35+ Fall Date Ideas: A round-up of the best fall date nights, including free, romantic, active, and at-home fall date ideas, to make the most of fall!

It’s the time of year when leaves start to change, cooler weather hits, and everything turns to pumpkin- which means fall date ideas are in order! It’s a great time to plan a different set of dates than you’d do any other time of year, and that may be why these nights are some of my favorites.

Fall Date Ideas

There are so many free date ideas, romantic date ideas, and just seasonal date ideas like fun Halloween date ideas (when else is dressing up and pouring fake blood on your body appropriate/fun?) that make fall one of the most fun times to get out and make some memories with your significant other!

Here are 35 of our favorite fall dates that we try to fit in this fun season!

Fun Fall Activities for Adults: 

Carve pumpkins.

A pumpkin carving date night may be the quintessential fall date night! It doesn’t have to be a spooky jack-o-lantern for Halloween;

Pumpkin Patch Date

Go to the local pumpkin patch and pick out the perfect pumpkins.

Get Seasonal Drinks

I am not here to judge you if you’re a basic pumpkin spice latte lover! I love me some fresh apple cider, and many people love seasonal flavors from their local brewery. This is a great excuse to put on that cozy sweater and go enjoy your favorite seasonal beverages.

Fall Brunch Date

It’s the perfect time to make pumpkin pancakes. Or make some pumpkin overnight oats and have a brunch picnic among the fall leaves.

Visit a harvest festival/fall festival

These are the perfect places to find some seasonal food and seasonal fun! We love the Pumpkin and Chili Fest in our area- it’s always on our fall bucket list!

Host/participate in a chili cookoff

Enjoy the sponsor soup of fall with a group of friends. Have several friends sign up for a chili cooking competition, and provide the tasting bowls, spoons, and a scorecard. Everyone can vote on their favorite dish and enjoy. These are easy to host in the backyard, and make a really fun fall group date!

Go apple picking

It’s so quintessentially fall to pick apples while they’re in season! It screams we’re here for sweater weather and sets you up with one of the classics in the fall activity genre. Check your local apple orchard for dates and times.

Make caramel apples

It’s surprisingly easy to make candy apples with two sets of hands! Grab the ingredients and dip gourmet apples. You could also try our double-crunch caramel apples recipe.

Rake leaves and jump in the piles

Why not enjoy some fall foliage and feel like a kid again? Once the temps start to lower, it’s a great time to schedule this free date! It’s a really fun outdoor date idea perfect for the season!

Bake an Apple Pie

This date is surprisingly romantic, and apple pie is easier than you’d think with my mother-in-law’s no-fail pie crust recipe.
And if you want to kick up the romance a notch, try doing a blindfold baking date night while you make it together. It’s a fun date we found in the Adventure Challenge for Couples book we highly recommend!

Romantic Autumn Date Ideas

Football Game Date Night

Football games, even high school games, are a really fun date night! Find a game night to get tickets to, dress in the team colors, and cheer on the local team. If you want to kick up a notch, attend an NFL or college football game and go tailgating before the big event.

TV Season Binge Watching Date

Get ready for a cuddle fest on the couch with blankets and treats. It’s the perfect time to celebrate the return of TV shows with a kickoff party for your favorite series. Cozy up and create a romantic fort date while you watch.
If you need some great show ideas, be sure to check out our favorite 10 binge-worthy shows you’ll both enjoy.

Farmers Market Date 

A date to your local farmers’ market is always a good idea, but it’s one of the best date ideas to do in the fall! You’ll find even more great items and local vendors. There are plenty of great options, and it’s a good place to find fall flavors with cozy baked goods and food options. Just walking around and exploring while holding hands makes a great romantic fall date idea!

Horseback Riding Date

Horses also enjoy optimal fall weather, and many horse owners host rides and tours in the fall. It’s so romantic to trudge through the mountains and see the sights!

Oktoberfest Date

We always have fun attending the local Oktoberfest for date night, and we don’t even drink! Trust me, even if you don’t drink, there’s lots of great food and entertainment at most of these events. But if you do drink, you know it’s a great time to try all the beers and enjoy some great German food!

