Spice Up The Romance This Festive Season
Autumn is the time of year to cozy up with your partner or meet a fellow leaf lover on a date. Maybe you enjoy corn mazes and hay rides but are seeking something different this year. To embrace the festive season with just the right amount of cliches, we took the pumpkins out of these spicy date ideas.
1. Oktoberfest At Home
Skip the crowds and the overpriced beer and have an Oktoberfest at home with a romantic twist. Dress up in your sexiest lederhosen, stock up on your favorite craft beers, and find a recipe for soft pretzels. Celebrate outside in your backyard and cozy up with some blankets.
2. Cook & Bake Off
Some couples like to get competitive and some just like good food. Either way, embrace the foodie in you and have an afternoon of fall cooking and baking. Whip up your favorite fall dishes like butternut squash soup and apple crumble. Or challenge yourselves to make a new festive dish each.
3. Hiking Picnic
It’s the time of year to see the tree leaves explode with color and what better way to embrace it than with a hike and a picnic. Find a trail or park known for its fall foliage, pack a blanket and munchies, and wear layers to fully enjoy an autumn day outdoors.
4. Ghost Tour
Get spooked with your boo!–– Embrace spooky season with a historic ghost tour. Many towns and cities host these nighttime tours this time of year. It’ll be an educational date night with a scary twist that may encourage hand-holding.
5. Festive Pub Crawl
Get yourselves to the part of town with restaurants and bars that like to get festive. Toast the season with a pub crawl and try the food features and festive drinks. Hopping around to multiple locations changes the scenery and spreads out the fun.
6. Scary Movie Marathon
Pop some popcorn, maybe “taste test” that box of Halloween candy, and grab a snuggly blanket. Choose a spooky series or some old-time horror classics to watch together. Hocus Pocus counts as a scary movie, right?
7. Thrift Shop Costume Hunt
Going thrifting for costumes is a fun outing to get you in the spirit of Halloween. You don’t have to be invited to a party to have costumes either–– wear your thrifted finds out on the town! Hit up your local charity shop and see what you can find to make costumes from scratch.
8. Cabin In The Woods
Have a fall weekend getaway surrounded by colorful leaves. Rent a cabin in the woods or be extra adventurous and book a campsite. Autumn is the best time of year to snuggle by the campfire and take scenic hikes through the forest.
9. Apple Date
It’s apple season! Celebrate your love for each other and the fruit with a day inspired by apples. Go apple picking at an orchard and treat yourself to hot apple cider. Bake an apple pie and muffins, or get sticky and dip caramel apples.
10. Escape Room
An escape room is an ideal activity for spooky season because it can be frightening. A date to an escape room can involve multiple couples or just the two of you. Get to know how your partner reacts to competition and problem-solving with this heart-racing date.
11. Scavenger Hunt
Breathe in the crisp autumn breeze as you wander around the great outdoors. A scavenger hunt can be played throughout a city, in nature, or both. Create your own or find one online that works for your location. You’ll feel like a couple of squirrels gathering nuts for the winter.
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12. Games Night
It’s the perfect excuse for a games night when the temperature starts to drop in the evening. A night of board games is an intimate date without the frills–– play in your pajamas if you’d like! Playing games together lets you unplug and truly soak in each other's company.
13. Coffee & Books
A wonderful date for a couple of bookworms involves bookstores and cafes. Autumn weather screams for cozy cafes, lattes, and reading by the fire. Find a local bookshop and browse the books. Maybe afterward you can take your reading material to a coffee shop or kick your feet up by the fire at home.
14. Visit A Small Town
Have a date with a change of scenery. Venture off to a nearby town you have yet to explore or find a town throwing a festival or farmers market. Fall is a great time to wander the streets, popping into small shops and dining at local restaurants.
15. Cidery or Brewery
A cidery or brewery is the perfect venue for a fall date. They often keep their patios open and you can try seasonal creations. A cidery or brewery tour could be a fun addition for a pair of brew lovers.
16. Gourd Carving Contest
Get your home Halloween-ready with a little competition. Use gourds as a unique alternative to classic jack-o-lanterns. Whether you’re an artist or a carving novice, gourd carving can be a lot of banter. Send your friends photos of your creations and tell them to vote for their favorite.
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17. A Date To Decorate
Grab your supplies and get crafty together. Make DIY Halloween decorations or go out and buy some from your local store. Decorating the house is a hands-on activity that brings out the creative kid in you.
18. Renaissance Festival
If you’ve had enough of the harvest fests, check out a renaissance festival! Go on a date back in time–– dress up in medieval cosplay and grab your goblets of mead. Wander the vendors together for a historical afternoon.
19. Fortune Teller
If you’re a mystical pair, it’s the best time of year for crystal balls and tarot readings. See what your future has in store for you both by visiting a fortune teller or talk to long-lost relatives with a psychic medium.
20. Haunted House
Visiting a haunted house is a quintessential October date night. If your date is easily frightened, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into before you step inside.–– Or don’t, if you want a super scary surprise.
