October is finally here! As the weather starts to cool down and the pumpkin-flavored things roll out, you might begin to feel Halloween creeping around the corner. It’s time to start planning your fall bucket list because fall will be over before you know it. Here are 20 ways to celebrate this spooky season.
- Go to a pumpkin patch
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Go to grab a pumpkin for later and enjoy the atmosphere. This is a great place to take some cute fall pictures as well!
- watch Halloween movies
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Name a better way to prepare for Halloween… Watch whatever movies that put you in the Halloween spirit.
My go-to Halloween movies: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus (Hocus Pocus 2 just dropped on Disney Plus btw), Scream, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Halloweentown, Halloweentown High, Corpse Bride, Coraline
- Bake something
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Fall is a great time to try and bake something new. Pies, cobblers, or even just Halloween cookies are the perfect way to get into the fall spirit.
- Decorate a pumpkin
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Carving a pumpkin is a classic Halloween/ Fall tradition. However, if carving isn’t your thing, you can always paint a pumpkin! I like carving pumpkins, but I think you can be more creative when you paint them.
- go apple picking
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Apple picking is on my Fall bucket list this year. Visit a local orchard and pick some delicious apples. Don’t forget to drink some apple cider or eat apple donuts while you are there!
- go to a corn maze
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If you need something to fill an afternoon, getting lost in a corn maze is a great activity! Lots of local corn mazes also have fun fall activities to do on-site as well.
Aaron Burden/Unsplash - haunted house
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This is a great activity to do in groups. Normally haunted houses aren’t even that scary, but it is so funny to listen to and see the reactions of the people that you go with. Going to a haunted house always makes for a funny story later.
- decorate for fall/ Halloween
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The beginning of this month (October) is the perfect time to start decorating for the fall season. The decorations can be spooky or cute and you can decide how extra you want to be with your decorations. You can even decorate your dorm to get in the spirit of things. Decorations like window clings, garlands, and wreaths are a great way to decorate your dorm for fall.
My favorite places to shop for Halloween/ Fall decor: TJ Maxx, The Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Target (dollar spot!), Five Below, Marshalls, Walmart
- Attend a festival
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Fall is a prime time to attend a festival. Locally there are normally fall festivals, Oktoberfest, or even live music.
- bonfire
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Host a bonfire! Fall nights may get a bit chilly, but it’s nothing a bonfire with friends and s’mores can’t fix!
- night in
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When it gets too chilly outside, a cozy night in is a great alternative. Cuddle up by the fireplace (or virtual fireplace if you don’t have one) with a hot drink. Maybe turn on a scary movie and make a nice hot meal. It’s up to you!
- potluck
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Host a potluck! Have everyone who attends bring a certain dish. For example, everyone brings one entree from their favorite takeout place or everyone prepares a dish to bring. This is a great way to have a variety of foods all together at the same time.
- football
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The fall is the prime time to watch football. It’s also an opportunity to host a football viewing party or go to a tailgate while the weather is nice.
- state fair
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One great part about the fall is that the state fair comes into town! Fair food, games, and rides are some of the things I look forward to when the fair comes into town.
- fall 5k
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If fitness is your thing, you might enjoy singing up for a fall 5k. For some reason, many people enjoy participating in 5ks in the fall (this is not for me).
- Host a murder mystery party
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This takes a lot of planning, but if your friends are willing to participate, it would be a lot of fun! You can hire someone to plan the party for you or you can get creative and come up with the story and characters yourself.
- trip to the mountains
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Fall is the perfect time to visit the mountains (in my opinion). The leaves are such a pretty color and you won’t overheat if you want to do something active.
Just a tip if you go early in the morning: dress in warm layers that can be removed throughout the day. It is really cold in the morning but will warm up throughout the day.
- camping
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This could be an activity to easily tie in with a mountain trip. I would definitely go glamping, but if sleeping on the ground doesn’t bother you too much, a normal tent will do just fine.
- plan your Halloween costume
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If you haven’t started doing this already, you need to start!
- yard sale
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Forget spring cleaning, the fall is a great time to update your closet and get rid of what you don’t use. If you don’t feel like doing that you can always attend a yard sale and buy some new fall items.
