Fall Bucket List: 35 Fun Things to Do in Fall on a Budget

Fall season is a wonderful time for some fun things to do in fall. Here are some of my favourite autumn activities. Are there any you can add to your fall bucket list?

1. Read a new book

The beginning of autumn coincides with the start of the school year, which means that it is now a good time to pick up a new book and start reading! Of course, you now have some more liberty to choose which books to reach, unlike when you were a student and had to memorize Hamlet. If you are looking to learn more about personal finance books, check out my ultimate personal finance book list to find the ones that I highly recommend.

2. Celebrate Oktoberfest with beer and sausages

You don’t have to be in Germany to celebrate the biggest beer festival in the world. After all, for all beer lovers out there, who needs to be in a specific location to enjoy some beer and sausages? Although this year, large gatherings, which are iconic for Oktoberfest, are not happening because of the pandemic, we can still celebrate Oktoberfest at home in a socially responsible way. Get some beer from the stores, fire up some sausages (homemade or store-bought), and you can enjoy some delicious food at home, either alone, with your roommates, or with your friends via zoom. You may even be able to catch some zoom parties for all the beer lovers out there!

3. Attend a fall festival

If you can’t make it all the way to Germany, you can also attend a fall festival locally at a nearby farm. Enjoy the wagon rides, the fall decorations, and the mazes that the festival has to offer.

Check out your local newspaper or news blog. I am sure you will find one that fits your schedule.

4. Spend a day at your local brewery

Speaking of beer, we have to talk about breweries. Visiting your local brewery, where you can learn about the key ingredients for making beer and the brewing process, is a fun way to spend a day in the fall that is worth adding to your bucket list.

5. Visit a winery

If you are more of a wine person, then paying a visit to your local winery is something you will want to add to your fall bucket list. Early fall is typically the harvest time for wineries, which makes it the perfect time for a quick getaway. You can indulge in wine tasting, touring the winery, and even some fresh farm-to-table food if the winery offers the option.

6. Visit a pumpkin patch

Fall is the season of orange and pumpkin. So, why not go visit a local pumpkin patch? It was part of Taylor Swift’s Best Day, but it can be yours too! This is a kid-friendly activity that everybody in your family can enjoy. Don’t forget to take a few pictures to remember all the smiley faces.

7. Carve a pumpkin

Carving a pumpkin is a fun thing to do with the pumpkins you picked from the pumpkin patch. It’d also be nice decoration around the house for Halloween. Good Housekeeping has a great article on the top tips on how to carve a pumpkin. Check it out!

8. Roast pumpkin seeds

What to do with all the pumpkin seeds you have? You can try roasting them! They make a delicious topping for your salad or morning yogurt.

9. Bake pumpkin bread

Of course, you can also bake a full loaf of pumpkin bread, and enjoy it with a warm glass of milk!

10. Watch (or re-watch) It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American prime time animated television special. There isn’t a better time to re-enjoy this classic other than fall!

11. Make a meal with orange food

Orange is the iconic colour of the fall, so why not make a meal with orange food? You can have a butternut squash soup as an appetizer, some orange chicken for the main dish, and a slice of pumpkin pie or literally an orange for dessert. What’s not to love about orange food?

12. Go apple picking

Fall is also the season for apple picking. Some of my fondest memories with my parents are times spent picking apples at a nearby farm. I still remember that the baskets were so heavy that the three of us had to work together to bring them back to the car. The days after apple picking were spent in the kitchen that smelled heavenly with all the cinnamon and nutmeg and brown sugar. It is the smell of fall that has been deeply imprinted in my heart.

Find an apple orchard near by, and pick your own apples!

Here are a list of the most common varieties of apples you can find in the apple orchards:

  • Granny smith
  • Honeycrisp
  • Red-delicious
  • Fuji
  • Ambrosia
  • Cortland

Which one is your favourite?

13. Bake an apple pie or a pumpkin pie

What to do with the pumpkins and apples you picked fresh from the farm? Bake a pie, obviously! There are so many great recipes out there. If you want to take it up a notch, consider hosting a friendly apple or pumpkin pie competition amongst your family. It would for sure add another unique layer of spice on top of the lovely cinnamon and nutmeg you will use.

14. Eat caramel apple

Another dessert you cannot miss is caramel apple. I remember being fascinated by all of those delicious and beautiful caramel apples displayed on the shelf in the mall. Take a bite, and let the sweet caramel remind you of the beautiful season called autumn.

15. Drink apple cider

Warm apple cider is a delicious drink iconic for the fall. You can also make apple cider yourself by following this recipe from Delish. If you are of drinking age and want to try something new, you may want to spike it up with some rum. It’d be a delicious drink for your Thanksgiving dinner, or any dinner really.

16. Eat apple cider donuts

This is another fun apple-themed dessert you don’t want to miss!

17. Enjoy a pumpkin spice latte or Frappuccino from Starbucks

The pumpkin spice latte is an iconic fall drink from Starbucks. For all of us Starbucks lovers out there, having one is synonymous with enjoying what autumn has to offer. Of course, as you know, a pumpkin spice latte can be quite a bit more costly than your regular Starbucks coffee, so make sure you check out these 25 Starbucks tips to get a good deal on this lovely drink.

