Fall Date Night Ideas
While summer nights are fun, I certainly miss the cooler temperatures that autumn offers. Instead of hiding out in the air conditioning during the day, we can be a bit more active. So fall dates are my favorite! Not only is time for back to school, but it also brings more normalcy to our everyday routine. Children are back in school, college classes are back on, and we can get back to planning date nights more frequently! Whether you’re a spontaneous type of dater or someone who likes to schedule them ahead of time, here is a list of fun (and hopefully not lame!) date night ideas!
Fall Date Night Ideas
Fall is a beautiful time of year, and it’s also the perfect time to get out there and do something fun with your significant other. Here are 11 creative fall date ideas that will put you in the mood for this lovely season.
1. Go painting. Book a session at your local BYOB painting studio! Or, grab some canvases and paint together at home. Maybe your creations will add some color to the walls of your home.
2. Take a ghost tour. Look into a walking ghost tour or some kind of haunted hayride. These are cheesy, but they can be scary too!
3. Go fruit picking. Whether it’s apples or blueberries, this is the day date that is too much fun. Talk while you pick and go home to use your findings! Bake a pie together, blend up some fruit into a smoothie, or learn how to can!
4. Plan a picnic. Pack simple tapas for a sweet picnic in the park. Madison has some super cute picnic ideas!
5. Sample new beers at a craft brewery. Buy a flight at your local brewery and give them a try. If you don’t drink, you could swap this idea with fresh juices at Whole Foods or your local smoothie shop! You could also sample different yogurts with fruity toppings.
6. Stargazing. This one is a classic, but it works. Look for a dark area or head out onto a dock!
7. Shuffleboard. I’m not even kidding. My old city used to have a shuffleboard league. It’s a silly game that is a lot of fun.
8. Cooking class. Book a class to learn how to cook together better. Sometimes your local grocery store will have them or there will be a cooking school in town.
9. Start a bonfire. Not only can you reduce the paper clutter in your home, but you can roast marshmallows!
10. Go tailgating. Whether it’s a professional team or just a local game, party in the parking lot!
11. Explore a corn maze.
12. Make your own beer or mulled wine. Try to brew your own beverages. We brewed beer before, and that was certainly a fun day!
13. Set up an outdoor movie. Bring a big blanket or find a clear wall. Use a projector to display the show.
14. Go camping. Since it’s not so hot, the idea of sleeping outside is way more enjoyable.
15. Look for a bar crawl. Our town hosts monthly bar and restaurant crawls with a theme. From bacon night to craft beer night, there always seems to be something. See what your city offers or your local restaurant district.
16. Go geocaching. Treasure hunting from your phone! Download the app and use your phone’s GPS to unearth different items that users have hidden.
17. Browse a bookstore. Order a delicious drink from the coffee shop inside and browse your local bookstore. Some of my favorite bookstores have closed, and the nearest one is about twenty minutes away! Enjoy your bookstore if you are lucky enough to have one nearby.
18. Create a RAOK. Yes, a RAOK! A random act of kindness is something spontaneous that you can do to help someone or surprise them. Whether it’s buying them a coffee in the drive-thru line or sharing a hot meal to someone who needs it, think of sweet ideas that you can do together to brighten someone’s day.
19. Try zip-lining. See if there are any high ropes courses in your area. These are so much fun!
20. Get on the water. Whether it’s a kayak or a paddleboard, look for a unique way to explore your town. One of my friends recently rode a water bike through her downtown!
21. Host your very own brunch for two. Mix mimosas and create unique omelets. It’s nice to have a fun and lazy morning! Sleep in, enjoy a big breakfast, and relax!
22. Stay up late and enjoy midnight ice cream.
23. Try boba tea. Do you have a tea cafe in your city? Go try something new!
24. Visit an ice skating rink. When was the last time you went ice skating?
25. Fly kites. Fly kites at the park or on the beach!
26. Make a farmer’s market run. This isn’t just an errand, it’s a fun morning date. Grab coffee, sample fruits and see what people are selling.
27. Write up your own date bucket list. Ask your partner to write up their list of ten dates they want to do. Write up a list of your ideal ten dates and plan them all!
28. Host a zombie movie marathon.
29. Whip up a batch of s’mores. You can make these in the microwave in a pinch! Go “glamping” in your backyard.
30. Bake cupcakes to decorate. Sprinkles, frosting, and candy.
31. Give each other $10 gifts. Head to your favorite store and split up. Surprise each other with sweet or seriously wacky gifts.
32. Bake your own pizzas. You can even grill them for a fun afternoon activity! I love this fajita pizza recipe.
33. Polaroid party. Buy a retro camera and take actual photos! Get them developed at your local photo developing store or get a camera that instantly prints out your pics!
34. Crash a hotel pool. Don’t actually trespass of course, but head to a hotel. Order a cocktail or have dinner at their poolside bar. Jump in the pool. Repeat.
35. Write up a list of 12 restaurants that you have never been to. Go to one a month.
36. Sing karaoke. Be brave. Sing a duet or watch others get silly on stage.
37. Go see a minor league game. Whether it’s baseball or arena football, attend a cheap game! There are always special promotions to bring guests into the game.
