Fall Festival Season 2026 in Prince William County: From the Manassas Fall Jubilee to Oktoberfest

If you have driven through Historic Downtown Manassas lately, you have probably noticed the first hints of color in the trees and the calendars filling up. Labor Day has passed, the school year is rolling along in Prince William County, and this region's favorite season for community gatherings is officially here. From the Old Town Manassas Art Show this Saturday to the 43rd Annual Manassas Fall Jubilee in October, the next several weeks are packed with reasons to get out, connect with neighbors, and fall in love with where you live all over again.

As always, I want this guide to be useful and honest, so every date below comes from the announced event listings for 2026. I have also folded in a quick market check-in for the weeks ahead, because I know many of you are thinking about a move while the leaves turn.

This Saturday, September 12: Two Can't-Miss Arts Events

If you only circle one weekend this month, make it Saturday, September 12. Two very different arts events, both free and family-friendly, give you a full day of reasons to spend time in Manassas:

• Old Town Manassas Art Show & Fall Craft Fair on the Manassas Museum Lawn (9101 Prince William Street), from 10:00 AM. It features 60+ artisans, crafters, and small businesses selling handmade art, jewelry, home and fall décor, and seasonal finds. A perfect way to pick up something handmade and support local makers.
• Arts Alive! Festival at the Hylton Performing Arts Center (10960 George Mason Circle), from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, free and co-sponsored by Prince William County. Multiple stages of performances, visual-art exhibits, hands-on workshops, food vendors, and a story-time nook for the little ones, with a headline set from The Capitol Fools.

Both are close enough that you can easily enjoy the craft fair in the morning and catch performances at the Hylton in the afternoon. It is a wonderful showcase of the creative energy this community has to offer.

Oktoberfest Season Arrives the Week of September 18

Mid-September brings one of Northern Virginia's favorite traditions: Oktoberfest. Two local breweries are going all in this year:

• 2 Silos Brewing Co. in Manassas hosts its Oktoberfest 2026 from Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20, billed as one of the biggest in the region, with German beer, food, and live music on the farm grounds.
• Eavesdrop Brewery celebrates with its own Oktoberfest Weekend on Saturday, September 19.

If you have kids who love big trucks, mark September 19-20 too: Monster Truck Wars rolls into the Prince William County Fairgrounds in Manassas. Livestock shows and rides it is not, but if you have never seen a monster truck rally under the fairgrounds lights, it is a memory-maker.

Late September and October: The Centerpiece of Fall

The peak of the 2026 fall season is at the turn of the month:

• Occoquan Fall Arts & Crafts Show, September 26-27, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Historic Occoquan, with 300+ artisans, live music, and free admission along the riverfront.
• 43rd Annual Manassas Fall Jubilee, Saturday, October 3, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Historic Downtown Manassas. More than 100 craft and community booths, live music, and plenty of local food make this the centerpiece of the season.
• Walk to End Alzheimer's, Saturday, October 10, gathering at the Harris Pavilion for Prince William and Fauquier Counties.
• Historic Manassas Farmers Market, continues Thursdays at the Harris Pavilion through October 29 and Saturdays at the commuter lot through November 21, so fresh produce and local goods are still easy to find.
• Fall-O-Ween, Saturday, October 31 on the Manassas Museum Lawn, a free community Halloween celebration for the family.

And for the whole family, the Hylton Performing Arts Center is rolling out its 2026-27 season through September and October, with music, dance, theater, and free Buchanan Partners Art Gallery exhibitions.

A Quick Market Check-In for the Fall Ahead

Since many of you are thinking about timing a move alongside the festivals, here is where things stand on the data side. The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending Thursday, September 3, 2026 reported the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaging 6.71%, up five basis points from 6.66% the prior week and up from 6.50% a year earlier. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.04%. Rates remain in the stable mid-6% band that has defined all of 2026.

The most recent region-wide data from the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors is still the July 2026 release, which showed active listings up 19.6% year-over-year to 3,025 units, with a region-wide median sold price of $750,000. August statistics from NVAR and the Prince William Association of Realtors are typically published mid-September, and I will share them as soon as I can verify them. The other date to watch is Wednesday, September 16, when the Federal Reserve's FOMC announces its September policy decision at 2:00 PM ET, with markets pricing a divided committee heading in.

For buyers, the extra inventory means more choice than we have seen in years. For sellers, the detached single-family segment still favors well-priced, well-presented homes. Both camps should plan around the calendar: because the federal fiscal year begins October 1, this window between mid-September and mid-October draws strong buyer activity, especially near the employment corridors that define Northern Virginia.

Why the Fall Calendar Matters for Homeowners

One reason I write these guides is practical: how a community gathers says a great deal about what it will feel like to live there. When you are choosing between two neighborhoods you have seen on paper, nothing beats standing in the middle of the fall Jubilee, or chatting with a maker at the Occoquan art show, to know whether the place fits your family. Every one of these events is a chance to test-drive a lifestyle for free.

And if you close after school, there is no reason to be a stranger. The farmers markets and Oktoberfest streets make October one of the warmest months of the year to land here, socially speaking. I know because this is the season my clients tell me they started to feel at home.