The Best Ways to get in that Fall Spirit

The temperatures are dropping, the leaves are changing color, and as sweater weather approaches, there’s no doubt people are in the comfort of their homes more often. What better way to spend your breezy fall evenings than at home with a fall movie, comforting book, music, or cooking up something pumpkin-flavored. Cozying up on the couch with a blanket and the perfect cup of hot apple cider is everyone’s ideal fall evening. We’re going to show some of our favorite fall entertainment, food, and activities to make this fall one of the best!

Halloween Movies

Movie marathons are always a fun thing to do during the fall season. There are two types of movie marathons when it comes to breaking out Halloween movies. First, you have your family-friendly films. These are the ones that might frighten the little ones, but will ultimately give you that warm feeling inside. There are so many great movies to get you in the spirit, so here’s the list of the perfect movies to get you in the Halloween spirit:

• Hocus Pocus– It is literally a Halloween classic that you should watch every Halloween season! And don’t forget the sequel! 
• The Nightmare Before Christmas– If you’re in the mood for some christmas and Halloween vibes, this would be the perfect movie for you.
• Halloweentown– This movie is another classic for the Halloween season. It’s about a family who follows their grandma to Halloweentown, where they find out they come from a family of witches.
• Beetlejuice– This is a perfect throwback Halloween classic. It follows a deceased couple who now is haunting their former home. 
• Corpse Bride– This movie had many elements to it that are worth watching. It is a fun, adventurous movie that even has a little social commentary on wealth and death. If it sounds like something you would enjoy then give it a watch and see for yourself.
• Coraline– This movie is one that everyone has watched at least once during their childhood. If not, it’s never too late. This movie has to be everyone’s first experience of a true Halloween scare.

The other type of movie marathon is for the people who truly like horror movies. You know, the ones that can watch 17 horror movies at midnight only to sleep peacefully with no fear that someone is going to come out of their closet and try to kill them. If you are one of these people, the following movies are definitely for you:

• Scream series– This series follows a girl who is terrorized by a killer who targets her and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game. This movie definitely lives up to its name! 
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre– This story follows a serial killer who targets a group of young adults. It’s terrifying and based on a true story
• Jeepers Creepers– This movie is creepy and has some good jumpscares!
• Insidious– After an accident in the attic, a family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a terrifying realm. Be prepared to get frightened! 
• Nope– Nope has unsettling moments, jump scares, epic battles, and a whole lot of fun – Nope is smart and surprising in equal measure. 
• Nightmare on Elm Street– A Nightmare on Elm Street is an exceedingly well-crafted horror movie of all time.
• The Conjuring series– Who doesn’t love a supernatural presence in a creepy farmhouse! 
• Friday the 13th– Great movie if you’re in the mood for a scare. Especially since we’re coming up on Halloween! 
• Twilight– The good-looking characters, the love plot, and the actors. It’s just too iconic.

Fall Shows 

For those who are more of a series watcher, we have some great suggestions. These series give off that fall feeling, and are perfect to play in the comfort of your homes either alone or with some friends! Some of those suggestions are:

• Young Royals– This show is soooo good. We highly recommend it!! It gives autumn and wintery vibes. It’s a LGBTQ+ that follows a prince adjusting to his new boarding school.
• American Horror Story– The series follows a lot of true-to-life stories and details, but also because it examines the many faces of evil. Fall is all about horror, right?
• Gilmore Girls– This is the perfect comfort show that you can watch over and over again without getting sick of. (Editor’s note: DON’T skip this one, I’m on watch #6. It really does never get old, perfect binge series.) 
• Creeped Out– This series is one of our favorite Halloween shows! In each episode you get spellbinding, enchanting, and intriguing tales.

Fall Foods

The food that reappears every in spooky season is *mwah chefs kiss*. When I think about fall food, I think of Starbucks. Now, I know that other places add a few things to the menu during this beautiful time of year but Starbucks just takes it above and beyond with their items. Starbucks has added 7 new items to the menu, including: 

• Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte- A sweet but not overpowering fall drink to kick off this fall season! 
• Owl Cake Pop- A yummy, purple owl shaped cake pop. How cute! 
• Iced Pumpkin Chai- Perfect if you aren’t really a coffee person, but still want a fall drink! 
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin- You can’t have a fall drink without a fall dessert! This is a sweet pumpkin flavored muffin that’s filled with a tasty cream cheese frosting. 
• Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino- This drink is a fall must have. It gives you all the yummy flavors of tasty fall spices in a chilled concoction.
• Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew- This drink is sweetened with vanilla, finished with a pumpkin cream cold foam, and is topped off with a dusting of nutmeg pumpkin spice.
• Apple Crisp Oat Milk Frappuccino- This is perfect if you aren’t really feeling that pumpkin taste. It’s sweet with a warm apple spice! 

Books That Make You Scream 

This is for my book readers out there who love to get lost in a good book. What better way to get into the spirit than trying out some new stories or series? We have our school library that is always spooky season ready. Just ask Ms.Thomas or Ms. Willoughby for recs and they’d be happy to help. If books are calling your name, we highly recommend looking into these:

• Wilder Girls- Wilder Girls explores the lengths to which a group of teen girls will go to survive their own mutating bodes and the vicious wilderness on the island where they are quarantined due to a mysterious contagion.
• Beautiful Creatures– A teenage boy meets a mysterious new stranger in a small town. They fall in love, he finds out she’s harboring a dark secret, and the pair try to find out if their relationship can work while she tries to keep him safe from her world.
• Practical Magic- This follows sisters Gillian and Sally as they live their lives in Massachusetts. They are shunned by the entire town, believed that the women in their household are responsible for every terrible (or even mildly inconvenient) thing that happens.
• The Death of Mrs. Westway– A young, poor, tarot card reader named Hal Westaway, suddenly becomes embroiled in mystery involving an inheritance, her family, and a possible murder.
• The Accident Season- It’s the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom. The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara’s life for as long as she can remember: a month of mysterious injuries and tragedies.

Activities That Will Make You Fall 

Summer, winter, and spring have their unique activities but fall events have a certain novelty to them. It is not cold enough to sled on the hill in your neighborhood yet, but it is cold enough to go to the pumpkin patch. Sharp’s at Waterford Farm is pretty close and has great photo opps. Field of Screams is a horror Halloween classic. Olney Theater is nearby and it has some good shows including Beauty and the Beast and Dance Nation. Check out this article by the MoCo Show for more events! 

Those are our ideas on how you can make this fall season one of the best yet. This time of year will pass by super fast, so don’t waste a single second! Enjoy all of the pumpkin flavored goodies many places offer, the variety of movies that’ll get your heart beat racing, the plethora of pictures you’ll take at a pumpkin patch, and so much more!