38. Chase daylight. Stay up late and watch the sunrise!
39. Gamble. Whether it’s a casino or a horse racing track, place a bet!
40. Take a class together. My city has language classes (anyone want to learn German?), yoga, raku clay, and more.
41. Ride go-carts.
42. Go on a hot air balloon ride. Wake up early and fly in the sky!
43. Find an arcade for an epic skeeball battle. Grab your quarters for a night at the arcade.
44. Have drinks and listen to live music. Bonus points if it’s a new band that you’ve never heard of before!
45. Go on a cupcake crawl. Hop around to a few dessert bars in your area.
46. Ride a bike to the bar. Leave your car at home and travel around your town (if you can!) by bicycle!
47. Go on a nature hunt. If you’re in my area, you’re searching for shells. If not, take a nature hike. Look for birds, butterflies, or bugs.
48. Try sushi. Have an authentic sushi night. Roll your own and use chopsticks!
49. Plan a comedy night. Hit your local comedy club for some laughs. Or go on open mic night and get on stage!
50. Make your own board games. Make your own chess or checkerboard. Host your own game night afterward.
51. Apple picking! Apple picking is a classic fall activity. Pick some apples at your local apple orchard, take them home, slice up some fresh cheese and enjoy together while relaxing on the couch. Make sure you both have sturdy shoes and warm jackets before heading out. It gets chillier as the day turns to night.
Go on an adventure collecting apples of all different varieties, then bring them back home and make some delicious baked goods with them. I hear an apple crisp calling my name…
52. Pumpkin carving. Carving pumpkins is a lot of fun and it has become a Halloween tradition for many people. Pick out your favorite pumpkin, grab some spoons/forks to scoop out the insides, add some toppings like chocolate or caramel sauce, and enjoy while watching TV together.
Get creative by carving pumpkins into different designs like jack-o’-lanterns or even just silly faces.
53. Fall foliage drive. Get out of the city and drive to some nearby mountains or countryside where you can get a gorgeous view of all the reds, oranges, and yellows. Pack a picnic and enjoy the scenery together. If it’s chilly, you can eat in the car.
Don’t forget the camera! A scenic drive is a perfect opportunity to capture those memories on film to treasure forever and ever.
54. Apple cider & donuts. Warm up by making some hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks, then head over to your favorite doughnut shop for one (or more!) warm treats. These two go great together and you can enjoy them as a morning or afternoon snack.
You could even make your own doughnuts by getting creative with the ingredients. You don’t need to buy pre-made mixes from the store if you want something really good, just search online for recipes.
55. Haunted house. This isn’t the most romantic idea for some folks, but it’s always fun to walk around looking at all of the creepy Halloween decorations and spooky attractions. Pick out your favorite haunted house, or visit a special Halloween event in your area.
Look on the Groupon website to get discounted tickets and learn about other affordable events in your area for your fall dates.
Spending money wisely with Groupon is easy! Find and save money on hundreds of activities like these fall date ideas for couples. You can find fun things to do near you or anywhere else in the world – there truly is something for everyone.
If you aren’t into the whole spooky thing, there are plenty of other options for date nights during this time of year that doesn’t involve ghosts and goblins.
56. Fall festival. Find your local community center that’s putting on a fall festival with food, carnival games, and other entertainment.
If you’re looking for something more family-oriented, there are many festivals that focus on children’s activities like pumpkin carving and hayrides.
Set a budget – and stick to it! Those deep-fried Oreos may look delicious, but they’re also like $12… those expenses add up fast.
We like to pack a picnic lunch or eat right before we leave, so we spend most of our funds on entertainment rather than food. Then, even if you want to splurge on a funnel cake or chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick, you can do so without busting the budget.
57. Tailgate party. This is an awesome idea for fall. The weather is perfect. You can find your local football stadium, bring some snacks and drinks if you want to get fancy with it, sit on the lawn together and watch the game.
Go all out or just enjoy each other’s company while cheering for your favorite team – either way, this is a great date idea that will be fun no matter who wins.
Even if you don’t love football, the tailgating experience can be fun!
58. Ghost tours. Spend the night wandering around a graveyard or some creepy area of town, then head home and make spooky snacks like chocolate spiders and bat-shaped cookies.
Depending on your area, you may be able to find ghost tours that take visitors through haunted houses and other spooky attractions like abandoned asylums. These are typically more suited for adults than children.
59. Haunted hayride. This is another activity that’s fun to do after dark. Grab your significant other and take a hayride through haunted woods in search for, well, I don’t really know what… but something spooky.
Some orchards and farms offer haunted hayrides. There’s a farm in Queen Creek, Arizona that has a haunted zombie hayride where you use paintball guns to hunt the zombies that follow the hayride around. It’s so fun!
60. Fall foliage hike. Take an afternoon stroll through your favorite forest preserve to enjoy all of the colorful autumn leaves. You can also bring your camera to take pictures together of everything you see. Just like with the scenic drive, you’ll want to capture these memories.
If the weather is nice, just pick a direction and start walking – wherever you end up will be beautiful!
61. Halloween at home. If you aren’t up for getting out and about, plan a Halloween date night at home. Bake an apple pie or some pumpkin muffins, make some hot chocolate and queue up a Halloween movie playlist. Enjoy each other’s company and relax in the moment.
More Fall date ideas
There are so many fall date ideas I probably didn’t even think of. I’d love to hear yours in the comments below!
Date Night Ideas
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