As much as everyone loves summer and being out of school, the undeniable truth is that fall is just around the corner. Fall has a pretty unfair negative connotation because all anyone thinks about is the fact that they have to go back to school when fall starts. Whether you do not want to go back to school or can not wait to go back, we can all agree that we can no’t wait for lower temperatures. When we imagine the fall season, we think of pumpkins, gourds, falling leaves, and simply even the color orange. 

Something I have never understood is how people completely skip fall and go from summer to winter for Christmas. Christmas is great and I love it, however, we can only do one holiday at a time and having a Christmas tree next to you while eating Thanksgiving dinner is just a little backwards. Fall has so much to offer whether you want to do something as a family, with your friends, or just by yourself.

One of the best things about fall is that professional football kicks off, this basically gives people a reason to have a get together once a week to watch whose team is gonna win and who has to do that crazy bet because their team lost. Football is America’s sport and fall is such an anticipated season because of it.

A staple for the fall season is pumpkins and pumpkin patches. Some pumpkin patches have rides, games, and entertainment; they are fall themed carnivals. Families are the primary visitors with young children, but lately it has gotten trendy to go with a group of friends and have a photoshoot with all the pumpkins and gourds. One of the best things about pumpkin patches is that they are very affordable. Not only that, but Stephenville has one and hires Tarleton students.

Another big activity to do in the fall is going to a corn maze. Corn Mazes are fun for everyone and can appeal to your fun or scary side. Corn Mazes were first commercially used in 1993 as the earliest way for farmers to break into the tourist industry. They were used as attractions for families to come visit and see if they could make it out of them. Some farmers even used the crop circles which are “alien” writings in cornfields as inspiration, this was just another successful way of attracting tourists.

Fall is a great time to be outside. Most of the activities that are essential to the fall season are outside. Pumpkin patches, hiking, harvesting, and playing sports are all outside. Fall has the best weather, the climate is usually not too hot, but not cold enough to keep you cooped up inside. This is the perfect time to get outside, even if it is just a walk or hammocking around campus.

Fall, being between summer and winter, tends to get overlooked or shortened as a season due to summer being drug out or people pushing winter earlier. Some people might even hate fall for the influx of leaves in their yard or for the plain fact of school, but even still, it is what you make it and the fall season is full of opportunity!