For me, Halloween isn’t just a night of candy and costumes. It is a celebration of imagination, innocent mischief and a chance to revel in the magic of childhood.  There are tall tales and cups of hot apple cider, hayrides, pumpkin patches and lots of spoooooky creativity. 

I can’t think of a better kickoff for the holiday season.

As a family with two young kids and another on the way, we are still working out our family traditions.

Our Halloween prep was relatively home-based this year. The girls and I baked, decorated the house, created a craft wall and learned some fun songs. In the living room, we have a witch’s caldron full of old costume pieces for dress-up.

For families with toddlers and young school-aged kids, Cox Farms in Centreville has an amazing fall festival. We visited them to kick off our festivities and pick out our future jack-o-lantern. There, we also got our hayride, goat feeding and giant slide fixes.

Pre-kids, my husband and I loved Markoff’s Haunted Forest near Poolesville, Md.  With bonfires, zip lines, giant swings and haunted everything, we’ll add this back to our list when the girls are older.

For trick-or-treating, S. Lee Street in Old Town is a must-see. Historic houses are decorated to the gills and elaborate costumes fill the street. Once we're not stroller bound, we will definitely revisit.  

Without a doubt, the Del Ray Halloween Parade is the crown jewel of our weekend. With hundreds of costume-clad kids and pets, how could you go wrong? 

If you see us there, say hello!