Most of Fairfax City has October 10 circled. That is the date of the 50th annual City of Fairfax Fall Festival, when artisans, food trucks and music stages fill downtown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The more useful date comes three weeks later. Saturday, October 31, is the last day of the 2026 season for the Fairfax Saturday Farmers' Market on Page Avenue. It is also the last day for the free Historic Fairfax City walking tour and for the Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House tours.
So Old Town's October has a busiest day and a last day, and they are three weeks apart. If you plan the month backward from Halloween, you can enjoy the festival and still make the finales.
What Ends on October 31
The farmers' market's 2026 season began May 9, with hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 10500 Page Avenue, and its one listed closure was July 4. The Old Town Fairfax Business Association describes it as a busy market with about 45 vendors, lines at the most popular stands, and some early sell-outs. The Downtown Fairfax Coalition started it more than 25 years ago. Leashed pets are welcome, and there are picnic tables for eating on site. After October 31, that Saturday stop is gone until next spring.
Two history programs end the same day:
- Historic Fairfax City walking tour. This free tour runs on the last Saturday of each month from May through October. October 31 is the final one of 2026, at 11 a.m. It starts in front of the Historic Fairfax Courthouse at Main Street and Chain Bridge Road. Stops include the courthouse, built in 1800, where George and Martha Washington's wills are stored, and sites tied to John S. Mosby. Organizers ask you to reserve a spot through Eventbrite.
- Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House tours. The house is open from noon to 2 p.m. on the second and last Saturdays of each month, May through October. It is the city's oldest residence within the original six-block Town of Providence, built in three phases in 1807, 1824 and 1927. That schedule leaves just two open days this year, October 10 and October 31.
Because the house tours run on second and last Saturdays, the city's oldest house is open on the same day as the Fall Festival. Its other remaining date is Halloween.
One Halloween regular keeps going. The Fairfax Funky Flea sets up on the last Saturday of every month from April through November, so it has one more date after October 31. More than 70 vendors set up at 4031 University Drive, in the large lot behind the United Bank, one block from Main Street.
| Saturday routine | Season pattern | Last 2026 date |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax Saturday Farmers' Market | Saturdays, May 9 to Oct. 31 | October 31 |
| Historic Fairfax City walking tour | Last Saturday, May to October | October 31 |
| Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House | Second and last Saturdays, May to October | October 31 |
| Fairfax Funky Flea | Last Saturday, April to November | Continues into November |
October 10 Is the Busiest Saturday
Fall Festival day packs more into one place than any other day this month. The city's September 23 preview lists these features:
- Hundreds of local and regional artisans, rain or shine
- Cruel Summer, a full-scale tribute to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, and Herr Metal, playing 1980s-style arena rock
- Sparky's Harvest Bash at Fire Station 3, with fire truck tours
- Fall for the Book's free Meet an Author Day at Paradise Games & Gifts, 10385 Main Street
- An open house at the Legato School Museum on Chain Bridge Road, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On its event listing, the business association puts the vendor count at more than 400, counting art, craft, informational and food vendors. Admission is free, though some activities, such as children's rides, cost extra.
"There have been significant changes in our region over the last half century, but this festival is a call to community that includes area residents, visitors, and our George Mason University neighbors." Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read
Getting there takes some planning. The city runs free, accessible shuttles from Fairfax High School and from George Mason's Rappahannock Parking Deck, where parking is also free. A free bike valet operates in the lot just east of Old Town Square. Bikes and scooters are not allowed inside the festival, and the city strongly discourages bringing pets. To get event updates and emergency messages that day, text FALLFEST to 888-777.
The farmers' market is less certain that morning. Its 2026 schedule lists every Saturday through October 31, and the only closure it names is July 4. No published notice explains how festival crowds or street setups will affect the market's access one block from Old Town on October 10. If the market is part of your regular Saturday, check fairfaxsaturdaymarket.com that week before you go. Better yet, shop at the market on October 3.
The festival ends at 5 p.m., but Old Town keeps going. The Wright Adventure Company's Fairfax City Beer Tour starts at 3:30 p.m. and visits three local breweries, and its Fairfax City Ghost Tour starts at 7 p.m.
