Family
Autumn Adventures
A Fall Bucket List for the Whole Family
Whether it’s enjoying seasonal sips, getting crafty at home, exploring local festivals, or hitting the road in search of vibrant fall foliage, there’s no shortage of ways for families to make the most of the season together. Make some room on the calendar and start checking these festive adventures off the family fall bucket list.
Fall Festival Fun
- Texas Pumpkin Fest: Head to Leander for a fall extravaganza packed with pumpkins, carnival rides, magic shows, train and pony rides, and family friendly games. October 10 to November 1 at 8760 FM 2243, Leander
- Fall Festival: Make your way to Georgetown for a day of farm-filled fun at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, including a massive corn maze, pumpkin patch, wagon rides, pig races, apple cannons, fireworks and more. Now until November 8 at 14400 E. State Highway 29, Georgetown
- Central TX Pumpkin Fest: In Temple, Central TX Pumpkin Fest brings pumpkins, farm animals, zip lines, live music, food trucks, a wine and biergarten, and plenty of ways to turn a fall day into an adventure. Now until November 1 at 2651 Bob White Rd., Temple
Spooky Season
Embrace the spooky season with a visit to these haunted houses:
- Silo of Screams: Celebrate the Halloween season with five full-size haunted attractions covering more than 30,000 square feet, including a hospital, maze, asylum, post-apocalyptic incinerator, and creepy clown funhouse. For families with younger kids, Silo of Screams also offers designated Family Days with no scare actors, bounce houses, face painting, and candy. 1511 Industrial Blvd., Temple
- Scare for a Cure: This isn’t your typical haunted house: SCARE for a CURE creates immersive, interactive haunted adventures that put visitors right in the middle of the story. Even better, the all-volunteer nonprofit uses its Halloween adventures to raise money for the Breast Cancer Resource Center and other local charities. 14219 Littig Road, Manor
- Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Park: Make a night of it at this 20-acre Halloween park just outside Bastrop, featuring multiple haunted attractions, live music, food and beverages, gift shop, and Halloween History Museum. 149 Split Rail Lane, Smithville
Fill Up Your Fall Basket
Stock up on some delicious fall fare at a local farmers market:
- Jarrell Farmers Market: The weekly market is returning with fall fun, local vendors, local shopping, food and plenty of community spirit. Saturdays from 9am to 1pm at Tractor Supply, 143 Town Center Blvd.
- Wolf Ranch Farmers Market: Make a Saturday morning trip to the Wolf Ranch Town Center, where around 100 local vendors gather each week with fresh produce, meats, honey, eggs, dairy, breads and more. Saturdays from 8am to 1pm at 1015 W. University Ave.
- Round Rock Farmers Market: Head to Rock Creek Center for this year-round Saturday market featuring locally grown produce and responsibly raised meats, eggs and other Texas-made goods. Saturdays from 10am to 2pm at 2111 N. Interstate 35.
Soak Up Some Fall Foliage
While Central Texas may not be famous for New England-style fall foliage, there are still plenty of places to catch the season showing off its reds, golds, and oranges.
- Lost Maples State Natural Area: About three hours southwest of Jarrell, Lost Maples is one of Texas’ best destinations for fall color, with rare bigtooth maple trees that can turn brilliant shades of red, orange and gold.
- Garner State Park: This beloved Hill Country park about three-and-a-half hours southwest of Jarrell follows the Frio River and offers colorful wooded hillsides, scenic trails and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
- McKinney Falls State Park: Located an hour from Jarrell just southeast of downtown Austin, McKinney Falls is an easy option for a taste of fall foliage closer to home, with wooded trails, limestone scenery and the picturesque Onion Creek.
Craft Your Way Into Fall
- Make a Fall Leaf Suncatcher: Bring the colors of autumn indoors with this simple window craft. Cut a leaf shape from construction paper, then fill the center with colorful pieces of tissue or kite paper arranged in your own pattern. Seal it between two pieces of clear contact paper, trim the edges and hang it in a sunny window. When the light shines through, watch the reds, oranges and yellows glow like stained glass.
- Build a Spooky Tree: Turn a fallen branch into a miniature Halloween centerpiece. Start with a sturdy branch and a base made from dry florist’s foam, then paint the branch black or another dark color. From there, let the kids take over: add creepy-crawly spiders made from buttons and yarn, tie Halloween ribbons and bows to the branches, string a garland of candy corn and beads, and drape novelty spiderwebs over the bare spots. The finished tree makes a fun centerpiece for a table, entryway or porch—and you can keep adding new decorations as Halloween approaches. Inspired by PBS KIDS’ DIY Spooky Tree.
- Make Scented Fall Salt-Dough Ornaments: Turn an afternoon of crafting into a fragrant fall activity with this recipe from The Imagination Tree.
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup salt
- up to 1 cup warm water
- Autumn-colored food coloring
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Roll dough about ¼-inch thick, cut out leaves, pumpkins and other fall shapes, and press real leaves into the dough for detailed impressions. Poke a hole near the top and bake at 200–285°F for about three hours, turning as needed. Once cool, paint or glaze and add a ribbon. Hang them in windows, string them into a fall garland or display them on an ornament tree.
