Updated October 4, 2026
Okay Nomsters, here’s everything worth getting off the couch for in Maryland this week. It’s Colorfest weekend, which brings about 125,000 people up to Thurmont for the crafts alone, so we’ve also got the Renaissance Festival’s 50th year, an oyster stroll in Westminster, and a boardwalk full of classic cars in Ocean City to work through.
This is your one-stop list for what’s happening from now through Sunday, grouped by day so you can skim straight to whatever fits your schedule. Everything’s traced back to the organizer so the dates and times are legit, and wherever we’ve got a spot nearby that we’ve reviewed, we’ll put you on so you know exactly where to eat. Bookmark this post while you’re here and make sure to check back because there’s a NEW list up every Sunday night. Let’s get into it!
Tap whichever one you need, or keep scrolling for the lot:
During the Week (Monday to Thursday)
The weekend’s the main event, but the middle of the week is the quiet, no-crowds window for the big Inner Harbor museums and a couple of brand-new gallery shows.
National Aquarium (Baltimore, Inner Harbor) // Mon to Thu 9am to 5pm · $49.95 adults, $39.95 youth and seniors, under 5 free
The Inner Harbor classic, and a weekday is the move if you want the dolphins and the rainforest without the weekend line snaking out the door. Give yourself a couple of hours and comfortable shoes. Cap it off with a slice from Edo Cheesecake, a short walk from the harbor.
Maryland Science Center (Baltimore, Inner Harbor) // Tue to Thu 10am to 4pm, closed Monday · $34.95 adults, $26.95 ages 3 to 12
Three floors of hands-on science, a planetarium, and an IMAX, right across the harbor from the aquarium. Easy to fold the two into one Inner Harbor day with the kids. When the kids need a sugar hit, Buns & Roses is right across the way for a chimney cake.
Flashback: Two Centuries of Baltimore Photography (Baltimore, Charles Village) // Wed and Thu 10am to 5pm (Thu to 9pm) · Free
A big new show at the BMA, 200-plus photographs spanning 185 years of the city, up through February. The BMA’s free every day, so a midweek gallery hour costs you nothing but the parking.
Matisse and Martinique: Portraits and Poetry (Baltimore, Charles Village) // Wed and Thu 10am to 5pm (Thu to 9pm) · Free
A compact 20-work Matisse show in its last few weeks, closing Oct 25. Small enough to see on a lunch break, and free with general admission like everything else at the BMA.
On All Weekend, or Close to It
These run for more than one day, so you’ve got a few shots at catching them. Check the days on each one though, because some go Friday through Sunday and some are Saturday and Sunday only.
Catoctin Colorfest (Thurmont) // Sat and Sun 9am to 5pm · Free
The 62nd annual, and one of the largest juried craft festivals on the East Coast, pulling around 125,000 people up to Thurmont. Admission’s free, and the town runs the parking and shuttle, so plan around the crowd.
Maryland Renaissance Festival: Harvest Hollow (Crownsville) // Sat and Sun 10am to 7pm · $31 adults, $17 ages 7 to 15, under 6 free
It’s the 50th season, and the October weekends go full Halloween on top of the usual turkey legs and jousting. If you’ve never made the trip out to Revel Grove, this is the year to do it.
Fiesta Baltimore (Baltimore, Patterson Park) // Sat and Sun 11am to 7pm · Free
The 8th annual and the city’s biggest Latino cultural festival, from Nuestras Raices, with food, live music, and 20,000-plus people through Patterson Park both days. Free to walk in, and the food alone is worth the trip. When you are ready to sit down and eat, Marta is a short walk away.
Baltimore Taco Festival (Baltimore, Inner Harbor) // Sat and Sun 2pm to 8pm (VIP from 12pm)
Thirty-plus taco and food vendors at Power Plant Live, with lucha libre, margarita and tequila bars, and a free pumpkin patch. Tacos and lucha libre in one spot is a pretty easy yes for us. If you still have room after all those tacos, Crave Love Repeat is just minutes away.
