It doesn’t seem like we get much of a fall season here in Florida, as the weather doesn’t shift much and the leaves don’t change colors. Just because the ground isn’t covered with rainbow leaves and we usually don’t even need a sweater until January, there are still so many ways to enjoy this season in Florida.
If you are looking for the best things to do in the fall in Florida, look no further. I’ve compiled a list of the best activities, locations, and festivals best enjoyed during this time of year.
Even better, I’ve organized this list into categories: The Great Outdoors, Halloween Specific, At the Parks, and Festivals. You’re guaranteed to find a handful of things you will want to do in Florida in the fall on this list.
The Great Outdoors
~ Visit a Springs
The springs are usually less populated in the colder months, so that’s my favorite time to visit them. Some springs are especially pretty in the fall as their banks are lined with trees that are changing colors which perfectly set the mood for the fall season right here in Florida.
Check out: Alexander, Gilchrist Blue, Royal or CLICK HERE for more my Florida Spring Guide.
~ Pick the Perfect Pumpkin
Pumpkin picking is without a doubt the most quintessential fall activity for adults and children alike. Whether you’re picking out the perfect pumpkin to turn into a jack-o-lantern with your kids or just choosing a festive decor piece, you will be sure to get into the fall spirit.
A lot of patches are unnatural and the pumpkins are brought in on trucks, but if you want this to be a truly authentic experience plan to visit a farm that grows their own pumpkins.
Check out: Southern Hills Farms, Santa’s Tree Farm, or visit Pumpkin Patches and More to find a location near you.
~ Get Lost in a Corn Maze
In the fall, farms shape their corn husks into intricate mazes. Take your pick between a haunted maze if you feel like being chased by a man with a chainsaw or a more family-friendly option if you’re looking to take some photos and enjoy your walk.
So long as you go in on a dry day to avoid mud, you’ll have a blast getting lost and finding your way out of a corn maze this fall.
Check out: Harvest Fields, Harvest Holler, Corn Maze Orlando, or try Haunt World, Maze Play or Corn Mazes and More to find a location near you.
~ Take a Camping Trip
Fall is the perfect time to start camping season here in Florida. As the weather cools down, many find it more comfortable to spend a night in a tent or hammock. You really don’t need more than a spot to sleep to go camping, but feel free to glamp in a camper if that’s more your style. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, just unplug and get outside!
Check out: Reserve America, Hip Camp, Florida Hikes, Visit Florida, Florida Backroad Travel
~ Perfect Your Outdoor Chili Recipe
If you do end up going camping, AND YOU SHOULD, why not perfect your campfire chili recipe? Even if you make it at home and take it to-go, spice it up a bit.
Experiment with different spice combinations, meats, and beans. Have fun experimenting and try and hone in on your perfect recipe to have ready when it does finally get cold in Florida in January.
Start with one of these epic recipes:
Mom’s Easy Vegan Chili Recipe (5-Ingredients!)
~ Remix the Original S’mores Recipe
S’mores are a favorite camping treat you can easily make at home in your backyard or in the microwave. Get creative switching up the standard s’mores ingredients.
Don’t be afraid to remix your s’mores recipe by swapping the typical chocolate bar for a Reese’s or the graham crackers for a waffle cone or banana.
Check your local grocery store’s baking aisle for fun-shaped and flavored marshmallows. Are the flat marshmallows really better for s’mores? Only one way to find out.
Check out: 6 S'mores Remixes and Chocolate Covered S’Mores Snack Mix
~Pick Sunflowers
Several sunflower patches are ready for picking again in the fall. This is one of my favorite activities to do and the pictures are beautiful. They are usually only a few dollars a piece and the perfect souvenir to bring some home to your friends and family.
Check out: Sunshine Ranch, Sledd’s, or click this link to find a farm near you
~ Pick Squash, Tomatoes, Corn, or other veggies
I am a huge u-pick fan. I love picking and eating fresh produce while spending some time outdoors with my family.
Check out: The crop calendar for Florida, Vo-LaSalle Farms, Southern Hills Farms, Ever After Farms, DeLand Blueberries, Meadors Blueberry Farm, Artisan Acres, Far Reach Ranch, Pappy's Patch U-Pick or click this link to find a farm near you.
~ Hunt Down some Fall Foliage
If you happen to tire of green leaves and palm trees, hunt down some fall foliage this fall. Yes, there are spots in the state that will make you double-check your location!
Check out: Torreya State Park, Three Rivers State Park, or Suwannee River State Park.
~ Take a Weekend Trip to Providence Canyon
This isn’t technically in Florida, but it’s the perfect weekend trip to take in the fall. I recently visited Province Canyon this summer, but love to visit in the fall when the leaves have all changed color. It is so beautiful! and the perfect fall setting as most of the canyon is shades of red and orange.
Halloween Specific
~ Take a Haunted Hayride
Most locations offering pumpkin patches and corn mazes will also offer hayrides. Like the corn mazes, some are haunted and some are family-friendly. I love these during the day to get enjoy the expansive peaceful views around a farm and love the creativity of a good haunted hayride at night
Check out: Haunt World and I Love Halloween to find a haunted hayride near you.
~ See a live Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture show is an older popular cult classic movie. The live show is fantastic and very interactive. Watch a trailer here.
If that looks like a fun way to spend an evening, I highly recommend finding a local live show with actors. Beware, it’s a tradition that if you’re a virgin (their word not mine!) to the live show, they will mark you with big red Vs in lipstick - if you’re lucky.
