It’s Fall Y’all! My favorite season of the year and the best season. I hope to enjoy this season with tons of fun fall activities for adults, and I hope you’ll join me.
These 45 fall bucket list ideas include all your autumn favorites: pumpkins, holidays, leaves that change color, and cool weather. What else could you ask for? Perhaps some great friends to enjoy the autumn season with? Text your besties and let’s get started.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.
45 Fall Activities for Adults
For some, completing a fall bucket list is like a tradition. For others, it’s about reliving childhood memories. For me, doing a bucket list in autumn is about enjoying my favorite season of the year.
Fall is packed with great weather, awesome holidays, and beautiful scenery.
Whatever your reason for wanting a list of fun fall things to do with friends, I hope you enjoy all the beauty that the autumn season has to offer. This fall bucket list is here to help you make that happen.
These 45 Fun Fall Things to Do with Friends cover your outdoor and indoor fall activities. It includes fun fall ideas you can tweak to make your own or build from as you write your own Autumn Bucket List. The list begins with outdoor activities then covers creative fun activities and activities geared to enjoying with friends.
At the end, there is a downloadable template with suggested autumn activities for adults to get you started.
Go to Pumpkin Patches
Pumpkins are one of the clear signs of fall. So, it makes sense to kick off fall by going to a pumpkin patch to stock up on your favorite pumpkin goodies. I love picking out a small pumpkin to sit on my desk or kitchen counter for the fall season.
In addition to pumpkins, most pumpkin patches have other outdoor fall activities, such as a hay ride or a fire pit to roast marshmallows. This can easily be an outing for people of all ages.
To find a pumpkin patch near you, check out local farms or ask around at farmers markets.
Do a Corn Maze
When it comes to fun fall activities for adults, there are some classics. A corn maze is one of them. If you do decide to wander through a maze, grab some friends because mazes are tough. The more brains to work on the maze, the better!
Mopeds/Go-cart at a Pumpkin Patch
Near the classic corn maze, you may be able to find another fall activity perfect for fall weather: go-carting through a farm, field, or track. I’ve done it with friends near a corn maze, and honestly, it was 10 times more fun than it looked.
Jump in a Pile of Leaves
This autumn activity is always a favorite or mine. My grandparents and aunts always had ample leaves from the trees in their yard. At Thanksgiving, we’d head outside and rake the leaves so we could jump into them with our cousins. While jumping in leaves may seem like a childish fall thing to do, it’s fun for adults, too.
Hike a Nature Trail
Fall is my favorite time of year because of the weather. It’s the perfect temperature like spring but minus the bees, pollen, and allergies. I can wear cozy sweaters, scarves, and boots, and stand outside for more than 10 minutes.
So, autumn is the perfect season for a nature hike since the weather isn’t too hot or too cold. You can go to the nearest mountains to go hiking or find a trail near you to hike. Walking around a local lake or a trail through marshes or swamps can also help you appreciate nature in fall.
Decorate your Yard or Balcony for Fall
One way to celebrate the incoming season is to decorate. You can decorate your yard or balcony with all the favorite cliches and objects that remind you of fall.
From multicolored leaves to autumn-themed signs, bring in the season with style.
Pumpkin Picking
Pumpkins are probably the main fruit of the autumn season. You can use pumpkins to carve, to bake, to cook, to decorate, or much more. Head to the nearest pumpkin patches or general store to find a pumpkin for all the pumpkin-themed fall activities on your autumn bucket list.
Apple Picking
The prime time for apple picking is fall. Even if you’re not up for picking the apples yourself, I’ve found that an apple orchard that allows picking usually has a store where you can taste and buy all your apple-themed favorite foods. Apple pie anyone?
Visit the Local Fair
State and County Fairs usually set up in the Fall. With rides, games, and yummy foods, fairs have many fall activities for adults and children, too.
My favorite part of the state fair is seeing all the showcases and prizes for different baking competitions and crafts. I often see amazingly decorated cakes and huge vegetables and fruits that I didn’t even know could grow that large.
My second favorite part of the fair is the food. Some traditional fair foods are corndogs, hot dogs, caramel apples, funnel cakes, fresh lemonade, and fried Oreos. Usually, I go for the mini donuts.
Visit a Fall Festival
A Fall festival will usually have a farmer’s market, live music, food trucks, and games. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy the harvest season even though you may not have harvested anything yourself.
Take a Scenic Drive
Driving through scenic places is a simple, low-cost fall activity. Usually when I am driving, I’m in a rush to get somewhere. I never have time to contemplate God’s creation and appreciate the changing leaves and beautiful nature around me.
Take a road trip, short or long, on a scenic route. Pick a good playlist, crank up the car, and head out with a friend or two.
Go on Walks
If you don’t have a car, you can still enjoy the fall season by going on walks. Walk on tree-lined streets, in a local park, or on a nature trail, and appreciate the leaves changing colors. Stroll around the lake with friends and family. This is an easy way to experience fall right outside your door.