MD State BBQ Bash (Bel Air) // Fri 4pm to 10pm, Sat 12pm to 10pm · Free
Downtown Bel Air closes off around the Maryland State BBQ Championship, 25-plus teams smoking all weekend. Free to get in, and the smell alone will talk you into lunch.
Holy Trinity Russian Festival (Baltimore, Washington Hill) // Sat 12pm to 7pm, Sun 12pm to 5pm
The 45th year of homemade Russian food, stroganoff, pelmeni, and blini, plus church tours and a gift shop at Holy Trinity. This kind of under-the-radar food event is exactly our lane.
Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival (Germantown) // Fri 1pm to 6pm, Sat and Sun 9am to 6pm · $20 online / $25 walk-in, under 2 free
The 46th annual, with hayrides, a corn maze, jump pads, giant slides, and a pumpkin cannon. Weekends sell out, so grab tickets online before you drive out.
Weber’s Cider Mill Farm Fall Harvest Days (Parkville) // Daily, weekends 9am to 6pm (last entry 4pm) · $18.50 weekend admission, age 2 and up
Pumpkinland, hayrides, a hillside slide, a spooky walk, and fresh cider just north of the city. Book online ahead, the weekends fill up.
Summers Farm Fall Festival (Middletown) // Fri 1pm to 9pm, Sat 10am to 9pm, Sun 10am to 7pm
A corn maze, pumpkins, hayrides, and the full slate of farm attractions out past Frederick. The late Friday and Saturday hours mean you can do the whole thing after dark, which is half the fun.
Steppingstone Farm Museum Fall Harvest Festival (Havre de Grace) // Sat and Sun 11am to 4pm · $15 adults, kids 12 and under free
The museum’s biggest weekend, with pumpkin painting, scarecrow making, old-trade demos, craft vendors, and food trucks. A sweet, low-key one for families up in Harford County.
Fallfest at Catoctin Furnace (Thurmont) // Fri and Sat 10am to 4pm · Free
Apple butter boiling over an open fire, blacksmithing demos, crafts, and museum tours at the old ironworks. A quieter, older-Maryland counterpoint if Colorfest down the road feels like a lot.
Markoff’s Haunted Forest (Dickerson) // Sat and Sun evenings, roughly 6pm to midnight, not open Friday this week
Consistently one of the top-rated haunted attractions anywhere around, and a benefit for Calleva out on the farm, with a haunted trail, a haunted town, and a midway. This is a proper scare, not a kiddie hayride. Pricing’s dynamic, so check their tickets page before you go.
Endless Summer Cruisin’ (Ocean City) // Thu to Sat 9am to 5pm, Sun 9am to 3pm · $15 a day Thu to Sat, $10 Sun, under 14 free with an adult
The 29th annual classic-car weekend, 2,000-plus cars cruising the boardwalk and filling the Inlet lot and convention center. It’s a drive-and-stay from the DMV core, but a marquee one if cars are your thing.
Good Beer Festival (Salisbury) // Fri 5pm to 10pm, Sat 12pm to 5pm, 21 and up
Unlimited craft-beer tastings, music, games, and food out at Pemberton Historical Park on the Eastern Shore. A 21-plus day, which for our crowd counts as a selling point.
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Disco Inferno (Baltimore, Mount Vernon) // Sat 8pm, Sun 3pm
A BSO pops night of ABBA, Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and Gloria Gaynor with Broadway vocalists and a live disco band at the Meyerhoff. Bring the sequins if you’ve got them. Grab dinner before the show at Mera Kitchen Collective, just up the street.
Opera Baltimore: Mozart’s Don Giovanni (Towson) // Fri Oct 9 and Sun Oct 11, no Saturday show
A fully staged Don Giovanni with orchestra at Towson University’s Stephens Hall. Two performances only this weekend, so pick your night. Make it dinner and a show with Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro, our pick for the best Chinese in Towson, a few minutes from Stephens Hall.
