The crisp air, colorful foliage and softer sunshine of fall is so easily lost in the increasingly busy schedules of the school year and approaching holiday season. But you can fight the daily grind by taking advantage of the many opportunities to celebrate fall at your base. Here's how.
7 Ways to Celebrate Fall on Your Military Base
Start the season by getting out. Moderate weather makes fall the perfect time of year for an outdoor adventure. Whether you have young kids, teenagers or plan an outing with friends, enjoy the season before the weather drives you inside.
Pumpkin patches: Hay rides, pies, corn mazes and gourds galore can be found at pumpkin patches around the country. Ranging in size from a small field to acres of fun, a little internet digging often reveals that you have several choices! Find your pumpkin patch by checking out your installation Facebook pages and groups, or search on pumpkinpatchesandmore.org.
Football fun: For the sports fan, fall and football go hand in hand. For those stateside, call your installation Leisure Travel Services or MWR and ask if they will be offering any discounted tickets to college or NFL games. You can also call the ticket office and inquire about special pricing or military appreciation games with discounted tickets (especially around Veterans Day).
Related: Freebies and Discounts for Veterans Day
Get Scared: Horror movie aficionados and Halloween fans know that October is the best time of year for finding opportunities to get a fright. Haunted houses, frightening hay rides, zombie walks and horror movie marathons can be found throughout the fall months. Check with your local MWR for base activities.
Trunk or Treat: Make Halloween trick or treating an opportunity to spend time with friends by attending a Trunk or Treat put on by your neighborhood, unit, installation or church. Keeping kids away from streets and offering a safer way to gather this year’s candy horde, Trunk or Treat is a great way to enjoy Halloween with a little less stress.
Nature scavenger hunt: Get the kids involved and exploring the colors of fall with a scavenger hunt. Acorns, special color leaves, pine cones and more keep the kids enjoying the fresh air.
... But maybe your busy schedules this time of year is making it tough to attend local events. But there is still plenty of fun to be found a home.
Horror movie marathon: Curl up on the couch and cue up Netflix or Redbox movies for a frightfest of your own. If you have little ones at home, start before bed time with a little less terror and Hotel Transylvania. Make it a party and invite some friends, but don’t forget that even delicious food deserves the horror treatment.
Chili cook-off: Halloween isn’t the only fall fun available. Bring the football fun home by combining a chili cook-off with the Sunday game. Invite a few friends, the whole neighborhood or make it a unit event. Just be sure to keep the inevitable my-chili-is-spicier-than-yours competition friendly (or keep a fire extinguisher handy)!
Whether you stay in or head out, take advantage of the season's many opportunities to connect with friends and family.
