The best food and drink festivals of fall

‘Tis the season to sip and socialize. Fall festivals are in full swing, and this year’s calendar is more packed than ever before. Looking for ways to enjoy the season with local eats and libations? Here is a weekend-by-weekend guide to the best food and drink festivals in D.C., Maryland and Virginia this fall. (AP Photos/WTOP Composite)

AP Photos/WTOP Composite

Vineyards are one of the attractions in Loudoun County, which tops the U.S. Census Bureau list of highest median household incomes. (AP/Visit Loudoun)

Sept. 12 and 13: The 40th Annual Virginia Wine Festival The weekend of Sept. 12 and 13 marks the 40th Annual Virginia Wine Festival at Great Meadow at Northern Virginia’s The Plains. The event will showcase more than 50 of Virginia’s wineries via free and ticketed tasting events. There will also be live music and food throughout the weekend. (Visit Loudoun via AP)

Visit Loudoun via AP

Sept. 12: Snallygaster The monster is back — that’s Snally, of course. The mammoth craft beer festival, Snallygaster, takes place Sept. 12 at The Yards in Southeast D.C. from 1 to 6 p.m. Expect more than 300 brews, live music and food vendors. (Courtesy Snallygaster Facebook)

Courtesy Snallygaster Facebook

Sept. 12: DC State Fair Pie, pickles, honey, homebrew and ice cream — you can find all of these foods and more at the annual DC State Fair, Saturday, Sept. 12. (Courtesy DC State Fair, Flickr)

Courtesy DC State Fair, Flickr

Sept. 13: Vintage Crystal Sip and Salsa It’s one of the best deals of the season — A $20 ticket to the Vintage Crystal Annual Sip and Salsa event in Crystal City gets you unlimited wine and food tastings. Listen to live Latin jazz while you sip on wines from Spain, Portugal and Argentina. If you’re feeling brave, put your rhythm to the test with a free salsa lesson. (Courtesy Facebook, Photo Credit Stephen Elliot)

Courtesy Facebook, Photo Credit Stephen Elliot

A tailgater joins Kingsford Charcoal at the University of Wisconsin vs. Alabama game, leaving their conference rivalries at the door in the name of BBQ Diplomacy during the Kingsford #BBQDiplomacy Tailgate at Tailgate Tavern on Saturday, September 5, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Wade/Invision for Kingsford/AP Images)

Sept. 19: Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival at Tysons Sandwiched between Tysons Corner Mall and The Galleria, you’ll find plenty of sandwiches — barbecue sandwiches, that is. The Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival boasts 60 beers, 40 bourbons and lots and lots of barbecue. The event runs from 2 to 6 p.m. (Photo by Brandon Wade/Invision for Kingsford/AP Images)

Photo by Brandon Wade/Invision for Kingsford/AP Images

Sept. 19: Arlington Backyard Beer Fest Head to Rosslyn’s Gateway Park on Saturday, Sept. 19 for the Arlington Backyard Beer Fest. Enjoy unlimited tastings of more than 60 craft beers, live entertainment, food truck offerings and more. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

AP Photo/Mike Groll

Sept. 19: Taste of Falls Church It’s a one-stop-shop for the best food and drink Falls Church has to offer. Taste of Falls Church is Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Center. In addition to food, there will be live entertainment, pony rides, arts and crafts and more. (Courtesy Taco Bamba Facebook)

Courtesy Taco Bamba Facebook

In this Oct. 14, 2014 photo, apples grow on a tree at Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, N.Y. Apple growers are tapping into the hard cider revenue stream after sales of hard cider in the U.S. have tripled over the last three years to $1.3 billion in 2013. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Sept. 19: Annual Apple Butter Celebration It’s apple season! And what better way to celebrate than with apple butter … and apple cider and apple cobbler and more! At the 16th Annual Apple Butter Celebration at the Skyland Resort, apple experts will fire up the copper kettles and spend the day making apple butter. Folks can participate, taste and take some home. There will also be barbecue, live entertainment and children’s crafts. (AP/Mike Groll)

AP/Mike Groll

In this Oct. 14, 2014 photo, Perry Loyola sorts apples before they are pressed for juice and used for cider at Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, N.Y. Apple growers are tapping into the hard cider revenue stream after sales of hard cider in the U.S. have tripled over the last three years to $1.3 billion in 2013. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Sept. 19: Virginia Cider Festival While we’re on the subject of apples, Sept. 19 also happens to be the Virginia Cider (let’s be clear here: it’s hard cider) Festival at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Samples will be poured from local Virginia favorites, as well as other cider makers across the country. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

AP Photo/Mike Groll

Sept. 19: Bleu & Brew Beer and Cheese Festival Head over to Warrenton, Virginia’s Old Bust Head Brewery for a day showcasing two favorites: beer and cheese. (Really, is there anything better?) For Bleu & Brew, the brewery will recruit 15 others in the area to pair local brews with cheeses. There will also be live music throughout the day. (Thinkstock)

Thinkstock

Sept. 19: Second Annual Armed Forces Appreciation Day The Second Annual Armed Forces Appreciation Day will take place Saturday, Sept. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Bethesda. The family-friendly street festival, from the folks at Flanagan’s Harp and Fiddle, includes food, live music, Irish dancers and more. Proceeds benefit the USO-Metro Washington-Baltimore and Warrior Canine Connection. (Courtesy Second Annual Armed Forces Appreciation Day Facebook)

