How to kick off autumn in Philadelphia
Today, Wednesday, Sept. 23, marks the official first day of fall. Although the weather certainly doesn’t feel like it entirely, it sure will soon.
Today, Wednesday, Sept. 23, marks the official first day of fall. Although the weather certainly doesn't feel like it entirely, it sure will soon.
From pumpkin picking, to spooky haunt attractions, kick off the season with these things to do.
Get freaked out at local haunted attractions
Philadelphia is just miles from the sticks. Luckily for that, we're near 20, yes 20 haunted attractions. This Halloween, get your scares in at Pennsylvania favorites like the Bates Motel (1835 Middletown Rd.. Glenn Mills) and Jason's Woods (99 Stehman Rd., Lancaster). If you're not a fan of driving up to the suburbs, Philly has two bone-chilling attractions — Fright Factory (38 Jackson St.) and the Eastern State Penitentiary's Terror Behind the Walls (2027 Fairmount Ave.).
Ripe for the pickin'
When the seasons change, so do your produce options! With fall here, farms throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania offer pick-your-own options, making it fun for families to collect their favorite crops. Two must-get items in autumn — pumpkins and Honey Crisp apples. Here's a list of locations offering PYO.
Go for a walk!
Now that the blistering heat isn't killing us, it's that time to enjoy the outdoors again, and Philly is full of welcoming parks. If you're in the Rittenhouse area, grab your pals and have a picnic at the Rittenhouse Square Park, or if you're all the way in South Philly, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park is a great place to hang, grill, and even get your skate on. Do you have a dog? The city caters to them, too! Some parks worth mentioning for them are the Schuylkill River Park, Manayunk's Dog zone at Pretzel Park, and Columbus Square Park. For a full list of parks, check here.
Celebrate the final Night Market of the year
The Food Trust's popular Night Market series is on its final leg of the year, and it takes place Thursday, Oct. 1, at Frankford and Girard Avenues. From 6 to 10 p.m., the finale will feature the area's best food trucks, live entertainment, vendors, and a special photobooth with retired Phildelphia Flyers star Danny Briere.
If you're free before Night Market., head over to Frankford Hall (1210 Frankford Ave.) for Victory Over Breast Cancer, a happy hour fundraiser for breast cancer research at Fox Chase Cancer Center. The event begins at 4:30 and runs until 6:30 p.m.
Festivals galore
Two of the biggest seasonal celebrations of the year — South Street's Bloktoberfest and Midtown Village's Fall Festival — return on Saturday, Oct. 3. Both street fests welcome over thousands of guests and will be packed with vendors, live music, and entertainment. If you're up in Roxborough, Roxtoberfest returns for its annual Oktoberfest party on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Besides those popular block parties, other upcoming happenings on our radar include King of Prussia's Beerfest Royale on Thursday, Oct. 1 and Saturday, Oct. 3; Philadelphia's Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3; the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday, Oct. 4; Fishtown's River City Festival Saturday, Oct. 10; Outfest on Sunday, Oct. 11; the Old City Festival on Sunday, Oct. 11; the Harry Potter Festival from Saturday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 17; and Philly's own Cheesesteak Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24.
For more Things to Do, check out our calendar for the most up-to-date happenings.
