“It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and best of all, leaping into leaves!”
Winnie the Pooh
Fall is my favorite season. Everyone seems to slow down just a little bit, ready to nestle down for winter. It’s a time for a rebirth and to consider how you want to end your year. It’s all about family and love and being thankful.
Ever since moving to LA, celebrating each and every season has been more important than ever. The seasons are a little slower to turn here so I have to do my part and nudge it along. The seasons really are about the little things and even if you live somewhere like LA, where the weather doesn’t necessarily match the seasons, you can still celebrate with all the golden colors. Don’t know where to start? Take a peek below for my fall bucket list.
Looking for LA specific fall bucket list items?
Here are a few of my favorites or want-to-trys!
Pumpkin Patches
Riley’s Farm
Riley’s Farm is one of my favorites. Make your own apple cider, pick your own apples, strawberries, pumpkins, and wildflowers. Grab a delicious lunch and buy some of their delicious treats. Last year, I even brought Scout!
Since Riley’s Farm is my usual spot, I haven’t yet given Mr. Bones a try but it’s on my list to visit. Also dog-friendly!
Such a family-friendly option. Last year, I went with my friends and one of the couples had a newborn baby. They have a pumpkin patch but my favorite part of this farm was all the animals! There are special areas for the animals and the goat enclosure is so much fun. PLUS they have a special fall festival with a corn maze, pumpkin house, hayrides and more.
Family-Friendly LA Halloween
This event is at Descanso gardens! I’ve gone with friends in years past to Descanso for a Halloween event but this one seems totally different! From their website: “For five nights only, a thousand professionally carved pumpkins – some as large as 100 pounds and all of them real – will line a 1-mile walk through the Camellia Forest and Oak Grove.”
I just snagged my ticket and they are selling out FAST! Grab yours while there are still some left.
Just check out the website to see all the gorgeous pictures from this event. It is a “Halloween jack o lantern experience” and it looks like the perfect mix between beautiful and spooky.
The Spook Factor – Halloween Events
TBH – scary? Not my thing. I have only attended Fright Fest but the others listed come highly recommended by my brave friends.
Scary just isn’t my thing. But my friends and I accidentally attended Fright Fest this year and it was a good level of scary. We were just at Six Flags for the roller coasters but at night, the goblins, witches, and ghouls came out. There are clearly marked scare zones (I steered clear of the clowns one) so you can walk through without any extra cost and a good level of “scare”. You can pay more to go through the mazes so whether you want more scare or the scare zones are enough, you can control the level of spooky you experience. There are even special fright-fest prices so go for the whole day and experience the night or pay for a cheaper ticket just for the scare-fest spooktacular.
This one is too scary for me, I’m not going to lie. I have never attended and don’t plan to but in case you were wanting to up the scare factor, here you go. I’ll be at home with Halloweentown so you let me know if you like it.
Their ads usually include clowns. Hard pass. But if I were into scary things, I would definitely check this one out.
This one takes place on (or around?) on the famous Queen Mary. Something about a supposedly haunted boat with a Halloween event just gives me the creepy crawlies.
See a Halloween Screening
Cinespia @ Hollywood Forever – see a scary movie in an actual graveyard
Fall Soundtrack
Now get going! Fall doesn’t last very long and we need to get the most out of it! Whether you’re full into Halloween swing or are just looking for the perfect pumpkin spice latte, let me know what you’re up to. Is there anything missing from my fall bucket list that’s on yours?
Wherever you are, I hope you get to slow down a little bit. Don’t forget to drink some apple cider. And forget those inhibitions and jump into the pile of leaves. Life is short and fall is even shorter so let’s get to it.
Happy Fall y’all,
Looking for LA activities to do that aren’t as touristy as the obvious options? Look no further:
