Summer's winding down, but Prince William County isn't slowing down yet. If anything, the county saves some of its best stuff for the final stretch — as if the whole place decided to spend down the season's last bit of energy before the school buses start rolling again. Here's what's worth getting on the calendar before that happens.

Sending the Kids Off Right

Back-to-school season officially kicks off Aug. 24, and if you've walked into any store in the county lately, you've already seen the notebooks and the crayon multipacks creeping toward the front of the aisles. But a couple of local groups are getting ahead of the rush in their own way. Infinity In-Home Support Services, a Woodbridge nonprofit that works with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is hosting a free backpack and school-supply giveaway — the kind of quiet, practical generosity that doesn't always make headlines but makes a real difference for families stretching a budget in August. A few days later, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is putting a gentler spin on the same idea: bring your backpack, get it blessed, and head into the new year with a little extra send-off. Between the two, there's no excuse to start September without your supplies — or your good luck — squared away.

•      PWCS First Day of School — Aug. 24. Students head back to class for the 2026-27 school year.

•      Infinity School Supply Give-Away — Aug. 17, 14142 Minnieville Rd Suite 212, Woodbridge. Free backpacks and school supplies while they last, hosted by Infinity In-Home Support Services. ⚠ the flyer lists 12–4pm but the event listing shows a 3pm start — worth confirming, 703-725-5486.

•      Blessing of the Backpacks — Aug. 23, 10–11am, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 15695 Blackburn Rd, Woodbridge. Free, bring your backpack for a send-off blessing before the new school year.

One Last Splash

If the pool bag hasn't made it back to the closet yet, now's the time to use it. Splashdown, tucked into Ben Lomond Regional Park in Manassas, has already started its slow wind-down for the year — first trimming down to a five-day week, then to weekends only, before it closes for good the day after Labor Day. It's easy to let a summer slip by without ever making it out to the lazy river or off the four-story slides, so consider this the nudge: there are only a handful of open days left before the whole thing gets mothballed until next Memorial Day.

•      Splashdown Waterpark — Ben Lomond Regional Park, Manassas. Last splashes of the season — open Wed–Sun through Aug. 21, then weekends only through Labor Day before closing for the year Sept. 8.

The Big Weekend (Aug. 21–23)

If you only have room on the calendar for one big outing this month, it's probably going to land somewhere in this three-day stretch — the county's version of a traffic jam, except it's a traffic jam of good options. A few miles up the road, Washington will host something that's genuinely never happened before: an IndyCar street race threading through the National Mall, with the Washington Monument and the Capitol as a backdrop most racetracks can only dream of. It's a big enough deal that VRE is running Sunday train service for the first time in years just to help people get in and out of the city without touching I-395. Back home, the same weekend is stacked with smaller, quieter draws — a Civil War anniversary at Bristoe Station, a bug hunt at one of the county's oldest homesteads, a model railroad show at the library, even a Cold War dinner theater out at a local winery. None of it competes for attention with the race, exactly, but all of it is happening at the same time, which means Saturday in particular is going to require some actual planning.

•      Freedom 250 Grand Prix — Aug. 22–23, Washington, D.C. The first-ever IndyCar street race on the National Mall, expected to draw 140,000 visitors daily. VRE is even running rare Sunday service to get riders in and out.

•      Prince William Model Railroad Traveling Train Show — Aug. 21–22, Potomac Library. The traveling crew sets up a modular HO-scale layout for visitors of all ages.

•      164th Anniversary of the Battle of Kettle Run — Aug. 22, 11am–3pm, Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park. A history-buff's Saturday, marking a Civil War engagement fought on this ground in 1862.

•      Rippon Lodge Bug and Bird Day — Aug. 22, all day, Woodbridge. A family-friendly nature day at one of the county's oldest historic sites.

•      Spies and Cyanide Murder Mystery — Aug. 21, 6:30–9pm, Effingham Manor & Winery. Dinner theater with a Cold War twist.

•      HBCU Spades Tournament & Back-to-School Supply Giveaway — Aug. 22, 5–9pm, Dumfries. Community card tournament paired with school supply donations.

Community, History and a Little Culture

Not every good afternoon in Prince William County needs an IndyCar race to justify it, and honestly, some of the best stuff this month is the kind of low-key programming that happens practically every week without much fanfare. Brentsville's historic courthouse grounds turn into a hands-on farm lesson for younger kids one Monday morning. The county's outdoor concert series keeps rolling toward its final Fridays of the summer, free and family-friendly, the kind of thing where you bring a blanket and don't think too hard about it. And over at ARTfactory in Manassas, a exhibit featuring two local artists is settling in for a run that stretches well past the end of the month, which means there's no real rush — just an excuse to make time for it eventually.

•      Museum Family Monday: Farm Day — Aug. 17, 10–11am, Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre.

•      Fridays at 5 Free Concert Series — Select Friday evenings, Sean T. Connaughton Community Plaza. Live music courtesy of PWC Parks & Rec, running through the end of summer.

•      “Beyond the Frame” Art Exhibit — Through Sept. 19, ARTfactory, Manassas. Featuring local artists Dion Pollard and Levi Robinson.

Markets, Trivia and a Rainy-Day Backup

And then there are the weeks — or just the evenings — with nothing big on the calendar at all, which is where the county's steady standbys earn their keep. The farmers markets are hitting their late-summer stride right now, heavy on tomatoes, peaches, and whatever else the local growers managed to get through the heat, with Dale City's Sunday market a reliable anchor if you're not sure where to start. The breweries around Manassas and Woodbridge keep their trivia nights and book clubs running on a predictable weekly clock, which is either comforting or a little unambitious, depending on your mood. And if the August heat — or a stray afternoon thunderstorm — chases everyone indoors, Chinn Park Library has a dinosaur-themed escape room standing by, no reservations required beyond showing up.

•      Farmers markets around the county — Weekly markets continue in Dale City, Historic Manassas, Woodbridge, Occoquan, and beyond — see our full farmers market guide for the complete schedule.

•      Dale City Farmers Market — Sundays, 8am–1pm, through the season — fresh produce, eggs, and baked goods, right off Gemini Way.

•      “Meltdown at Dino Island” Escape Room — Aug. 24, 25 & 31, Chinn Park Library, Montclair. A Jurassic Park-inspired escape room for families.

•      Trivia Nights & Books on Tap — Weekly at local breweries — Ornery Brewery, 2 Silos Brewing, and Sinistral Brewing Co. all host regular trivia and book club nights.

However, you spend the rest of August, enjoy it — September and the school routine will be here soon enough.

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Read More

Your Complete Guide to Farmers Markets in Prince William County (2026) — for the full weekly market schedule.