Five Fall Activities Students Must Do

There’s nothing quite like walking outside your front door and the crisp air hitting you with the same intensity of that first bite of an apple. Yes, autumn has graced our presence yet again, and I’m here to help you reap the most out of it before old man you-know-who comes knocking (not Walter White).

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Apple Picking

The tastiest treat of fall may just be the apple. Whether pressed into a deliciously spicy glass of apple cider or enjoyed with perfectly melted caramel and nuts blanketing it, apples arrive in perfect time for autumn.

And why not enjoy them straight from the source? Many orchards have multiple types of apples in full bloom in the fall months, and offer visitors the opportunity to head straight for the trees and pluck their treats directly off.

Lynd Farms in Pataskala allows patrons to buy bundles to pick different varieties of apples from their orchards. Once you’ve had your fair share of pickings, be sure to hit up their market for local finds such as homemade apple butters and spreads, along with fresh fry pies and other satisfying treats.

Pumpkin Patch

The one image most commonly associated with fall (and Halloween-month of October in general) is the world’s favorite gourd: the pumpkin. As the time comes only once a year, it’s important to make the most out of our orange-ridged friend.

For a change, instead of going to your local supermarket to grab a gourd, find a pumpkin patch near you where you can navigate the vines and pick your own personal pumpkin. To get the best out of your pumpkins, it’s always fun to carve them to artistic lengths.

This year, make your house the talk of your street by making your own stencil and carving something you love from your favorite movie, band, TV show, book, or sports team. If it doesn’t turn out great, I can personally guarantee you that smashing it on the ground is both fun and satisfying- and still fairly festive. And once you’re done, toast those pumpkin seeds in oil and salt for a yummy treat!

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Bonfires

It almost doesn’t feel right to step outside on a cool fall night without the smell of a nearby campfire. Fall can basically be summed up by that smell on your hoodie the next morning from the smoke that makes you never want to set foot near a washing machine again. These flames are ideal for roasting marshmallows as the smoke bellows from person to person along with the wisp of a passing story.

To go all out, take a camping weekend nearby, and get some hiking in while the leaves are colorful and still hanging. Hocking Hills is near Columbus and is fantastic this time of year. Or simply grab some newspaper and sticks and make a fire in your yard with your friends; the campfire sereneness is present wherever the flame lies.

Fears and Films

Halloween may not feel complete without a few chills. Whether you’re a fear-seeker, or a fear-fearer (like myself) there’s still some type of experience for everyone. For the real thrill-seekers, a haunted house is a must on a fall to-do-list. Nothing quite comes close to getting lunged at by dressed up strangers, placing you in the closest you’ll (hopefully) ever come to a horror movie.

In the Columbus area, the Haunted Prison Experience at the real life former Mansfield Prison is the scariest (and loudest) scare for your buck. The prisoners you’ll come across are much more terrifying than Red and Andy from “Shawshank,” that’s for certain. For everyone else, however, there’s the multitude of Halloween classics to indulge on while your friends are away.

Nothing compares to a cool night, bundled up in your favorite blanket, with hot apple cider or hot cocoa while watching some of the best Halloween movies around. “Hocus Pocus,” “Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and my personal favorite (even though it’s not a movie) “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” always are must-watch specials this time of year.

Decorations

To maximize your fall and Halloween spirit, it’s a must to grab fun, spooky decorations to brighten (or more accurately, darken) your living quarters. But not everyone has the money to spend on decorations that are only pulled out once a year! Luckily for college students, there are other cheaper, “spoopy” decorations.

These “spoops”, or festive, low-cost alternatives to decorations, allow for just about anyone to satisfy their festive needs. Grab some cardboard from some old Amazon boxes along with some paint and a knife to make some simple gravestones for your front yard.

Want to have a forever pumpkin? Buy a styrofoam or another fake pumpkin and carve a design that you can save for Halloween after Halloween. Grab some old yarn and some tape to create a spider web design for your entire wall. Not everyone may have the money to buy decorations year after year, but “spoops” can still make anyone orange with autumn spirit.

Take part in these five fall activities, and there’s a guarantee that you’ll feel much better looking back whenever that white stuff starts falling.