Simple Pleasures: Fall Traditions for a Special Season
Apple picking, baking, crunching through piles of leaves, sipping warm drinks by the fire — these are just a few of the many simple pleasures autumn has to offer. Traditions like these become rich with meaning when returned to year after year, and sharing them with family and friends only makes them sweeter. Check out these 15 fall traditions to consider adopting, and then we want to hear about your own fall favorites.
1. Make a trip to the pumpkin patch. Pick up some pumpkins, gourds and fall flowers to decorate with. The more, the merrier. An abundance of pumpkins and gourds in different shapes, sizes and colors makes for a cheerful display that will last through the autumn months. If you have little ones, make it a tradition to take their picture sitting among the pumpkins — over the years, you can see how they grow from pumpkin size themselves to towering over the orange globes!
2. Host a harvest party or attend a harvest festival. Invite friends and family over for a potluck or visit one of the many harvest fairs and festivals happening at this time of year. From biggest-pumpkin contests to live music, there’s something for everyone.
3. Do some “project” cooking. What’s project cooking? Anything you love to make but rarely have time for. Spend a blustery autumn afternoon making a pie from scratch, Grandma’s spaghetti sauce or loaves of pumpkin bread.
4. Host a football party. For football fans, fall means only one thing: game time. Set up comfy seating around the flat-screen, make some tasty snacks and invite friends over to watch the game.
5. Go apple picking. Find an orchard that offers pick-your-own apples (check the listings onLocal Harvest to find one near you) and head out for a fun day of picking fruit right from the trees. Picking at an orchard is not only fun (bring a picnic and make a day of it) but also offers a much wider (read: tastier) variety of apples than what you’ll find in the store.
Read more Fall Traditions for a Special Season
Simple Pleasures: Fall Traditions for a Special Season
