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Hey neighbor,
Halloween week is here, and the 540 is going all in. Saturday, 1781 Brewing takes over the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds for the Third Annual Pickle & Grilled Cheese Festival: pickle beer, pickle cider, and a lineup of grilled cheese truks. Friday night the FredNats throw a free Fall Fest at the ballpark, Braehead Farm hits its final fall weekend, Belvedere's corn maze stays open until 10 PM Saturday, and trunk-or-treats pop up from Lafayette Blvd to Kings Hwy. Add haunted hayrides, a dachshund Wiener Derby at Barking Barley, and closing weekend of Sweeney Todd at Riverside. Grab your calendar, we're pulling up.
— J. Patrick
✨ Fairy Pick of the Weekend
Third Annual Pickle & Grilled Cheese Festival
Third Annual Pickle & Grilled Cheese Festival
Saturday, October 24 | 11:00 AM–6:00 PM (doors 10:00 AM) 📍 Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave, Fredericksburg
1781 Brewing is bringing the brine back for year three. Pickle and grilled cheese food truks, pickle vendors, a pickle cocktail and mocktail bar, plus pickle beer, pickle cider, and pickle-inspired wine. If you've ever put a pickle in a grilled cheese and felt judged, this is your safe space.
General admission is $20 this month, and VIP is $30 (limited) for pickle bites plus unlimited samples of pickle beer, pickle cider, whiskey pickle-backs, and pickle wine. All ages, free parking, no refunds. Grab tickets at the link above and come hungry.
📅 Weekend Rundown
Friday, October 23
🥓 Makin' Bacon — starting at noon, Dogtopia of Fredericksburg, 4272 Plank Rd. 🔁 Weekly Friday. A $5 donation to the Dogtopia Foundation gets your pup two pieces of turkey bacon at naptime.
🌽 Belvedere Plantation Harvest Festival — 10:00 AM–2:00 PM and 6:00–10:00 PM (also Saturday and Sunday), 1410 Belvedere Dr, Fredericksburg. Corn maze, pumpkin mountain, jumping pillow, wagon rides, and farm animals. Buy online to skip the higher gate fee; 2 and under free.
🛍️ Fredericksburg Spooktacular Craft & Vendor Market — 10:00 AM–9:00 PM (Sat 10–9, Sun 11–6), indoors at Spotsylvania Towne Centre, 137 Spotsylvania Mall Dr. Hometown Vendor Market fills the mall with handmade goods, treats, fall décor, and costumes.
⚾ FredNats Fall Fest — 5:30–8:00 PM, Virginia Credit Union Stadium, 42 Jackie Robinson Way. Free. The 7th annual brings costume contests, trick-or-treating on the concourse, a petting zoo, a barrel train, bounce houses, and a DJ (face painting is extra). Parking is an $8 donation or a bag of non-perishable food for the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. The ballpark is cashless.
🃏 Friday Night Pokémon TCG Tournament — 6:30 PM, Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 Weekly. $10 entry, 3 rounds.
💀 Halls of Hysteria — time slots from 6:00 PM (also Saturday), Fredericksburg Convention Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Pkwy. An indoor haunted trail with a graveyard, corn maze, and clowns, recommended 13+. From $25, free parking; pick your time slot here.
⚔️ FNM – Weekly Draft (7:00 PM, $30) and FNM – Standard (7:15 PM, $10) — Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 Weekly.
🎃 Trick or Treat White Elephant Bingo — Strangeways Brewing, 350 Lansdowne Rd (start time not posted, check before you go). Bring a wrapped $10–15 gift; costumes encouraged.
👻 Halloween Ghost Tours with Masonic Lodge Access — 6:00 and 7:30 PM, meeting at Masonic Lodge No. 4, 803 Princess Anne St. A 75-minute, one-mile walk through the lodge, the cemetery, and downtown. Both tours are sold out, but the waitlist is open ($32).
🔪 Sweeney Todd — 7:30 PM (dinner two hours before), Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, 95 Riverside Pkwy. Closing weekend. $67–$92; tickets here or call 540-370-4300.
🚜 The Haunted Hill — 7:30–10:30 PM (also Saturday), 10400 Fox Creek Ln, Partlow. A dark hayride into nearly a mile of haunted woods. $25 cash / $27 card at the gate; not for under-12s.
🎸 Live Wire: The Ultimate AC/DC Experience — doors 7:00 PM, show 8:00 PM, Groove Music Hall, 6501 Dominion Raceway, Woodford. From $28.
📖 Breaking Lines Poetry Night and Spoken Word — 8:00–9:00 PM, Original Grinds Coffee Shop, 615 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly, hosted by Sera.
🎤 Karaoke Friday + DJ Friday Night — 9:00 PM, Spirits Bar & Restaurant, 816 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly, DJ is 21+.
Saturday, October 24
🥬 Fredericksburg Farmers Market — 7:00 AM–1:00 PM, Hurkamp Park, 500 William St. The last Art in the Park Saturday of the year. See Farmers Markets below.
