Fall Date Ideas // St Pete and Tampa

We have squeezed as many days as we could out of summer but now it is time to move on to the next season.....FALL.  And even though fall isn't too much a season here in the Tampa and St Pete areas we do love to do ALL THINGS FALL!
Here is a list of some great date ideas, which you can do with or without kids. Most of these are pretty versatile and can easily mix and match with your interests. 
Do you have a favorite fall activity or date idea that we missed? 

1. Visit a pumpkin patch.  Spend the day playing games, eating some fall favorites, and going on a hayride. We have been to a few and we always have a great time. 
2. Trolley Hop! You can jump on the TECO Line Streetcar in Ybor and stop at any of the 11 stops in Downtown Tampa. There is the Jolley Trolley in Clearwater that takes you along the beaches. And you can't miss the Central Avenue Trolley that will take you up and down the painted buildings of Downtown St Pete. 
3. Grab some hot chocolate from you local favorite. We actually end up at Wawa simply because they have a bunch of options. 
4. Window shopping while holding hands is an all time favorite. Hyde Park Village has some great window displays and they have year round events. 
5. Bake your favorite pies. Spending time together and working together to make something you will both enjoy is a great way to spend a chilly fall day. If you dont have the basics or want to add to what you have, Amazon has a whole bunch of goodies you can get, and free shipping for most items. 
6. Look at the stars. Pick up a nice comfy blanket and head out to the beach. It is a great open area for star gazing.  I pick up a few new ones every year from Bealls. They have super soft cuddly ones. 
7. Apple cider and a romantic movie night is a relaxing way to spend an evening. Just hang out at home and enjoy the company.  Netflix and Hallmark are both full of great movies for the holiday seasons.
8. Get up early and go to breakfast. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin waffles, donuts, and coffee. What better way to start the day! Dates don't always have to be at night so take advantage of all the morning hours. 
9. Make caramel or candy apples. 
10. VisitFlorida.com has the easiest search on their site. You can choose from paddling, birding, biking, and hiking. You can also choose from action packed, budget friendly and romantic outings. 
11. Build a firepit and have a night full of s'mores! Hershey's has recipes for S'mores cookies, bars, and a really yummy looking S'mores tini. 
12. Watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It has always been on my holiday watch list, year after year. 
13. "Taste your way around the world," at Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival.
14. Decorate for fall together. 
15. If you have a hobby, make it change with the season. If you love photography go on a photo scavenger hunt. Paint a fall inspired picture. Knit a small blanket. Collect leaves and acorns. 
16. Warm soups in a thermos are a simple picnic idea. You can make your own or pick some up from your favorite restaurant. 
17. Watch the sunset. There are some awesome locations on the west coast of Florida to watch the sun set. 
18. Carve pumpkins. Roast the seeds. Make a night of it. 
19. October is Greenways and Trails month. Find a Florida trail and go off the beaten path! 
20. Go horseback riding. 
21. Bake batch after batch of cookies and drop them off at a senior center. Not only will you get to spend time together but you can give back a little. 
22. Go camping. There are so many parks throughout Florida that finding a great spot for the night should be simple. 
23. Scary movies! Hours and hours of scary movies! 
24. Travel over to Pasadena to the Florida Winery or towards the open countryside of LakeRidge Winery and Vineywards. They both off winery tours and wine testings. Tours and testing usually last about 45 minutes. 
25. In Florida there are some larger events, Halloween Horror Nights or Zoo Boo at Lowry Park. Busch Gardens has their Howl o Scream every year too. 
26. Concoct your own pumpkin flavored drink or dessert. 
27. Put all the things and people you are thankful for in a Thankful Jar or on a Thankful Tree. 
28. Plan your holiday together. If you are having Thanksgiving together start planning the menu. Go through your favorite Thanksgiving foods and combine your likes for your own unique menu. 
29. Go skating. Roller skating or ice skating. Downtown Tampa does have an outdoor ice rink but there are also a few indoor ones. There are about 3 roller skating rinks in the Tampa Bay area that offer specials all year round. 
30. Oktoberfest in Tampa is an annual event. Plenty of food, fun, and drinks! If you go: "Know your way around beers. There is the traditional Helles (pilsner), Dunkles (stouts or dark ales), and Weissbier (wheat beers). 
31. Before it gets too chilly go out on a kayak. If you don't own one there are plenty of locations that you can rent them from. 
32. Go on a holiday stroll. Largo Central Park has one with thousands of lights! 
33. Dress up and go out for a night on the town. The Straz Center has Halloween Pops, Newsies, and drinks and dancing for the Broadway Ball After Dark. 
34. Pier 60 has movies every weekend (weather permitting). Curtis Hixon park in Downtown Tampa hosted Scream On The Green a few years ago with midnight movies, hopeful that will come back again. 
35. Pick out your Halloween costumes. Frankenstein and Bride, Jack and Sally, Morticia and Gomez Addams are a few good examples. Enter a few contests around town. 
36. Spend a few hours out on a Dolphin or Dinner Cruise. 
37. Get dressed up in some vintage clothes and go play a few rounds of shuffle board. Yes, shuffle board! St Pete Shuffle has events and leagues as well as Free Friday Nights!
38. Ghost walks are a fun way to celebrate the upcoming Halloween holiday! Ghost Tours  offers tours in Tampa, St Pete, and Johns Pass. After your tour you can spend a night or two in one of the haunted rooms at the Don CeSar.
39. If you are into art there are a few great museums around here. The Dali Museum is my personal favorite. Once you go through the museum you can head outside and leave your bracelet on the Wish Tree. 
40. Go on a trip! Plan an unexpected weekend in New York or a week in Italy.
41. Haunted Houses are always fun. They usually are later in the season but they can be found in so many areas throughout Tampa Bay and have different scare levels. 
42. Surprise your date with a concert. Mark Anthony, Brad Paisley, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Van Halen all have concerts scheduled for the fall months. 
43. Make something! Check out Home Depot for DIY workshops, including the Do It Herself ones, I don't think they would mind having a couple show up. There are also Paint Nites and Salsa lessons.
44. You can find festivals are all over Florida, the weather is perfect to spend a few hours outdoors. Pick from chalk festivals, seafood festivals, and plenty of fall festivals. 
45. Make your own mulled wine. Make enough to keep and give away for the holidays. 
46.  The Bucs schedule is up so you can squeeze in a few more BBQs before the weather gets too chilly. If you are football fans, or even if you aren't, a tailgate party is a great reason to hang out with friends and family. 
47. You and your date can easily spend a couple hours at Color Me Mine or Painting with a Twist.
48. Most of us know what You've Been Boo'd is so this year do something for the adults, You've Been Boo'zed. Mix up a homemade cider with some other fall goodies and leave them on the doorsteps, knock and RUN! 
49. Fresh Markets are pretty much year round events but the fall air makes them much more enjoyable. We have a full list of all the good ones. 
50. Schedule a photo shoot. There are tons of photo shoot ideas on Pinterest, pick out some of your favorites and have a book made afterwards.
51. Roadtrip! Maybe you are here in Florida and want to see the leaves changing colors. Jump in your car and drive up north a little. Enjoy the season!

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