To me, fall is about many things: cozy sweaters, mountain drives, pumpkin-flavored everything, to name a few. As soon as the leaves start to turn, my entire personality is consumed by my love for fall and everything about it. That being said, here are a few of my 2025 fall favorites, as a seasoned autumn lover.
Movies & Shows
To set the perfect, cozy fall atmosphere, I recommend my childhood favorite: the original Halloweentown (1998). A classic Disney Channel Halloween film, Halloweentown feels like a big hug from your mom. Grab a pack of fun cookies (more on that later), your favorite blanket, and some friends for a nostalgic fall kick-off movie night. Halloweentown (1998) can be found on Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
Now, to ease into scary movie territory, I like to watch Scream (1996) every October. It’s the perfect combination of traditional, funny, and scary. It isn’t too painstakingly long. Every fall, I either watch it with my family (which brings back nostalgia for my parents) or my friends and boyfriend. Another great movie night pick, just don’t let anyone spoil it for those who haven’t seen it! Scream (1996) is streaming on Paramount+, Peacock, and PlutoTV.
My horror movie pick this season is Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat (2007). This film tells a story of three different characters on Halloween night and the days surrounding it. It does a wonderful job of weaving multiple narratives together subtly, though it does have that mid-2000s gore factor. Not everyone loves it, but I think it is really well done. Trick ‘r Treat (2007) can be found on HBOMax, YouTube, and Hulu.
Now for TV shows and seasonal episodes! Over the Garden Wall is a short animated series that premiered in November 2014 and is widely regarded by viewers as one of the best cartoon miniseries ever — I agree. I watched Over the Garden Wall for the first time with my best friend (hey girl!) when we were freshmen in high school. I still rewatch this whimsical series almost every fall — it’s a definite must-see. Over the Garden Wall is streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu.
One of my favorite comedy TV shows, Community, is about a group of misfit community college students who form a Spanish study group. Over six seasons, there are four total Halloween episodes, all of which are masterpieces to me: S1E7, S2E6, S3E5, and S4E2.
Read & Listen
Over the years, I have curated what I consider to be the ultimate fall vibes Spotify playlist. Here are some notable picks:
- Northern Attitude – Noah Kahan
- Sleep on the Floor – The Lumineers
- Dawns – Zach Bryan and Maggie Rogers
- Cowboy like me – Taylor Swift
A great, short, festive read I love is the New York Times article, “A Professional Pumpkin Carver Spills His Guts”, written by Callie Holterman in October 2023. This piece profiles Adam Bierton, a professional pumpkin carver, during peak season.
A classic autumnal longform read is Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. Many describe this novel as the epitome of fall, depicting a mysterious carnival that has come to a small Illinois town around Halloweentime. Something Wicked This Way Comes set the precedent for horror and thriller novels, along with the great Stephen King. A 10/10 fall read.
When it comes to podcasts, I have really been enjoying YouTuber-turned-podcaster and journalist Stephanie Soo’s true crime podcast, “Rotten Mango”. Some episodes are a bit too dark for me, but she does a great job of telling difficult stories and providing evidence on trending cases.
Eats & Drinks
Everything at Trader Joe’s. Need I elaborate? My personal faves this season are the Pumpkin Spice JoJos and Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese. I’m drooling just writing about it.
My favorite fall drink this year has to go to Call Your Mother deli, which recently opened in Boulder. The horchata matcha latte is delightfully addicting, and they make the best bagel sandwich I’ve had as a Coloradan. The ‘Sun City’ with pastrami, egg, cheese, and honey is a game-changer.
As far as snacks go, I have been obsessed with Halloween Nerd’s Gummy Clusters (so cute), fun Pillsbury cutout sugar cookies — you know the ones — and extra toasty Cheez-Itz (always)—the perfect mix for a spooky movie night or cozy study time.
Other Fun
Making the rounds at the local Spirit Halloween, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods is a seasonal necessity, of course, as well as going to a pumpkin patch and haunted house. The best pumpkin patches are oftentimes the ones you stumble upon while driving through the outskirts of Denver, but Anderson Farms, one of the most well-known pumpkin patches/haunted houses in the Denver-metro area, is worth the drive and ticket price.
With that being said, go carve a pumpkin, take some cute photos, go for a mountain drive (me and my boyfriend love Estes Park), and enjoy all the beautiful things that make fall, fall.