NoVAGO’s 2026 Fall Picnic & Auction
October 18, 2026
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Join us for the annual Fall Picnic, hosted by the Northern Virginia Geocaching Organization! It's the perfect chance to catch up with old pals, make some new friends, enjoy delicious food, go geocaching, and check out the area! For more information, check out the event post on our website.
Show your support for NoVAGO at the fall picnic. Our auction is our biggest annual fundraiser (see details below).
You won't want to miss this event!
Lunch:
NoVAGO will provide the hamburgers and hot dogs, while the rest of the food is potluck, provided by event attendees! Keep in mind that even if there are 100 people showing up, you do not need to bring enough to feed 100 people! If 100 people bring enough to feed 100 people, that's way too much food, even for us! Please post your Will Attend log with what you plan to bring. If you don't know now, please post it as the event gets closer so we can keep track of who is bringing what and try to fill in holes. A list will be posted periodically for you to see what others are bringing. No dish, dessert or drink will get turned away! All food is welcome!
Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the park. Please, just don’t bring any.
There are a generous number of tables under the shelter, but if you prefer to bring your own chair or blanket to enjoy lawn seating, please feel free.
Activities:
When you arrive, visit the NoVAGO table: Sign the guest book, pick up an Ice Breaker sheet and ask any questions you may have regarding the event or NoVAGO.
Trackable table: We plan to set up a table where trackables may be placed. Please pay attention to the Discover Only area and Log them as ‘Discovered’. If you drop a trackable to be picked up, please stop by at the end of the event and retrieve any that were not picked up.
Also, King Kong prefers selfies with his trackable logs. Don’t make him sad.
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Drop off auction donations with a volunteer. To help speed up setup, contact the Auction Lead (to be announced) ahead of time so they can prepare the bid sheet. If you’re bringing a large number of items, it’s helpful to assist them in writing up the descriptions. The Auction Lead will set the starting bid price, though they welcome your suggestions.
12:00 PM - 1:20 PM Silent auction bidding. Write your name and bid price on the Bid Sheet.
1:20 PM Group Photo* Look for the NoVAGO banner and gather round. Bidding will stop at 1:20 pm!
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM Pick up and pay. The winning items must be paid for in-person. Pick up the bid sheet and winning items and pay at the NoVAGO table.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Clean up. Please retrieve your belongings --- including any leftover food --- from in and around the shelter. We will be cleaning up the area at this time and cannot ensure these items will be left undisturbed afterwards.
Auction
We are excited to announce that our annual silent auction will take place during the event. We warmly invite you to consider contributing a donation, as anything, big or small, is greatly appreciated and welcomed. The funds raised will support the Northern Virginia Geocaching Organization (NoVAGO) in organizing events like this one and many more. Your generous support allows us to keep our membership free. For more information, please visit our website post regarding the auction.. Thank you!
Notes:
If you would like to volunteer for NoVAGO before, during, and after the picnic, please sign up for a slot. CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER. We love our volunteers, so thanks in advance!
Yes! There are restrooms near the picnic shelter.
We gladly welcome pets at our event, but must be kept on a leash at all times. And please clean up after your furry friend as needed.
This event is rain or shine. Only hazardous weather will keep us from hosting, in which case we will make every effort to give notification as early as possible.
You are welcome to bring your own camp chairs to set up around the outside of the pavilion to hopefully enjoy nice weather.
Did we say VOLUNTEERS? It's worth asking twice, would you please consider lending a hand? If you think of something helpful that you don't see on the list message hrothroc through the geocaching app.
*Photography and Media Notice: By attending this event, you acknowledge that photographs, video recordings, and other media may be captured and used by NoVAGO for organizational, promotional, educational, historical, or archival purposes, including publication on websites, social media platforms, newsletters, and other communications.
