Make the Most of the Upcoming Season With These Fall Date Ideas
The temperatures are dropping, the leaves are falling, and there’s a crispness and coziness in the air…or there will be soon *hopefully* depending on where you live. Either way, it’s time to celebrate the turning of a new leaf (pun intended) with one of these 25 autumn date ideas. Grab your spouse, and get excited for the new season by participating in one, or many, of the following fall themed activities together.
1. Carve or Paint Pumpkins
Break out a pumpkin carving kit or the paint tucked away in the back of your craft closet, and spend the afternoon channeling your inner creativity. Who will carve the best pumpkin or paint the best design? You could even designate a prize on the line for the winner!
2. Pick Apples
Summer isn’t the only time you can pick fruit. Go apple picking this fall, and then, use the fruit to bake an apple dessert or even freshly garnish apple cider. Before you leave the farm, don’t forget to enjoy delicious apple cider donuts.
3. Make Homemade Candy Apples
You don’t have to go to a fall event to get a candy apple. See above for idea number two—you could use those apples. Either way, make candy apples at home with your own favorite toppings. Whose candy apple concoction will taste the best?
4. Drive To See Fall Foliage
Pick an afternoon to drive where there’s certain to be beautiful fall foliage. Drive slowly, winding through the roads and observing the bright yellows and oranges. Take it up a notch by pulling off and hiking one of the trails with your favorite person.
5. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Carve out an afternoon to visit a well-known pumpkin patch, or head to a local church parking lot fundraiser with pumpkins to choose from. Browse the aisles of pumpkins, and pick a few to take home.
6. Go Through a Corn Maze
Make sure to check this item off your autumn date bucket list. You could leisurely wonder through the maze, or take it up a notch, and create a competition to see who will get out first!
7. Go Horseback Riding
It’s hard to imagine a more serene afternoon than going horseback riding with one another while the temps are cooler and the landscapes are gorgeous.
8. Decorate for Fall
If you haven’t pulled out your fall decorations, make it a date! Have your spouse join you, and turn it into an event by enjoying fall flavored drinks and snacks while you put out your décor.
9. Create a Pumpkin Themed Full-Course Dinner
This is the perfect idea for all you pumpkin lovers! Create a three or four course meal together featuring one main ingredient—pumpkin. Find a way to use it in your appetizer, soup, salad, entrée, and/or dessert.
10. Go Camping
Step out of the comfort of your home to cozy up at a campsite with each other or even some friends. Sit around a fire, chat, roast hotdogs, and make s’mores.
11. Jump in a Pile of Leaves
Turn a chore into an afternoon of fun. After raking the leaves that have piled up, jump on in! Take yourself back to your days as a kid and all the wonders that came with being little.
12. Tailgate for a Football Game
Don’t skip out on quite possibly one of the season’s most honored traditions. Enjoy the food and company…and maybe the football!
13. Go to a Fall Fair or Festival
Find one of those pop-up fairs near you…you know the ones…and enjoy a day or night filled with funnel cakes, cotton candy, Ferris wheels, carnival games, and more.
14. Have a Bonfire
Whether you’re burning your pile of leaves, you have a fancy fire pit in your backyard, or you or your friends have a fireplace, find a way to cozy up in front of a crackling fire this fall.
15. Attend Homecoming Activities
Find out when your high school or college is hosting their annual homecoming activities, and consider attending. It could be fun to reminisce and walk down memory lane with your spouse.
16. Bake a Fall Dessert
Pumpkin, apple and cinnamon are favorite fall flavors for many. Find a way to incorporate them into a yummy dessert. Look up a recipe, buy the ingredients, and make it together. Then, enjoy!
17. Run a Race
If you’re the active type, enjoy the nice temps, and pick a race to run together. There’s typically lots of fall themed races this time of year.
18. Go on a Hayride
Cozy up next to your honey on an afternoon or evening hayride at a pumpkin patch, farm, or fall festival in your area.
19. Go to a Coffee Shop
We know, we know, you’ve got to get all the PSLs you can this season, so bring your spouse in on the fun. Try a new coffee shop in town, and instead of rushing in and out, sit down, and enjoy your cozy coffees.
20. Host a Pie Night
Have other couples over for a fall pie night—buy-in: everyone must bring a pie to try. Just want to spend time alone with one another? No problem. Each of you bake a pie, and then curl up on the couch to enjoy a slice, or two, of both!
21. Make Soup
‘Tis the season for soup! You’ve got a couple of months to break out all your favorite soup recipes to enjoy. Whether you make your trusted go-tos or try some new ones, spend time cooking in the kitchen with your spouse. You could even keep a running list of soups, and rank them in order from your least to most favorites.
22. Plan a Thermos Picnic
Plan a fall picnic with your spouse but not just any ol’ picnic—bring along thermoses filled with your favorite soups and drinks (see above—date 21). Butternut squash soup, chili, hot chocolate, apple cider…all the warm fall comfort foods and drinks.
23. Attend or Host a Chili Cook-Off
See if there are any chili cook-offs happening nearby you could attend. If not, host your own. Whether you and your spouse create your own chilis to taste (and you’ll have plenty of leftovers), or you invite some friends over, taste different recipes, and rank your favorites.
24. Stargaze
When it’s a clear fall night, the stars are impeccable. Grab some blankets, and head outside to enjoy a peaceful evening stargazing.
25. Kayak
For all of you who wish summer lasted just a bit longer, this date is for you. Just because it’s fall doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the water. Bundle up, and go kayaking at a slow, leisurely pace, so you don’t fall in! Get a glimpse of the beautiful autumn leaves from a different perspective.
Newlywed, empty nester, or somewhere in between…surely there’s an autumn activity, or 25, you’ll enjoy doing with each other. Make the most of the seasonal fun this time of year, and see how many festive dates you can check off your bucket list.
