by Janeese Lewis George
Ward 4 Councilmember

No one goes all in on Halloween quite like Ward 4! I'm excited to see our community joyfully and safely celebrating this weekend, and for our youngest Ward 4 residents to stock up on delicious treats. Look out for me around Ward 4 in a very topical Halloween costume!

There are so many events to keep track of this weekend so I thought it'd be helpful to compile them for you here, roughly broken down by neighborhood. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, and that it doesn't list the trick-or-treating that will take place on Sunday evening in pretty much every neighborhood in Ward 4. I also included a couple of events that aren't about Halloween but are part of our broader weekend festivities.

And if you still need to get into the Halloween spirit before celebrating, be sure to check out DC Public Library's phenomenal Evil Laugh Contest video, featuring several cameos by your spooky Ward 4 neighbors!

Petworth and Crestwood

DPR Haunted House at Raymond Recreation Center!
On Friday, October 29 from 5pm-8:30pm DPR is inviting neighbors to check out its haunted house at Raymond Recreation Center! Thrill-seekers will love a frightful tour through the Raymond Haunted House. Not into being scared? There are plenty of non-spooky activities to participate in, including a costume contest, dance battles with spooky music, bobbing for apples, and a host of other great things. RSVP here.

4th Annual Dia de los Muertos Celebration in Petworth!
On Saturday, October 30 from 9am-1pm join the Petworth Arts Collaborative at the Petworth Farmers Market (9th & Upshur St NW) for a spectacular day of Altar Making Workshops, Calavera face painting, live performances, and more! Our community will gather to remember lives lost, to celebrate life lived, and honor our loved ones.

The Sherman Circle Halloween Spooktacular!
On Sunday, October 31 from 4pm-6pm Petworth Peanuts, DC Kids Makerspace, and ANC 4C/4D are planning a free Halloween Spooktacular event at Sherman Circle with free goodies, a costume contest (with prizes), magicians, caricature artists, dance lessons, balloon artists, lawn games, a firetruck, and lots of other spooky fun! Masks and social distancing are required. This event is brought to you by ANC 4D and Petworth Peanuts.

Crestwood Halloween Parade and Treats!

On Sunday, October 31 at 3:30pm the Crestwood Citizens Association is hosting a Halloween parade starting at the Point (18th & Shepherd NW). Join in your costume for a loop around Argyle and Quincy. The parade will kick off with neighbors cheering on neighborhood pets in their spooktacular glory, then it will be kids' turn to show off their costumes! Afterwards a delicious array of snacks and prizes will be provided, and there will be games set up and a haunted house background for family photos.

Mount Zion Baptist Church Harvest Fest
On Sunday, October 31 from 5pm-7pm Mount Zion Baptist Church (4850 Blagden Ave NW) will host its annual Harvest Fest with plenty of music, crafts, bingo, food, and more! Bring a blanket to stay cozy and remember to register if you plan to come.

Brightwood, Brightwood Park, and Sixteenth Street Heights

Whittier Elementary Harvest Fest (Moved Indoors)
On Friday, October 29 from 3:30pm-6pm Whittier Elementary (6201 5th St NW) will host its harvest fest indoors with fun for the whole family! Join them for painting, hot chocolate, a petting zoo, a bounce house, and lots of games. The cost is $20 per child, and each child must be accompanied by an adult.

Community Boo Treats at Fort Stevens
On Friday, October 29 from 4:30pm-6:30pm DPR is planning some harvest holiday fun for children ages 6-12 at Fort Stevens Recreation Center with sweets, face paintings, and crafts for the family.

Trunk or Treat at Emery Heights
On Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30 from 6pm-8pm on both days DPR will host Trunk and Treat Halloween Extravaganza at the Emery Heights Community Center, featuring a haunted house on the park site and a kids movie on the Basketball Court. Sign up at this link.

ANXO 4th annual Happy Trees Harvest Festival
On Saturday, October 30 from 12pm-5pm ANXO (711 Kennedy St NW) is hosting friends and neighbors for their 4th annual Happy Trees Harvest Festival! This year's list of free activities is bigger than ever: kids costume contest at 1pm; dog costume contest at 3pm; Chef Alex's famous seafood paella for sale at 1pm and 3pm; pumpkin painting; hot mulled cider and hot toddies; live apple pressing; great prizes, and more!

14th Street Graffiti Museum Screening "Dreams Don't Die”
On Saturday, October 30 from 8pm-10pm the 14th Street Graffiti Museum (4632 14th Street NW) will be hosting a free family-friendly screening of the the movie "Dreams Don’t Die." Come by early to check out the new artwork in the alley gallery from 7pm-10pm. They'll have plenty of candy to handout, and you can enjoy tacos, baleadas, pupusas, sandwiches, and pizza from restaurants on the block.

Lamond Riggs, Riggs Park and Manor Park

Riggs-LaSalle Treat Giveaway
On Friday, October 29 from 6pm-8pm DPR is planning a fun evening of music, games, and costume contest at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. Guaranteed to be a great time! Save a slot here.

Halloween Yoga at Fort Slocum Park
On Sunday, October 31 from 2:30pm-3:30pm Ward 4's own Lighthouse Yoga Center is offering a fun and festive Halloween yoga class outdoors at Fort Slocum Park. The class is open to kids and adults and costumes are encouraged. They'll be striking spooky poses and sharing lots of candy-corny jokes.

Shepherd Park and Takoma

DPR Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt at Takoma Community Center
On Friday, October 29 from 5pm-7pm DPR is inviting children ages 3-12 to Takoma Community Center to search for candy-filled glow-in-the-dark eggs and do arts and craft activities. Join the fun at this link.

DPR Hosts Halloween at Shepherd Park Community Center
On Friday, October 29 from 6pm-8pm DPR is planning a fun evening of music, games and costume contest at Shepherd Park Community Center for children ages 5-12. Save a spot to attend.

First Annual S'Pet-Tacular Halloween Pet Parade and Costume Contest!
On Saturday, October 30 at 12pm-2pm (rain date: Sunday, October 31) the newly-opened dog park at The Parks at Walter Reed will host the first annual SPCA S'Pet-Tacular Halloween Pet Parade and Costume Contest! There will be prizes that were generously donated by One Leg Up and The Big Bad Woof. Celebrity judges include Carin Ruff of Dog-Friendly Shepherd Park, Vickie Davis of Hines Urban Atlantic, and your Ward 4 Councilmember! Remember to wear a mask and come cheer on our Ward 4 pets!

Monster Bash in Takoma Park, MD
On Saturday, October 30 at 1pm-5pm just over the border in Maryland, Takoma Park will bring back the ever popular Monster Bash. The kickoff event is at Takoma Park Middle School (7611 Piney Branch Rd) and features a magic show, DJ, and more. Then the parade will start at 2pm and travel down to the culminating celebration in the Library/Community Center parking lot. There will be costume judging during the parade and a local band performing at 2:30pm. Also, a selfie station and games! Learn more here.

Chevy Chase, Barnaby Woods and Hawthorne

Afternoon Fright and Fun at Lafayette-Pointer
On Friday, October 29 at 3:30pm-5:30pm DPR is planning a fun-filled afternoon of costumes, candy, and activities at Lafayette-Pointer Recreation Center. Children ages 0-13 are all welcome! Sign up to be there on DPR's website.

Spookcacular on Connecticut Avenue
On Sunday, October 31 at 2pm-5pm the Chevy Chase Citizens Association is bringing back Spooktacular on Connecticut Avenue. Local businesses will be providing trick-or-treats along the corridor. Bring the kids, your dog, or just yourself! If you have any questions, please email president@chevychasecitizens.org.