Check out: The Florida Theatre, Dr. Phillips Center, or the official Rocky Horror Picture show, website to find a location near you
~ See a Scary Movie
If Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t your jam, take your pick from any of the Halloween and scary movies currently playing near you.
Check out The Adams Family 2, Candy Man, Don’t Breathe 2, Malignant, or this list showing upcoming releases or 2021 and beyond.
~ Do a Home Movie Night
Still, want to see a movie, but don’t want to leave the house? In these times, who can blame you? How about doing a home movie night? I shared a bit about our recent movie night here for some inspiration on how you can go all out at home.
Check out these lists for some great movies to watch at home:
-65 Greatest Horror Movies of the 21st Century - Rolling Stone
-57 Best Kids' Halloween Movies
-35 Classic Halloween Movies to Watch for a Scary Evening In
~ Check out a Haunted Location
Explore some of the most haunted locations in Florida. Take a tour, learn a little history and get ready for the possibility of a real ghost encounter. Who doesn’t like being scared?
Check out: The Devil’s Tree, Fort Pickens, St. Augustine Lighthouse, Robert the Haunted Doll, Witch’s Grave, Biltmore Hotel, Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, The Cuban Club, The Devil’s Chair, Greenwood Cemetery, Cassadaga, The Devil’s School, Bellamy Bridge, Castillo de San Marcos, Flagler College or check out these links to find a spooky location near you: Haunted Places, Fright Find, or Haunt World.
~ Go on a Ghost Tour
I love ghost tours. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, these tours are basically history tours with a spooky twist that won’t bore you to death.
Check out Ghosts & Gravestones Tour in St. Augustine or click here to find a ghost tour near you:
~ Zombie Runs
Zombie runs and zombie games both involve being chased by ZOMBIES and look so fun!
Check out: Zombie Fun Run or Zombie Run 5K
~ Find a Scary Espace Room
This might sound like the plot of a horror movie, but scary and murder mystery escape rooms are a unique way to spend a night this fall, especially if the weather is bad outdoors. See if you and your friends can beat the clock and escape!
Check out Haunt World to find an escape room near you.
~ Find a Local Group
I use local mom groups/websites to find small events such as wildlife walks and festivals held by local businesses and churches. We have found so many fun activities from these resources. This year we will be going to several local pumpkin patches, a Candy Land Festival and to see a movie in the park.
At the Parks
Most Florida theme parks, zoos, and attractions have Halloween special events. Here’s a bit about the top choices.
~ Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween Horr Nights is my favorite Halloween park event. In my younger years, I would get the Frequent Fear pass and visit every single Friday for the whole season plus opening weekend. This would be my recommended way to experience Halloween Horror Nights.
My top reason for going multiple times is that they change the houses. Not just adding a few scare actors, they CHANGE the houses so much as the season goes on that it’s really worth multiple trips.
What’s there to see at Halloween Horror Nights? Enjoy the haunted houses and scare zones in addition to live shows, and several rides, restaurants, and shops are open.
~ Brick-or-Treat
Brick-or-Treat is Lego Land’s Halloween bash complete with Halloween Lego characters, Brick-O-treat trick or treating Halloween shows, and fireworks.
~ Mickey’s Not to Scary Halloween
Mickey's Not so Spooky Halloween is Disney’s Halloween celebration. The park is decked out in Halloween decor, the characters are in their Halloween costumes, you can watch themed cavalcades and of course, there is trick or treating.
This event is perfect for smaller children to enjoy as the title says, it’s not so scary. One thing you may not know is that Disney offers several options for treats you can receive in your treat bag so if you have an allergy or dietary preference they can probably accommodate you,
To experience this event at the magic kingdom, you must purchase a ticket in addition to the normal day pass.
~ Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream
Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream is an even scarier, though a smaller, version of Halloween Horror Nights. The park is turned into a terror zone after dark complete with haunted houses, terror-tories, sinister shows, and party zones.
~ SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular
SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular is another family and personal favorite event. SeaWorld hosts a darling “fatasea” event complete with characters in costumes, games, trick-or-treating, meet a mermaid and a live DJ.
~ Boo at the Zoo
Similar to the events above, most zoos also get into the Halloween spirit and offer special trick-or-treating and more Halloween fun.
Check out: Brevard Zoo, Gulf Breeze Zoo, Naples Zoo or click here to find a zoo near you.
Festivals
Several festivals take place in Florida in the fall. Here’s a list of the top festivals.
~ Epcot Food Festival
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is a yearly event offering a plethora of options for entertainment including live bands, both food and wine tastings, and demos with famous chefs.
~ Oktoberfest
Many locations here in Florida have Oktoberfest celebrations modeled after the German volkfest. There is lots of beer, German music, authentic German food, and costumed party-goers.
Check Out Oktoberfest Florida
~ Biketoberfest
Biketoberfest is an enormous motorcycle rally hosted in Daytona Beach, but celebrated in many surrounding areas. If you like barhopping, riding, and getting your bike washed by ladies in bikinis you will love this celebration. I’ve been out to this before for the food trucks as the food is great!
~ EDC
Electric Daisy Carnival is an epic music festival for all kinds of electric dance music. If you like that at all this is the one festival to go to. Lights, fireworks, costumes, great food, and amazing music. It’s an epic experience but you must go VIP for the ease of access to food, water and restrooms.
~ HULUWEEN
Hulaween is a similar festival to EDC, however, it’s more laid back. Enjoy camping in the woods with giant art pieces and sculptures at Hulaween for a unique music experience.