With Sept. 22 marking the official start of fall (and cuffing season), it is the perfect time to take your significant other or friend group on a fall date.
For the college student looking to save money and have a romantic fall weekend, here is a list of local, affordable and fun fall date ideas that will make your girlfriend’s groupchat impressed.
Hueston Woods Apple Butter Festival
The Hueston Woods Apple Butter Festival, hosted at Doty Homestead at Hueston Woods State Park, is an Oxford tradition that features live music, local artists, pumpkins, wine, a petting zoo and — of course — apple butter.
For a $5 admission fee, you can split a funnel cake, watch spinning & weaving demonstrations and support local artisans!
Oxford Farmers Market
If you still haven’t been to the Oxford Farmers Market, you must make a visit. Sourdough bread, hand-picked flower bouquets, handmade pottery, farm-fresh berries, jewelry: our local vendors offer a variety of affordable and unique products sure to brighten your day.
Open Tuesdays 4-7 p.m. and Saturdays 9-12 p.m., this Oxford staple — found in the heart of Uptown — is a wonderful place to spend a cozy fall morning.
Fresh produce is abundant at the Uptown Farmer's Market Saturday mornings.
Kofenya Apple Cider Date
Since having the Kofenya Caramel Apple Cider last week, I’ve been back twice to order more cups. This warm apple cider beverage is the quintessential fall beverage, with caramel and cinnamon added to spice up the apple cider flavor. Drop-in by Kofenya for a late-night apple cider run — you will not regret it.
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Fall Foliage Hike
There’s no better way to enjoy the fall foliage than to explore some of our campuses (or Hueston Woods’) hundreds of miles of hiking trails. At the peak of fall, the Western campus trails look straight out of a fairytale. Plus, there’s no cheaper date than hiking a free trail!
Miami's trail systems have lots of different hikes for any skill level.
Dark Academia Movie Night
One of my favorite parts of fall is the return of dark academia subculture, an aesthetic that revolves around literature, Gothic architecture, the arts, tweed and plaid outfits and romanticizing education.
While everyone enjoys watching Halloween classics like Scream (1996) or Halloweentown (1998) when fall comes around, enjoying some dark academia classics like Dead Poets Society (1989), The Imitation Game (2014) or even the Harry Potter series can be a great way to spice up your fall movie viewing.
Mini Pumpkin Decorating
Decorating mini pumpkins is a cost-effective and easy-to-clean alternative to decorating full-sized pumpkins. Whether you purchase pumpkins from one of our local farms or from the front of Kroger, getting mini pumpkins and a small pack of acrylic paints is a cute date that will make anyone’s inner artist shine.
Plus, mini pumpkins are just really, really cute.
Tea-Tasting
Who doesn’t love warming up with a hot cup of tea in the fall? Miami Activities and Programming is once again hosting Tea Tasting: A Sip Around the World Oct. 6 at 7 pm in the Armstrong Student Center. Not only is the tea free to all students, but the event gives you the chance to try many new teas!
Latin American and Caribbean UniDiversity Festival
The 18th annual Unidiversity festival, which celebrates Latinx culture, made a return to Uptown Park.
This annual multicultural festival is one of my favorite Uptown festivals of the year. Featuring latin music, salsa dancing, food and even llamas and alpacas, this event — sponsored by our campus’s Unidos organization — is the perfect opportunity to salsa dance with someone special.
The event starts Friday, Sept. 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the Oxford Community Park.
Oxtoberfest
This year is the city of Oxford’s very first Oxtoberfest, Oxford’s take on the classic German fall festival. Oxtoberfest will be held on Oct. 8 all-day in Uptown Park. This date idea is the perfect opportunity to be a part of a new Oxford tradition.
Regardless of who you are spending the weekend with, these event ideas are a wonderful way to spice up your usual hang-out routines.
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