52 Perfect Ways to Have an All American Autumn

Let’s have an All American Autumn! Here are 52 Patriotic Things To Do with your family this fall that will get you enjoying some of greatest things this country has to offer! We have flaws, sure, but one thing we do well, is celebrate! Here’s 52 ideas for an All American Autumn! 

Which ones will you do?

All American Fall Favorites

Rake and Jump into a pile of leaves: I mean, if it made it into a Peanuts Holiday Special, it’s an American tradition, amirite? Just remember not to eat a sucker first.

Pick Apples: Our folk hero farmer Johnny Appleseed would be proud! And our American farms will feel the love and support!

Tailgate at a Football Game: Nothing quite says fall like a good ol’ fashioned football tailgate! You don’t have to be in college to go! There are high schools, universities, and of course the pros. Gather up the neighbors, grab your jersey and go!

Get lost in a corn maze: It’s a real life Choose your Own Adventure when you go through a corn maze. My favorite was back in Indiana where you would be taken to different points and answer a trivia question and that told you which way to go.

Play two hand touch football: with family and friends or go to a game: So much fun. All you really need is a field and a football. Good for all ages.

Go on a hayride: You know it’s a classic when it is on Gilmore Girls. And it was. Wear a shirt you don’t mind getting grubby.

Fall into Fall Foliage

Hike through fall foliage: Do it for the gram! Do it for the solace and connection. Do it to reconnect with a time of year that was sacred to our forefathers (of all cultures) Just get out there! It’s like walking around inside of a rainbow! Don’t want to hike? then dance, walk, jump around. Point is to get out there and connect!

Ride bikes through fall foliage: Some of my favorite memories as a kid are riding my bike through crunchy leaves at golden hour after homework was done. Some even fall on your head as you ride through. To me, this is classic vintage Americana…

Drive through fall foliage: There are so many scenic drives you can take to enjoy the changing seasons. Personally I’d like to drive Route 100, Vermont, or Kancamagus Highway in an old fashioned Studebaker truck but you know, I’m like that…

Celebrate Autumn

Oktoberfest: Grab your lederhosen and get your Bavarian on!!!! Two I can personally recommend are Frankenmouth, MI, Leavenworth, WA. If you go, I highly recommend finding The Great Nog of Fire!

Visit a Pumpkin Patch and pick pumpkins: Why go to a store when you can to it the old fashioned way? Is it more expensive? Probably. Will you get grubby? Perhaps. Is it 100% totally worth the experience? You bet

Disney’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Halloween Horror Nights: So, I am at a point in my live where Haunted Houses terrify me and live in my nightmares for months so this is not one for me but I do like the singing dancing ghosts from Disney. Look, you celebrate whatever way suits you as long as you aren’t hurting anyone.

Haunted Happenings: Local Ghost tours or haunted houses are really fun, especially when they tie into a local legend or historical landmark.

Attend a fall festival or carnival: Just about every town has some kind of Harvest Festival. Many time elementary schools or churches or youth groups do one as a fundraiser. Go be a part of your community. We need more of that.

Celebrate Autumn Equinox: Did you know you can stand an egg on its end on the equinox? Yup! It’s a pretty cool moment of equality and worth at least reading about if not cheers-ing.

Dia de los Muertos Festival: Did you love Coco? I thought it did a very amazing job of bringing to life this holiday. There are Dia de los Muertos celebrations everywhere. The Autry Museum does one.

Purely American Festivals

Celebrate Constitution Week: When I looked ‘Constitution Week’ up on Amazon, Castor Oil Stimulant Laxative came up before books for kids. This is a reality check. Not saying the former doesn’t have its place, but I think we need to make Constitution Day and Constitution Week a wee more popular.

Honor Veterans for Veterans Day: So many ways to give back and you will fill someone else’s heart as well as your own by saying THANK YOU.

Celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day: Yup. It’s a thing! Change your FB language, don your tricorn, tell bad pirate jokes. We celebrate every year dressing like pirates and going out for seafood. SOMEtimes, local businesses jump on board and offer specials so be sure to google!

Celebrate Thanksgiving: You know it’s a favorite time in This Family’s house. The stories, the getting together, the turkey sandwiches… I could talk for days here…Big fan of Sarah Josepha Hale and big fan of turkey sandwiches. 

