Fall Date Ideas

It’s hard to pick a favorite season but, every time fall arrives, I’m convinced that it’s my favorite season. I get so excited for all that fall brings from fall flavors to Saturday game days to apple picking to Thanksgiving. Edwin and I celebrate our anniversary in the fall too, making the season even more special to us! With our anniversary just around the corner on October 28th, I’ve been thinking about fun ways to mark the occasion. It’s led me to dream up a few perfect fall date ideas that I wanted to share!

Fall Date Ideas

Autumn is a season that allows for and calls for so many activities! Edwin and I spend our fall weekends busying ourselves with different festive activities that we enjoy doing together. I think there is something so romantic about cooling temperatures (they certainly are cozy!) and changing leaves. Life is so short and full of so many ups and downs so, I believe it’s important to stop and honor simple Saturdays or Sundays and unplanned weekday nights by making special memories with your love. Plus, there are so many fun, affordable, and creative date options for fall! Even a bike ride around the neighborhood to look at Halloween or fall decorations counts!

P.S. Many of these fall date ideas can be done with a sibling or girlfriend!

Apple Picking

Sure, apple picking is a kitschy fall activity but it’s honestly so much fun! The best part about an apple picking date is that it’s a day date that keeps on giving! I love daytime dates. Enjoy the crisp fall air while picking apples, enjoying each other’s company, munching on apple cider donuts (an apple orchard staple), and sipping apple cider. After you spend a day apple picking, head home and use all your apples to try a new apple recipe together like apple butter, apple pie, or apple muffins (I make this recipe every year!). From Charleston, head to North Carolina for apple orchards (we’ve been apple picking near Asheville, NC before!).

Pumpkin Carving

Continuing with the kitschy fall-inspired dates over here… next up, pumpkin carving! I admit that your significant other might not be that enthused about the idea of visiting the pumpkin patch and then pumpkin carving. However, trust me when I say that it’s one of those activities that you will get really into when your sleeves are rolled up and you’re competing for who carved the best pumpkin. In Charleston, visit the Boone Hall pumpkin patch.

Fall Movie Night

Bring out all the blankets, poor some red wine or spiked apple cider, pop some popcorn, and indulge in a cozy fall movie night together. My absolutely favorite fall movie is You’ve Got Mail. When Harry Met Sally takes a close second.

A few other movies that take place during autumn include Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone, Goodwill Hunting, October Sky, Hocus Pocus, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Dead Poets Society, Stepmom, Rushmore, Practical Magic, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. If you live for fall football, then pop on Rudy, Remember the Titans, The Blind Side, or Friday Night Lights. If you live for Halloween, then pop on your favorite scary movie! P.S. a lot of local movie theaters play old classic Halloween movies this time of year for a night or two so you can go out for a festive dinner and a movie. In Charleston, that theater is the Terrace Theater.

Outdoor Fall Festival

Do a little research on outdoor fall festivals in your city because I guarantee there are some going on! From harvest festivals to pumpkin patch festivals to apple festivals to fall foliage festivals to Oktoberfests to cranberry festivals to pecan festivals to fall home tours, there’s a local festival for everyone. What would Lorelai and Rory do!? In Charleston, enjoy the Preservation Society’s fall home tours.

Attend a Football Game

Edwin and I love fall football. Not much makes me happier than returning to my alma mater for a bundled up fall football game. Being on the fall foliage covered, red brick campus of the University of Colorado (where I went) in October brings me so much joy!

Find or Make Couple’s Halloween Costumes

Get creative with Halloween costumes and plan to do a couple’s costume this year. You still have plenty of time to DIY a costume. In fact, turn it into a date! A few couples’ costumes that I’ve been part of in the past include an astrologist and a solar system, Elton John and tiny dancer, and a deer and hunter (this was a pretty last minute one!).

Visit the Farmer’s Market for Fall Produce

Visiting the farmer’s market any time of year is a treat but I especially love it during the fall. Go on a farmers market date to check out local produce that is seasonal and use it for your next date night in. The fresh foods will inspire you to have a date night in cooking festive fall recipes! Plus, food trucks at farmer’s markets usually have great fall offerings. In Charleston, visit the Marion Square farmer’s market.

Cook New Fall Recipes

Use your farmer’s market haul of fall produce to try out a new fall brunch or dinner recipe. The flavors of fall really can’t be beat so whip up some decadent pumpkin pancakes, a rich fall soup, a fresh autumnal salad, or a butternut squash pasta.

Bake Homemade Pies

Pies are my favorite type of dessert. I love every type of pie! Did you know I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to fall and winter desserts? You’ll find lots of delicious pie recipes.

Try a New Hike

Fall is an ideal time to go hiking. It is generally beautiful out and if you live in a place with fall foliage, then hiking is a great way to take it in. In fact, one of my favorite fall date ideas is to check out a local hike or even a walk if you live somewhere where hiking isn’t easily accessible. Take in the cooling weather with your special someone whether that’s in the great outdoors with fall foliage or in your neighborhood or a park with fall decorations.

Give Thanks to your Community by Volunteering Together

One of the best parts of autumn is Thanksgiving. It’s not often enough that we take time to pause and reflect on everything we have to be grateful for. So, fall presents a wonderful time to be appreciative, be grateful for our communities, and to give back to our neighborhoods. Spending a date night volunteering and serving dinner at a food bank is time very well spent. Volunteering is a wonderful thing to share together!

Decorate your House with Fall Decor

Put on music you both love and spend a weekend morning decorating your house for fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. A happy home makes for a happy heart! Get inspired by these shops to decorate your house for autumn: one // two // three // four // five.

Go on a Road Trip

In my mind, there are few things as pleasant as putting on a great playlist and hitting the road for a beautiful road trip with Edwin by my side. I love having the undivided time together that a road trip brings while excitement builds for the final destination. Here are some road trip ideas!

Get Outside

In addition to the outdoor ideas mentioned above, there are so many ways to soak up the glorious fall weather doing outdoor activities. A few ideas include going canoeing or kayaking, enjoying leisurely bike rides, mini golfing, Turkey Trots, and more.

I hope this post gave you some fun date ideas for fall! After all, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with your love and make memories with daytime or nighttime fall dates.