6 Fun and Free Fall Activities for You and Your Friends

Happy fall, y'all! As a Floridian it definitely doesn’t “feel” like fall, but since the Autumnal Equinox was a few days ago let’s say it's fall 🍂🍁

In my current season of life I am preparing for a wedding and getting into the mindset of saving as much money as I can. My friends have been so supportive of my goals to save money and be more frugal with my spending, and I am extremely grateful for them! They understand that I have to say no to pricier things like concerts, music festivals, and shopping sprees (unfortunately). While the FOMO is real sometimes, I’ve come to appreciate the times we hangout where spending money isn’t required.

With cozy weather and cooler days coming around, I wanted to share 6 fun and free activities you can do with your girlfriends. These are some activities that my friends and I have hosted or participated in so far and we’ve had a BLAST. Let’s get into them!

Host a Clothing swap

I’ve never thought about hosting or attending a clothing swap until a few months ago when a girl I follow on Instagram hosted one. I started getting into thrifting recently and I have no idea how I’ve gone so long without attending one!

Clothing swaps are where you get together with your friends, bring the clothes you no longer need or are planning to donate, then see if anyone wants them. I think this is such a great idea because as they say, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. You may love a dress your friend was planning to donate and they may love a shirt you simply didn’t wear anymore. Whatever was not claimed can be brought to a thrift store or clothing donation site for someone else to love.

This is a great excuse to turn some fall-inspired music on, grab a cup of raw milk (I love raw milk, but feel free to grab your drink of choice), and go through your closet! This is such a stress-relieving activity for me and I literally did this while writing this post. Maybe it's because I tend to be on the minimalist side and love getting closer to a capsule wardrobe? Who knows, but I love it.

Go for an outdoor walk/run/hike

One of my health goals for 2024 is to start running- the ultimate goal is to be one of those moms that runs a 5K with her baby in a stroller! As the weather cools down, I’ve started asking my friends if they’d like to join me for a walk or run around our local park. This is a great way to strengthen friendships, get some fresh air, or get to know someone new. Not to mention the endless benefits of exercise!

My best friend and I went for a run yesterday night and we had such a great time. Since we were doing the run-walk method, we chatted about life, health, and everything in between during our walking periods. It felt great to have a friend push me to be better mentally and physically. This may be one of my favorite activities on this list!

If you're one of the lucky ones who live in an area with elevation, go for a hike! One of the best national parks I've ever been to was Acadia National Park in Maine. We went last October during peak fall and WOW... I dream about the day that I can go back! Here's a bonus photo of me hiking The Bubbles trail at Acadia. Isn't that view spectacular?

Host a movie or TV night

Gilmore Girls, anyone? I say this but I watched the first episode of Gilmore Girls for the first time a few weeks ago (shocking, I know). Hosting a fall movie or TV night is another great way to get some bonding time with your girls! Technically this activity is “free” if you’re already paying for a certain subscription, but if you aren’t there’s some great free movies/TV episodes on Youtube.

One way to step up your entertainment night is to make baked goods or snacks with things you already have in your kitchen. When one of my girlfriends hosted a movie night, I decided to make this Healthy Pumpkin Bread by Erin Lives Whole. I LOVE her recipes and I already had all the ingredients in my pantry, so why not? It was a hit, and it felt great to serve my friends some delicious fall-themed food.

Check out a local farm

I was looking through events on Facebook and saw that several local farms are hosting free fall festivals soon. I debated adding this to the list because technically it is a free event, but any donation would benefit their farm and you may have to pay for some pumpkins. It’s worth it though!

You can bet that my family, friends, and I will be enjoying our time on a local farm. Several of these places will have hayrides, farm animals, local vendors, pumpkins, and more! There’s fall activities for every kind of person. Fingers crossed the weather gets a little cooler here in Florida!

Attend an outdoor trivia night

Is my age showing when I say I love going to trivia? It might be… 

Trivia is such a fun activity to do with your friends, especially once the temperature starts dropping. One of our favorite places to attend trivia is at a local brewery with lots of outdoor seating. You can hang out with friends, breathe in some fresh air, and learn things you never thought you’d learn.

Although trivia itself is free, most trivia nights are hosted at restaurants/breweries/etc. I usually try to eat dinner beforehand to save money and limit my consumption of seed oils. Keep this in mind if you are trying to save money!

Host a Bible study

The one thing all these activities have in common is the need for community. As a woman of God who’s getting married soon, I started to realize the need for friends who motivate you to pursue Jesus. I’ve been struggling with spending intentional time with God recently, so I’ve been wanting to host or attend a Bible study regularly.

Invite some friends over, light a candle, play some worship music, then dive into the Word of God! Your friendships, knowledge, and relationship with God will only grow stronger. This is probably the most important activity you can do this season.

I hope these activities kick off your fall in the best way. Check out my list below, and let me know in the comments if there’s any fall activities you can’t live without!

1. Host a clothing swap
2. Go for an outdoor walk/run/hike
3. Host a movie or TV night
4. Check out a local farm
5. Attend an outdoor trivia night
6. Host a Bible study

Thanks for reading my latest blog post 🧡 As always, If you want to read more posts I've written feel free to click here and let me know what you think. I hope you and everyone you love has a great start to the season!