Saturday, October 31, starts in a garden at the top of 31st Street, with coffee for the adults and face paint for the kids. It ends after dark on the 75 steps at 36th and Prospect, where a light show runs until 11 p.m. In between, most of the day's programming sits on the residential streets and the neighborhood's western edge. The commercial corner of Wisconsin and M plays a much smaller part.
Halloween doesn't usually land on a weekend. When it does, Georgetown has room for a full day. This year's schedule is spread out and paced, and the one big event on Wisconsin Avenue sells tickets by the dog so the sidewalks don't get crowded.
10 a.m., at the top of 31st Street
The day's first event is Trick or Treat at Tudor Place, from 10 a.m. to noon at 1644 31st Street NW. Registration is $15 per child for members, $20 per child for non-members and $10 per accompanying adult.
The Georgetown BID's Halloween guide lists coffee in the gardens for adults while kids collect treats. It also lists face painting, cider, games and crafts. It's a gated, two-hour morning on the grounds of a historic estate, with no traffic to deal with. For families with young children, that may be the whole outing.
31st Street keeps coming back all day. Tudor Place is near the top of it, and one of Georgetown's newest restaurants is at the bottom. In between are the blocks that past local coverage has named as the neighborhood's trick-or-treating core.
11 a.m., Wisconsin Avenue on a leash
At 11 a.m., Georgetown Main Street holds its first Wisconsin Avenue Woof Walk, which runs until 2 p.m. Dogs and their owners trick-or-treat along Wisconsin Avenue, stopping at participating businesses for treats and water. Check-in is at Milo & Mav Coffee Shop and Dog Boutique, 3206 N Street NW.
Tickets are $25 per dog plus an Eventbrite fee. If you bring two dogs, you need two tickets. Georgetown Main Street's event page explains the policy plainly. It's "to ensure we don't overwhelm the participating shops and narrow sidewalks of Georgetown." Ticket proceeds go to Georgetown Main Street's events.
The costume contest starts at 1 p.m., with prizes for Best Overall, Best Duo for a dog and owner, and Most Creative. There's room for 25 dogs and five judges. The judges come from Friendship Hospital for Animals and Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. With only 25 contest spots, owners who are serious about a costume should get a ticket before Saturday.
Wisconsin Avenue does draw a crowd for this, but one counted dog by dog at the ticket table. That's very different from the old Georgetown Halloween. The Georgetowner described the large Wisconsin and M Street Halloween crowds of earlier decades in a 2022 look back and said those gatherings are no longer permitted. In their place, the paper described more controlled activity, mostly costumed people walking the sidewalks. This year's Woof Walk follows the same approach, with treats and costumes on a set route, a ticket for every dog and a costume contest limited to 25 entrants.
Two restaurants nearby fill out the late morning for families. The BID guide lists a kids' Halloween party at Pinstripes from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with crafts, candy and face painting. Adults get free coffee, kids 12 and under get free soda, and kids under 4 eat free from the brunch menu. JINYA Ramen Bar is offering one free small kid's ramen with the purchase of an adult entrée, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on October 31. Both restaurants encourage costumes.
Late afternoon, the blocks in between
By late afternoon the focus moves back to the residential streets. These patterns come from past years, but they've held up. In its 2023 Halloween coverage, The Georgetowner found active trick-or-treating around 31st and Q Streets and along N, O and P Streets. A year later, Washingtonian's October 2024 guide to trick-or-treating streets named 31st Street NW for its decorated homes.
That puts the morning event at Tudor Place and the afternoon's most-covered trick-or-treat blocks on the same street, a short walk apart. On a weekday Halloween, those blocks get a short window after school. On a Saturday, the afternoon is open, and the day's two scheduled anchors are hours apart at opposite ends of the neighborhood.
Households planning to hand out candy should expect the porches near 31st and Q to stay busy until dusk. That's the same stretch the 2023 and 2024 coverage singled out.
Dinner, a few blocks south
Three restaurants that opened since late summer give the evening a place to stop before the light show. All are within walking distance of the afternoon's trick-or-treat blocks.
| Restaurant | Address | Opened | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfie's, northern Thai and natural-wine bar | 1228½ 31st Street NW | September 2 | The Georgetowner |
| Cafe Tulum | 3210 Grace Street NW | September 4 | Eater DC |
| Delhi Belly | 1560 Wisconsin Avenue NW | August | The Georgetowner |
The Georgetowner's September business roundup reported Alfie's opening and Delhi Belly's August arrival. Eater DC covered Cafe Tulum's opening on Grace Street. Alfie's is also on 31st Street, south of the Q Street blocks. A family can start the day at Tudor Place and eat dinner on the same street without ever crossing M Street at its busiest.
For dessert, the BID guide notes that Georgetown Cupcake is selling Halloween assortments through October. The Haunted Dozen includes pumpkin spice and chocolate toffee spider web, and the Sweet & Spooky set includes chocolate caramel cookie crunch. Both are available for store pickup.
7 p.m., the steps at the west edge
The evening's main event is at the far western edge of the neighborhood. The Haunted Light Show at the Exorcist Steps runs from 7 to 11 p.m. on October 31. It's free, and the BID asks visitors to come in costume. It's presented by EventLightsUSA and Andrew Huff, a fan of The Exorcist. The BID notes that the 75 steps are where the final scene of the 1973 film was shot, and that the staircase was designated a Historic Landmark in 2019. The event's Eventbrite listing describes it as a light-and-fog show for all ages.
The two listings give different locations. The BID lists 36th and Prospect Streets NW, but the Eventbrite map pins 3600 M Street NW. Check the event page before picking which end to walk toward, especially with a stroller or anyone who would rather not climb.
DC by Foot's Ghosts of Georgetown walking tour also ends up at the steps. The BID guide describes a 90-minute route that starts outside the Old Stone House and passes the site of an old hospital and "the house that hates electricity" before reaching the steps. Destination DC's listing for the Halloween-night tour says it starts at 8 p.m. and reaches the steps around 9:30 p.m., during the light show. Tickets are sold through DC by Foot.
The night's largest free event is at a staircase on the residential west side, not at Wisconsin and M, and it runs for four hours.
The Saturday after, on the canal
The next Saturday brings a quieter event in the same part of town. C&O Canal Community Days runs on November 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the grassy yard behind the Georgetown Visitor Center at 1057 Thomas Jefferson Street NW. The C&O Canal Trust asks people to register by Friday, October 30, the day before Halloween.
If you're mapping out Halloween in Georgetown this year, or wondering how the neighborhood's weekends change from season to season, the team at Jack Realty Group is glad to talk it through. Book a neighborhood consultation, and we'll share how we see these blocks from just up the hill in Wesley Heights.
