Old Town Fairfax has a full October. Fiesta Fairfax is on Saturday, Oct. 3. The 50th annual Fall Festival is on Oct. 10. Rock the Block is on Oct. 23, and Haunting for Candy is on Oct. 25. Every one of them happens on Old Town Square or in the streets next to it. The building that held downtown's indoor civic life for more than a century sits across University Drive. It is still listed as under construction.
Old Town Hall's reopening has been scheduled for this month. Even so, the city's own calendar for the rest of 2026 is planned around the square, and the first performance it lists back inside the hall is in January 2027. This fall, the square is downtown's main civic space. The first practical change from the renovation will likely be a new public restroom on the square, not a return of indoor events.
Five Dates, One Square Block
Most of October happens within a short walk of 10415 North Street, the address of Old Town Square.
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Fiesta Fairfax | Old Town Square, 10415 North St. | 2 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 4 | Old Town Fairfax Main St. Market | 10417 Main St. | Canceled for rain |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | 50th annual City of Fairfax Fall Festival | Historic downtown streets | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | Rock the Block with Groovalicious | Old Town Square | 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | Haunting for Candy | Old Town Square | 4 to 6 p.m. |
Fiesta Fairfax is a celebration of Latino culture. The Fiesta Fairfax Foundation hosts it in partnership with the city. Rock the Block is free, and the city's listing includes food vendors and a beer garden along with Groovalicious. Haunting for Candy is a free family Halloween event put on by the Old Town Fairfax Business Association and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. The Main St. Market called off its Oct. 4 date because of the rainy forecast. Its two remaining 2026 dates are Sunday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Dec. 6.
The Fiftieth Fall Festival Uses Downtown's Buildings
The Fall Festival is the biggest event on the list. It also shows how downtown has worked while the hall is closed. The festival takes over the streets of Old Town Fairfax from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10. Admission is free, though some activities such as children's rides cost extra. It runs rain or shine, and the city expects hundreds of local and regional artisans along the route.
Because the hall isn't available, the indoor parts of the festival are spread among other downtown buildings:
- Paradise Games & Gifts, 10385 Main St. Fall for the Book's free "Meet an Author Day" brings in five authors who write for young readers.
- Legato School Museum on Chain Bridge Road. It is next to the festival and holds an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can tour the building and learn about student life there between 1870 and 1928.
- Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center. It is a short walk from the festival and is showing "Indigenous Perspectives," an exhibit about Virginia's tribal communities.
- Fire Station 3. Sparky's Harvest Bash opens the station for tours of fire trucks and emergency vehicles. A fire safety trailer covers home evacuation skills.
On the outdoor stages, Cruel Summer performs a full tribute to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, and Herr Metal plays 1980s-style arena rock. Free accessible shuttles run from Fairfax High School and from George Mason University's Rappahannock Parking Deck, and parking at both is free. Free bike and scooter valet is in the parking lot just east of Old Town Square. Bikes and scooters are not allowed inside the festival, and the city strongly discourages bringing pets. Text "FALLFEST" to 888-777 for event-day alerts.
Mayor Catherine Read described the festival's place in the region this way:
"There have been significant changes in our region over the last half century, but this festival is a call to community that includes area residents, visitors, and our George Mason University neighbors."
How the Square Got the Job
Old Town Hall was built in 1900. It is a contributing structure in the City of Fairfax National Register Historic District, and the city says it hosts civic celebrations, arts programs and private events that draw thousands of visitors each year. Its repairs have taken six years:
- August 2020. A front portico column collapsed, and the building closed while engineers assessed its structure.
- 2022. The city secured $2.1 million in federal funding through HUD's Community Project Funding program.
- June 2023. Phase 1 was completed, including reconstruction of the portico.
- January 2024 to April 2025. Design and permit approvals went through, including the Board of Architectural Review.
- July 22, 2025. City Council awarded the Phase 2 construction contract to A.P. Construction, LLC.