🏷️ Fall Garage Sale — 8:00 AM early bird, 8:30 AM–3:00 PM general, Fredericksburg Convention Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Pkwy. About 45,000 sq ft of indoor yard sales. Cash admission at the door; kids 12 and under free.
🎃 Braehead Farm Fall Festival Weekend — 9:00 AM–6:00 PM (also Sunday), 1130 Tyler St. Final weekend of the season. Hayrides, a corn maze, a sunflower walk, farm animals, and pumpkins at 90¢/lb. $15 + tax (2 and under free).
🌽 Belvedere Plantation Harvest Festival — 10:00 AM–10:00 PM, 1410 Belvedere Dr. Corn maze after dark, anyone?
🍬 Mall-o-Ween Trick or Treat — 10:00 AM–9:00 PM, Spotsylvania Towne Centre, 137 Spotsylvania Mall Dr. Treat bags and trick-or-treating at participating stores in the Village and inside the mall.
🍂 Miller Farms Market Fall Festival — from 10:00 AM, 12101 Orange Plank Rd, Locust Grove. Pumpkin picking, hayrides, a corn maze, vendors, ice cream, and food truks.
🥒 Pickle & Grilled Cheese Festival — 11:00 AM–6:00 PM, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave. ⭐ Fairy Pick — see above.
🐶 Barktoberfest at Barking Barley — 11:00 AM–5:00 PM, Barking Barley, 1515 Olde William St. Free admission and free park passes at FXBG's off-leash dog park and tap house. Wiener Derby dachshund races, a costume pack walk (line up 3:45, parade at 4:00), and a Monster Mutt Trail with adoptable ODHS dogs. Pups need a signed waiver and current vaccines, must be 4+ months, and spayed/neutered if over 7 months.
🕸️ Madame's Trunk or Treat III — 12:00–5:00 PM, Madame's Oddities, 2011 Princess Anne St, Suite 101. All-ages candy, trinkets, and pop-up vendors. Check their Facebook before you go.
🍁 Patawomeck Halloween Festival — 2:00–7:00 PM, Patawomeck Museum & Cultural Center, 638 Kings Hwy (Stafford). A vendor festival with crafters, bakers, and face painters. Check before you go.
🚘 610 Cruisers Cruise-In — 4:00–8:00 PM, 269 Garrisonville Rd, Stafford. 🔁 Weekly Saturday.
🐾 Old Dominion Humane Society Trunk or Treat — from 6:00 PM, ODHS, 3602 Lafayette Blvd. Costumes, a bounce house, candy, games, face painting, rescue puppies, and food truks.
🎶 The Cold North — 7:00–9:00 PM, Adventure Brewing North, 33 Perchwood Dr, Unit 101. Father-daughter Americana duo.
💃 Halloween Swing Dance — beginner lesson 7:30 PM, social dance 8:00–11:00 PM, above Picker's Supply, 902 Caroline St (enter through the speakeasy door in the rear alley off George St). $10, all ages, best-dressed prizes.
👻 Still going tonight: Haunted Hill (7:30 PM), Sweeney Todd (7:30 PM), and Halls of Hysteria. See Friday for details.
🪩 DJ Saturday Nights — 9:00 PM, Spirits Bar & Restaurant, 816 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly Saturday, 21+.
Sunday, October 25
🎃 Braehead Farm Fall Festival Weekend — 9:00 AM–6:00 PM, 1130 Tyler St. Last day of the season.
🌽 Belvedere Plantation Harvest Festival — 10:00 AM–6:00 PM, 1410 Belvedere Dr.
⛳ X-Golf Fall Family Festival — 12:00–4:00 PM, X-Golf, Village at Spotsylvania Towne Centre, 1 Towne Centre Blvd, Suite 4300. A $5 fall fun wristband covers face painting, pumpkin putt-putt, a costume contest, and cider and donut holes. Longest-drive and closest-to-the-pin contests are $10.
🪖 Warlord Games Game Day — 12:30–3:30 PM, Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 Fourth Sunday monthly. Bolt Action, Konflikt '47, and more; no models needed.
🍫 RAAI's 5th Annual Trunk-or-Treat — 1:00–2:00 PM, Rappahannock Adult Activities, Inc., 750 Kings Hwy (Stafford). Free and open to all ages and abilities, with a build-your-own s'mores station.
🗡️ Flesh & Blood TCG Weekly Sunday Armory — 2:00–5:00 PM, Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 Weekly. $3 entry + 1 pack.
🔪 Sweeney Todd — 3:00 PM, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, 95 Riverside Pkwy. Final performance.
🎯 Cornhole Tournament — sign-up 7:30 PM, tournament 8:30 PM, Spirits Bar & Restaurant, 816 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly, 21+, valid ID required.
🥬 Farmers Markets
Fredericksburg Farmers Market — Hurkamp Park, 500 William St. Saturdays, 7:00 AM–1:00 PM, through December 5. Produce, baked goods, meats, flowers, and honey; this Saturday is the season's final Art in the Park.
