Happy fall, y’all! It is officially October, and you know what that means: I can make it known that I wear Halloween themed socks year round without feeling ashamed!
In all seriousness, autumn in La Crosse is one of the most refreshing and cozy times within the year. The bluffs bright up in fiery orange and gold colors, leaves crunch underfoot while walking to class, and the seasonal coffee is just about second to none. Contained in this article is an Eagle’s guide to a La Crosse fall: the right way, containing autumnal activities to break up mid-semester studying slumps!
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Eckers Apple Farm
You really cannot go wrong with a trip to the apple farm in October. Ecker’s Apple Farm is a scenic 30 minute drive away from campus, and it offers a ton of activities depending on what you’re looking for! Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, they sell baked goods, jams and jellies, honey, caramel apples, and – of course – tons of apples. Their website even lists all of the apples that they have (which is a lot, I never knew so many apples could exist in one place) in case you’re looking for something specific to remind you of home. They also host events and concerts at their beer garden if you’re looking for a night out, as well as the “Honeycrisp Hootenanny” on October 12th, which sounds like the Oktoberfest of apples (but still includes beer).
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Escape Room
The Escape Room in downtown La Crosse changes their challenges every so often to keep things slightly seasonal, and one of their mystery rooms is based on infiltrating, investigating, and escaping Area 51. Aliens? Spook?! We’re all over that. If Area 51 isn’t your group’s cup of tea, they also have several other theme options to choose from.
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The Driftless Axe
I have two words for you: axe throwing. Just got dumped? Failed an exam? The Driftless Axe, located on the corner of 4th and Jay street, is the perfect opportunity for some good, clean catharsis. Also in the same building is an arcade. What more could you ask for in one single place?
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Jaycees Haunted House
Jaycees Haunted House, located in Onalaska, WI, is sure to get anyone’s blood pumping. I’m not one for haunted houses seeing as I jump when my toast pops out of the toaster, but it would definitely be for the daring Halloween-lover. The haunted house is celebrating its 39th season and has named the theme “Resurrection.” Creepy! The opening date is October 18. Check out their website for a frightful description of the pathway through the house, ticket prices, additional dates, and times!
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Movie Night
An autumnal movie night is a classic. A couple awesome thrillers on Netflix that I would highly recommend are Hush, about a deaf author who lives alone in a cabin in the woods, and Creep – reminding us once again to stop going on Cragslist. Also a creepy classic on Netflix: Coraline. Anyone else terrified of that movie still, as an adult, or is that just me? No? Nice.
Alternatively, if you’re looking to get out of the house, the sequel to Zombieland also known as Zombieland: Double Tap comes out October 18th.
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Weber Center for the Performing Arts is showing this science fiction/horror cult classic. Check out their website for more information on it!
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Adventure!
The bluffs are BEAUTIFUL once the leaves start changing colors. I would highly recommend spending some time out by the trees to catch a glimpse of the foliage lighting up before it starts getting too cold. Stop by one of our many coffee shops for a caramel apple cider afterwards to warm up!