Vienna's Halloween Parade steps off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28, and runs down Maple Avenue from Branch Road to Center Street, as it has in some form since 1946. Since last year's parade, much of the town around that route has changed. Nearly every business that opened in Vienna between June and August sells coffee, pastry or breakfast. Two sweets shops on Maple Avenue East have closed. The two projects most likely to change Vienna's evenings, a chef-driven restaurant on Maple Avenue West and a bookstore relocating across Church Street, are still under way. This year, the clearest signs of change show up in the morning.
The ledger since last October
Last year's parade ran on October 29, 2025, according to Patch. Here is what has changed in the twelve months since, based on local reporting and the businesses' own pages.
| Business | Address | What changed | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakeshop | 421 Maple Ave. E | Opened its third location, with coffee, baked goods and breakfast | Grand opening June 20, 2026 |
| Shipley Donuts | 256 Maple Ave. E | Opened next to Smoothie King | June 22, 2026 |
| Kin Espresso Bar | 145 Church St. NW | Soft-opened as an espresso and matcha bar | July 6, 2026 |
| Weird Brothers Coffee | 106 Lawyers Rd., Windover Square | Opened with coffee, tea, breakfast and lunch | August 10, 2026 |
| ViVi Bubble Tea | 233 Maple Ave. E | Closed | August 30, 2026 |
| Crumbl Cookies | 203 Maple Ave. E | Closed | Reported September 16, 2026 |
Bakeshop's arrival took longer than planned. In March, FFXnow reported that the Arlington-founded bakery was aiming for a spring opening. That schedule slipped, and The Local Girl later announced the June 20 grand opening at 421 Maple Avenue East. Two days later, Shipley began selling its hexagonal donuts a short way west at 256 Maple Avenue East. FFXnow covered that opening.
The two closures are on the same avenue. FFXnow reported in mid-September that ViVi Bubble Tea at 233 Maple Avenue East served its last drinks on August 30. Crumbl Cookies at 203 Maple Avenue East had closed by the time the story ran, and no exact last day was reported. On Maple Avenue East, the year swapped a cookie counter and a tea shop for a bakery and a donut shop.
The two arrivals still on the way
Electric Bull, chef Victor Albisu's restaurant at 176 Maple Avenue West, was expected to open in spring 2026, Northern Virginia Magazine reported in March. As of mid-October, the restaurant's own website still says "Coming Soon to Vienna, VA." It will not be serving dinner on parade night.
Bards Alley has a similar story. Owner Jennifer Morrow bought the building at 103 Church Street NE, taking possession on February 5. She plans to move the bookstore there from 110 Church Street NW, according to FFXnow's February report. That report put the move in fall or winter 2026. The Bards Alley website now estimates early 2027 and still lists 110 Church Street NW as the current store.
On Church Street, the change that has already arrived is Kin Espresso Bar at 145 Church Street NW. Patch announced its July 6 soft opening, and by August The Fairfax Girl was profiling it as a new café that was already open. Put the list together, and Vienna's year of new businesses is mostly a year of coffee and baked goods. The dinner restaurant and the bookstore move are still to come.
Parade day, hour by hour
On October 28, Maple Avenue starts closing well before the first float arrives. The Town's parade page and route map list this schedule:
- 1 p.m. Mill Street closes between Church Street NE and Maple Avenue East.
- 2 p.m. The curb lanes on Maple Avenue close in both directions between Center Street and Branch Road SE. The two center lanes stay open until 6:30 p.m., and business driveways along Maple stay open until 6:30 p.m. unless a side-street entrance is available.
- 4:45 p.m. Full closures start on nearby streets, including Locust Street from Glyndon Street SE to Branch Road SE, Berry Street SE and Branch Road SE between Maple Avenue and Echols Street SE, and parts of Hine, Welles and Pine streets SE.
- 6 p.m. Children in costume who want to march with a parent meet at United Bank, 374 Maple Ave. E. No registration is needed.
- About 6:30 p.m. Maple Avenue closes completely. The map shows it staying closed until about 11 p.m.
- 7 p.m. The parade steps off.
- 7:15 p.m. Free goodie bags, donated by local businesses and sponsors, are handed out at the Caffi Field pitching lanes on Cherry Street SE, between the Vienna Community Center and the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.
The Town's page labels the metal pedestrian fencing along both sides of Maple Avenue as new. Patch reported the same fencing at last year's parade, so this is its second year. According to the Town, the fencing creates a larger seating area and puts spectators closer to the floats. It also protects the planter boxes on Maple Avenue. Chairs and spectators are not allowed in the street before, during or after the parade. Accessible parking is on Church Street between Dominion Road and Park Street, in front of the Freeman Store and Museum and Vienna Presbyterian Church. The Town's materials do not name general public parking lots. Keep that in mind when you plan an arrival time.
This year's theme is "Haunted History: 250 Years of America." Suggested entry ideas include historical figures, haunted landmarks and American folklore. The grand marshal is Mark Keam, a former Virginia state lawmaker who now leads the Korean American Institute. The Town chose him for his years of public service in and around Vienna. The parade happens rain or shine. Entry applications are closed, and the Town said it would notify all applicants of their status by October 12.
The morning after
The route map shows Maple Avenue fully closed on parade night, and most of the year's new businesses sell the kind of food people buy before noon. That makes Thursday, October 29, the easiest day to try them, once the fencing is gone and the avenue has reopened.
Here is a short loop. Start at Bakeshop at 421 Maple Avenue East and continue to Shipley at 256 Maple Avenue East, which covers both new Maple Avenue openings. Kin Espresso Bar is on Church Street at 145 Church Street NW. Weird Brothers Coffee is off Maple in Windover Square at 106 Lawyers Road, serving breakfast and lunch along with coffee and tea. One newer spot is also on Maple. Bagel Street opened in early April at 523 Maple Avenue and now goes by Bagel Station 523, according to its website.
That makes five new places for coffee, pastry or a bagel, and none of them were open when the 2025 parade came down Maple Avenue.
The rest of the fall calendar
The parade is the biggest event on the Town's October calendar, but there are others around it. These are the Town's event listings:
- October 16: The Vienna Theatre Company opens "An Old-Fashioned Family Murder" at the Vienna Community Center, with seven more performances listed.
- October 17: Halloween on the Green on the Vienna Town Green, with crafts, games, a reptile show and pumpkin decorating.
- November 7: The Bowman House Pottery Show & Sale at the Bowman House Arts & Craft Center.
- November 30: The Church Street Holiday Stroll, with school choruses, Santa, children's activities and specials at Church Street businesses.
This will be Kin Espresso Bar's first Holiday Stroll on Church Street. Bards Alley's website still lists the shop at 110 Church Street NW for now, with the move across the street to 103 Church Street NE estimated for early 2027.
The Alliance Group follows changes like these block by block, from a new bakery on Maple Avenue to a bookstore's building purchase on Church Street, because they affect what it's like to live on a given street in Vienna. If you would like to talk through how your part of town has changed this year, we welcome you to Book a Private Consultation.
