6 Fun Senior-Friendly Autumn Activities

The first signs of autumn are especially welcome in the Southwest. It means we can head outside in the midday sun and not feel like hamburger under a heat lamp. This time of year, there’s so much to see and do in the Phoenix area: concerts in the park, fall festivals, farmers markets, road trips. If you’re looking for autumn activities for seniors, here are a few ideas to put the fun into fall.

1. Head to a Pumpkin Patch

This is an activity the whole family can enjoy. The kids can pick out a pumpkin for Halloween, and the grown-ups can find gourds to decorate the Thanksgiving table. Some pumpkin farms go all out this time of year with hayrides, corn stalk mazes, sunflower fields, petting zoos, zip lines, and giant slides — not to mention fresh-baked goods from the farm store for your autumn feast.

2. Carve a Pumpkin

Spend an afternoon carving or decorating your pumpkins. Take your time — instead of plunging in with a knife like a B-movie villain, first make pinpricks along the outlines of your design. (You can download templates or make your own.) And try using smaller tools, like a keyhole saw or a melon baller. When you scoop out the insides, consider saving the seeds for toasting. They make a healthy snack.

3. Attend a Fall Festival

There are harvest celebrations and fall festivals happening across our region. The Phoenix Greek Festival kicks off the second week of October. The annual Mikiztli Dia de Los Muertos Festival takes place October 24 with music, masked performances, and a candlelight closing procession. You can also celebrate Oktoberfest on a train at Ales on Rails. And throughout October, the Arizona State Fair will be filled with prized animals, fried food and carnival rides. For more fun fall festivals, check out the Visit Phoenix website.

4. Go for a Nature Walk or Drive

We may not have blazing maples and oaks in our neck of the woods, but many desert plants are blooming and fruiting this time of year, attracting a host of birds and butterflies. The 140-acre Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park offers an easy way to stroll trails that snake past thousands of species of trees, flowers and cactus. If you want to get out of town, our Southwestern terrain offers spectacular sights. Surrounded by red rock mountains, the mystical town of Sedona is a two-hour drive from Phoenix. Along the way you can see Montezuma Well National Monument, a Native American cliff dwelling built into a limestone cliff wall. Prescott is another good daytrip destination. Head to Watson Lake Park for a scenic view of the blue lake surrounded by orange granite hills.

5. Throw a Tailgate Party

There’s no need to head to the stadium to host a tailgate party. Friends and neighbors can be just as much fun and much less challenging. Set up a big screen on a covered patio, bring out the lawn chairs, and fire up the grill. Ask guests to bring a dish to make preparation easy, and make sure you’ve got kid-friendly foods if children are invited. Outdoor games like cornhole, horseshoes or croquet add to the fun.

6. Bake a Festive Treat

Now’s the perfect time to dust off your rolling pin and bake a pie with the flavors of fall. Apple pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, pumpkin cheesecake pie … whatever brings your guests to the table works for us. As far as we’re concerned, you can’t go wrong with pie. If you don’t have time to bake a pie, there’s always pumpkin bread. While you’re at it, why not make gift loaves for friends and family?

Put More Fun in Your Life at Sagewood

You can lead as full a life as you want at Sagewood. From fitness classes and lifelong learning opportunities to painting classes and bridge club, there’s always something fun to do with people who share your interests. There’s bocce ball and pickleball. Concerts and music lessons. Book clubs and golf clubs. Hiking and dog walking. Our active lifestyle keeps us happy and fulfilled. To learn more about what keeps us going, get in touch.