Fall Festivities

The most popular season is finally among us; fall. Bright orange pumpkins, crispy leaves, and all things spooky are here at our disposal for the next few months before the Christmas lights come up, but what is there to do? How can we make the best of this crisp fall air?

Go Haunted Housing!

A rather popular choice, haunted housing, can be full of fear, yet be so exciting when you do it with the right people. Whether you travel near or far for these experiences, here are some of the most popular haunted houses people are going to nowadays.

Charlotte Haunted House / $15 each / https://www.facebook.com/charlottehauntedhouse/

Haunted Carter Farms / $12 each / http://hauntedcarterfarms.com/

Factory of Fear / $20 each / http://www.qcfactoryoffear.com/aboutus.html

Skellington Manor / $20 each / https://skellingtonmanor.com/terror-at-skellington-manor/

Shock House / $15 each / https://www.qcshockhouse.com/

Go to a Pumpkin Patch or an Apple Orchard!

Green, viney leaves and the smell of caramel apples attract many people to pumpkins patches, along with the well known and necessary Instagram picture of your creatively carved or painted pumpkin. Pumpkin patches are a necessity when it comes to fall in order to truly get into the right vibe for the season and luckily we have some good ones not far from here. Plus, there’s corn mazes too! Along with pumpkin patches, apple orchards also serve for the perfect day. Picking them fresh off the tree and spending time outdoors can be very refreshing and inspiring.

Pride of the Wapsi, Long Grove

Roling Acres, DeWitt

Stone’s Apple Barn, East Moline

Bake!

Of course, fall baking is everyone's favorite. Sweet-smelling apple pies fresh from the orchard or even the cut-out and bake sugar cookies with pictures of ghosts or pumpkins on them are always loved. Many enjoy baking pumpkin seeds for snacking too! Hot apple cider, steamy hot chocolate, and so much more can help you get into the fall mood. Just take some time, maybe head over to grandmas and bake something you’ll love and spark some joy for the fall season.

Host a Bonfire!

A summer and fall favorite for get-togethers is now almost over. The time for bonfires, crispy s'mores, and spending time outside with your best friends is coming to an end and will soon be attacked by the plush, white snow and winter boots. Invite your friends over, pack an extra blanket or two, and take advantage of the last few times we can be outside before you’re wishing you had a bigger coat.

Watch Scary Movies!

Bundle up with some friends, get everyone together, and have a scary movie marathon! Even if you’re not particularly a fan, laughing… and screaming can actually turn out to be a good time. So do your research, find the best movies, and throw some popcorn in the microwave and make it a low key, but very memorable night. Here are some top suggested scary / Halloween movies.

Nightmare Before Christmas

Hocus Pocus

IT and IT Returns

Monster House

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

and so much more!

- Erin Suhr