Fall is upon us – welcome to the season of pumpkin spice, fuzzy sweaters, and bonfires! There are so many fun things to love about this season and so many ways to celebrate it. This year turn over a new leaf and get creative with your festivities.
End the summer season with a night out at the movies with a twist! Drive to Hermosa and enjoy a night under the stars at Roys Twin Drive-in. Don’t forget your radios, blankets, and folding chairs! Then kick off the fall season with some of our favorite ways to celebrate in the Black Hills:
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
Plan a weekend trip to Spearfish Valley Produce for an afternoon of free family fun or for under ten dollars try your luck at the corn maze. Brush up against the ready-to-harvest yield and find your way through a new maze each year! After finding the exit, enjoy a leisurely stroll through the pumpkin patch and purchase the perfect specimen to carve. There are numerous other activities to be involved in as well including hayrides, duck races, and more!
Scenic Drive
There are no shortages of scenic drives in the Black Hills. With bursts of color from birch and aspen trees and solid greens from various pines, driving through Spearfish Canyon, Needles Highway or Custer State Park is gorgeous. Don’t forget about the Badlands loop – while there are fewer trees for color, the yellowing grass of the plains paints an equally beautiful view mixed with the pinks and oranges of the sandstone landmarks.
Bonfires
Autumn brings in cool night breezes and perfect weather for warm crackling bonfires. Invite your friends over for a night out with games and laughter. Start the evening early with hot dogs over the fire and volleyball or kickball and end with s’mores, ghost stories, and music.
Another fun game you might like to play is Twister. Put a non-traditional spin on the game by placing paint (of the corresponding color) on the mat. It makes for quite the mess but creates a lot of fantastic memories!
Baking
One thing about fall in the hills is, you never know what mother nature is thinking; the weather can be very unpredictable. We have been known to get our first snowfall as early as September or October. Keeping that in mind, plan a bake-a-thon on bad weather days! Get everyone their own apron and chef’s hat and make a day of it. Open up the family recipe book and dig into the favorites – grandma’s famous country apple pie or your uncle’s pumpkin bread! This can be a great family activity for everyone.
WORDS BY SARAH RICHARDS