Fall is one of my favorite seasons, and as someone who is too busy but loves to explore, I’ll live vicariously through y’all by sharing a complete guide to the best places to live out your best Gilmore Girl fall.Â
- Spooky Time at House of Torment
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Spooky season calls for a spooky location, and what better place than a haunted house? The House of Torment is located at 2632 Ridgepoint Dr, Austin, TX 78753, which is a 13-minute drive from the UT campus. It opens at 7:30 pm, making it a perfect spooky night activity to go with friends. Tickets are a bit pricier ($36), but if you love jump scares and Halloween, then this is the place for you.
- Movies on the Lake: Halloweentown
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If jump scares aren’t your idea of a fun fall night, then let me introduce you to a chill night of watching a movie on the lake with a fun drink. Mozart’s Coffee Roasters is hosting free movie screenings every Thursday in October. While this activity is free to do, if you want to be on the lake, they offer paddleboats, floaters, and boats available to rent for the duration of the movie.If you are still not convinced, the event does allow you to bring your own alcoholic beverages or there is plenty of coffee and Italian sodas to choose from Mozart’s menu. It doesn’t get more Austin than watching a movie on the lake.
- Culture filled event at Viva la Vida Festival & Parade
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In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the City of Austin’s ACME Department is hosting the 43rd annual Day of the Dead Celebration on Saturday, October 24, at 4th Street and Congress Avenue. This event is free to attend and family-friendly, as there will be face painting, vendor booths, and live entertainment. Day of the Dead is a celebration of life, and what better way than supporting this beautiful tradition? The answer is by volunteering in it! The Mexic Arte Museum is always looking for volunteers to help out on celebrations such as these.
- Â Artistic night at Pumpkin Nights
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But wait, I could not forget a fall staple: the pumpkin patch pictures. What a great way to add more to your Instagram or social media feed than to post an aesthetic picture in a pumpkin patch field. Pumpkin Night is a half-mile path through nine immersive pumpkin lands(Enchanted Forest, Maravilla Lane,The Great Hall etc.) Not only do you get to walk through a integrate and beautiful display of fall, but there is much entertainment to enjoy from such as live pumpkin carving and live fire performances. The prices depend on the day of the weekend but range from $24-$38.
- Theatrical Night at Panic at the Paramount
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For all of my film enthusiasts, Panic at the Paramount is an annual Halloween-season film program hosted by Austin’s historic Paramount Theatre. There are various films hosted throughout the week of October, with titles such as Carrie, It, Little Shop of Horror, and many more. More notably, on October 28th, they are hosting a live Q&A with Scream star David Arquette after a screening of the first Scream movie.
- Tipsy night at Fear Fair Sign Bar
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If you are not 21+ plus, please skip this section. Fear Fair Dign Bar is a 21+ drinking event in which participants can enjoy from September 16-Nov 1. There will be a haunted maze, scare actors, and spooky photo ops all around the event. If you are a 21+ who doesn’t like to drink, or if you are still the 21- that is reading this, you can still have fun on October 15 at their Witchy Night Market. The market will host local small businesses and offer services such as tarot & pendulum readings.
https://signbartexas.com/events - Traditional Night at Texas Pumpkin Fest
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Of course, I could not forget the traditional fall festivities! Texas Pumpkin Fest is an event packed festival, such as a gigantic pumpkin patch, Magic shows, professional wrestling, a 135-ft super slide, a mechanical bull, a pumpkin-eating contest, and many more events that are all included with your admission fee. However, this event is a bit farther away, around 40 minutes from campus, so make sure to ride-share or carpool to get there.
Now that I’ve listed several events happening in October, go out and explore all of the offerings that Austin offers or be inspired and seek out local adventures. You do not need to travel outside the state or country to have fun; you could be missing out on local gems.