I love fall because it’s the season when effort finally meets abundance. For most of human history, autumn meant the barns were full, the cellars were stocked, and families could exhale knowing they had enough to make it through winter. That primal relief still hums under our modern lives—the pot of soup on the stove, the apples on the counter, the candles you light “just because.”

Psychologically, the season feels like maturity rather than decline: projects ripen, routines steady, and our plans get wiser. The air loses its heavy heat; colors deepen. There’s the hush of early evenings, the soft percussion of rain on sidewalks, and that clean, earthy scent after a shower—the famous “petrichor” from plant oils and soil microbes—plus the papery smell of leaves as chlorophyll fades and hidden pigments finally show. It’s not drama; it’s composure. It’s permission to slow down and savor.

And then, of course, the pageantry: leaves drifting like confetti, trails turning gold, hot drinks in cold hands, school nights with board games, and weekend walks in the woods. Autumn isn’t only cozy—it’s wildly active if you want it to be. Below is your field guide to celebrate the season fully, from bucket-list holidays and festivals to everyday ideas for kids, toddlers, preschoolers, and grown-ups. I’ve also added NYC and Long Island picks if you’re nearby.

2025 Fall Holiday Calendar

September

• Labor Day (US): Mon, Sept 1
• National Grandparents Day (US): Sun, Sept 7
• Patriot Day (US): Thu, Sept 11
• International Day of Peace: Sun, Sept 21
• Autumnal Equinox: Mon, Sept 22 (18:19 UTC)
• Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year): Mon–Wed, Sept 22–24 (begins evening Sept 22)

October

• Oktoberfest (Munich): Sat, Sept 20 – Sun, Oct 5
• Canadian Thanksgiving: Mon, Oct 13
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day / Columbus Day (US): Mon, Oct 13
• Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival): Mon, Oct 6
• Diwali/Deepavali: Mon–Tue, Oct 20–21 (varies by location)
• Halloween: Fri, Oct 31

November

• All Saints’ Day: Sat, Nov 1
• Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Sat–Sun, Nov 1–2
• Daylight Saving Time ends (US): Sun, Nov 2 (many states)
• Veterans Day (US) / Remembrance Day (Commonwealth): Tue, Nov 11
• Thanksgiving (US): Thu, Nov 27
• Black Friday: Fri, Nov 28

Fun fall activities

To make lists like this more useful, we’ve added a small but delightful feature on the site—you can now check off items you’ve already done. Your choices are saved on this device, so you can keep marking things on your next visits. Try it out! I’ll be using it myself—despite writing down lots of fun fall activities, I haven’t done most of them yet.

• Leaf-peeping walk followed by a thermos picnic
• Apple-picking + DIY cider or crisp night
• Backyard bonfire with s’mores and a simple stargazing guide
• Farmer’s market “harvest haul” and soup-stock day
• Make a gratitude jar you’ll read aloud at Thanksgiving
• Library run for spooky (or cozy) reads, then a read-in day
• Neighborhood photo safari: capture reds, golds, textures
• Host a chili cook-off or hot-chocolate flight
• Carve pumpkins; roast seeds three ways (savory, sweet, spicy)
• Volunteer at a food pantry before the holiday rush

Fall activities for preschoolers

• Nature color hunt: match leaf colors to paint swatches
• Pine-cone bird feeders (sunflower seed + peanut-free butter alternative if needed)
• Storytime fort with flashlights and “rain” sound playlists
• Sensory bin: dry beans, tiny gourds, scoops, funnels
• Paper-leaf garland: trace, cut, and string

Fall activities for toddlers

• Leaf toss “parachute” play with a bedsheet in the yard
• Mini pumpkin wash station (warm water, brushes, towels)
• Stomp-paint with cut-up apples (use big paper on the floor)
• Short “touch and tell” walks: bark, leaves, rocks, puddles
• Cozy dance party to mellow autumn playlists before naps

