Fall date ideas: 32 autumn dates worth putting a sweater on for

• Budgetlow
• Best forany stage
• Timehalf day

Wander the rows, taste a few varieties and fill one bag together. Then go home and bake a pie, a crumble or just apples with cinnamon in the oven. Two dates in one, and you get dessert.

Tip: Call or check the orchard's website before you go. Picking seasons depend on the variety and some farms close early in the year.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcouples, second date on
• Timehalf day

Pick a scenic road, make a playlist each and stop wherever the trees look best. In the US, New England and the Blue Ridge Parkway are famous for fall color, but almost every region has a road worth driving in October.

• Budgetfree
• Best foractive couples
• Time2 to 4 hours

Pick a trail with a viewpoint and go when the trees around you are at their peak. Bring a thermos of cider and something to share at the top. See our hiking date tips for how to choose a good trail for two.

• Budgetlow
• Best forfirst or second date
• Time1 to 2 hours

Many farms run evening hayrides in October, some with a bonfire at the end. Sitting close on a bale of hay with a blanket is one of the most fall things you can do.

• Budgetlow
• Best forfoodies, any stage
• Timehalf day

Drive out of town and stop at every farm stand you pass. Buy one thing at each: cider donuts, a jar of honey, squash, a pie. At home, lay it all out and have a farm stand feast.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forcouples, second date on
• Timehalf day

Fall is harvest season in most northern wine regions. Some wineries have harvest events, grape stomping or tours of the cellar. Pack a picnic, pick a designated driver or book a tour with transport.

• Budgetlow
• Best forfirst date, small towns
• Time3 hours

High school or college football is fall in much of the US: marching bands, hot chocolate in the stands and the whole town in one place. Outside the US, a local rugby or soccer match brings the same energy.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forUK couples, any stage
• Timeevening

In the UK, November 5 means Guy Fawkes Night: bonfires, fireworks and toffee apples. Many towns host public displays. Wrap up, grab a hot drink and look up together.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcute couples
• Time1 to 2 hours

Find a park with good color, prop your phone on a tree stump and take ridiculous photos: leaf throws, matching flannels, serious album-cover poses. One of them will end up framed.

• Budgetlow
• Best forfirst date
• Time1 hour

Simple and lovely. Pick up two hot apple ciders and walk to the prettiest tree in the park. It's an easy first date that can stay short or turn into dinner.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forfirst or second date
• Time1 to 2 hours

Most old towns and cities have guided ghost walks through historic streets and cemeteries. You learn local history, you get a little spooked and you have something to talk about over a drink afterward.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcouples, nights in
• Timeevening

Pick one classic and one new horror film. Lights off, blanket shared, popcorn ready. Rule: whoever jumps first makes the next snack. If you're not into scary, swap for spooky comedies.

• Budgetlow
• Best fornew couples
• Time1 week of fun

The planning is the date. Brainstorm famous duos, go thrift shopping for pieces and make the rest at home. Then wear it to a Halloween party and stay in character as long as you can.

• Budgetlow
• Best forany stage
• Time2 hours

Pick a theme, like "the other person's face" or "our first date", and carve in silence until the reveal. Roast the seeds with salt while you judge. The winner gets the front step.

• Budgetlow
• Best forplayful couples
• Time1 to 2 hours

Some farms open their mazes after dark in October. With one flashlight between you, getting lost becomes a team sport. Agree on a meeting point in case you get separated.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcurious couples
• Time1 to 2 hours

Old cemeteries are often beautiful, peaceful parks with fascinating stories. Go in daylight, read the oldest stones and look up a few names afterward. Be respectful and follow the visiting hours.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcreative couples
• Timeevening

Cook a menu that looks disgusting but tastes great: "eyeball" pasta with olives, blood orange drinks, a dessert in a cauldron. Candles, spooky playlist, costumes optional.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forcouples
• Timeevening

Light the fireplace or the backyard fire pit for the first time this year and make it a date: blankets, a warm drink and a "what are we looking forward to this winter?" conversation.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcozy nights in
• Time2 hours

Hollow out two round loaves, fill them with pumpkin, potato or tomato soup and eat the bowl afterward. It's simple, a little silly and very October.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forcouples, foodies
• Time1 to 2 hours

Buy four different ciders, hard or soft. Taste them blind, describe them like wine experts and pick a winner. Add a cheese board with sharp cheddar and apples.

• Budgetlow
• Best fornew couples
• Time2 hours

Go to a thrift store together, set a small budget and pick the coziest (or ugliest) sweater for each other. Wear them to dinner right away.

• Budgetlow
• Best forfoodies
• Timeafternoon

Apple, pumpkin, pecan, pear. You each bake one pie and serve it with a story about why you chose it. Bring the leftovers to friends or coworkers and let them vote.

• Budgetfree
• Best forbookish couples
• Time1 hour

Lights off, one candle between you. Take turns telling a ghost story, a local legend or the creepiest thing that ever happened to you. Stuck? Read a short classic like Edgar Allan Poe out loud and pause at the scariest part for snacks.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forsociable couples
• Timeevening

Lots of cities have German-style beer gardens or Oktoberfest events in late September and October. Long tables, pretzels and oompah music make it easy to laugh and chat with strangers, too.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcute dates
• Time1 hour

Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, warm milk with pumpkin puree and pour over coffee. Compare it with the café version and decide who wins. Usually it's yours.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forcouples with friends
• Timeevening

Invite your favorite people, split the cooking and make it potluck style. Planning it together is a date of its own. Our Friendsgiving guide has a simple plan, and the free date poll helps you find an evening everyone can make.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forcouples
• Timeevening

Cook a mini version: a roast chicken instead of a turkey, one side each and a store-bought pie. Before you eat, each of you says three things you're grateful for about the other.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcouples
• Timemorning

Watch the big Thanksgiving parade on TV or a local one in person, eat a big breakfast and go for a walk before the family madness starts.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcouples
• Timeday

While everyone else is shopping, go hiking, visit a quiet museum or stay in pajamas all day. The rule: no shopping, no screens, no plans that require lines.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forcouples, weekend trips
• Time1 to 2 days

Towns in Victoria's high country, like Bright, are known for streets full of orange and red trees. Canberra, the Southern Highlands and Arrowtown in New Zealand are pretty in autumn too. Walk, eat and drive slowly.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forcouples
• Timehalf day

Autumn is harvest time in Australian and New Zealand wine regions. Book a long lunch at a winery with a view and take the afternoon off for it. Organize a ride back or pick a driver.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcozy couples
• Time2 hours

Oats, flour, coconut, golden syrup and butter: these simple biscuits are an Australian and New Zealand classic, especially around late April. Bake a batch together and take them on a walk through the falling leaves.