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month: Get educated in a gorgeous way learning about the country’s original habitants.

Make It an All American Autumn (DIY)

Collect colorful leaves and make art with them: remember making leaf rubbings? or taking a leaf, gluing it down and drawing legs and a face on them? Yeah… fall refrigerator art… it’s a tradition that’s kept moms smiling for generations. Make something for her. Smiles guaranteed.

Make a corn husk doll: It’s a tradition across several cultures. They can be simple or complex. Either way, they are a fun thing to do on a fall afternoon.

DIY Halloween costumes: Save your money and make your own costumes, you know, like we all used to. 😉

Make candles: Can’t tell you how much fun we’ve had over the years making different kinds of candles. BONUS: Make them now and stock up for homemade Christmas presents!!! WIN!!

Make a Scarecrow: Real or out of paper plates. Just bring another happy face into the world.

Pumpkin face mask: in an image obsessed world, simple, DIY, and 1000% American…the pumpkin has a long gorgeous history. What better way to celebrate it then to mush it all up and smear it on your face! We did!

Eat Your Way through Autumn

Have a pumpkin spice drink or apple cider: Pumpkin Spice Coffee? Apple Cider? I think it’s a win win really…

Eat squash: It’s totally an American thing..and it’s yummy and super good for you.

Make apple cider, apple donuts, apple something wonderful: It’s all pretty do able… I mean I’VE done it…

Eat popcorn: Here’s why

Make a hearty soup or chili: Fix it and forget it. My kind of cooking…

Dip carmel apples: OH SNAP! If THIS KIT doesn’t make you want to have a party, then you don’t know what a party is

Roast pumpkin seeds, pumpkin soup, pumpkin everything: Pumpkins were American before America was America. Truth.

Can food for winter: You don’t have to be a good cook to do this. I’m living proof. My pickles are legendary…so are the handful of kitchen fires…

Drink Hot Chocolate: The real deal, not the brown tinted sugar from the grocery store…Like pumpkins, here before America was America… yeah… land o’ pumpkins and chocolate! YEAH!

Use your slow cooker: Because you’d rather be out being festive then cooking…

Taste hard cider and whiskey: Go tasting or brew it like our forefathers! If it turns out well, you have a head start on Christmas presents!

Bob for apples: On a string with no hands or with your face in a tub of water. Either way works.

Cook with Cinnamon

American Traditions in September

Learn something new (New academic year!!)

Back to school shopping: There is NOTHING like that new crayon smell!!!!

Tour a vineyard: August and September is their high season. Yeah vineyard at golden hour in early fall… life does not suck.

American Traditions in October

Get Bewtiched: Visit Salem, MA or have a witches brunch

Carve pumpkins: It’s a friggin’ art form these days! I’m more of a classic three triangles and a smile kinda girl… but only because my skills are limited. Look at THIS KIT?? That’s a masterpiece waiting to happen!

Tell ghost stories

Trick or treat or give out candy to trick or treating

Scary Movie Night: We American have a fine tradition of spooky storytelling from ’round the campfire days to Hollywood… I still like Disney’s Headless Horseman Best 

Learn all about witches, the fun and made up and the real part of our history. Here’s some ideas to get started: 13 Ways to Celebrate Harry Potter, Witches Brunch, Hocus Pocus

American Traditions in November

Be Thankful

Collect and donate to a food bank or shelter

Share your bounty: Uphold the long tradition of sharing with neighbors or those less fortunate.

A Few More Ideas for Good Measure

In the fine American tradition of all things in excess, here are a couple bonus ideas..

Tour a local historical home or estate: It’s a great time of year to do it! No crowds.

Plant tulips for spring: Tis the season

Dry Fruit: Again, tis the season

How Will You Have an All American Autumn?

What will you choose to do this fall to make it All American? Tell me in the comments below!

Does a friend need a boost to get out there and live life a little? Share this list of All American autumn ideas with them! Or pin it for later!!

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FREE Thanksgiving Game for You

One more fun (and patriotic) thing to do in Autumn!!! Download and play this fun game at the dinner table! THANKSGIVING TABLE TALKERS!