It seems like even here, in sunny Southern California, the weather is taking a turn for the worse… it is getting chilly! The Halloween costume store is back up in Westwood, and although the leaves are not changing colors here, even we can tell that autumn has arrived. Fall doesn’t last forever, so in the interest of making sure you make the most of this time of the year, here are the absolute must-do’s before winter sweeps in:
- Knott’s Scary Farm / Universal Studios Horror Night
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Half the fun of fall in Los Angeles is the amusement parks. We don’t have the traditional fall experiences, so we have to take part in our own fall traditions. Being scared by actors in costume and getting spooked by the decorations only gets more fun as we get older and have to give up trick-or-treating.
- Haunted House
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When you think of October, you think of Halloween. When we grow too old for Halloween treats and sweets, we have to give up our candy for the tricks and scares. A great way to get into the spooky season and feel the adrenaline is to take a trip down to a haunted house and see what frights wait beyond those doors.
- Pumpkin Carving / Pumpkin Patch
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Taking a trip to the pumpkin patch offers you a chance to get those fun, fall pictures in Los Angeles. And I know that I have always loved carving pumpkins on the floor of my kitchen with my parents. While it’s tough to empty out the pumpkin and carve through the skin, it allows you to show off your creativity with artistic designs and put your pumpkin on display for the whole neighborhood.
- Football Games
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Is it really fall if you haven’t been to a football game? Gather up a group of friends and go tailgating before the next game! Cheer on our UCLA team to celebrate the back-to-school and fall season.
- Halloween Party
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Just because we can’t go around asking for candy anymore doesn’t mean we should give up dressing up. Spend the night in your costume, going to dress up concerts, watching a movie indoors or even going out to a Halloween party. Halloween is the one night a year we get to dress up as someone completely different, and we should take advantage of that!
- Beach Bonfire
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We are fortunate enough to live somewhere warm enough to go to the beach even as the weather takes a turn for the worse. We can celebrate the arrival of fall and adjust to the difficult fall quarter as we relax under the stars.
- Hike
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Nothing can replace the cool, autumn breeze on your face that tells you that fall truly is here. Gone is the heat of the summer. Now you can hike up to the Hollywood sign or through the (few) trees around here and celebrate the new season.
- Apple Picking
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Just because we live in the city does not mean we have to give up the pleasures of the countryside too! So take a weekend to drive out of the city and go down to the nearest apple farm and enjoy the harvest season.
- Corn Maze
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What says fall more than a corn maze? Get out of your dorm and get a group of friends together to go on a real autumn adventure! Corn mazes can be an exciting way to get out of the house and engage in a fun puzzle. It’s like a real life escape room!
- Outdoor Movie Screening
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Most of us have missed out on the drive-in movie era, so I think we should take advantage of the outdoor movie screenings since we do live in an area warm enough to enjoy the outdoors even as fall is coming. Outdoor movies are a perfect excuse to grab a cozy blanket and picnic under the stars as you invest yourself in the movie with your friends.
As we move into autumn, we should make the most of the fall season by taking advantage of what Los Angeles has to offer. Enjoy this season with all of these different activities!