Lucky you. You just found NOVAtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events to plan for that are taking place throughout Northern Virginia each month.
Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading to this month. Psst: Don’t forget to bookmark this page and come back; we update our guide monthly.
(Don’t see anything you like? Check out our full events calendar.)
Floral enthusiasts
Bluebells at the Bend | Saturday, April 11 | 10 a.m. | Riverbend Park, Great Falls | $10+ | Looking to see the bluebells around NOVA? Stop by this event and go for a wildflower walk at Riverbend Park. There will also be nature exhibits, live music, and other family-friendly activities.
Netherlands Carillon Tulip Festival | Saturday, April 11-Sunday, April 12 | Times vary | Netherlands Carillon, Arlington | Free | You won’t want to miss this two-day festival. On the first day, you can expect a concert and a night sky viewing. Then, on the second day, you can take part in various activities.
Leesburg Flower + Garden Festival | Saturday, April 18-Sunday, April 19 | Times vary | Downtown Leesburg | Free | Taking place rain or shine, this festival highlights the beauty of flowers, plants, and landscaping.
Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale | Saturday, April 25 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | The Church of St. Clement, Alexandria | Price of purchase | Get a diverse selection of native plants at this end-of-April sale, with another opportunity to shop at a second sale in September.
Local festivals
Art Blooms | Saturday, April 11-Sunday, April 12 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Mosaic District, Fairfax | Free | This family-friendly event is in collaboration with the Cherry Blossom Festival, offering crafts, games, live music, beer gardens, and more.
Del Ray Dog Fest | Sunday, April 12 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | George Washington Middle School, Alexandria | $13+ | This one is for the dog lovers. Bring your pups to this festival and enjoy food trucks, live music, a dog fashion show, and other activities for you and your furry friend.
Earth Day Every Day | Sunday, April 26 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Lee Heights Shops, Arlington | Free | Check out the fourth year of this event, full of live music, kid-friendly activities, the Arlington Art Truck, and more.
Keeping Arlington au naturel.
Photo by @arlparksrec
Volunteer opportunities
Shelter Meal Provider | Sunday, April 5 + Saturday, April 18 | 11 a.m. | SERVE Campus, Manassas | Free, RSVP | Help serve meals, including on Easter, to those in need.
Invasive Plant Removal | Sunday, April 19 | 9-11 a.m. | Leesylvania State Park Visitor Center, Woodbridge | Free, RSVP | Keep Leesylvania State Park by protecting it from invasive species.
Long Branch Invasive Plant Removal | Tuesday, April 21 | 2-4 p.m. | Long Branch Nature Center, Arlington | Free, RSVP | Help better your community and remove invasive species from this local park.
Concerts
Romeo Santos & Prince Royce: “Mejor Tarde Que Nunca Tour 2026" | Sunday, April 5 | 8 p.m. | Capital One Arena, Washington, DC | $130+ | Latin music superstars Romeo Santos and Prince Royce are bringing their “Mejor Tarde Que Nunca Tour 2026" to the area, delivering a night of bachata hits and high-energy performances.
Sweet Jazz Festival | Friday, April 10-Saturday, April 11 | 7-10:30 p.m. | Washington Dulles Airport Marriott, Dulles | $73+ | Enjoy jazz performances from a variety of artists during this two-day event.
Demi Lovato: “It’s Not That Deep Tour” | Thursday, April 16 | 8 p.m. | Capital One Arena, Washington, DC | $86+ | This Grammy-nominated artist is stopping in the nation’s capital on tour for her newest album.
Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel | Friday, April 17-Saturday, April 18 | 8 p.m. | The Barns at Wolf Trap, Vienna | $43+ | Duane Betts returns to The Barns, mixing his Southern rock with tributes to The Allman Brothers Band.
Florence + The Machine: “Everybody Scream Tour” | Saturday, April 18 | 7:30 p.m. | Capital One Arena, Washington, DC | $165+ | Don’t miss Florence + The Machine live — an electrifying night with the iconic English rock artist.
Quintet Revelations: Arensky, Viotti, Saint-Saëns | Friday, April 24 | 7:30 p.m. | The Barns at Wolf Trap, Vienna | $72 | Tickets are limited for this performance, combining violins, a viola, a cello, and a piano.
Nothing like a beer and a hot dog at a baseball game. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Sports
Opening Day for the Washington Nationals | Friday, April 3 | 1:05 p.m. | Nationals Park, Washington, DC | $87+ | Don’t miss the home opener for the Washington Nationals as they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Here’s the season schedule.
Loudoun United FC vs. Birmingham Legion FC | Saturday, April 4 | 5 p.m. | Segra Field, Leesburg | $17+ | Watch Loudoun United FC take on Birmingham Legion FC.
Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls | Thursday, April 9 | 7 p.m. | Capital One Arena, Washington, DC | $16+ | The NBA season is still taking place, so don’t miss the Wizards take on the Bulls.
PNC Alexandria Half Marathon | Sunday, April 16 | 7 a.m. | Alexandria City Hall, Alexandria | $20+ | Looking to get a race in? Sign up for the Alexandria Half Marathon before the price goes up on Sunday, April 19. There’s also a Kids Dash and 5K.
Have an event of your own you want to share with us? Follow these easy steps to add your events to our calendar:
- Go to our Events page.
- Click “Add Event” in the top right-hand corner.
- Make sure to include a link and fill out important information like the date, time, location, and price of your event.
- Click “Submit,” and you’ve just added an event to our website calendar.