20th Annual Art on the Avenue
October 3, 201510 a.m.-6 p.m.
Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-746-3301
Free
http://www.artontheavenue.org

This annual family-friendly festival includes more than 325 juried artists selling handmade wares across ten blocks of Del Ray’s Mount Vernon Avenue, along with five stages for live entertainment plus food vendors and interactive art activities. Nancy Belmont, creator of the Courage Wall, will build a Canopy of Courage, a living sculpture of courageous declarations soaring as origami birds.

19th Annual Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour
October 2-4, 2015
6-9 p.m.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Mount Vernon, VA 22121
703-780-2000
$40/Friday, $46/Saturday, $36/Sunday. Available starting August 24.
http://www.mountvernon.org

Enjoy live blues, tours of Mount Vernon’s basement where George Washington stored his wine, plus spectacular views of the Potomac River while sampling wine from 17 Virginia wineries. Visitors learn about the successes and failures of our Founding Father’s wine endeavors and meet “George and Martha Washington” on the mansion’s piazza.

Alexandria Celebrates American Craft Week
October 2-11, 2015
During store hours
Various shops and studios in Alexandria
Free for most activities
http://www.visitalexandriava.com

Home to many creative artists producing unique, hand-made decorative and functional objects every day, Alexandria is a top destination for American Craft Week. Step into shops and studios to meet the artists and try flower petal art, mosaic knitting, or fabric block printing. A sampling of activities: animal papier-mâché for kids at Ten Thousand Villages, card weaving workshop at The Art League, Midwestern Knits trunk show at fibre space, cloth doll making at Hooray for Books!, and more.

6th Annual Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, 6k, and Kids’ Mini Half
October 4, 2015
All races start at 7 a.m.
Half marathon from George Washington’s Mount Vernon to National Harbor, MD
6k from Bell Haven Park in Alexandria to National Harbor, MD
Half Marathon registration/$100 (price increases to $125 on October 1st), plus service fees
6k registration/$55 (price increases to $65 on October 1st), plus service fees
http://www.wilsonbridgehalf.com

Ranked among the top 27 best half marathons in the United States by Runners World magazine, this 13.1-mile foot race sanctioned by USA Track & Field treats runners to eight-plus miles of the beautifully scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway into historic Old Town, and on to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which arches over the Potomac River. This race benefits several non-profit organizations and is supported by various local and national running, civic and business organizations. Registration fee includes parking and shuttle transportation. The WWBH will also serve as the Visually Impaired Half Marathon National Championship.

20th Annual Art Safari
October 10, 2015
Noon-4 p.m.
Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-838-4565
Free
http://www.torpedofactory.org

An Alexandria family tradition, Art Safari returns to the Torpedo Factory Art Center for its 20th year. Resident and visiting artists lead young visitors in an afternoon full of hands-on creative activities such as papier-mâché, fiber, and printmaking. Enjoy the Alexandria Archaeology Museum’s special activities featuring their collection of 18th- and 19th-century pottery and china, as well as The Art League’s popular Gallery Scavenger Hunt. Children should wear clothing that can get a little dirty. All activities are free, with most appropriate for children ages 5–11. Some activities require parental assistance.

Art on Tap at The Art League
October 16, 2015
7-10 p.m.
$45 ($35 early bird)
Art League Gallery at the Torpedo Factory
105 N. Union St., Alexandria, VA
703-683-1780
http://www.theartleague.org

Local brewery craft beers have been artfully paired with a work of art. Local restaurants then chose a brew/artwork coupling as their muse and created the perfect complementary appetizer. The result–a truly unique brew, bite, and artwork trifecta! Sample the creative combinations while listening to live music and drinking from a take-home Art on Tap beer tasting glass, and then vote for your favorite at the end of the event!

Ghost & Graveyard Special Halloween Tour
October 23, 2015
7-9 p.m.
Tours begin at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Reservations accepted
703-519-1749
http://www.alexcolonialtours.com

For one night only, Alexandria Colonial Tours will end its special one-hour Halloween tour in the very room where one of Alexandria’s most mysterious women became a ghost. Weave your way through some of Alexandria’s most haunted locations hearing tales of this historic city’s past and end in the bedroom of the “Female Stranger” at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. Tours will run every 30 minutes. Reservations are suggested and tickets can be purchased online or in person. Partial proceeds benefit Gadsby’s Tavern Museum.

19th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade
October 25, 2015
2-4 p.m. (Participants should meet on Mount Vernon Ave. south of Bellefonte Ave. prior to 2 p.m.)
Mount Vernon and Commonwealth Aves, Alexandria, VA 22314
Free
http://www.visitdelray.com

Don your best Halloween costume and march in the 19th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade, which historically has attracted thousands of participants. Awards will be given for Best Pet Costume, Best Decorated Business, Best Decorated Home, and Best Decorated Stroller. Awards will be presented in a brief ceremony after the parade, along with refreshments and goodie bags for the children. Adults, children and dogs are all welcome to join.

Bark or Treat Halloween Canine Cruise
October 30, 2015
7 p.m.
Alexandria City Marina, 1 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-684-0580
$16/adults, $10/children, dogs ride free
http://www.potomacriverboatco.com

The Potomac Riverboat Company invites guests with costumed-pup in tow to cruise around the Potomac River on this 60-minute ride, set to some classic Halloween tunes. Halloween doggie treats will be provided, as well as a photographer to capture the festivities.