The 8×10 Grand Reopening Weekend (Baltimore, Federal Hill) // Thu to Sun, nightly shows
The Federal Hill music room is back, throwing a four-night reopening run, Oh He Dead on Saturday and Steely Dead on Sunday. If you’ve missed live music in that room, this is the week. The Wurst Bar is quite literally next door for a beer and a sausage before the set.
Baltimore Open Studio Tour Weekend (Baltimore, citywide) // Sat and Sun 10am to 5pm
Working artists across the city open their studios, from the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower to the Creative Alliance, and you can buy straight off the wall. A good excuse to poke around spaces you’d never otherwise get into.
Annapolis Powerboat Show (Annapolis) // Thu to Sat 10am to 6:30pm, Sun 10am to 5pm · $32 general, Sunday Military Day $22
Downtown Annapolis hands its City Dock over to the boats, and even if you’re not buying, it’s a fun wander along Ego Alley. Sunday’s the cheaper day in.
Very Superstitious! Paca House Folklore Tour (Annapolis) // Fri and Sat 11am
A guided walk through the superstitions and folklore of colonial Annapolis at the William Paca House and Garden. Right on theme for spooky season, and more charming than scary.
Friday in Maryland
Modest Mouse with Caroline Rose (Baltimore, Inner Harbor) // Fri 8pm, doors 6:30pm
Indie-rock heavyweights at Pier Six Pavilion with Caroline Rose opening, all ages, right on the water. Worth catching before it gets too cold for the open-air pavilion.
House of Heavy at Ottobar (Baltimore, Remington) // Fri, 18 and up
A nu-metal and metalcore dance party at the Ottobar, if your Friday night runs a little louder. Eighteen and up. Equitea is a couple of blocks away if you want to wind down with a proper cup of tea after.
Mt. Misery Ghost Walk (Ellicott City) // Fri 8:30pm
A nighttime walk into the legends of the hills north of Old Ellicott City, run by Maryland History Tours. The town’s plenty creepy after dark, which is what makes this one land.
The Hot Sardines (Frederick) // Fri 8pm
Vintage jazz and swing at the Weinberg Center, the kind of band that makes you wish you knew how to dance properly. A classy way to spend a Friday downtown. Right around the corner, White Rabbit Gastropub has what we think is the best Detroit-style pizza in Maryland, so make a night of it.
Saturday in Maryland
Westminster Oyster Stroll (Westminster) // Sat 12pm to 4pm · $15 general, kids 12 and under free, VIP $40
Downtown Westminster turns Main Street into an oyster-and-music street party built around Chesapeake farm-raised oysters. An oyster crawl down Main Street in October, come on.
Edgar Allan Row (Baltimore, Fell’s Point) // Sat, on the water at 4pm · Free
The first-ever Poe-themed paddle meetup, kayaks and SUPs gathering on the harbor in front of Pitango in Fell’s Point. Free with no registration, though you’ll pay if you need to rent a board. Easily the most Baltimore thing on this list.
Germantown October Fest (Germantown) // Sat 11am to 5pm, parade 11:30am · Free
A free festival at BlackRock with a parade, a beer garden, live music, a market, food trucks, and a free carnival, headlined by Nappy Roots this year. Plenty to fill an afternoon without spending a dime to get in.
Good Booty Flea (Laurel) // Sat 11am to 5pm · Free
An outdoor car boot sale at Konterra, curated with a chunk of the DMV vintage scene, Bmore Flea and Shop Made in DC among them. Expect vintage, art, fashion, handmade goods and collectibles, with food trucks and live music through the day.
Truck or Treat (Cooksville) // Sat 10am to 3pm, timed slots · $5 per child, $2 per adult, under 1 free
Trick-or-treating at trucks, tractors, and emergency vehicles at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center. The timed slots fill fast, so register ahead if you’ve got little ones.
AutumnFest at Maydale (Colesville) // Sat 4pm to 7pm
Pumpkin painting, live music, a campfire, a native plant sale, and a dog costume contest at the Maydale Nature Classroom. Montgomery Parks does these well, and the dog costumes alone are worth the stop.
