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4 Spooky + Cozy Fall Date Ideas in D.C.
October 24, 2023 @ 10:00am
From scary movies and eerie plays to fall colors galore, we’ve got the perfect date itinerary ready for you.
It may be spooky season, but love is still in the air in D.C. The District makes dating creatively easy with its many gorgeous parks, innovative restaurants, unique bars and festive events going on at all times. This month, we took a few of those happenings and combined them for cozy and spooky date ideas. From wild and scary cinema to nature’s fall colors and everything in between, consider date night planned.
Dinner + A Show
D.C. theatre does not hold back — especially around Halloween. Cross the river for “Tell-Tale Heart” at Synetic Theater, and be prepared: this take on the classic story is mind-bending. A chorus of vultures clue the audience in on the growing madness of a young and old version of Poe converging. Afterwards, discuss all you witnessed over dinner right down the street at Good Stuff Eatery, one of D.C.’s favorite burger joints (and one with plenty of options for all types of diets). It’s a gem amongst other chain restaurants in the surrounding area, and offers the perfect down-to-earth vibe to shake you out of Poe’s horror aesthetic.
Synetic Theater: 1800 S Bell St. Arlington, VA; synetictheater.org // @synetictheater
Good Stuff Eatery: 2110 Crystal Dr. Arlington, VA; goodstuffeatery.com // @goodstuffeatery
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Spooky Cinema + A Speakeasy
All month long, Suns Cinema in Mount Pleasant is playing scary and eerie movies, from classics like “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” to thrillers like “Gods and Monsters” and “The Faculty.” Prepare for horror in this unique neighborhood hub and then come back to reality at O.K.P.B., a speakeasy right up the road. Ring the bell and a host will let you in for creative and interesting cocktails in a cozy setting perfect for unwinding while asking each other in whisper-screams, “What did we just witness?”
Suns Cinema: 3107 Mt Pleasant St. NW, DC; sunscinema.com // @sunscinema
O.K.P.B.: 3165 Mt Pleasant St. NW, Floor 2, DC; okpbdc.com // @okpbdc
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Forest Bathe + Picnic Games
Morning dates are underrated: Start fresh and ready for the day instead of feeling burned out from work and then expected to hold a conversation at night. Forest bathe at the U.S. National Arboretum in the morning on your own or join Friends of the National Arboretum on November 11 at 9 a.m. With fall colors sneaking onto the 450-acres of trees, you won’t want to miss a long walk with hot thermos in hand, breathing in D.C.’s beauty. Afterwards, break out the picnic blanket with morning pastries and some get-to-know-you activities, like playing the We’re Not Really Strangers question game.
U.S. National Arboretum: 3501 New York Ave. NE, DC; fona.org // @fonarboretum
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Bike Ride + A Meadery
Another way to take in the fall colors is to ride one of D.C.’s many bike trails. Grab your own bike or rent one from rental options around the District, and ride up the Anacostia River Trail to the north. Right outside city lines sits Maryland Meadworks, the charming and cozy pub of rom-com dreams. Listen to live music while sipping on different meads — flavors range from hoppy to spicy to citrusy to sweet, leaving you with a happy little buzz. This season, they’re breaking out the fire pits on their patio space, so you can chill in the autumn air, drink in hand.
Anacostia River Trail: Colmar Manor, MD
Maryland Meadworks: 4700 Rhode Island Ave. Hyattsville, MD; marylandmeadworks.com // @marylandmeadworks
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