Scarecrow Fest 2026

Fredericksburg, Virginia is a spooktacular place to celebrate Halloween.

Scarecrow Fest returns October 1–31, 2026, bringing a full month of festive fun for all ages. Start by exploring downtown to find scarecrows popping up at local businesses and vote for your favorites throughout the month.

But the scarecrows are just the beginning! October is packed with ways to celebrate the season, from spooky stories under the stars and Quacktoberfest along the Rappahannock River to an outdoor showing of Hocus Pocus. Then, on Halloween, put on your costume and head downtown for a morning filled with the Downtown Costume Stroll, Halloween at the Market, Treats on the Streets and even a kid-friendly haunted bus.

Scarecrow Contest

📅 Thursday, October 1 – Saturday, October 31, 2026

For the month of October, one-of-a kind scarecrows will pop up at participating businesses throughout downtown Fredericksburg as part of Scarecrow Fest.

Grab or print a map (links will go live on Thursday, October 1) and make your way through downtown to see them all, then vote for your favorites.

Park After Dark
📅 Friday, October 9 | 6:30pm
📍Memorial Park (aka Kenmore Park) – 1101 Kenmore Ave
ℹ️ Gather under the trees at Memorial Park after dark for an evening of spooky, family-friendly stories. Earthquest will bring a vulture or two to allow everyone to learn more about these feathered friends before storytellers from the Central Rappahannock Regional Libraries lead us through tall tales of all kinds. Bring a chair and maybe a blanket for this spookily fun evening. Family-friendly for ages 5 and up. (Rain location: Dorothy Hart Community Center)
🎟️ Admission is FREE.
🔗 Pre-register for Park After Dark (not required but recommended)

Quacktoberfest
📅 Saturday, October 17 | 2:00pm – 6:00pm
📍 Riverfront Park – 701 Sophia St 
ℹ️ A free community festival celebrating everything we love about autumn. Spend the afternoon enjoying fall-themed activities, carnival rides, local vendors, live music, delicious food, and family-friendly fun along the Rappahannock River. The highlight of the day is the return of the Fredericksburg Rubber Ducky Derby. At 3pm, over 2,000 rubber ducks will race down the Rappahannock River, with prizes awarded to the owners of the fastest ducks.
🎟️ Admission is FREE
🔗 Adopt a Rubber Ducky 

Halloween Movies in the Park
 Saturday, October 17 | 7:00pm
📍 Riverfront Park – 701 Sophia St 
ℹ️ Grab a blanket and takeout from one of the downtown local restaurants to watch a DarkWing Duck episode followed by Hocus Pocus.
Halloween Movies in the Park begins one hour after Quacktoberfest ends.
🎟️ Admission is FREE

Downtown Costume Stroll
📅 Saturday, October 31 | 8:30am (pre-stroll activities), Stroll starts promptly at 9:30am.
📍 Meet at the VRE Park and Ride Lot B on Caroline Street by the train station.
ℹ️ Stroll in your Halloween costume down Caroline Street. Strollers and wagons are welcome (bikes are not).
🎟️ Participation is FREE

Halloween at the Market
📅Saturday, October 31 | 9:00am – 1:00pm
📍 Hurkamp Park – Intersection of William and Prince Edward Streets
ℹ️ Family fun and games at the Fredericksburg Farmers Market.
🎟️ Admission is FREE

Haunted FXBGO! Bus
📅 Saturday, October 31 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
📍 Market Square – 909 Princess Anne St (behind the Fredericksburg Area Museum) 
ℹ️ Kid-friendly haunted bus
🎟️ Admission is FREE

Treats on the Streets
📅 Saturday, October 31 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
📍Downtown Fredericksburg
ℹ️ Trick or Treat at participating downtown businesses. 
🎟️ Participation is FREE
🔗 Treats on the Streets Map (link will go live at a later time)

Looking for more October fun?
See what’s happening on our events page.