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You don’t have to wait for the winter holidays to go on super-cute dates. Between the cooling temperatures, many autumn festivals and a plethora of spooky happenings, there’s plenty of fall fun to enjoy with a significant other.
Whether you’re trying to impress a new boo from Tinder, are in the honeymoon stage of your relationship or are happily hitched, these date ideas can help bring romance — and maybe even a little pumpkin spice — to the season.
Traders Village
9333 SW Loop 410, (210) 623-8383, tradersvillage.com
Traders Village is back with its fourth annual Corny Maze. The 10-acre maze features three trails ranging from easy, kid-friendly difficulty to a challenging nearly three-mile trek through the corn stalks. The maze is open on weekends October 2-November 29.
Photo via Instagram / tradersvillage_saDenman Estate Park
7735 Mockingbird Ln, sanantonio.gov
Denman Estate Park may very well have one of the most unique features on this list. It features a traditional South Korean pavilion, styled similarly to the Gwangju Democracy Bell in South Korea. Gwangju, South Korea and San Antonio, you may be surprised to learn, are sister cities. Denman Estate Park is a beautiful place to visit, not only for the pavilion, but for the pond and garden as well.
Photo via Instagram / rebekahsantoyoGet boozy at the San Antonio Beer Festival
$40-$50, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2 p.m., Crockett Park, 1300 N. Main Ave., sanantoniobeerfestival.com
Back for a 15th year, the annual San Antonio Beer Festival invites you to Crockett Park to sample from more than 400 beers from more than 100 breweries. Take your pick from brews hailing from San Antonio to Boston, Ireland to Iceland, and sip wine, cider, seltzer and more. Multiple DJ booths, local food vendors and games round out the fun, making the fest ideal for both casual beer drinkers and craft snobs alike. The San Antonio Beer Fest is presented by H-E-B and benefits the San Antonio Food Bank.
Photo by Jaime Monzon for San Antonio Beer FestivalCoordinate your Halloween costumes with your bestie/S.O.
Now this is one you can do with your lover or your platonic bestie. Whether you want to go timeless (salt and pepper, apples and oranges) or go with something trendy to this year (Julian Castro and Beto O’Rourke would be hilarious), this idea is fun from start to finish.
Photo by Jaime MonzonMission Reach
thesanantonioriverwalk.com
Mission Reach is a popular destination for kayakers, pedestrians and bikers alike. Because a lot of the trail is located a fair distance from the road, it’s a good place for people who aren’t experienced with riding near or on the street, and it’s plenty walkable, too. The route is more scenic than challenging anyway, so if you’re into rough and tough terrain and heart-pumping inclines on an isolated path in nature, Mission Reach probably isn’t for you. If you’re into paved paths and mostly gentle slopes with a beautiful view of the historic missions, you’ll love Mission Reach.
Photo via Instagram / ryanibarra24Kick back for a free movie screening via Slab Cinema
Multiple locations, slabcinema.com
You can have the fun of Netflix and chill minus the chill…and replace the Netflix with a blockbuster movie projected on an inflatable screen, thanks to Slab Cinema. With screenings popping up around town, you and your one-and-only can choose a movie to watch for free. Just remember to bring the lawn chair or blanks for maximum coziness.
Photo via Instagram / slabcinemaSee how tough you are at a haunted house
It’s no secret that San Antonio loves haunted shit. There’s always the option to explore places that have actual claims of being haunted, so all the more power to you if you go that route. If you’re not so brave (no judgements here), you’re more than welcome to snuggle your cuddling partner as you make your way through a commercial haunted house. If you can laugh about it afterward, it’ll make your visit even better. Get exploring at these spots.
Courtesy of 13th Floor San Antonio Credit: Courtesy of 13th Floor San AntonioExplore some new local restaurants
Tired of always going to the same neighborhood hole in the wall for date night? Expand your culinary horizons, and prepare to be eating good and drinking just as well. Find inspiration here.
Photo via Instagram / s.a.foodieHave a photoshoot in a pumpkin patch
Say cheese, babies.
You may cringe at the constant pumpkin photos in your Instagram feed, but you won’t roll your eyes at the opportunity to have a cute, fun photoshoot with your favorite piece of eye candy. Ask a friend (*cough* third wheel *cough*) to tag along to be your photographer for the day, or just bug someone nearby for a few photos..
Photo via Instagram / biancaceleneHave a slice of pumpkin pie at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q
Multiple locations, billmillerbbq.com
Some people wait all year just to score a slice (or whole!) of pumpkin pie from Bill Miller. Whether you fall into that category or not, treat yourself to a cheap date with your sweetie before this seasonal treat disappears off the menu again.
Photo Courtesy of Bill Miller Bar-B-QSpend some time with local ghostly spirits
These spots are promising.
With a city as old and historic as ours is, there’s lots of spots to get your fix of ghostly fun. From established tours and overnight sleep-ins to exploring your own “haunted” sites, you and your date will have lots to talk about if you go this route.
