Walk into any store right now and you’ll see it — swimsuits on clearance, Halloween creeping into the aisles, and pumpkin spice sneaking back onto menus. Around here, that can only mean one thing: summer in Northern Virginia is winding down, and September is ready to take over.
But don’t rush the season too fast. September might be NOVA’s best-kept secret — warm days, cool evenings, and a mix of summer fun and fall flavors you won’t want to miss.
What’s On in September (Mark Your Calendar)
- Cox Farms Fall Festival: Opens September 20 in Centreville, the region’s ultimate pumpkin + hayride kickoff. Learn more
- Lovettsville Oktoberfest: September 26-27. German food, live music, and all the lederhosen you can handle. Details
- Virginia Wine Month Preview: Wineries across Loudoun gear up for October’s wine month. September is harvest season, which means fresh pours and vineyard views. Explore
- Air Show at Leesburg Executive Airport: September 27. Family fun with vintage aircraft and live demonstrations. Plan your visit
End-of-Summer Vibes You Can Still Catch
- One More Pool Day: Many community and club pools stay open into September. Sneak in one last cannonball before they close.
- Patio Season, Part II: Cool evenings = perfect for porch dinners and fire pits. A winery patio at sunset is never a bad idea.
- Market-to-Table: Tomatoes, peaches, late-summer corn — and the first apples. Stock up for easy weeknight meals.
September = Back to Routines
Back-to-school energy resets everything. Traffic ramps up, calendars fill with sports and school events, and those lazy August days shift into structured weeks. That reset has a ripple effect: people start finishing projects, mapping out the holidays, and — yes — thinking about moves they want to make before year’s end.
Loudoun & NOVA Market Check-In
- Median Price (Loudoun, July 2025): ~$760,000 (about flat to +1% year over year)
- Inventory: Up more than 20% vs. last year (~840 active listings)
- Days on Market: Averaging ~21 days — slower than last summer, but still steady
Translation: buyers have more breathing room than in spring, and sellers who price smart and stage well still come out ahead.
What September Means If You’re Buying, Selling, or Relocating
September in Northern Virginia is kind of a sweet spot. For buyers, more homes are on the market than we saw in spring, and with an average of about three weeks on the market, you actually have breathing room to tour, think, and make the right call. Sellers should pay attention too — the buyers out right now aren’t just “browsing.” They’re the serious ones who want to be in before the holidays. That’s why cozy staging, sharp pricing, and smart timing (think September and October, not mid-November) really matter. And if you’re relocating, honestly, you couldn’t pick a better month to explore NOVA. Between concerts, farmers’ markets, winery patios, and the first hints of fall color, you’ll get the clearest picture of what everyday life looks like here.
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Bottom Line
September in Northern Virginia is a balancing act: summer sunsets, early-fall festivals, and a housing market that’s calmer than spring but still full of opportunity. Whether you’re a longtime local or just starting to explore the area, this is the season to soak it all in.
Thinking about a fall move? Let’s map out a plan that gets you settled before the holidays.