Patuxent River Appreciation Day (Solomons) // Sat 10am to 4pm · Free
A long-running fall festival at the Calvert Marine Museum with live music, food, a petting zoo, free boat rides, and toy boatbuilding. Free, on the water, and an easy day out if you’re down in Southern Maryland.
The Gayle Harrod Band: Concerts in the Courtyard (Ellicott City) // Sat 6pm to 8pm · Free
Free blues, soul, and R&B in the courtyard at Tonge Row by Little Market Cafe. Grab a coffee and post up, it’s a lovely way to spend early evening.
Historic District Walking Tour (Ellicott City) // Sat 11am
The daytime one, a guided walk through Old Ellicott City’s landmarks and history. A low-stakes way to actually learn the town you’ve been eating your way through.
19th Century Historic Base Ball Games (Ellicott City) // Sat 11am
Base ball by 1800s rules, Keystone against Zouave, tied to the HoCo250 celebrations. One of the more charming, oddball things on the calendar this weekend.
Haunted Main Street Ghost Tour (Ellicott City) // Sat 8:30pm
Maryland History Tours walks you through the ghost stories of a 250-year-old town after dark. Pairs well with dinner in Old EC first.
Bat Out of Helloween: A Meat Loaf and Rocky Horror Tribute (Annapolis) // Sat 1pm, doors 12pm
An all-ages afternoon of Meat Loaf and Rocky Horror at Rams Head On Stage. A daytime tribute show means you can go big and still be home for dinner. Reynold’s Tavern, where we had a lovely afternoon tea, is right in the historic district if you want to make an afternoon of it.
Lewis Black Live (Baltimore, Bromo Arts District) // Sat 7pm
The Grammy-winning king of righteous anger brings the stand-up to the Hippodrome. Loud, profane, and cathartic, which is sort of the point.
David Sedaris (Frederick) // Sat 8pm
An evening of new and classic essays from the man himself at the Weinberg Center. If you’ve read him, you already know you’re going.
Sunday in Maryland
Howard County Pride Festival (Columbia) // Sun 11am to 5pm · Free
A community celebration at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods with music, food, and resources. Free, and registration’s requested but not required.
Gaithersburg Oktoberfest (Gaithersburg) // Sun 12pm to 5pm · Free
The 33rd annual, free in and around the Arts Barn and Kentlands, with Bavarian music, dancing, food, beer, mead, cider, and an artisans market. Free admission and parking with a shuttle, so it’s an easy one to just show up to. Duck into Neko Nook Cafe on Main Street for a quieter cup once the crowd gets to you.
Wheaton Passport to Sports Day (Wheaton) // Sun 11am to 3pm · $10 per person
One wristband gets you ice skating, tennis, pickleball, soccer, and lacrosse across Wheaton Regional Park, ages 3 and up. A good way to burn off a kid’s energy for ten bucks.
Luther Relives: A Luther Vandross Tribute (Frederick) // Sun 7:30pm
A vocal tribute to Luther at the Weinberg Center to close the weekend out smooth. Exactly the kind of Sunday-night show that sends you into Monday in a better mood.
Farmers Markets Open This Week
It’s peak fall-market season, and most of the region’s best are still going strong. Here’s what’s open this week, from the Saturday and Sunday heavy hitters to a few midweek options.
Wednesday
- Bethesda Midweek Market (Montgomery Farm Women’s Cooperative Market parking lot, 7155 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda), 9am-1pm
- Crossroads Farmers Market (Anne St at University Blvd East, Takoma Park (one block west of New Hampshire Ave)), 10:30am-2:30pm
Thursday
- Towson Farmers Market (Allegheny Ave & Washington Ave, Towson), 10:30am-2:30pm
Saturday
- 32nd Street Farmers Market (32nd & Barclay, Waverly, Baltimore), 7am-12pm. Running since 1980.
- Anne Arundel County Farmers Market (Riva Road, Annapolis), Sat 7am-12pm, Sun 9am-12pm. 40+ years, one of the largest in Maryland.