Go on a Walking Ghost Tour
For those of you who enjoy the spooky season, go on a walking ghost tour with friends. Usually, you can find these tours in small towns with rich history. On the walking ghost tour, the tourguide will share spooky legends and tales while showing you historical places.
Definitely invite friends on this one in case some of the ghost stories frighten you.
Make Crafty Fall Decorations
If you’re a DIY person, then it’s time to put your DIY creativity to work on making crafty fall crafts. Brainstorm fun, easy crafts and plan a craft party to make the decorations with friends. For example, you could all make your own floral arrangements using fall flowers.
Experiment with New Thanksgiving Recipes
On your fall bucket list, consider adding a thanksgiving themed item for cooking or baking. Now’s the time to experiment with new thanksgiving recipes or recreate your all-time favorite ones to share with friends and family.
I love the potluck style of Thanksgiving Day dinner where you can have a taste from so many people’s kitchens on one holiday.
Carve Pumpkins
Another classic fall activity for the whole family, is carving pumpkins. Whether you celebrate Halloween or not, pumpkin carving is a fun craft to do with friends.
Be warned, as someone who first carved a pumpkin in college, it’s a relatively messy fall activity. I advise you to proceed outdoors.
Paint Pumpkins
If carving pumpkins is not for you, then consider painting pumpkins. Painting pumpkins is a slightly less messy, creative fall activity with pumpkins. Take your friends to local pumpkin patches where everyone can pick your own pumpkin to paint.
Create Fall Inspired Art
Fall colors create a beautiful collage to paint with. Let the fall landscape and backdrop inspire you to create fall inspired art, whether that is with watercolors, painting, or something else.
Make Homemade Hot Apple Cider
Now our fall activities for adult list moves into my favorite category, baking! Not because I love baking, but I love eating and enjoying fall-inspired baked goods.
While pumpkin spice lattes get most of the fame in fall, there are other great drinks to enjoy in autumn. Apple cider brings the flavors of fall to a warm, yummy drink.
Hot apple cider is a fall staple. You can find apple cider to heat up at home or make your own. (Maybe use those apples from an apple picking adventure?)
Make and Decorate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Another fall staple is pumpkin-spice-anything. In terms of baked goods, pumpkin spice cupcakes are a popular fall favorite. Don’t forget the cream cheese icing-it makes the dessert.
Bake Fall Shaped Cookies
A fun fall activity to do with friends is to bake cookies and cut them into fall shapes (pumpkins, leaves, etc.) You can also decorate with colored frosting before enjoying! Who says you can’t eat art?
Make or Drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Now is the time to enjoy Pumpkin spice lattes. Whether you sip on them in the morning at work or while at brunch with friends, there are many ways to enjoy this fall-inspired drink.
If you want a more cost-effective version of this fall drink, consider making it at home. Here is my favorite recipe for pumpkin spice lattes.
Drink Hot Chocolate
While pumpkin spice lattes get most of the fame in fall, there are other great drinks to enjoy in autumn. Drinking hot chocolate is a perfect way to enjoy those crisp fall nights in your own backyard or on your porch.
Bake Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Bread
After your visit to the pumpkin patches, save some pumpkin for baking. Pumpkin pie is a fall favorite that often appears at Thanksgiving. Pumpkin bread, a personal favorite, is a yummy addition for any occasion.
Bake all Pumpkin Recipes
At this point, I hope I’ve convinced you that there are so many things you can do with pumpkin! For some reason we are only interested in pumpkin recipes in fall, so be sure to explore and try new pumpkin recipes before the pumpkin disappears for winter.
Go to a Haunted House or Corn Maze
As someone who avoids horror movies, I don’t understand how going to a haunted house can be entertainment. Yet, I have a cousin who loves haunted houses. So, if you decide to venture, bring a friend for moral support.
Attend University Homecoming
Homecomings are a grand tradition within university circles. Dust off your university gear and head to the homecoming festivities as an alumnus or alumna.
Tailgate or Attend a Football Game
The fall season is also the start of the (American) football season. When tailgating a football game, people gather usually nearby to the stadium and have food, beverages, and games either before the game or while watching the game. It’s a fun tradition to enjoy the crisp air outside with friends while cheering on your favorite team.
Watch Halloween Movies
If you celebrate Halloween, then consider hosting a Halloween movie night with friends. Watch your old favorites and discover new ones. Here’s a Halloween movie list from the Confused Millennial.
Read A Good Book
Autumn is the perfect time to curl up with a good book. Many new releases come out in the fall, so take your pick. We recommend these fiction books for people in their 20s and this list of Christian books for young women.
Do Jigsaw Puzzles with Friends
I used to think puzzles were rainy day activities or a last resort after all other things were ruled out. But recently, my sister and I were gifted a puzzle of the region where we live, and it was a total blast putting the puzzle together…together.
