Apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes, and Halloween. Fall just wouldn’t be the same without them. So embrace the autumnal aura by seeking out events with people in your local community who can’t get enough of cooler temps, shorter days, comfy clothes, and hot meals.
While you’re admiring colorful changes in foliage, drinking seasonal brews, or putting together an epic contest-contending costume, you’ll also be forming new social connections that will last through fall, well into winter, and beyond.
Ghost walks, ghoulish games, and good friends celebrating Halloween
Whether you see Halloween as scary or silly (or both), it’s a tradition that connects us with others and marks the progress of our year. Meetup has thousands of fun events to help you celebrate this Halloween in a special way, and make new friends while you’re at it.
If you want to stay fit while you’re having a frightfully good time, you can find a group like the Summerville Social Group, who’ll join a Charleston Terrors ghost tour on Saturday, October 29. For something even more quirky and outside the box, there are events like the 10th Annual Casket Race in Chicago on Saturday, October 22. Members of the Oak Park Social Club and hundreds of others will enjoy one of the city’s most peculiar and beloved Halloween traditions, where riders in elaborately decorated “caskets” on wheels race each other down a closed section of Beloit Avenue.
For the more casual Halloween observers, you could check out a Meetup reading group that’s diving into spooky stories for the season, like the Wynwood Book Club in Miami. Or you can watch horror movies with a group like the Nashville Black Millenials, who are going to see an outdoor screening of Get Out on Friday, October 21.
Fall events for foodies
Cooking and baking are rewarding hobbies you should consider taking up this time of year. With soup and pie weather upon us, you can warm your home and fill it with the lovely aromas of the autumn harvest.
With online Meetup cooking classes, you can learn to make exquisite seasonal dishes from people all over the world. For example, on Saturday, October 8, you can RSVP to Brooklyn-based Chez Francois French Cooking Classes, who will host a virtual lesson on Boeuf Bourguignon, a classic fall stew with beef and vegetables marinated in red wine. On Saturday, October 15, you could join San Diego’s Cookbook Cook Blub (in person or in spirit) as they explore recipes from Dinner Pies by Ken Haedrich. A great beginner-friendly event will be hosted by Black Philadelphia on Saturday, October 22, when they attend a BYOB holiday cake-decorating workshop.
If you’re less interested in the food-preparing than the food-enjoying side of things, there are plenty of activities that center the savoring of seasonal flavors. On Tuesday, October 11, you could join the Encore! Meetup group as they attend the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, where you’ll find everything from prize-winning chilis and roasted corn to pumpkin ales and spirits. If seasonal sweets are your heart’s desire, join a group like The San Francisco Bay Area CHOCOLATE Meetup as they sample the delights of this year’s Fall Holiday Chocolate Salon on Sunday, November 20.
Foliage frolicking and picturesque picnics
Fall is a season of quiet wonder and, as Albert Camus once put it, “a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Opportunities abound for strolls and hikes that will put you in the heart of the changing landscape, to admire the beauty and connect with your inner calm. Here are just a few examples of autumnal outings taking place all across the United States through Meetup:
- Celebration of fall splendor in Portland Japanese Garden on Saturday, October 15
- Sunday afternoon walk and picnic in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park on Sunday, October 16
- Hiking part of the famous Pacific Crest Trail out of Seattle on Saturday, October 22
- Blue Hills hike followed by brewery hangout in the Boston area on Saturday, October 29
- Central Park foliage photoshoot in New York City on Saturday, October 29
Be inspired to create your own autumnal activities
If you can attend one of the amazing events listed above, that’s great! But if the timing doesn’t work for you, or you live in an area that’s lacking in fall festivities, don’t give up on celebrating this special season.
If any of these activities speak to you, you can run with that idea and make it your own. Organize a haunted history tour, lazy leaf-peeping stroll, or chilly potluck with warm drinks in your city. It’s easy to create your own Meetup group and invite others to join you. Within minutes you could be well on your way to having a calendar full of fall fun with new friends. However autumn appeals to you, it’s sure to appeal to plenty of other people in just the same way. And you can be an active part of the seasonal spirit that brings them all together!
Last modified on October 11, 2022