- Bel Air Farmers’ Market (2 S Bond Street, Bel Air), 8am-12pm. Producer-only, 60+ Harford County vendors.
- Frederick Farmers Market (Frederick), 10am-1pm
Sunday
- Baltimore Farmers’ Market (Under the JFX, Holliday & Saratoga, Baltimore), 7am-12pm. Maryland’s largest producers-only market.
- Bethesda Central Farm Market (Bethesda Elementary, Arlington Rd, Bethesda), 9am-1:30pm. 100+ vendors, one of the largest in the region.
- Catonsville Sunday Farmers Market (15 Mellor Avenue, Catonsville), 9am-12pm
- Olney Farmers & Artists Market (MedStar Hospital Thrift Shop grounds, 2801 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd, Olney), 9am-1pm
Always Worth It in Maryland
Not everything good is tied to a date. These are the spots we point people to any week of the year, sorted by what you’re actually in the mood for. If the weekend fills up or the forecast turns, start here.
Kid-Friendly
- Calvert Marine Museum (Solomons), Megalodon fossils and Chesapeake paleontology indoors, plus the Drum Point Lighthouse, historic ships, and a river otter colony outside. Robby and I have both been and it’s a genuinely great day out with kids. Open daily 10am to 5pm, $11 adults, $6 ages 5 to 12, under 5 free.
- A Secret Arcade (Glen Burnie), Exactly what it sounds like, a hidden little arcade that’s a blast to track down.
- Kako Claw (Arundel Mills), A claw-machine paradise if your kids (or you) are into the crane-game grind.
- Sweet Bamboo Boba (Silver Spring), A DIY bubble-tea bar where you build your own, which kids love.
- Dugout Arcade (Baltimore), A fun arcade night out, though there’s a cover, so it leans a bit older.
- Monster Mini Golf (Maryland), Indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf, monster themed, always a hit with the little ones.
- Medieval Times (Hanover), Dinner and a jousting tournament, and yes it’s as fun as it sounds.
Open Late
For when it’s already Saturday night and you still want to do something.
- Round1 Towson, Bowling, billiards, karaoke rooms, and over 250 arcade machines, open to 2am every single night. The latest thing on this whole list by a wide margin.
- K1 Speed Jessup, Indoor electric go-karting with an arcade and lounge, running to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
- Lola Art House (Ellicott City), A late-night art cafe in Old Ellicott City with DIY sessions and cake decorating, open to midnight Friday and Saturday.
- Luna Cat Collective (Ellicott City), A cat lounge and co-working space open to 10pm on the weekend, with every cat adoptable.
- Sportrock Rio (Gaithersburg), Climbing and bouldering to 11pm on weeknights, which makes it a genuine after-work plan.
- ClayGround Studio and Gallery (Ellicott City), Wheel throwing and hand building, with the studio running to 9pm.
Rainy Day List
Maryland weather does what it wants, so keep these in your back pocket for when the sky turns.
- Crystal Grottoes Caverns (Boonsboro), Maryland’s only show cave, 40 minutes underground with a guide, and the same temperature down there whatever the sky’s doing. Tours every half hour, 10am to 5pm. $23 adults, $13 ages 5 to 12.
- Round1 Towson, 14 bowling lanes, billiards, private karaoke rooms, over 250 arcade machines, and a Japanese menu, all under one roof to 2am daily.
- Surelocked In Escape Rooms (Frederick), Two 60-minute rooms in downtown Frederick, so it pairs nicely with dinner nearby.
- Adventure Park USA (Monrovia), A two-storey laser tag arena, mini-bowling, and a big arcade. Read the days first, the indoor attractions run Friday to Sunday.
- DodgeArrows Action Arena (Millersville), A climate-controlled arena for arrow tag, laser tag, and dodgeball, foam-tipped and refereed, ages 4 and up. Reservation only, so plan ahead. $30 to $35 a head.
- Rawlings Conservatory (Baltimore), An 1888 glasshouse in Druid Hill Park with palm, orchid, and desert rooms. Wed to Fri 11am to 3pm, weekends 10am to 4pm.
