As someone who has lived in Austin my entire life and has a deep fondness for the season of fall, it would only make sense that I would be an expert on all the autumn-related events this city has to offer. Unfortunately, once the weather dips a couple degrees below 60, I decide that the outdoors are not quite my speed and content myself with a warm fireplace and a good book—comfortable within my own (heated) home.
This year, however, I swore to change my ways and take advantage of all the incredible things this city has to offer. Thus, the creation of my Austin Fall Bucket List (title is still in the works). Over the next month, I’m tearing myself away from my bed and cementing my status as an official Austinite (I’ll also be dragging my wonderful friends with me, even if they don’t know it yet). Here are five of the Austin fall events at the top of my list:Â
- The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail
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From Sept. 25 to Nov. 30, the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center is bringing Tim Burton’s Disney classic to life. The hour-long walking trail experience features different scenes, songs, and characters from the film. Despite being utterly terrified of this movie as a child (and quite confused on whether it was technically a Halloween or a Christmas movie), a couple of rewatches turned this film into a Halloween staple, and I cannot wait to watch Halloweentown come to life.
- The Texas Book Festival
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More than 300 authors and 40,000 attendees will transform downtown Austin into a book-lover’s paradise on Nov. 8-9 during the 30th Annual Texas Book Festival. This free event is open to the public and includes presentations, panels, activities for all ages, and (of course) food trucks. While so many of the different panels seem exciting, I’m most thrilled to go back to my roots with this YA Royalty panel.Â
- Pioneer Farms Pumpkin Nights
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With pumpkin carving, an hourly fire show, and stunning pumpkin creations such as “The Enchanted Forest” and “The Forbidden City,” I am honestly shocked that I’ve never gone to Pioneer Farms’ Pumpkin Nights before. The half-mile walking trail features sculptures and installations built from over 7,500 pumpkins, and it runs from Sept. 18 to Nov. 2. This Halloween event truly seems like it has so much to offer, even if I might find myself avoiding “Spider Alley” (I don’t even do well with normal-sized spiders).
- The Roots and Wings Festival
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While I have never been an incredibly outdoorsy person, the Roots & Wings Festival seems like a great way to learn about the nature in our neighborhoods and connect more deeply to the city. Featuring over 60 community-wide events from Oct. 18 to Nov. 2, the festival includes events ranging from sapling planting to terrarium-making. Personally, I’m looking forward to visiting the new “The Light That Grows Here” art exhibit at the Central Austin Public Library (which also happens to be an essential visit for an aesthetic Austin fall).
- City Wide Vintage Sale
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It might seem a bit early to be putting a Nov. 29-30 event on my calendar, but I’ve had this one in the books for weeks. This vintage sale takes place over the course of two days with around 45,000 square feet of vendors. The sale is practically a full-on marketplace that brings together the entire Austin community (including—according to their website—”college kids scroungin’ for cheap finds,” which feels like a fairly apt description of how I plan to tackle this event).
While I may not have made the most of the first nineteen falls that I spent in Austin, I plan to change that this year. Although I do still plan to spend quite a few days buried beneath 20 blankets, re-watching the best old Disney Channel Halloween specials.