Amy Gahan/Archive
Downtown Raleigh stands on the horizon of Dorothea Dix Park on Oct. 31, 2017. The park was purchased by the City of Raleigh in 2015.
With the weather cooling down and fall break unfortunately coming to an end, it is officially starting to feel like fall in dear old North Carolina. For many of our students, this might be their first ever fall in Raleigh, so here’s a list of some of the best things you can do to make the most of spooky season without having to spend too much time or money.
Go to the State Fair
The State Fair is by far the most anticipated and loved fall event, so head on over there with your buddies for some exciting rides, fun games, and fair food. The State Fair will last ten whole days, from Oct. 14 to Oct. 24, giving you plenty of time to find a day or two to go and fully enjoy all the festivities. Tickets are already on sale, so go ahead to their website to learn more about ticket pricing as well as some of the free things you can do at the fair!
Cheer on the Wolfpack at a football game
As someone who is not very into sports and doesn’t understand half the football terminology, I never thought I would actually enjoy going to football games. But, turns out I was wrong. Football games, and any sporting event for that matter, are a great way to get into school spirit and have a good time with friends on a budget since all students get free tickets using the lottery. Specifically for the month of October, our next home football game is Oct. 30 against Louisville. Considering the great proximity this game has to Oct. 31, head over to the game in a red-themed costume (or even as a wolf) to combine Halloween with football fever into one hell of a day.
Visit the Haunted Forest at Panic Point
Is it really a fall bucket list if I don’t include something haunted on the list? Panic Point is located about 45 minutes away from NC State’s campus in Youngsville, NC, but the drive there is honestly worth it. It is an outdoor haunted theme park, with a number of activities and attractions including a hayride, corn maze and outdoor spooky walk in the dark. They are not open all days of the week, so check out their website for more information regarding pricing, dates and attractions.
Falling for Local at Dorothea Dix Park
If spooky things and haunted houses aren’t really your thing, I got you. Dorothea Dix hosts an annual market and festival to celebrate fall, and this year it’s being held Oct. 16. It will have live music and tons of vendors and food trucks. The best part? It is completely free! They do, however, ask potential guests to RSVP just so they can get an idea of how many people might be attending.
The return of concerts
Live shows and concerts are making a comeback, and a number of artists are stopping by the Raleigh area during the month of October, including Harry Styles and Jenny Lewis Oct. 12 and the Jonas Brothers, also Oct. 12. Seems like someone has a tough choice to make!
Latte foam art and tiny pumpkins
Hot coffee drinks, pumpkin spice everything, pumpkin patches and carving are all typical fall activities, so I highly encourage y’all to try them out. I have yet to try a pumpkin spice coffee drink or go to a pumpkin patch during my time here in Raleigh, so this can be something we try together. But, according to a friend, the pumpkin cream cold brew is a winner.
There are only so many things I can mention in one single article, but the bottom line is that fall is a beautiful time to be in North Carolina. The temperature drops to sweater weather, the bugs finally go away and the leaves turn gorgeous shades of orange and red. These are some of my top things to do, but feel free to comment and let others know what some of your favorite fall activities are!