Spotsylvania Farmers Market — Saturday, 8:00 AM–1:00 PM, Route 3 VDOT Commuter Lot, 12150 Gordon Rd. 🔁 Also Sunday, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM, Spotsylvania High School lot, 6975 Courthouse Rd.
🚛 The Flavor Route Sponsored by Trukfoo!
If you're here → go eat here. Creekside Farm Brewery has a full three-day truk lineup, Adventure Brewing has its regulars back, and Saturday's Pickle Fest is basically a grilled cheese truk rally. Festivals that haven't named their truks are marked, so give those a quick check before you head out.
Friday, October 23
🦞 Cousins Maine Lobster @ Creekside Farm Brewery, 15492 Creekside Ln, King George, 3–9 PM — confirmed (John Benjamin plays 6–9 PM)
🌮 Chapo's Tacos @ Adventure Brewing — confirmed on Adventure's calendar (location not specified; check whether it's Perchwood Dr or Hazel Park Ln)
Saturday, October 24
🥒 Pickle & grilled cheese food truks @ Pickle & Grilled Cheese Festival, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave, 11 AM–6 PM — confirmed by 1781 Brewing, lineup not named
🍽️ Maria Cheryl's @ Creekside Farm Brewery, 15492 Creekside Ln, King George, 12–8 PM — confirmed
🍕 Rosie's Pizza @ Adventure Brewing — confirmed on Adventure's calendar (location not specified)
🍂 Food truks @ Miller Farms Fall Festival, 12101 Orange Plank Rd, Locust Grove — mentioned by the farm, not named
🐾 Food truks @ ODHS Trunk or Treat, 3602 Lafayette Blvd, from 6 PM — mentioned in the listing, not named
Sunday, October 25
🥔 Pit & Potato @ Creekside Farm Brewery, 15492 Creekside Ln, King George, 12–6 PM — confirmed
🍕 Rosie's Pizza @ Adventure Brewing — confirmed on Adventure's calendar (it's Seltzer Sunday, too)
👉 Want the full, always-updated schedule? Head to trukfoo.com to see every truk's stops in real time.
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Around Virginia
Central Virginia / Richmond
Garden Glow at Maymont
Friday, October 23–Sunday, October 25 | Sunset–10:00 PM (last entry 9 PM) 📍 Maymont, enter at the Robins Nature Center, 2201 Shields Lake Dr, Richmond
Maymont's Victorian estate lights up along a self-guided walk of about a mile, with a Glow Village for food, drinks, and activities. This year adds a firefly-style light field, light ladders synced to music, and a bigger laser tunnel in the Japanese Garden. Adults $20–$25, kids and seniors $16–$21 depending on the night; book a timed ticket ahead.
Charlottesville
Virginia Film Festival
Through Sunday, October 25 | Screenings all day 📍 The Paramount Theater, Violet Crown Cinema & Culbreth Theatre, Charlottesville
The 39th annual festival closes out its five-day run this weekend: 100+ films, filmmaker panels, and community screenings across the Downtown Mall and UVA, with a free trolley between them. Screenings start at $18, and UVA students get in free. Pick a film, grab dinner on the Mall, make a night of it.
Northern Virginia
Del Ray Halloween Parade (photo: Will Niccolls)
Sunday, October 25 | 2:00 PM 📍 Mount Vernon Ave, Del Ray, Alexandria (starts at E. Bellefonte Ave)
One of USA Today's 10 best Halloween parades: kids, pets, and decorated strollers marching down Mount Vernon Ave, ending at the Mount Vernon Rec Center field with live music and awards. Free to watch and free to enter the contests (check-in from 1 PM), and new this year there's a group/float contest for all ages.
Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach
Family Frights at Jamestown Settlement (photo: WYDaily)
Friday, October 23 & Saturday, October 24 | 6:00–9:00 PM 📍 Jamestown Settlement, 2110 Jamestown Rd, Williamsburg
A Halloween night that's "more treat than trick": trick-or-treating through the museum's outdoor areas, crafts and games, face painting, music, and spooky ships. Tickets are sold online in advance only (no door sales), and every party needs at least one adult; 2026 prices aren't posted yet, so check the link before you drive down.
Shenandoah Valley
Skeleton Festival
Saturday, October 24 | 1:00–5:00 PM 📍 Court Square, Downtown Harrisonburg
Downtown Harrisonburg's big pre-Halloween bash: trick-or-treating at local shops (grab a candy map at Court Square), costume contests for pets through adults at 3:30 PM, a Kids Zone, a Duck Duck BOO scavenger hunt, Chalk It Up! street art, and food truks. Free, with 17 free event-only parking lots.
That's the lineup, FXBG. Whether you're chasing the perfect grilled cheese, trick-or-treating at the ballpark, or getting lost in a corn maze after dark, get out there and live it. The 540 doesn't slow down, and neither should you.
See you next weekend.
Pull up soon,
J. Patrick
🚀 Before You Go
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The Pull-Up is your weekly local events guide for the 540 — Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and beyond. Published by FestiveFly. Written by J. Patrick.