So, grab a group of friends and put together a jigsaw puzzle while chatting and enjoying fall snacks. Make fall your scene for this activity by doing it outside. What better way to enjoy the cooler weather and get fresh air?
Hit the Fall Sales
Shop for your fall favorite clothing, accessories, and decor with the fall sales. Think scarves, sweaters, and boots.
Decorate Your House for Fall
As the leaves are changing colors, it’s time to welcome fall with decorations in your home. Decorating your home for fall may be a pumpkin on your kitchen counter, a wreath for your door, both, or neither, or something else entirely. Be creative and ask your friends for décor ideas.
Do a Gratitude Challenge
Do a 30-days of thanks challenge with friends where you try to practice thoughtful gratitude every day. Another great way to practice gratitude is to memorize a Bible verse about thankfulness.
Fall Flannel Shopping
Hit the stores and fall sales a second time for a classic fall clothing item—a flannel. Besides being warm, flannels can be stylish, too. If you’re looking for a cute flannel at a cheap price, check out secondhand and thrift stores. That’s where all my fall flannel comes from.
Take Fall Pictures
Since fall is such a scenic time in terms of nature, it’s also the perfect backdrop for pictures. For all the photographers out there, consider having a fall photoshoot to take pictures of family, friends, and nature.
Early Christmas Shopping
It’s never too early to get a head start on Christmas shopping as long as you set your budget. In fact, starting to shop ahead of the Christmas dash and traditional shopping season will likely save you money and unnecessary stress. Here are 18 creative ways to save this holiday season and gift ideas for young women.
Travel to a Scenic Fall City or State
Earlier in this list of fall activities for adults, I mentioned visiting the mountains as a great outdoor autumn activity. But aside from mountains, there are other scenic fall cities and national parks to visit, too.
For those in the United States, I’ve heard Vermont is a wonderful place to see fall foliage. I also imagine the redwood forests are beautiful sites to see in fall.
A Weekend Trip with Friends to the Mountains
For those who love the mountains, a day trip may not be enough for you to appreciate fall in the mountains. Plan a weekend trip with friends to reconnect with nature in the picturesque mountains. Every year, I usually tweak my fall bucket list, but a weekend trip to the mountains is always on it.
Host a Friendsgiving
Friendsgiving is like Thanksgiving but with all your friends instead of your family. You can host a Friendsgiving potluck style, so the hosting burden doesn’t fall on one person.
As a heads-up, most people will be traveling around Thanksgiving, so the best time to host Friendsgiving is usually the week before or after.
If you’re afraid people will be tired of Thanksgiving food, then change the menu. Instead of the more traditional foods, pick a Mexican-inspired palate or Chinese dishes.
Host a Fall Flannel
Our church used to host this event for college students as a casual, informal homecoming. But a Fall Flannel is a fun fall event for adults, too. At these parties, everyone wears flannel, and you enjoy all the typical fall foods and games, like cornhole.
Host a Halloween Party
Like children, adults also like dressing up in costumes for fun so consider having a Halloween Party. It’s fun for me to try to put together a costume using the clothes I have at home. I also like guessing other people’s costumes and seeing the creative ways they put together their costumes.
Fall Closet Swap
If you don’t want to break the bank, but you want a new wardrobe, gather a couple of friends, and do a fall closet swap. Exchange scarves, sweaters, boots, and all your fall clothing to have something “new” to wear for the season.
Have a Thanksgiving Movie Marathon
Choose your own favorite show or movie and watch the Thanksgiving episodes with friends. For example, when I host Friendsgiving, we always watch the Thanksgiving episodes of the show Friends.
Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party
Last but certainly not least, host a murder mystery dinner party. This is one of those fall activities for adults that I underestimated in the past. But after going to 2 murder mystery parties with friends, it’s one of my favorite fall activities! Definitely add it to your autumn bucket list.
Download the Bucket List of Fall Activities for Adults
How will you keep track of all your fun fall activities? Here’s a free fall bucket list pdf for you to use to chart your autumn adventures.
This printable offers ideas for fun fall things to do and has space for you to brainstorm your own fall activities so you can build your version of the ultimate fall bucket list.
Fun Fall Things to Do with Friends
Writing this list has gotten me excited for more fall! I can’t wait for the pumpkins, the colder months, and the beautiful leaves changing colors.
I’m so thankful God created fall and that he’s given me friends and family with which to enjoy the season. I hope this list of fun fall activities for adults makes your autumn one to remember. Happy Fall!
What autumn activities do you enjoy?
Leave me a comment below!
Don’t miss this! More posts in the Living & Adulting Category
- 22 Oustanding Gifts for Women in their 20s
- 20+ Entertaining Fiction Books You Must Read in Your 20s
- 40 Fun Things to Do on a Snow Day for Adults (with or without snow)
- The 15 Top Productive Hobbies to Promote Personal Growth
Leave me a comment below!
Sign up for the best adulting tips and adventures!
Subscribe to our site for access to adulting resources, regular post updates, fun freebies, and printables!