The Best Things to Do in Spokane in the Fall

If you want to be convinced that Spokane is the greatest place to live, just visit Spokane in the fall! Spokane in the fall is absolutely gorgeous, from colorful red, orange and yellow leaves falling to pumpkin-spiced donuts on a farm and so, so much more. Before winter hits and everyone goes into hibernation, you must take advantage of fall in Spokane.

Here is a list of the top 7 things to in Spokane in the fall!

First, What is Fall Like in Spokane?

If you want to see just a little peek of what Spokane looks like in the fall, take a look at the photos below. You can also watch this gorgeous YouTube video, which was shot around Spokane.

 

Best Things to Do, See and Eat in Spokane in the Fall

1) Visit Green Bluff in the Fall

It goes without saying that a visit to Green Bluff is a ‘must do’… and must eat and must see! I’ve covered what you should do at Green Bluff if you only have an afternoon to spend, but you could spend hours upon hours visiting all the family farms, apple- and pumpkin-picking, visiting goats, drinking cider, and more.

Truly, fall is the time to visit Green Bluff. It’s great in the summer, but it really picks up in the fall and even a bit in the winter. Many places in Green Bluff, including High Country Orchard and Beck’s Harvest House serve breakfast and lunch, so it’s easy to plan a whole day on the Bluff.

Some highlights include:

• Tons of fresh produce, including apples, peaches, squash and pumpkins at High Country Orchard from 9 am to 6 pm daily. On the weekends, High Country Orchard will also have pony rides, music, vendors and more.
• It’s apple season in the fall at Sunset Orchard! Get apples, peaches, plums, corn, tomatoes and more. Sunset Orchard is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily.
• Get your ‘world famous’ pumpkin donuts from Beck’s Harvest House this fall! Seriously, Beck’s always has a ton going on and it’s so centrally located in Green Bluff, it’s a don’t miss! Go early if you want pumpkin donuts – they’re only offered on Fridays from 9 to noon and Saturday/Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm!
• Do you LOVE apples? You probably should if you live in Spokane! Walter’s Fruit Ranch (one of my favorites) hosts the Apple Festival from September 28 to October 27, and Walter’s has a ton of apples! Walter’s is open from Monday-Thursday 9 am to 5 pm and Friday-Sunday from 8 am to 6 pm. (Also – Walter’s has goats!)
• One of my new favorite places, Big Barn Brewing, also hosts a harvest festival with apples, pumpkins, brews and more! The tap house is open from Wednesday – Sunday, noon to 8 pm. The Harvest Festival goes until October 31.

There is so much more to cover about Green Bluff in the fall, but before we move on, if you love corn mazes – make sure to check out Siemer’s Farm! They’re open Friday-Monday from 10 am to 6 pm during the month of October, and feature an apple festival, corn maze, wagon rides and more.

Finally, if you really love squash during the fall (and who doesn’t, there are so many ways to cook and eat it!), you definitely want to visit Eleven Acres Farm. You can find all of their produce listed on their Today’s Produce page, and just trust me when I say they offer a lot of squash!

2) Halloween Activities in Spokane

We’ve covered some of the best haunted houses (and scary stories) around Spokane, but there is even more you can do to get into a spooky frame of mind!

Possibly the most frightful place to observe the Halloween season, Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho transforms into Scarywood at night. Zombies, monsters, clowns, and spirits of all sorts break loose to patrol the theme park’s grounds. With five haunted attractions and seven scare zones, you’re sure to find something or someone that will put the scare into you.

Go on some ghost tours! Want to learn even more about Spokane and its sometimes chilling and spooky history? You won’t go wrong with a ghost tour! Spokane Ghost Tours offers walking and bus ghost tours, plus small group ghost tours by appointment. Ghost tours are typically 2 hours (walking and bus). Learn more and schedule your ghost tour with Spokane Ghost Tours here.

Inland Empire Tours have been some of our favorites so far – we did a bus tour for holiday lights around Spokane and highly recommend it! Ghost tours with Inland Empire offer sedentary/minimal walking tours or moderate walking, and you can check out their latest offerings (and book early!) here.

Don’t be misled by the name, Sparky’s Fun House may be fun… for the undead. As you make your way through the Spokane haunted house during the Halloween season, beware of things going bump in the dark. You never know what may jump out from pitch black corners, or side doors. Evil clowns, zombies or spirits await those brave souls seeking chills and thrills.