Plan a Hayride

There are romantic scenic hayrides, and there’s also the option for a haunted hayride. Whether you want to cuddle up and relax, or cuddle up while creepy actors jump out at you is up to you!

Corn Maze Date

Visit a Corn Maze and enjoying holding hands while you get lost together. A corn maze also makes a fantastic group date if you want to turn up a little friendly competion and see who can get out the fastest.

Fall Movie Date Night Out

Go to the movies and see a fall blockbuster. If you love a good scary movie, this is the time to see one in theaters!

Fall Movie Date Night At Home

If you want to lean into the cozy vibe of fall, one of the best date ideas is a cozy night in with a fall movie night. Grab some takeout, or make a cozy charcuterie spread with meat and cheese.
We love watching Knives Out, or any football movie, which does the trick for a really fun movie night!

Murder Mystery Date Night

If you’ve never done a murder mystery date night, here’s your chance to change that! The easiest way is to attend a murder mystery dinner theater. These peak at Halloween, but they’re fun year-round.

But if you’re up for a little bit of a bigger endeavor, we highly recommend…

Host a Murder Mystery Party

If you’ve never had a big group date murder mystery party, this is your sign to do one! We have all the details on how to do a murder mystery date with tons of recommendations to make it easy and extra fun!

Find a Local Fall Play.

Most high schools are putting on their fall production, and most theater companies have just kicked off their season openers.

Hit Up the County Fair

Go ahead and ride the carousel, play some arcade games, and try to win that stuffed animal. You can even spring for some deep-fried food for a culinary adventure!

Plan Halloween Costumes

There’s something extra fun about coordinating and coming up with the best Couple’s Halloween costumes! If you need some inspiration, we have you covered!

150+ Couple Costume Ideas 

Easy Last Minute Costumes for Couples 

150+ Disney Couples Costume 

DIY Halloween Costumes

It’s a great time to head to a thrift store or see what you can do to win the best couple’s costume at your next Halloween costume party.

Enjoy Some Apple Cider

Whether you make your own hot cider or head to a coffee shop for some gourmet caramel apple cider, it’s a great ,simple date idea!

Hot Chocolate Date Night

Why not enjoy hot chocolate season and properly welcome it with a date night? Take it up a notch with a hot chocolate bar and have a hot chocolate date night.

Have a bonfire/s’mores night

There is something about a fire pit and fall that goes perfectly together! Whether you head to a campsite, set up in the backyard, or rent a pit at a fall festival, it makes for a perfect date!

Take a drive to see the leaves changing

Chart a scenic location and choose a time with optimal changing leaves. Pick up some hot chocolate or pumpkin spice lattes and sip while you ride. It will be one of the most beautiful scenic drives of your life!

Fall Bike Ride

One of the best ways to see changing leaves is riding bikes! It’s a great active date idea that’s surprisingly approachable, even for a first date!

Find a Scenic Hike

In late September/early October, you’ll hit prime hiking season to see changing leaves and hit perfect weather. If you need some ideas on how to find trails in your area, check out our hiking date post.

Fall Baking Night

Embrace the basic and stock up on all things pumpkin! Bake pumpkin cookies, bread, muffins- whatever your heart desires together for an easy at-home date idea.

Spooky Baking Night

Dive in and make those Halloween cookies or cupcakes. We loved our zombie sugar cookie date night! You definitely get bonus points for the creepiest/grossest, etc.

Thrift Store Date Night

Head to the thrift store and try to create the worst Halloween costumes for each other (no need to buy a thing!)

Ghost Story Date Night

Look up and read the urban legends of ghost stories in your area, and go check out the locations. 

Autumn Date Ideas

Whatever you choose to do this fall, we hope you have the best time enjoying the cooler weather, leaves, and romantic vibes of the fall season! And may several of these fall date ideas end up on your calendar! Happy autumn dating lovers!

Like these Fall Date Night ideas? You may like these posts too:

Halloween Date Ideas

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Over 150 Couple’s Halloween Costume Ideas (With Family Costume Ideas Too!)

Halloween Activities for Kids + Families: 14 Halloween Traditions