Courtesy Second Annual Armed Forces Appreciation Day Facebook

** ADVANCE FOR MONDAY JULY 31 ** Grapes are seen growing at the Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson, Md., Wednesday, July 26, 2006. Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, owned by four family members, uncorked its first bottles in May, pouring more product into a state market made friendlier to small vintners by the General Assembly. A new law permits boutique bottlers like Sugarloaf Mountain to act as their own distributors, a change the state wine industry considers a small but significant chip in Maryland's barriers to free-flowing sales of alcoholic drinks. (AP Photo/Chris Gardner)

Sept. 19 and 20: The Maryland Wine Festival Explore Maryland’s best wineries without all the back-and-forth to the vineyards at The Maryland Wine Festival, Sept. 19 and 20. Thousands are expected at the two-day event that features music, food, artisans and of course, wine. (AP Photo/Chris Gardner)

AP Photo/Chris Gardner

A young man poses with beer mugs at the second weekend in the 'Hofbraeuhaus beer tent' at the famous beer festival Oktoberfest in Munich, southern Germany, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. The world's largest beer festival will be held from Sept. 22 to Oct. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Sept. 19 and 20: District Oktoberfest It’s the local kickoff to the fall event of the season: Oktoberfest. Skip the trip to Munich, and instead, get the festivities started in D.C., pub crawl style, with District Oktoberfest. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

AP Photo/Matthias Schrader

Sept. 25 and 26: Das Best Oktoberfest at National Harbor If you didn’t get your fill of fall beer at District Oktoberfest, head over the National Harbor Sept. 25 and 26 for Das Best Oktoberfest. The event will feature German foods (bratwurst, potato pancakes, pretzels and more), beer and schnapps, rides for the kiddos and live entertainment. (WTOP/Andrew Mollenbeck)

WTOP/Andrew Mollenbeck

Sept. 27: The Turkish Festival On Sunday, Sept. 27, expect an afternoon filled with traditional Turkish cuisine, Turkish coffee and Turkish music and folk dance performances at the annual Turkish Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest D.C. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Oct. 2 through 4: Mount Vernon’s Fall Wine Festival and Sunset Tour View vino through the lens of our Founding Fathers, taste local varieties, enjoy live music and take an evening tour of the basement where George Washington stored his wine at Mount Vernon’s Fall Wine Festival. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

**FOR USE WITH AP LIFESTYLES** Sun-dried Tomato Falafel in Pita is seen in this Sunday, May 18, 2008 photo. Beverly Lynn Bennett's recent book, "Vegan Bites", helps vegans with small-batch recipes like this Sun-dried Tomato Falafel in Pita. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

Oct. 3: DC VegFest It’s a food festival for vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters, alike. DC VegFest will take place Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the intersection of N Street and First Street in Southeast D.C. There will be cooking demonstrations, free food samples, a beer garden and more at the free event. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

AP Photo/Larry Crowe

People celebrate the opening of the 181th Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, southern Germany, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The world's largest beer festival will be held from Sept. 20 to Oct. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Oct. 3 and 4: Frederick’s Oktoberfest Every year, Frederick’s Oktoberfest celebration attracts beer and food lovers from all over for an authentic German celebration. There will be bratwurst, beer, German wine, music, dancing, children’s activities and more. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

AP Photo/Matthias Schrader

Oct. 3: Taste of Georgetown Now in its 22nd year, the Taste of Georgetown will take place Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sample bites from more than 30 of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, plus stop by the beer and wine garden. (Courtesy Taste of Georgetown, Sam Kittner)

Courtesy Taste of Georgetown, Sam Kittner

Oct. 3: Taste of Bethesda If you can’t make it down to Georgetown, you can still satisfy your appetite for great restaurant cuisine at the 26th Annual Taste of Bethesda. Expect 60 restaurants, five entertainment stages and a kid’s corner for arts and crafts. (WTOP File Photo)

WTOP File Photo

Oct. 9, 10 and 11: The Romanian Food Festival It’s a weekend dedicated to Romanian food, music, art and culture. The Romanian Food Festival will take place at the Saint Andrew Romanian Church in Potomac, Maryland, Oct. 9-11. (Thinkstock)

Thinkstock

Oct. 10 and 11: Taste of D.C. This culinary and cultural event takes over four blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue and features food from more than 60 D.C. restaurants, as well as wines and beers. Taste of D.C. runs from noon to 7 p.m. on both Oct. 10 and 11. (Courtesy Taste of D.C. Facebook)

Courtesy Taste of D.C. Facebook

Oct. 17 and 18: Northern Virginia Fall BrewFest More than 50 local breweries will be pouring their fall, winter and/or holiday seasonal brews at the 9th Annual Fall BrewFest at Bull Run Regional Park. Food, entertainment, arts and crafts and commercial vendors will also be on-site. (Courtesy Northern Virginia BrewFest Facebook)

Courtesy Northern Virginia BrewFest Facebook

Oct. 24: The Baltimore Craft Beer Festival The Baltimore Craft Beer Festival will be held at the Canton Waterfront Park in downtown Baltimore Oct. 24. Expect lots of local brews, live bands, food trucks, games and more. (Courtesy Brewers Association of Maryland Facebook)

Courtesy Brewers Association of Maryland Facebook

Nov. 7: DC Beer Festival If you can’t make it up to Baltimore in October, head to Nationals Park on Saturday, Nov. 7 for the DC Beer Festival. There will be seasonal beers, food trucks, lawn games and more. (Courtesy DC Beer Festival Facebook)

Courtesy DC Beer Festival Facebook

Nov. 14 and 15: Emporiyum Union Market’s Dock 5 will transform into a food market featuring curated treats from vendors such as Momofuku Milk Bar, Maketto, Dolcezza, Timber Pizza Co., District Doughnut, One Eight Distilling and more. Emporiyum is a great opportunity to fill up on artisan goods and pick up a few holiday gifts as well. (WTOP/File Photo)

WTOP/File Photo