Photo via Instagram / erikjongustafsonTaste the new flavors at a local brewery
Fall is the season of beer, so you’ll be smart to treat you and bae to a few date nights exploring what’s new on tap. Whether new brews or new (to you) drinking spots, this is a solid way to spend quality time with your date without it getting too expensive. Plus, it’s super fun!
Photo via Instagram / alamobeercoCheer on the Spurs before the playoffs
1 AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com
While most San Antonians are Spurs fans every day of the year, it’s super smart to be that dedicated fan early in the season. You may not be able to afford all the playoff tickets in the world, but you and your boo can hit up a game or two during less important match-ups without spending too much.
Photo via Instagram / spursMake an altar for Dia de los Muertos
With Mexican culture at the forefront in San Antonio, traditions like Dia de los Muertos are super visible for locals and transplants alike. Going to events in honor of the holiday are plenty fun (and should definitely be an idea), but dive deeper into your relationship and make a joint altar. Not only will you honor y’all’s respective loved ones, but you’ll bond while doing so.
Photo by Bryan RindfussCelebrate Oktoberfest around San Antonio
San Antonio may have a lot of Latino influences, but there’s no denying that we know how to party like the Germans. Celebrating brats and beer, you can catch plenty of Oktoberfest happenings throughout October – from brewery events to full-fledged festivals. If you and your boo both like to get boozy and can eat your weight in sausage, it might just be a match made in heaven.
Photo via Instagram / dorcolspiritsThe Ghost Tracks
You can’t talk about urban legends in San Antonio without covering the Ghost Tracks. This long-dispelled myth is still a local favorite, and was voted Best Urban Legend in the Current’s Best of San Antonio poll for the past three years running. As the story goes, you can park your car at this spot on the train tracks and get “pushed” forward by some spectral helpers. As a bonus, if you put flour on the back of your trunk, you might even see their little handprints. The push purportedly comes from wee ghosts of children who met an untimely end in the early 1900s when a train rammed into a bus at the location. However, in 2003, archivist Matt De Waelsche traced the story’s origin to a 1938 bus accident in Salt Lake City, Utah. Even worse, the tracks were “exorcised,” if you will, by a construction project. When Union Pacific added a second track to the intersection, they levelled out the elevation, removing the downward slant that vehicles would gently roll down when they were supposedly being “pushed” by the ghosts. Turns out it was just a trick of physics the whole time.
Photo via Google MapsGo to a farmers market
SA may not be one of those regions where we do corny shit like pick our own vegetables at a farm, but we’re all about farmers markets. Whether you want to pick up fancy ingredients to make a meal at home later, or just gorge on fresh food and drinks being sold by vendors, there’s plenty to enjoy at farmers markets all over town. If you’re down to battle the crowds, Pearl’s weekend market is as popular as it is for good reason.
Photo Courtesy of Pearl Credit: Photo Courtesy of PearlHit up some Halloween parties
Here’s our ever-growing roundup of parties
If y’all are one of those couples that waits all year for Halloween, you better make all the Halloween happenings part of your date night plans. From drinking events to costume contests and something tailoring to pretty much every aspect of the eerie holiday, there’s something for everyone.
File photo Credit: File photoExplore a nearby small town
Doing hoodrat shit around San Antonio is all fun and games, don’t get us wrong, but sometimes you just need to get away and experience something new. No matter what your inspiration may be, taking a daytrip outside 1604 will do you and your boo some good. Head up to Fredericksburg to see some fall foliage for yourself and head on a winery tour, or maybe head south to Medina County for some of their market days on the weekend. Think of it as a couples’ retreat without breaking the bank.
Photo via Instagram / dallasmoorebandGet your fill of German heritage at Wurstfest in New Braunfels
Nov. 5-14, 178 Landa Park Dr, New Braunfels, wurstfest.com
Whether you’re there for the great food or the copious amounts of beer, Wurstfest is a local rite of passage. Plus, since it happens in November of every year, it’s a great way to keep the Oktoberfest fun going after its titular month is long over.
Photo via Instagram / wurstfestAdmire Blue Star Contemporary’s innovative exhibits
116 Blue Star, (210) 227-6960, bluestarcontemporary.org
A house for innovative contemporary art, this nonprofit’s galleries are open to anyone for free. If you’re lucky, you may get to see one of the venue’s regulars and a true connoisseur of the arts — Duncan, the dog.
Photo via Instagram / bluestarartdogVolunteer at the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner
900 E Market St, rauljimenezdinner.com
The almost 40-year tradition has touched many San Antonians, especially those who would not have a Thanksgiving meal otherwise. If you and bae are wanting to do some good, spend some time helping out at the annual community event. Not only will it make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but you’ll be able to make a new tradition with your sweetheart.
Photo via Instagram / jimenezdinner