It’s officially October, but here in Baltimore, it’s feeling a lot like summer with these still humid 70-80 degree days. That doesn’t mean we can’t take part in all of the fall festivities happening. I’ve personally found myself in a bit of a rut with trying to plan activities and put together my semester bucket list. But after doing some research, I’m here to share with you some activities to spice up your Autumn (other than your pumpkin spice lattes) in the DMV area…
1. Weekend Brunch
Baltimore has one of the best food scenes I’ve ever come across, and anyone in Baltimore knows how big of a deal brunch is in the area. Almost any restaurant you find will offer some type of brunch menu, but even if they don’t, exploring the different food in Baltimore neighborhoods is always a good call. Hampden and Fells Point would be my two recommendations to start. Wicked Sisters and Five and Dime Ale House are favorites in the Hampden area, and they’re close to a bunch of cute spots like Celebrated Summer Record Shop and Changed My Mind Vintage Clothing. As for Fells, the bagel bites at Bond Street Social are absolutely to die for. You could hop into practically any restaurant on Thames St. and find a good brunch deal. Barcocina and Kooper’s Tavern are among my favorites.
2. Pick your Fall Harvest
Believe it or not, there are a number of places in Baltimore you can go apple picking, pumpkin picking and even lavender picking. This classic fall activity never disappoints. Weber’s Cider Mill Farm is not too far from Loyola’s campus in Parkville, Maryland (close to Towson) and they offer both apple and pumpkin picking. Their apple cider donuts and apple cider in general is the very essence of Fall. Plan your visit accordingly since apple picking is located at Weber’s Peach Berry Farm, not too far off from Cider Mill if you’re interested in going a bit further, Purple Rain Lavender Farm in Churchville, Maryland (close to Aberdeen) is having a Fall Festival on October 22nd and 23rd! Speaking of festivals…
3. Check out a Fall Festival
There are a ton of Fall Festivals happening in and around Baltimore throughout October and November. A quick google search can give you an entire calendar list of events to attend. But the ones that stuck out to me were Towson’s Fall Festival (October 10th), Light the Night Baltimore (October 16th) and the Maryland Zoo’s “OktoBEAR Fest” (October 23rd). Towson’s Fall Fest will be in Patriot Plaza in Towson, a quick walk from the Towson Town Center. They’ll have music, food trucks and local shop pop-ups. Light the Night will be at Harbor Point, near Fells Point and it’s a fundraiser event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society where participants are joining for a walk and releasing lanterns. OktoBEAR Fest at the Maryland Zoo seems to be a beer tasting event and festival inspired from Germany’s famous Oktoberfest.
4. Admire the Foliage
As cliché as it sounds, there are a lot of places with beautiful views of the turning leaves. Arguably better than looking at Christmas lights. You can go for a hike around Maryland—parks like Great Falls, Annapolis Rocks, and Patapsco Valley State Park have some great trails and scenery. If you’d prefer enjoying the Fall ambiance without the workout, consider checking out Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania (about an hour drive from Loyola’s main campus) or Patterson Park near the Inner Harbor and grabbing some ice cream at BMORE Licks.
5. Take a Day Trip
There are a bunch of places to discover within distance to Baltimore. The easiest day trip would be to take the MARC train from Baltimore right into Union Station in DC. Most of the museums on the National Mall are open again and aren’t requiring timed reservations. A different capital, Annapolis is a great city to explore within distance to Baltimore. If you have access to your car or if you can rent a Zipcar, it’s a relatively easy 45-minute drive. The city itself is home to colorful streets, a scenic water’s edge, hiking trails and lots of history.