It's fall, y'all! Which means it's time to go watch the leaves change color and get into the spooky spirit. Here's what you can do in and around Atlanta, Georgia during fall to celebrate the changing of the season:
Atlanta is one of the best fall destinations in the South!
Here in the South, fall means warm weather but with less humidity, so you'll get sunny days that won't make you feel like you're melting. It makes exploring the city's top sights so much more enjoyable!
When the leaves change, the city is covered in vibrant colors. But it doesn't last very long, so you'll want to get out and enjoy the fall colors while you can!
There are fewer crowds in Atlanta during the fall, and the autumn off-season is one of the best times to visit Atlanta.
The spooky season is in full gear in Atlanta. You'll find plenty of haunted spots, pumpkin picking, Halloween parties, and fall festivities all around the city.
I've got all the info on the must-see and do Atlanta fall activities and festivals. I'll show you where to see the best fall colors in Atlanta, the top fall events, and all the fun Halloween celebrations.
North Georgia is the perfect place to watch the leaves change color. And fall is the perfect time to hike because both the summer heat and the bugs have subsided, leaving you to enjoy your hike.
There are so many trails to choose from. On Tray Mountain, you can hike part of the Appalachian Trail. Amicalola Falls has a gorgeous 729-foot tall waterfall. And the Trails of Tallulah Gorge follow along the impressive 2 mile long 1,000 foot deep canyon.
The North Georgia Mountains are just a quick day trip from Atlanta, with tons of hiking trails less than a 2 hour drive from the city.
Up in the mountains, the small town of Ellijay is known as the Apple Capital of Georgia. The local apple orchards of Ellijay where you can pick your own apples are just a short 2-hour drive from Atlanta.
You can also shop for all things apple - from apple cider to apple salsa to apple pastries - at the orchards' own markets and roadside stalls. Check out popular pick-your-own apple orchards like B.J. Reece Orchards or R & A Orchards.
Grab some jugs of apple cider, a dozen apple cider donuts, your freshly-picked bushel, and jars of local honey, jam, jellies, and salsas as a unique souvenir to take home with you.
Does fall really start if you haven't picked your pumpkin yet?
The best place to pick a pumpkin is always a local pumpkin patch. Luckily, the Atlanta area has plenty to choose from. You can venture out to the mountains for a pumpkin, or you can find a patch closer to the city.
There's Berry Patch Farms in Woodstock, Randy's Pumpkin Patch in Lawrenceville, and many others that typically offer hay rides and more experiences than just picking a pumpkin. My favorite place to go is a simple pumpkin patch at the Smyrna First United Methodist Church in Smyrna.
I love a good ghost tour any time of the year, but they're especially fun during the fall gearing up for Halloween.
You don't really think of Atlanta as a place for hauntings, and certainly the city isn't as haunted as other southern cities like Savannah or San Antonio. But Atlanta still has some good ghost stories if you know where to look!
In Roswell, Georgia is the popular Roswell Ghost Tour led by professional paranormal investigators. On this tour, you'll find out which part of the city is built on forgotten graves. Marietta, Georgia has its share of ghosts thanks to its extensive Civil War history. You can learn about them on the Ghosts of Marietta walking tour. And over in Decatur, Georgia, you can get a tour led by a professional psychic medium and paranormal investigator.
Check out the most haunted spots in Atlanta here.
Atlanta has tons of festivals all year-round, so you won't have any trouble finding a fall festival to attend. These festivals provide plenty of food, music, art, and entertainment that everyone can enjoy.
Popular Atlanta fall festivals include Music Midtown at Piedmont Park in September; Fall Fest in Candler Park in October; the Little Five Points Halloween Festival and Parade in October; the Pumpkin Festival at Stone Mountain Park in September and October; and the Smyrna Fall Jonquil Festival in October.
Zoo Atlanta's annual Halloween festival Boo at the Zoo is full of fun treats for the kids and the animals. Kids can go trick-or-treating at the candy stations around the zoo, and the animals get pumpkins to munch on.
And when the weather starts getting cool in the fall, the panda bears spend more time playing outside, so it's the perfect time to go see the zoo's star fur balls!
You'll have to venture a bit outside the city to find a good corn maze. Uncle Shuck's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze has a nice big maze for you to get lost in - just don't get too corn-fused! Once you make it through the scavenger hunt in the two big corn mazes, you can learn some corn facts in the maze of knowledge.
On weekend nights in October, you can even try to make it through their haunted trail.
And don't forget to pick out your perfect pumpkin, shoot the corn canon, feed the goats, take a hayride, and have a bonfire! There's so much to do!
The Historic Oakland Foundation of Atlanta's Historic Oakland Cemetery hosts the Sunday In the Park event each year, celebrating the cemetery's unique Victorian concept of a garden cemetery. You can dress up in Victorian-era costumes and enjoy crafts, music, and educational demonstrations.
Fall is also the perfect time to take a tour of the cemetery, guided or otherwise; though you can typically expect the cemetery's popular guided Halloween tour to sell out, so make sure you reserve your tickets early.
Atlanta has plenty of other historic cemeteries that you can explore during spooky season; check out Atlanta's best cemeteries here.
Netherworld has been Atlanta's favorite haunted house year after year, with people coming from far and wide to be terrified by its unique monstrous creations. The theme changes each year, so you never know what thrills are in store.
Check out this year's themes to prepare yourself for the horror.
Put on your best costume and hit the town for some bar hopping, pub crawling, and good ol' fashioned boisterous fun! There's no shortage of organized pub crawls and costume contests on Halloween weekend in Atlanta.
Now all you have to do is don your best costume and decide where you want to go!
Read next: 10 Incredible Fall Destinations in Georgia
Ready to visit Atlanta, Georgia? Plan your trip with these tips.
Cheers!
Paige
What's your favorite fall activity in Atlanta, Georgia? Let me know in the comments!
The post Top Things to Do During Fall in Atlanta, Georgia appeared first on Paige Minds The Gap.