ALEXANDRIA, VA-Fall is in full swing at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, with numerous highly popular events and activities scheduled in the coming weeks. Key highlights include the Colonial Market and Fair, Washington Whiskey Tastings and discounts during Virginia Spirits Month, Founding Debates, the Fall Wine Festival and Sunset Tour, Slave Memorial Commemoration, Fall Harvest Festival, and Trick-or-Treating.
At the Colonial Market and Fair on September 14 and 15, visitors will step back in time to watch colonial artisan demonstrations with handcrafted food and wares, enjoy live colonial music, and play 18th-century games. September also is Virginia Spirits Month, the perfect time to learn the history of George Washington’s whiskey made at Mount Vernon, attend special weekend distillery tours and tastings, and stock up on presidential whiskey with a 20 percent discount in-person and online.
Tickets for the Fall Wine Festival and Sunset Tour on October 4-6 already are selling fast, so don’t delay in securing an evening to sample Virginia’s finest wines on the banks of the Potomac River. Also in October are the Fall Harvest Festival and Trick-or-Treating, unique, must-attend family events.
Additional upcoming historical and fun activities at the expansive Mount Vernon estate in September and October are listed below. Related photos for usage are available here and should be credited to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.
- Virginia Spirits Month and George Washington Whiskey Tastings during the month of September. Virginia Spirits Month is the perfect time to learn the history of George Washington’s whiskey made at Mount Vernon, attend special weekend distillery tour and tasting, and purchase presidential whiskey with a 20 percent discount in-person and online. Whiskey tastings are available on September 14, 21, and 28 to sample Mount Vernon’s one-of-a-kind distilled spirits made using 18th-century distilling methods and techniques. Learn more.
- Lunch at the Library on September 10. Join Jennifer London to discuss her new book, Profiles in Character: Sixteen Americans and the Traits that Defined Them. Learn more.
- Meet the New Presidential Library Executive Director at a book launch on September 12. Mount Vernon is thrilled to host an opportunity to meet Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, the new George Washington Presidential Library Executive Director. Dr. Chervinsky will discuss her latest book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic, followed by a reception and book signing.
- Colonial Market and Fair on September 14 and 15. Step back in time for food and wares by colonial artisans, theatrical entertainment, live music, and demonstrations all included in the regular price of admission. Learn more.
- Sensory-Friendly Family Morning on September 21. Neurodivergent individuals and their families can enjoy a sensory-friendly morning and tour. Learn more.
- Textiles: Household Goods on September 21 and 22. Explore the intricate world of textiles and their use in the 18th century, including how colonial Americans sourced, crafted, and utilized textiles. Learn more.
- Fall Homeschool Day on September 23. Home school families are invited to learn about the 18th century by exploring the Farm at Mount Vernon. Learn more.
- Brown Bag Lunch of September 24. Learn about Library Fellow Sandra Patton-Imani’s research project, Ann Fairfax Washington Lee: Race Gender, and Sex in 18th Century Virginia. Learn more.
- STEAM Teacher Workshop: 18th Century Medicine on September 24. Education staff and K-12 teachers from across the region will explore the many connections between STEAM and the history of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Learn more.
- Founding Debates on September 25. As America nears the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, the Washington Presidential Library and More Perfect are assembling leaders to discuss their efforts to advance the five Democracy Goals and renew a more perfect union. Learn more.
- Textiles: Clothing on September 28 and 29. Discover how colonial Americans sourced, crafted, and utilized textiles, including homespun wool and linen and imported silks and dyes. Learn more.
- The Memory of ’76 Book Talk on October 2. Historian Michael D. Hattem will discuss his new book, The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History, which examines the surprising history of how Americans have fought over the meaning and legacy of the Revolution for nearly two and a half centuries. Learn more.
- The Spirit of Mount Vernon on October 3. This reception, dinner, fireworks, and live auction is set on the banks of the historic Potomac River to benefit Mount Vernon’s education and historic preservation legacy. Set on the East Lawn overlooking the Potomac River, the evening also includes fireworks and a live auction, along with Carly Fiorina, National Honorary Chair of Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, and The Honorable Donald S. Beyer, Jr., United States House of Representatives. Learn more.
- Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour on October 4, 5, and 6. Taste unlimited samples from Virginia’s finest wineries on a blanket overlooking the Potomac River. Guests also will enjoy live music and can explore this historic area after hours. Learn more.
- Slave Memorial Commemoration on October 5. George Washington’s Mount Vernon joins Black Women United for Action to honor the enslaved individuals who lived and labored at Mount Vernon. The event features special guests, live performances, and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Slave Memorial. Learn more.
- Fall Harvest Festival on October 19 and 20. Visitors will be immersed in 18th-century life as they explore the expansive farm, watch wheat treading demonstrations, observe 18th-century cooking, candle-making, spinning, textiles, horseshoeing, navigate the straw bale maze, and shop for farm-fresh products. Learn more.
- 2024 USC Sol Price Leadership Lecture on October 24. Join New York Times correspondent David E. Sanger and historian Tyson Reeder in a conversation moderated by Library Director Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky on foreign interference in U.S. elections from the 18th century to the present. A complimentary reception will follow the lecture. Learn more.
- Trick-or-Treating on October 26. At Mount Vernon, trick-or-treaters can do so much more than collect candy on Halloween. There’s a costume parade, magic and puppet performances, attendance by Lady Washington, and an opportunity to explore the expansive historic areas and farms of George Washington. Learn more.
Read the complete listing of upcoming Mount Vernon events here. Most Mount Vernon events are free or discounted for members. Information about Mount Vernon membership is available here.
Please note that Mount Vernon has embarked upon a landmark Mansion Revitalization project. During visits, preservation teams are restoring the framing, masonry, drainage, and environmental controls of the Mansion, ensuring America’s first president’s home will be ready to receive millions of guests for generations to come. Individual rooms will be taken off display as work progresses through the structure. The New Room is currently not on view, and the Education Center exhibit on George Washington’s life will be off display for an extensive rebuild from July 2024 to Spring 2026. However, the expansive estate remains open to visitors, including the museum, more than a dozen historic buildings, the gardens and farm, and the Tomb.
Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the oldest national historic preservation organization in the United States. The estate is open to visitors and includes the Mansion, a museum and education center, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery, and a gristmill. It also includes the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.
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