more should call 703-591-0560 to schedule. Groups of eight or more need a reservation and pay a fee. The Interpretive Center is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dates to put on the calendar now
In October, planning meant checking the forecast. In November, the dates that matter are registration dates.
- Oct. 17 at noon: Registration opens for A History Mystery, the Nov. 7 Blenheim program for ages 10 to 14. It's a hands-on program, and the City doesn't list how many spots it has.
- Before Nov. 14: Register for Civil War Survival Skills. Participants pitch a Civil War dog-tent, try 19th-century laundry and drill like soldiers, and every registered participant must come with an adult.
- Before Nov. 16 and Nov. 30: Preregister for the Early Childhood Arts Program sessions at the Sherwood Center.
- Nov. 11: Skip the museum that day. The Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center at 10209 Main St. lists "The Civil War," a traveling exhibition, from Nov. 11 to Dec. 4. The museum's own information page also lists Veterans Day as a closure day. Plan to visit on a later date.
Off the City's calendar, the Old Town Fairfax Business Association lists the 40th Annual Holiday Craft Show at Fairfax High School for Nov. 21 and 22. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Main Street keeps a smaller thread going
November doesn't leave Main Street empty. The Main St. Market's Nov. 1 and Dec. 6 dates and the flea's Nov. 28 date keep some outdoor shopping downtown. The newest reason to stop in is a restaurant.
SimSim at 9998 Main St. held its grand opening on Main Street on Sept. 6, 2026. The menu is Palestinian and Ukrainian, and all of it is halal. It runs from haneeth, mansaf, kabsa and maqluba to borshch, varenyky, deruny and holubtsi. Northern Virginia Magazine picked it as the Fairfax entry in its Oct. 2 roundup of new restaurants and called the concept "particularly interesting." Longtime downtown regulars may recognize the name. In April 2026, the City's economic development office profiled a SimSim at the same address, describing it as Palestinian and Yemeni and co-founded by Nabeel Al-Nowairah. SimSim's reservation listing shows hours of noon to 10 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and noon to 11:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. No Tuesday hours are listed.
That's a natural dinner stop on Nov. 6 or Nov. 20. Both dates fall on Fridays. Old Town Hall's shows run from 8 to 9:30 p.m., and SimSim's listed Friday hours go until 11:45 p.m., so there's time for a meal before or after the show.
December brings the square back
Old Town Square is quiet for about five weeks, from Haunting for Candy on Oct. 25 until the 10th Annual Holiday Market opens on Friday, Dec. 4. The market runs Dec. 4 to 6 and Dec. 11 to 13 at 10415 North St. Hours are 5 to 8 p.m. on Fridays, noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays, per the Old Town Fairfax Business Association. The Festival of Lights and Carols runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, with the tree lighting at 5:30 p.m.
The flea's Nov. 28 date falls just before that, and the Main St. Market comes back on Dec. 6. By early December, downtown has two weekends of outdoor events again, all within a block or two of Main Street.
Want a neighborhood where your fall weekends look like this? Or are you already here and wondering how a move would fit around the Holiday Market dates? Katie Stowe knows the City of Fairfax calendar, and she can help you time your next step around it. Let me guide you home. Schedule a consultation.