- August 2025. Construction began, with a 300-day construction period.
- Sept. 8, 2025. The construction notice to proceed was issued.
- Fall 2026. Completion is anticipated.
The city's own pages give two start dates for the current closure. The project timeline starts with the August 2020 collapse. The venue rental page says the hall has been "closed for renovations (since April 2025)." Either way, events have been moving out. The Taste of Chocolate at February's Chocolate Lovers Festival relocated from Old Town Hall to the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center at 3740 Blenheim Blvd. because of the renovation. Phase 2 costs $3.9 million in total. That is $2.1 million in federal grant money plus $1.8 million from the city's General Fund.
A Reopening That Has Slipped, and a Calendar That Planned for It
Updates to the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board show the schedule moving. The April 2026 report set substantial completion for Oct. 3, today's date, and mentioned delays with the window restoration. By the June 2026 report, substantial completion had moved to mid-October, and "the window restoration timeline continues to evolve." The facilities section of the same report still said the hall was "on schedule to reopen in October."
The city's project page still says "Under Construction," with completion anticipated in fall 2026.
The city's event schedule assumes the hall won't be back in time for the holidays. The Holiday Craft Show on Nov. 21 and 22 is booked at Fairfax High School. The Holiday Market on Dec. 4 through 6 is booked on Old Town Square. The Old Town Hall Performance Series has also moved out of the hall. Its Alfred Yun Quartet jazz concert on Friday, Oct. 16, is at 3740 Blenheim Boulevard, the Sherwood Center address. The first series date the city lists at Old Town Hall, 3999 University Drive, is a Military Band concert on Friday, Jan. 8, 2027, at 8 p.m. Even if the contractor finishes in mid-October, the published programming doesn't return indoors until the new year. Through December, downtown's events stay on the square.
The Change That Reaches the Square First
The most useful Phase 2 item for anyone at a square event is not inside the building. The project adds a public restroom that can be reached from Old Town Square Park and from Main Street. Phase 2 also covers drainage and site accessibility improvements, repairs to windows and doors, and replacement or relocation of old mechanical and electrical systems.
The square has also been updated on its own schedule. In June the city reported the splashpad open and new furniture due soon at Old Town Square. With new seating and a restroom being built next door, the city is setting the square up to keep hosting events after the hall reopens.
What Has Changed on University Drive
The square's neighbors have changed too, mostly along a short stretch of University Drive. Old Town Hall is at 3999 University Drive. Across the street, Ornery Beer Company closed its pub at 3950 University Drive, Suite 106, on July 26 after nearly eight years in Old Town. Founder Randy Barnette said the location could no longer cover rent and operating costs. The Herndon restaurant stays open. Northern Virginia Magazine confirmed the closure in a Sept. 24 roundup that names no successor for the suite.
A few doors away at 4002 University Drive, Coze The Space celebrated its opening with a city ribbon-cutting in August. Founders Joanne Chung and Eunice Kim run the business. On Main Street, Hopper Consulting LLC has an open house scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 6, at its new space at 10387 Main Street, Suite 201.
The restaurants that took part in August's Fairfax City Restaurant Week are still the core of the dining scene around the festival route. They include Bellissimo, Commonwealth Brewing Co., Old Dominion Pizza, Patriot's Pub & Grill and The Auld Shebeen. This year the event dropped prix-fixe menus and let restaurants feature signature dishes, with special pricing optional.
For the next three months, the square remains the place for Fiesta Fairfax, the Fall Festival, Rock the Block, Haunting for Candy and the December Holiday Market. The next Main St. Market is Sunday, Nov. 1, at 10417 Main St.
Homes near a historic downtown hold their value best when the listing reflects how the neighborhood is actually used, from festival weekends to a public restroom that wasn't there last year. If you are thinking about selling near Fairfax City's historic district and want marketing that shows that daily rhythm, schedule a consultation with Caitlin Platt.