The coffee giant has also added pumpkin spice Frappuccino to their menu, so you may want to check it out as well!

Of course, if you’d like to save some money, you can DIY pumpkin spice latte as well!

18. Go for a hike

Hiking is an excellent low-impact workout that is suitable for most of us. Autumn is neither too cold nor too hot. The mild temperature makes it ideal for hiking. Grab a pair of comfortable walking shoes, and go explore nature.

Liftopia has a great article on 10 essential tips on hiking. Make sure you check out the article before leaving the house!

19. Go for a nature scavenger hunt

This is a super fun activity perfect for kids and adults alike. Not only is it fun, it also has great educational values.

20. Find your way through a corn maze

It is also plenty of fun to find your way through a corn maze in the fall. If there is a corn maze near where you live, be sure to check it out!

21. Eat candy corn

Candy corn is a staple of the fall (autumn) season and the Halloween holiday in the United States. You don’t want to miss it!

22. Have a picnic

The mild weather in the fall also makes it the ideal time for a picnic, or, shall I say, dining al fresco? Not only is it a fun thing to do when you are home alone, but it is also a good social activity with your family and friends. Note that with the pandemic going on, you want to respect your city’s social distancing rules, and enjoy your picnic responsibly.

23. Watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Dress up and have fun observing the parade!

24. Observe the colourful fall foliage

Fall is the time for leaves to shine. Ranging from yellow to orange to red, these leaves are not shy when it comes to showing their natural beauty. If you have a chance to come to visit Ontario, I highly recommend that you go visit the Algonquin Provincial Park or the Agawa Canyon.

25. Take family photos with the fall colours as the background

Fall colours are beautiful and your family is beautiful, so why wouldn’t you want to put them in the same frame and remember them forever? Capture the happy moments of your life during your family outings, with the beautiful colours of the fall as the background. You will also enjoy the scenic drive on the way to your destination.

If you love the pictures, you can choose your favourite and make it your Christmas card photo!

26. Listen to the sound of leaves crunching under your feet

One unique way to enjoy the fall weather is to listen to the sound of leaves crunching under your feet. For some reason, listening to the crispy sound brings me joy.

27. Collect fall leaves

Collecting colourful fall leaves is a fun activity that only autumn can confer. How many shades of yellow and orange and red can you collect? It is again a kid-friendly activity. Even better, you can turn it into an educational opportunity to learn about all the plants that the leaves come from!

28. Make pressed leaf bookmarks

What can you do with all the leaves you collected? One way to preserve them is to make pressed leaf bookmarks. It used to be one of my favourite activities when I was a child. The leaves could be kept for years if you do it properly. Check out this post to find the procedures to follow.

29. Make fall craft

Other than making pressed leaf bookmarks, there are also plenty of other fall decorating ideas or craft ideas for you and your little ones. You can make a wreath, a “Harvest” sign, a scarecrow that is actually cute and pretty, and so on.

30. Observe fall bird migration

Other than appreciating the autumn leaves, observing fall bird migration is also another item to have on your fall bucket list. It is an exciting time for birds and can be an exciting time for you and your family as well. Your local birding sites can be transformed into a dynamic field overnight, and there will be plenty of species for you to identify.

31. Go visit a farm

Fall is the season of harvest, which means that it is a great time to go visit a local farm. Not only will you witness the hustle and bustle on the farm, you may also be able to purchase some farm-fresh produce to bring home.

32. Have a fun Halloween

Although Halloween this year may be a little different because of COVID-19, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still have a fun day dressing up at home. If you are taking your kids trick-or-treating, make sure you wear proper protective gears and do it in a socially responsible way. You can also set up a Halloween bucket list, and fill it with all the fun things you want to do for it!

Here are some great ideas:

  • A scary movie marathon
  • Visit a haunted house

I mean, at the end of the day, who wants to give up such a perfect excuse for some candy?

33. Go on a ghost tour

If this is an option near you, you may consider going on a ghost tour. After all, it is the Halloween season! Who expects that getting scared can be a fun activity that you may enjoy?

If you don’t want to go on a ghost tour either because you are on a budget (usually these cost money) or there isn’t one nearby, you may want to explore the spooky spots in your city. That’d be a fun and most likely free alternative.

34. Spend a night camping/glamping

Before the weather gets too cold, you may want to venture out to nature one last time. Camping under the stars is a perfect way to enjoy some quietude and nature. If you want to be a bit fancy, you may want to splurge a little and try glamping, short for “glamorous camping”. You may even be able to sleep in a treehouse, a cabin, or a yurt!

35. Start Christmas shopping early

Think Christmas is far away? Think again! Christmas will come in a blink of an eye. If you want to get the best deals for all the presents you want to give for your loved ones, make sure you plan ahead.

Final words

Which one of the above ideas for your autumn bucket list have you tried? What are some other fun fall activities you want to try? It is time to create a fall bucket list for yourself and your family!

RELATED POSTS:

10 thoughts on “Fall Bucket List: 35 Fun Things to Do in Fall on a Budget”

  1. I love this time of year so much, so nice to be home and cosy or out enjoying the beautiful colours of Autumn.

    Brilliant list, thank you for sharing x x

Comments are closed.