F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
We believe it.
Fall is our favorite time of the year. It’s a season where things are dying and transitioning into dormancy. But there’s also a last gasp of physical and psychic energy in the air. It’s like our minds and bodies know that we’ll soon be holed up for the winter and need to get out and get stuff done — and have a whole lot of fun — before the cold weather arrives. It’s harvest time!
To help you make the most of this fall, we’ve put together a list of 18 things every man should do before the leaves are all the way off the trees.
Complete each one before the winter solstice, and you’ll have created a bunch of memories to get you through the cold, dark months ahead.
Let the fall adventures begin!
There’s something satisfying about plucking a crisp apple straight from the branch. Find a local orchard and take your family to fill up baskets with a haul of fruit that can be bitten into directly or turned into apple crisps. While you’re there, see if they have a slingshot you can use to launch fallen/rotten apples into the air.
In many areas of the country, fall is when state fairs are held. And, by our lights, they’re must-do affairs. Where else can you see prize-winning pigs, eat deep-fried Oreos, and buy airbrushed t-shirts of Tweety Bird all in one day? Take a spin on the Gravitron, try your luck at the midway games (here’s how to win 5 of them), and pet a goat. It’s a sensory overload of sights, sounds, and smells that only comes once a year.
When the leaves start falling, it’s time to break out a big pot and get your chili game on. Better yet, round up your buddies for a chili cook-off (and a debate over whether beans belong in the mix or not). Winner gets bragging rights and a bellyful of everyone else’s attempts.
Sure, it might seem childish, but who says being a grown man means you can’t have a little fun? Raking leaves is a necessary evil of homeownership, but it comes with a built-in reward. Once you’ve got a decent pile, take a running start and dive right in. The satisfying crunch, the earthy smell, the feeling of being covered in foliage — it’s fall distilled into one light-hearted act.
Fall and football go hand-in-hand. There’s a raw energy to game day you can’t replicate — the anticipation in the air, the sea of team colors, the collective holding of breath as the ball sails towards the end zone. This season, make it a point to catch a game in person, whether it’s your college alma mater or the local high school team. Even if you’re not a die-hard fan, the sheer spectacle of it all is worth experiencing.
Don’t miss out on the year’s only chance to turn produce into luminescent, hand-carved art. Rather than picking up your orange gourd from the bins outside a big box store, head to a veritable pumpkin patch to make your selection. Then, when it’s time to carve, mix things up and challenge yourself a bit. You can find plenty of pumpkin carving designs online, including these 6 manly stencils we’ve got available here. And don’t forget to roast those pumpkin seeds. Waste not, want not, gentlemen.
Fall’s prime time to get out in the field, whether you’re after deer or ducks. Hunting requires patience, skill, and a healthy dose of respect for the great outdoors. If your hunt is a success, you’ll have a freezer full of meat that will last you all winter. And if you come home empty-handed? Well, that’s why they call it hunting. Pursuit is happiness!
As the air gets crisp, it’s time to build up that woodpile. Grab your maul or splitting axe and get to work. There’s something truly satisfyingly about taking an axe to a log — the rhythmic thwack and the gratifying crack as it gives way. Not only does splitting firewood get you practical results, but it’s also a good workout to boot. Be sure to read our guides on how to correctly split firewood and how to stack and store it.
Growing up, one of my family’s fall traditions was to put together a puzzle featuring the American folk art of Charles Wysocki. Many of his paintings depict fall scenes of harvest time in turn-of-the-20-century New England. My idea of what fall should look and feel like arises from these paintings. And come each September, putting together a puzzle emblazoned with one of them puts me in the mood for autumn.
Fall’s the perfect time to dust off the tent and head into the wild. The bugs are mostly gone, the foliage puts on one hell of a show, and the cool air means that you can hike without sweating up a storm and that the warmth of a campfire will be optimally satisfying. To really immerse yourself in fall’s full beauty, go backpacking (here’s how to take your first trip if you’ve never been!).
Don’t just watch football; play football. Round up some friends, mark out end zones in somebody’s backyard, and toss the ol’ pigskin around. It’s not about gridiron prowess; it’s about having fun and getting some of that crisp, fresh air smell on you. A backyard football game is a great way to start your Thanksgiving celebration — it works up an appetite! Make sure to have some ibuprofen ready afterward.
Nothing says fall quite like bumping along in a wagon full of hay. Many apple orchards and pumpkin patches offer hayrides, so you can kill two birds with one stone by picking produce and getting in a hayride on the same day. Or, if it’s close to Halloween, take a haunted hayride (be sure to watch out for those saw-less chainsaws!).
While Americans may not be aware of this autumnal tradition from the U.K., it’s worth giving it a try. Conkers is a game played by British children in the fall. Hunt down some horse chestnuts, drill a hole through them, and thread them on a string: you’ve now made a conker and are ready for conker combat. Take turns swinging your stringed nuts and trying to smash your opponent’s conker.
Fall’s the perfect time to gather around a fire. Just sitting around a campfire is highly enjoyable, but toasting some food on a stick adds to the fun. Invite your buddies over to your backyard firepit, roast up some hot dogs, debate the perfect marshmallow toasting technique, and assemble those s’mores.
Thanksgiving is the biggest autumnal holiday in the U.S., and eating turkey is its main event. If you’re tasked with the important job of carving up the bird, rather than fumbling around and ending up with a mangled pile of meat, impress your family by creating a platter of cleanly cut pieces. We show you how in this classic Art of Manliness guide.
Fall’s the best season to break out the cords. Donning that warm, cozy, ribbed fabric just feels right when the leaves start to turn. Whether you go for a classic jacket or a pair of pants, corduroy adds a touch of 1970s college professor charm to your look. If you’ve been hesitant to embrace the corduroy, read our complete guide on how to wear it well.
As the nights get longer and colder it’s time to embrace your inner Dane and get hygge with it. What’s hygge, you ask? It’s that cozy feeling you get when everything’s just right. Think warm socks, a crackling fire, and a steaming mug of hot apple cider. This fall, create your own hygge haven. Throw some extra blankets on the couch, light a few candles (yeah, a dude can enjoy scented wax), and settle in with a good book or your favorite show. And if anyone gives you grief, just tell ’em you’re practicing an ancient Scandinavian art. They can’t argue with that.
Fall offers the year’s last arboreal hurrah before everything goes mono-color, so drink in the foliage fireworks while they last. Hop in the car, hit the back roads, and drive to some scenic lookouts. New England’s the classic spot for leaf peeping, but anywhere with deciduous trees will do.
Big shoutout to The Strenuous Life members Stephen H., Joel T., Zach S., Michael M., Will K., and Tim D. for helping me generate some ideas for this list. TSL members recently completed a StrenGames — a competition amongst members — where the challenges were based around our 18 Things Every Man Should Do This Summer list. Maybe the next StrenGames should have an autumnal theme.
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