Fall Fun in Charlotte

I love when there’s a crisp breeze in the air and we can finally start wearing sweaters and boots.  And I REALLY love when we can turn off the a/c and enjoy having the windows open (and enjoy the lower bills, too!!).  Fall is one of my absolute FAVORITE times of the year to get out and do things with the family, especially since there are so many fun events happening in the Charlotte area, or at least within a couple hour drive!

The Glow

The Glow: A Jack O’Lantern Experience is so much fun for the whole family!  There are over 5000 hand-carved pumpkins on the 1/3 mile trail through the pumpkin wonderland.  The event runs through October 28th and you MUST purchase tickets ahead of time.  We had a fantastic time when we went to The Glow a few weeks ago!

Great Pumpkin Fest

The Great Pumpkin Fest, included with your Carowinds admission ticket, is held on weekends from September 15-October 28 and is one of the best times to be at Carowinds.  From 11am-5pm, it’s a family-friendly Halloween fest and it’s fun for all ages!  We always make sure to pick out a (free!) pumpkin from the pumpkin patch while we’re at the Great Pumpkin Fest.

Scarowinds

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from mid-September through the weekend before Halloween, Carowinds is transformed into Scarowinds and is a scary good time!  There are monsters and zombies and frightening creatures around every corner.  Unlike the Great Pumpkin Fest, Scarowinds is definitely for the older crowd and a separate ticket is required.

Renaissance Festival

At the Carolina Renaissance Festival, history comes alive and you can spend the day watching jousting knights on horseback, checking out the games and arts and crafts that abound at the festival, and feasting on giant turkey legs.  The Carolina Renaissance Festival is open on weekends through November 18.

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway, running through Virginia and North Carolina, is part of the National Park Service.  For 469 miles, the Parkway twists and turns through some of the most beautiful parts of the country and during the fall, you’re treated to an amazing show of color.

Glassmine Falls, at Milepost 361.2 looks spectacular when surrounded by fall color!

Apple Picking

Nothing screams fall quite like apples and there is no shortage of places to pick them within a couple of hours of Charlotte.  Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard is one of our favorite places to go apple picking– they have 21 different varieties to choose from so make sure to check ahead of time if you’re looking for a specific kind.

Can’t beat an apple right off the tree for a delicious afternoon snack!

Pumpkin Patch

Like apples, pumpkins are another one of those things that just scream “fall” and luckily, there are lots of options for pumpkins near Charlotte.  Starting in September, every store has boxes full of pumpkins, but it’s so much more fun to go to the pumpkin patch, wander up and down the rows, and then cut your pumpkin right off the vine!

Fall is quickly wrapping up here in the Charlotte area, especially since the overnight temps have been getting closer and closer to freezing!  Have you done anything for fall fun in your neck of the woods?  Are you ready for winter yet??

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