October 3 Is the Calmer Saturday With the Same Draws
If you want the farmers' market, Old Town Square, and a food-focused afternoon without the crowd management, go the Saturday before the festival. On October 3, the market runs its usual 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Fiesta Fairfax Foundation then hosts Fiesta Fairfax at Old Town Square, 10415 North Street, from 2 to 7:30 p.m. It celebrates Latino culture with music, dance, food and arts during Hispanic Heritage Month, in partnership with the City of Fairfax.
Between the two, the Wright Adventure Company runs its Fairfax Food Tour from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The tour visits about seven locations. It costs $75, or $100 with alcohol, and the operator notes that it is generally not vegan or vegetarian friendly.
October 17 Belongs to Mason Families
The third Saturday follows George Mason's calendar. Mason 2 Main Street runs from noon to 4 p.m. during Family Weekend. Students and their families are invited to explore Old Town shops and restaurants, and participating businesses offer specials, activities and giveaways. As part of it, Commonwealth Brewing Co. is hosting Cozy at Commonwealth from noon to 5 p.m. Vendors will sell cookies, sourdough and loungewear, and the Common Coffee bar will offer a fall coffee flight.
That evening, Mason men's soccer plays GW at 7 p.m. for Family Weekend, with fireworks after the game.
The farmers' market is open that morning too. As of today, it has five Saturdays left, including festival day.
Halloween Week Starts on October 23
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, but the trick-or-treat events come the weekend before. That leaves October 31 free for the season finales.
- Friday, October 23: Rock the Block at Old Town Square, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., with Groovalicious.
- Saturday, October 24: George Mason's fifth annual Mason Trunk or Treat, 4 to 6 p.m., in Parking Lot L off Patriot Circle on the Fairfax campus. It is open to Mason and Fairfax families and includes candy, games and decorated trunks. A Wright Adventure ghost tour runs that evening at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, October 25: The free third annual Haunting for Candy, 4 to 6 p.m. at Old Town Square. Local businesses and nonprofits hand out candy and prizes. The business association and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce list the event.
On October 31, Halloween events fill the hours around the finales. Commonwealth Brewing Co. holds its Spooky Drag Brunch from 1 to 3 p.m., with a special menu, performers Venetian, Tiara Missou and Tijuana Spark, and a $15 entry fee. The day closes with another ghost tour at 7 p.m. In order, Halloween looks like this: the market from 9 a.m., the courthouse walking tour at 11, the Ratcliffe-Allison-Pozer House at noon, the Funky Flea until 3 p.m., and the ghost tour after dark.
After the Market Closes, Fairfax Boulevard Keeps Changing
Once Old Town's outdoor season ends, local news shifts to the restaurant corridors, which have had a busy 2026. Roll Play, a fast-casual Vietnamese restaurant from Happy Endings Hospitality, plans to open in November in the Fairfax Pointe shopping center at 10955 Fairfax Boulevard, Suite 100. It will be the brand's first Fairfax City location, and the menu includes pho, rice bowls, fresh rolls and banh mi. The space belonged to Moe's Southwest Grill, which closed July 31 after five years. FFXnow reported in September that the buildout is underway.
Other changes this year: Ornery Beer Company closed its brewpub at 3950 University Drive on July 26 and kept its Herndon location. Near GMU, University Mall added Another Broken Egg Cafe at 10645 Braddock Road, which held its ribbon-cutting June 24. Velocity Bar + Kitchen reopened the former Velocity Wings at 10697 Braddock Road as a full-service comfort-food restaurant. Doña Mesa Tex Mex Kitchen opened in the same center in June.
The next big date on the downtown calendar is the 40th annual Holiday Craft Show, November 21 and 22 at Fairfax High School, 3501 Lion Run.
At Platinum Partners Realty, we keep track of Fairfax City's calendar the way we track its market: week by week, with the dates that matter. If a fall move or sale is on your mind while you plan your October Saturdays, schedule a free consultation with Yolanda Burgess, and we'll plan your timeline around the dates you care about.