Finally, attend some spooky movies at the Garland Theater’s Totally Tubular Tuezday events! Upcoming movies include:

• Ghostbusters (Oct 22)
• The Addam’s Family (Oct 29)
• V for Vendetta (Nov 5)
• Kill Bill Vol 1 (Nov 12)

3) Fall Colors in Spokane

Almost anywhere you go in Spokane during the fall is going to be beautiful, particularly if you’re able to go up to the South Hill or 5 Mile, where you’ll climb the hills and look down at all the lovely, changing colors and fall leaves. But if you really want some dedicated places to see Spokane fall colors, you won’t want to miss:

• Finch Arboretum – the Arboretum offers a self-guided walking tour and encourages guests to visit at any time of the year, but particularly the fall! According to Finch Arboretum “the Mountain Ash, Maple and Oak trees are the most well-known for their berries and leaf colors. The artistry of these fall colors create incredible photographs and backdrop for beautiful wedding events.”
• Manito Park – almost all of Manito Park is perfect for seeing the fall colors, but my favorite place to really get some gorgeous, deep reds is the Japanese Garden. You can learn more about Manito and get their free walking tour brochure here.
• Dishman Hills Conservation Area/Iller Creek – on the edge of Spokane Valley, you’ll have a nice 5 mile loop around Iller Creek in the Dishman Hills Conservation Area. There’s a reason why Dishman Hills offers ‘fall foliage hikes’ – it’s gorgeous here!
• Riverside State Park – Want to stay closer to Spokane to see the fall colors? Head over to Riverside State Park, which offers plenty of options for hardcore hikers to those who just want to stroll. You will need a Discover Pass to park here.

According to this interactive fall foliage prediction map, we can expect Spokane to see peak fall colors around October 12 – so head out there soon if you haven’t yet!

4) Visit Your Neighbors!

Beyond handing out candy to trick-or-treaters (or visiting your neighbors for candy), go out and check out all the cool, spooky and just plain fun displays your neighbors put on! Here’s a roundup of some fun cemeteries, ghost-y walks, and more:

• King Family Haunted House – open from 7 to 9 pm on weekends. Located at 15604 N Freya Street, Mead, WA. Free.
• Haunted Hollow Cemetery – located at 3519 E 20th Ave, Spokane, WA. Known as a yard haunt, this cemetery has tombstones, skeleton animals, animatronics and more. Full display is not up until Halloween night.
• Halloween Spooktacular – Located at 1722 S Bettman Rd, Spokane Valley, the Queen of Halloween lives! Every October, Chris Sheppard transforms her home with thousands of colorful lights and scary characters. Lights are on from dusk until 9 pm. Free.
• SpookWalk in Browne’s Addition – October 25, 26 and 31 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Meet the ghosts of Browne’s Addition on this walking tour! $20.

5) Enjoy Pumpkin Waffles, Pancakes, Donuts and More

So many places around Spokane are getting into fall flavors right now, with delicious things to eat and drink. A few of the standouts:

• Boots Bakery’s pumpkin waffles – they’re famous!
• Frank’s Diner (one of our top favorite brunch places) has “rich pumpkin spiced waffle” with creme brulee cream cheese icing. Excuse me while I make a quick detour to Frank’s!
• Hello Sugar donuts always offers a seasonal donut. It will change, but right now their seasonal donut is the pumpkin donut!
• Want something with a little more kick? Head to one of our top happy hour spots, including Bistango, for a pumpkin martini!

Really, you can’t go wrong with anything fall-flavored this time of year! From Beck’s world famous pumpkin donut, to the much-loved Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and beyond, there are a ton of options to get your fall flavored fix in Spokane.

6) Pumpkin Patches in Spokane

If you’re looking for amazing pumpkin patches in Spokane to get fun fall photos or to pick out your perfect Halloween pumpkin, there’s no better place to go than Green Bluff. Some of our top recommendations for pumpkin patches in Spokane include:

• High Country Orchard
• Beck’s Harvest House
• Big Barn Brewing (brews and pumpkins – what’s not to love?)

If you’re looking for even more pumpkin patches a little outside of Spokane, you have options! Prairie Home Farm in Coeur d’Alene has you covered with their fun pumpkin patch. Simply grab a wagon and head to the patch! In addition to the pumpkin patch, Prairie Home Farm also has family photo ops with old time tractors, sunflowers, and a picture station!

7) Corn Mazes in Spokane

One of the best and closest corn mazes in Spokane is definitely Siemer’s Farm and their Amazing Corn Shrub Maze and Castle. You can also find a corn maze at Beck’s Harvest House, the Pape Machinery Giant Corn Maze. Tickets to the Friendly Family Farm Funland at Beck’s include the giant corn maze, a smaller hay maze, cow train ride and so much more.

A little farther out from Spokane, at Newman Lake, WA (roughly 45 minutes from Spokane) is Carver Farms, which offers pumpkin donuts, caramel apples, a corn maze and more! Hours are Saturday and Sundays from 9 am to 4 pm.

As you can see, there is so much to do in Spokane in the fall! Spokane in the fall is gorgeous and, in my opinion, the best time to visit Spokane.

Which fall activities are you going to participate in this year? Let us know over on our Facebook page!