Fair Oaks Mall will hold a grand-opening celebration for its new nature-themed play space near JCPenney on Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The daytime event is separate from the mall’s evening Mall-O-Ween trick-or-treating.
FFXnow reported that the play space opened earlier in October. Its account describes acorn-shaped climbers, a small slide designed to resemble a tree trunk, a log-style balance beam, leaf-patterned flooring and seating for supervising adults. Saturday’s celebration will include a costume contest, prizes and a DJ playing family-friendly music. Both the opening event and the mall’s Halloween programming are free and open to the public. Mall owner Olshan Properties said the addition is part of its efforts to provide family amenities; general manager Christie Morgan described it as another place for families to connect and create memories, FFXnow reported.
A New Spot to Play, Built Around Nature
Because the play space opened earlier in October, Saturday’s gathering is an official celebration rather than its first day of operation, according to FFXnow.
FFXnow also reported recent additions to the mall’s lineup: a Toys R Us store, part of the retailer’s nationwide expansion, replaced Go! Toys and Games, while Slime Co opened a build-your-own slime bar next to Urban Planet, a clothing retailer associated with Charlotte Russe, this fall.
Mall-O-Ween Hours in Question
Mall-O-Ween Hours Mall-O-Ween brings trick-or-treating at participating stores. For the 2026 event, FFXnow lists hours from 5 to 8 p.m. InsideNoVa reported that the 29th annual Mall-O-Ween in 2016 ran from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 11750 Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax.
InsideNoVa’s 2016 account described the free, family-friendly event as including spooky experiments sponsored by the Children's Science Center Lab, along with face painting and candy stations set up throughout the mall. The mall's Halloween tradition goes back decades — The Connection Newspapers noted a 21st annual Mall-O-Ween event back in 2008, underscoring just how long trick-or-treating has been a fixture at the Fairfax shopping center.
What's Next for Fair Oaks Mall
Families looking for more to do won't have to wait long after Halloween wraps up. Cirque Italia's Water Circus Atlantis is set to return to Fair Oaks Mall on Nov. 6, with performances continuing through that following weekend, according to FFXnow.
The Mall’s Longer-Term Plans
The new play space is a separate announcement from Fairfax County’s broader redevelopment vision. A county staff report says the adopted plan envisions a more urban mix of residential, retail, hotel and office uses at Fair Oaks Mall, with redevelopment intensity tied to roadway and transit improvements. The report describes that broader vision, not a specific connection between it and the play space, according to the Fairfax County staff report.
