It’s that time of year again, folks.
The air is crisp, the lines at Starbucks are reaching all-time highs and your Instagram feed is about to be showered with people lying in fields of orange fruit. (Yes, pumpkins are a fruit.)
Although Florida prevents us from experiencing the seasons and all of their glory, it doesn’t mean we have to follow Mother Nature’s rules. Some rules are simply meant to be broken.
So if you’re looking for a way to embrace Florida’s hidden harvest or just want an excuse to wear UGGs for a day, the GainesvilleScene team has done some digging to ensure that you have the best fall that Gainesville has to offer.
Trash your grocery list and your to-do lists and use this bucket list to get you in the fall spirit.
Via: Unsplash
Haunted Corn Maze
Head over to Newberry cornfield maze at Hodge Farms. You can spend some time frolicking in the cornfield (and have a begrudging friend document it for Instagram) before dusk. After dusk, it turns into a haunted maze, the haunted house opens up and haunted hayrides begin. It’s open from Sept. 25 to October 30. 5 – 11 p.m. on Friday, 3 – 11 p.m. on Saturday and 2 – 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Seasonal Cuisine
Embrace the mascot of October and get creative by making something with pumpkin as an ingredient! Experiment with one of these seasonal recipes from GainesvilleGrub. (Yes, pumpkin moonshine is on the list.)
Ditch the basic Starbucks pumpkin spice latte and head over to local coffee shops like Coffee Culture. They make amazing seasonal drinks that are more like decadent fall desserts than they are beverages.
Micro breweries and big name brands alike are producing a variety of seasonal beers. Grab some friends and each buy a different fall themed 6-pack. Hang around a bonfire and have a beer tasting! A few to try: Blue Moon’s Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Southern Tier’s Imperial Pumpking, Shock Top’s Spiced Banana Wheat, Brooklyn Brewery’s Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale, Goose Island’s Bourbon Country Brand Stout and Saint Arnold’s Brewing’s Pumpkinator.
Pumpkin Patch
This wouldn’t be a guide to fall if we didn’t mention a pumpkin patch, am I right ladies? The Trinity UMC Pumpkin Patch is open from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31 everyday of the week. Monday through Friday it will be open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. , Saturdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Hayrides are also available on the weekends. So if you and your friends want to carve some pumpkins for All Hallows Eve or have a desperate need for a new Facebook profile picture, you’re in luck.
Via: Flickr
Halloween Festivities
Natalie Portman certainly did an excellent job at turning “Swan Lake” into the most sinister ballet in history. What better way to celebrate this seasons only holiday than a Black Swan Cafe on Oct.30? The event will be held at Fackler Foyer East at 6 p.m. and will include wine, dinner and a musical performance by String for Things. If you can’t get enough of all the creepy vibes, the following night, the Dance Alive National Ballet will present “A Haunted Swan Lake” at the Phillips Center at 7:30 p.m.
Grab your pup and head to the annual Drool and Ghoul Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest and Pool Party. On Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., and is open to well-behaved dogs at the H. Spurgeon Cherry (Westside) Pool, which is located at 1001 NW 31st Dr. The pool and splash pad will be open to dogs, and there will be a costume contest, free dog baths, photos with pets and great local pet-business vendors. Admission is $5 and proof of immunizations is required.
Sunset over Paynes Prairie
Don’t let your Snapchat friends be the only ones appreciating Gainesville’s prime fall sunsets. Now that it’s not 97% humidity outside, grab a blanket and a cuddle buddy and head South on 13th Street to the Paynes Prairie look out. Pack a thermos full of hot coffee or cider and sit your happy ass on top of your car. It’s a romantic date idea or a chance to take some shameless sunset pics.
Via: Unsplash
Free Fridays Concert Series
Each Friday in October, the corner of Southwest Second Avenue and Southwest Second Street is transformed into a free outdoor concert venue. What better way to celebrate your favorite season than by jamming to covers of Tom Petty, the Beatles and original songs by local Gainesville bands. Every Friday under the stars from 8-10 p.m..
Chill with the Bats
UF’s campus is famous for the flight of the bats every evening over Museum Road. The Gainesville Lubee Bat Conservancy is hosting its 11th Annual Bat Festival where you can view giant fruit bats and tour the conservancy. Some of the bats have a wingspan of up to 6 feet! The festival is held at Lubee Bat Conservancy, a 110-acre ranch, located at 1309 N.W. 192nd Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32609 on Saturday October 24 from 10am-4pm. Admission is free, but donations are encourage.
