Things to Do in Stafford VA October 2026: Mid-Month Events

Most of the year, a Stafford weekend means a brewery patio, a ballfield or a show at Riverside. This month's calendar points somewhere else. From October 10 through October 18, 2026, the two biggest events in the county are about things Stafford used to make. The first is the musket iron forged on the Rappahannock near Falmouth during the Revolution. The second is the livestock and produce judged at a county agricultural fair. Each is doing something new this year. The ironworks is getting a full public commemoration for America's 250th anniversary, and the fair is opening at a new location.

Here are the dates, times and names you'll need for both weekends, plus the smaller events running alongside them.

October 10–11: The forge on the Rappahannock

Revolution on the Rappahannock: Hunter's Iron Works and American Independence is a Stafford VA250 Commemoration Event hosted by the Freedom Forge Foundation. It takes place at Pratt Park, 120 River Road, in Falmouth.

The event centers on James Hunter, the man behind Hunter's Iron Works and the Rappahannock Forge. Both sat on the Rappahannock near Falmouth. During the Revolution, the event listing says, the site was the "greatest Iron Works on the Continent." It supplied muskets and tools for George Washington's army, yet the organizers note that it is "often overlooked in history books." For Falmouth residents, that means a piece of Revolutionary history that matters nationally sits just along the river.

The weekend has a clear shape:

The morning symposium features six speakers: Kathi Lynn Austin, Jerrilynn Eby MacGregor, Craig Bell, Katherine Egner, Barbra Anderson and Shelby Chandler. In the afternoon you'll find military reenactments, living history, blacksmithing and forging demonstrations, military honors, and bagpipes, recorders and fife and drums. A Kid's Corner on the river is set up for younger visitors.

Admission is free, but the Foundation asks guests to register in advance. It also suggests a donation of $10 or more to help cover costs and to support preservation of the Hunter's Iron Works site. You can RSVP through the Freedom Forge Foundation's event page.

One schedule detail is still unsettled. The Foundation's page lists Saturday tours of the Falmouth cemetery and Union Church at 5 p.m. A Potomac Local event listing gives 3 p.m. for those same tours. Both sources agree on the 11 a.m. Sunday tours. If you're planning around the Saturday tour, check the time before you go.

Why the donation line matters

The preservation request has a backstory. In a May 2025 release, the Freedom Forge Foundation said it had signed a letter of intent to acquire about 37 acres of the ironworks property from Trammell Crow Company. The same release said the City of Fredericksburg owned and maintained the riverfront. It described archaeological remains on the property, which is listed on the National Register, and it proposed an archaeological survey and a conservation easement. That was the plan as of May 2025. We couldn't confirm whether the acquisition has closed since then. The symposium may be the best place to get an update from the people closest to the project.

Same Saturday, different pace

October 10 is crowded on purpose. Barley Naked Brewing Company starts its Oktoberfest with a Beer Mile. Runners drink one beer and run a quarter mile, then repeat that three more times. The brewery's Oktoberfest and 8th Anniversary follows from noon to 9 p.m. Plans include stein-holding competitions and a live polka band. The anniversary comes in a good year for the brewery. Tour Stafford reported in August that Barley Naked was one of three Stafford breweries recognized at the Virginia Craft Beer Cup Awards.

Tater's Corner, at 89 Chatham Heights Road, hosts its second annual Harvest Day on October 10 and 11. It's described as a family-friendly celebration of the fall season. Paired with the ironworks event, the weekend covers both of the county's working traditions, the forge and the field.

October 15–18: The county fair moves to Poplar Road

A week later, the Stafford County Agricultural Fair opens at 504 Poplar Road. The Tour Stafford listing says this year's fair "will be held at a new location." The fair has moved before. The fair's own history page shows the 2010 event at Mountain View High School. The sources we reviewed don't say why it moved this year or name the property at Poplar Road. Plug the address into your map app before you leave rather than heading to wherever you went last time.

The hours favor weeknight evenings and full weekend days:

• Thursday, Oct. 15: 5 – 10 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 16: 5 – 10 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 17: noon – 10 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 18: noon – 7 p.m.

What sets this fair apart from a carnival is the agriculture. Each day has its own judged events, so the day you pick determines which ones you'll see.

Thursday opens with rides, games, food, vendors, a petting zoo, pony rides and a scavenger hunt. The Truly Trainable Puppy Show runs from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Sheriff K9 demonstrations follow from 6:30 to 7 p.m., and live music plays on stage from 7 to 10 p.m. The fair says it will announce that night's band on Facebook.

Friday brings a 4-H dairy goat show, Pet Rock Contests and the Mustache, Beard & Mullet Contest. Craig Dodson is the named music act.

Saturday is the longest day and has the most agriculture. It includes a poultry show, the 4-H Stockman's Test, a pumpkin contest and a Lego contest. On stage are Regina & The Dancers, Robin, Little Big Man, Headless and the Jon Wayne Band.

Sunday brings the beef cattle competition and a dog costume contest. Kids get the Power Wheels Derby and the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull. Music comes from School of Rock Woodbridge, Ricky's Music Corner and All' In Band.

If you're entering something, plan ahead. Homemaking items are dropped off Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. The fair's site also lists the flower arranging contest, Pet Rock Olympics and dog costume contest as categories, each with its own page. We didn't find 2026 admission, parking or ride prices in the sources we reviewed, so check staffordfair.com before you go.

The evenings in between

Several other events fill the gap between the two big weekends:

1. Witches & Wine at Tater's Corner, October 16 and 17, 6:30 to 9 p.m. It's a ticketed Halloween party, and reservations are made on the Tater's Corner website.
2. A Renaissance Faire at Adventure Brewing Company, Saturday, October 17, noon to 10 p.m. It overlaps with the fair's longest day.
3. Riverside Center for the Performing Arts has two shows on stage at once. Sweeney Todd runs through Sunday, October 25, and Shrek the Musical runs October 6 through 24.

If you want both forge and farm in one week, the fair's Sunday overlaps nicely with the end of the Riverside runs. That leaves the following weekend open for a show you missed.

Before you head out

A short checklist covering the details that are still open:

• Register for Revolution on the Rappahannock, and confirm the Saturday cemetery and Union Church tour time.
• Set your navigation to 504 Poplar Road for the fair, not a past fair site.
• Watch the fair's Facebook page for Thursday's band announcement.
• Check staffordfair.com for admission and parking details.
• Reserve Witches & Wine tickets ahead of time, since the event is ticketed.

For more on the county, including the communities around Falmouth and the Poplar Road corridor, see the Stafford neighborhood page. Our Fredericksburg page covers the city side of the river.

If something on this calendar raises a question about Stafford, like what's close to Poplar Road or how Falmouth's riverfront fits into the rest of the county, I'm happy to talk it through over coffee or a quick call. Kathy Deal has spent more than 25 years around Fredericksburg-area land and homes, and local questions like these are always welcome. Ask Kathy.