- American Visionary Art Museum (Baltimore), Outsider and self-taught art, the least stuffy and most photographable museum in the city. Wed to Sun 10am to 5pm. $20 adult, under 7 free.
- K1 Speed Jessup (Jessup), Indoor electric go-karts, an arcade, and a lounge. Open late on weekends.
- Capital Clubhouse (Waldorf), An NHL-sized indoor rink with public skate sessions for all ages. Session times move around, so check first. $12 a skater.
- Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center (Church Creek), Exhibits, a film, and a research library on the landscape Tubman actually moved through, entirely indoors, and free. Wed to Sun 10am to 4pm.
- Museum of Eastern Shore Culture (Salisbury), A wildfowl carving collection from over 100 artists. Free, with a $5 suggested donation. Tue to Sat 11am to 4pm.
- iPic North Bethesda (North Bethesda), In-theatre dining plus a full restaurant, City Perch, upstairs. The cleanest dinner-and-a-movie in the state.
- ClayGround Studio and Gallery (Ellicott City), Wheel throwing, hand building, fused glass, and mosaics, with a retail gallery attached. Closed Mondays, and classes book ahead.
- Lola Art House (Ellicott City), An art cafe on Main Street with DIY art sessions, rotating exhibitions, and cake decorating. Walk-ins welcome Friday to Sunday, which is rare for this kind of place.
- No Thyme to Cook (Solomons Island), A culinary school on the harbor with hands-on classes open to the public, sushi through fresh pasta, kept deliberately small. Book through their site.
- Sportrock Rio (Gaithersburg), Climbing, bouldering, and classes, open to 11pm on weekdays.
- Affogatto Cat Cafe (Baltimore, Fells Point), Baltimore’s first cat cafe, an Italian-style coffee shop up front and a lounge of adoptable rescue kittens at the back. We reviewed it and loved it. $10 per person for 25 minutes in the lounge, booking only, closed Mondays.
- Luna Cat Collective (Ellicott City), Howard County’s first cat cafe, a lounge of adoptable cats plus a co-working space, so a quick cat fix turns into an afternoon. We’ve been. Just note it’s closed two days a week, Wednesday and Thursday.
Free Things That Are Always Free
- The Walters Art Museum (Baltimore), Free every day, and one of the best free things to do in the city, with late hours on Thursdays.
- Baltimore Museum of Art (Baltimore), Free every day, with a serious collection and rotating shows.
- Glenstone (Potomac), A free contemporary art museum set in gorgeous landscaped grounds. Reserve ahead.
- National Cryptologic Museum (Annapolis Junction), Codes, spies, and cipher machines, and it’s free.
- Brookside Gardens (Wheaton), Free gardens, and the conservatories are the rainy-day part, open 10am to 5pm daily.
- Cylburn Arboretum (Baltimore), A free arboretum and mansion with trails and gardens.
- The Peale (Baltimore), A free community museum in the oldest museum building in the country.
- Baltimore Waterfront Promenade (Baltimore), A free waterfront walk that strings the harbor neighborhoods together.
- Lake Roland (Baltimore County), Free trails, a nature center, and a boardwalk over the water.
- Sugarloaf Mountain (Dickerson), Free hiking with the best views around, though it’s busy on weekends and the gate closes at 4pm year-round.
- Maryland State House (Annapolis), The oldest state house still in legislative use, free to visit.
- Carroll Creek Park (Frederick), A free linear park through downtown Frederick, lovely for a stroll.
- Baltimore Basilica (Baltimore), The first cathedral in the country, and tours are free, though a $5 donation is requested.
Your Turn, Nomsters
So that’s the week, whether you’re spending the day in Annapolis, catching a band in Federal Hill, or just hitting your local market for whatever looks good that morning. There’s more than enough to fill it. Which one are you actually making it to? Drop it in the comments or tag us on Instagram, we love seeing where you all end up. And check back Sunday, because we refresh this every single week.