Join us at Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House for Countdown to the Holidays, a FREE site-wide autumn celebration packed with family-friendly activities, hands-on craft workshops, and local history!
Held in partnership with the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Nelly’s Needlers, this event offers something special for every age.
We thank the Fairfax250 Commission for its support of this program, part of Fairfax County’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
Site-Wide Highlights:
Historic House Tours (10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.): Explore both Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House with open house access and guided architecture tours sharing how these two iconic properties connect.
Descendant Voices & Genealogy: Hear directly from Woodlawn Descendants, build your own family tree, and take part in interactive genealogy workshops.
Descendant Talk with Sheryl Sims (11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.)
Who Are Your People?: Genealogy Workshop with Adrienne Fikes (1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.)
Descent Talk with Susan Hellman (2:40 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
New Exhibit Access (10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.): View Friends Gather Here—a new exhibit exploring Woodlawn's transformation from a plantation to an anti-slavery colony before the Civil War—and join curatorial staff for spotlight tours.
Exhibit talk with Martha Claire Catlin (2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.)
Needlepoint Workshops (10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.): Learn needlepoint tips from Nelly’s Needlers, discover their historic preservation efforts, and get early inspiration for the 2027 Woodlawn Needlework Show.
Family & Children's Fun (11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.): Build natural fairy houses on the lawn and enjoy story time at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Pope-Leighey House.
Children’s Storytime (English: 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Children’s Storytime (Spanish: 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.)
Collections Corner: Get an up-close look at pieces from the Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House collections and get the opportunity to talk to collections staff.
Collections Corner at Woodlawn (11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
Collections Corner at Pope-Leighey House (2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.)
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Arcadia’s Fall Funtacular!
Head over to the farm for an afternoon of fall festivities! Play games, create seasonal crafts, help plant garlic, meet the farm's resident chickens, listen to live music, and enjoy a vibrant autumn day outdoors.