Fall is here! Well, living in California, fall really doesn’t make much of an entrance. The weather changes ever so slightly and the months change names. But even though it doesn’t look like fall around here, there are plenty of fall activities that mark the season. My daughter and I have lots of traditions, but our fall traditions are some of our favorites! The thing I love so much about taking a fun activity and turning it into a tradition is that every year when we repeat the activity, we get to relive memories from past years. Here are our favorite fall traditions:
Visiting the pumpkin patch. There are several pumpkin patches around town and we usually try to visit a different one each year, just to get some variety. We love to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon, walking up and down the patch in search of the perfect pumpkins for carving. We buy hot apple cider or hot chocolate from the concession stand and enjoy the smells of fall. If we get home early enough, we’ll often carve our pumpkins that evening and put them out on the front steps. My daughter loves to pick out a few gourds to decorate our front steps too.
Visiting the corn maze. We may not have as many cornfields as Nebraska, but it’s usually pretty easy to find a corn maze nearby. My daughter loves the thrill of being temporarily lost and having to find our way out. That, and the fact that there are usually petting zoos and playgrounds nearby, has her begging to visit the corn maze every fall.
Apple picking. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing better than biting into an apple you just plucked from a nearby tree. We love going to the apple orchard (though I’ll admit there aren’t a ton here in California!) and filling up our basket while we walk from tree to tree. We eat most of the apples sliced up, but we always make sure to bake an apple pie or apple crisp with some of our farm fresh apples.
Going to a Fall Festival. One of the great things about living in California is that we sure do love our festivals. And because there are so many people living here, it seems there’s a festival or two almost every weekend. We love buying kettle corn and cinnamon glazed almonds from street vendors and buying trinkets from the booths selling handmade items. Most festivals have hayrides and live music too.
What are your favorite fall traditions?