Cuffing season is right around the corner, and I’m sure all of you are wondering what there is to do in Clemson for you and your new boo besides just Netflix and Chilling. Look no further as I’ve compiled a list of fun date ideas for the upcoming fall season. 

Go to the pumpkin patch!

Denver Downs in Anderson is only about 15 minutes away and has great fall activities like pumpkin picking, a corn maze, photo props, pumpkin bowling and more. Denver Downs Farm would be a great place to go on a date and get some cute aesthetic Instagram pictures. Denver Downs Fall Festival opens on Sept. 25 and will be open through Nov. 14. The weekend price is $19 before tax and group rates are available! For more information visit https://www.denverdownsfarm.com  

Go to SCarowinds

Every year, Carowinds in Charlotte, NC (and Fort Mill, SC) turns their amusement park into SCarowinds for some nights leading up to Halloween. SCarowinds is on select nights starting on Sept.15 and ending on Oct. 31. Tickets begin at $39.99. Charlotte is roughly two hours away from Clemson. Grab a group of friends and have a road trip to Charlotte to visit SCarowinds! Having a group of friends tag along makes this date idea a super casual option for new or potential couples and makes for great bonding during the two hour drive! Visit https://www.carowinds.com/events/scarowinds for more info!

Go to a haunted house (or horror movie)

Need an excuse to hold that special person close? Look no further… Going to a haunted house (or horror movie if you’re boring) is a classic way to get that touch deprivation you’ve been feeling the past few months resolved. There are several great options less than an hour away from Clemson. Sweet Dreams Scare House in Easley has a 4.8-star review with 361 reviews and Nightmare Dungeon Haunted Houses in Greenville has a 4.6-star review with 1,665 reviews, according to Google. Nightmare Dungeon does not have ticket prices listed yet (https://nightmaredungeon.com) but Sweet Dreams Scare House has tickets for $25 and R-Rated experience tickets for $30 (https://www.sweetdreamsscarehouse.com). 

The following date ideas are some of my favorite inexpensive and local date ideas for any season, but I’ve added some suggestions to make them more autumnal.

Go on a hike to the Experimental Forest 

The leaves are changing! Fall is quite possibly the best time to go on a hike. Fall produces more mild weather so you’re not sweating and panting from heat exhaustion in front of your cute date, and the scenery is extra beautiful with the additional color to the foliage. Plus when hiking, you may get a chance to sneak your hand into theirs… 

Go on a drive 

I love going on drives with people because I find it easier to talk more deeply in a car sometimes than I would face-to-face. There are other things to concentrate on and there isn’t constant eye contact which helps relieve pressure if you two aren’t fully comfortable with each other yet. You also get to know what their music taste is like if they didn’t already link their Spotify to their Tinder… Grab warm drinks at Starbucks before you hit the road and go explore some back roads where the leaves are beginning to fall. Romanticize your life. 

Have a picnic 

Picnics scream fall to me for some reason. I think it’s the whole sitting on a plaid blanket idea for me. My fall take on the classic picnic date is to eat fall foods… duh. Bring hot apple cider, slices of pie, turkey sandwiches or anything else your heart desires. Check out https://inspiredbycharm.com/favorite-fall-foods-fall-recipes/ for some fall food inspiration if you so choose. 

Good luck to all of you trying to find your match before the holidays!