Fall activities for adults

• Harvest dinner with local wine or cider pairings
• Sunrise hike + thermos coffee; sunset bike ride + mulled cider
• Closet refresh: donate, repair, and build a capsule for cold months
• Skill season: pick one course (bread baking, pottery, photography)
• Deep-clean + reset weekend: linen flip, pantry audit, winter kit prep

Fun fall activities for kids

• Build a leaf lab: press leaves, label species, make a scrapbook
• Backyard “Olympics”: sack race, pumpkin roll, acorn toss
• Family movie night lineup (cozy classics to mild spooky)
• DIY birdhouse or squirrel feeder and a simple nature log
• Scavenger hunt during a local fall festival

Fall activities in NYC

New York in autumn is unbeatable: parks glow, museums unveil new shows, and the city throws events. A few seasonal anchors:

• Village Halloween Parade (Greenwich Village): Oct 31 at 7 pm on Sixth Ave—costumes welcome and encouraged. Arrive early or watch on NY1. https://halloween-nyc.com/
• Open House New York (OHNY) Weekend: Every mid-October, hundreds of usually closed sites open their doors across the five boroughs. Watch OHNY for the 2025 program and tickets. 17-19 October. https://ohny.org/weekend/
• New York Comic Con (Javits Center): Oct 9–12, 2025—panels, cosplay, signings; plan ahead for crowds.
• NYBG Fall-O-Ween (Bronx): Giant pumpkin displays, gourds, and family activities, Sept 25–Nov 30, 2025.
• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Thanksgiving morning along Central Park West to Herald Square—balloons, bands, and nostalgia. November 27, 2025.
• Hudson River fall-foliage cruises: 4-hour foliage cruise or the full-day Bear Mountain Oktoberfest sailing. September 27, 2025.

Quick wins: wander the Ramble in Central Park, hit rooftop views at sunset, browse Union Square Greenmarket for squash and cider, and end with hot chocolate on a chilly stroll along the High Line.

Fall activities on Long Island

Long Island turns into one big harvest playground—especially the North Fork.

• Pick-your-own & pumpkin patches: Harbes Family Farm runs beloved fall attractions (pumpkins, hayrides, more). Lewin Farms offers U-pick fruit in early fall; always check orchard status before you go.
• Corn mazes: Schmitt’s Family Farm in Melville builds a huge seasonal maze and family area every year.
• Wine country weekends: The North Fork’s vineyards glow in late season—perfect for tastings and golden-hour photos. Start with Discover Long Island’s itinerary.
• Oyster Bay Oyster Festival: One of LI’s largest waterfront events, typically mid-October (2025 is slated for Oct 18–19). https://oysterbaymusicfestival.org/

Also: stroll Jones Beach at dusk, bike Caumsett State Historic Park, and plan a pie crawl (pumpkin, apple, pecan—no wrong answers).

Curious, true things about autumn

Here are a couple of interesting facts about autumn that I came across while writing this article.

• The rainy-day smell we love is petrichor: plant oils and a soil compound called geosmin aerosolize when raindrops hit the ground—our noses detect geosmin at astonishingly low levels. ¹
• Leaves don’t “turn colors” so much as reveal them. As daylight shortens, chlorophyll breaks down and yellow/orange carotenoids show; reds and purples are anthocyanins many trees make late in the season. Weather and sunlight tweak the mix, which is why every year looks a little different. ²
• There are actually two ways to define the start of fall. Meteorological fall runs neatly from September 1 through November 30, making it easier for weather records and climate data. Astronomical fall, on the other hand, begins with the autumnal equinox—around September 22 or 23—and lasts until the winter solstice in late December.

Fall is the season of enough—enough color to fill your camera roll, enough food to share, enough time to reset. Pick a few ideas above, mark the holidays you care about, and make a small plan for this week. Celebrate life today, and let the season do the rest.

Want to go deeper? You can always browse our full lists of national, international, and unofficial holidays for September, October, and November on HolidayToday.org

1. https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/students/highschool/chemistryclubs/infographics/petrichor-the-smell-of-rain.pdf[↩]
2. https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/fall-colors/science-of-fall-colors[↩]