How to Make October Feel Like Fall When You Live in Southern California
There’s something slightly confusing about October in Southern California.
The calendar says fall. The stores say fall. Every coffee shop suddenly has some kind of pumpkin-flavored drink, and your Instagram feed is full of people wearing flannels, drinking warm cider and standing in front of trees that are actually changing colors.
Meanwhile, it’s 98 degrees outside.
The kids are wearing shorts. The pool is still open. You’re seriously considering turning the air conditioning down before you go pick out a pumpkin.
This is Southern California. We don’t really get fall — at least not the version of fall most of us picture when we hear the word. I love the idea of fall. Crisp mornings. Changing leaves. Cold football nights. Fires in the backyard. Sweaters. Apple cider. The whole thing.
But after having kids, I’ve realized something: fall doesn’t necessarily have to happen outside for your family to feel it.
You can mostly create it.
And that’s become one of my favorite things about October. Instead of waiting for Southern California to magically turn into New England, we just lean into our own version of fall. It’s a little warmer, there’s probably a beach involved, and somebody is definitely eating a popsicle while wearing a Halloween shirt.
Start with the pumpkin patch
The pumpkin patch is probably the easiest way to convince your brain that it’s actually fall. You pull up and suddenly there are hay bales, pumpkins, corn mazes, Halloween decorations and kids running around everywhere.
Never mind that it’s 86 degrees - the atmosphere does most of the work.
One thing I’ve learned as a dad is that you don’t necessarily need an elaborate family experience. You just need enough little things stacked together to make a day feel different from a normal Saturday.
Go to the pumpkin patch. Let the kids pick their pumpkins. Take some pictures. Get something unnecessarily expensive to eat. Let them do one activity you would normally say no to. Then go home.
That’s it.
You don’t need to turn it into a six-hour event. And, for the love of God, bring water and sunscreen.
Make your house feel a little more like October
You don’t need to transform your house into a haunted attraction. A few small things can completely change the feeling of a room.
Put some pumpkins on the front porch. Hang a black or white spooky wreath. Swap out a couple of pillows. Put a few more candles around the house. Turn on some warm lights in the evening. Maybe put a little Halloween decoration somewhere the kids aren’t expecting it.
You know what I’ve realized? Kids don’t really care if your house looks like Pinterest. They care that something is different.
That’s the magic.
They walk into the house and suddenly it’s October. That’s what they’ll remember.
Build an October playlist
This might be one of my favorite low-effort things.
Make a playlist that only exists in October. Halloween songs, old-school stuff, movie soundtracks, a little classic rock — whatever makes you feel like October.
Put it on while you’re making dinner. Put it on Saturday morning. Play it while you’re carving pumpkins. Play it while you’re cleaning up afterward.
Eventually, the music itself becomes part of the memory.
That’s one of those dad things that costs basically nothing but somehow sticks with kids. Years from now, they may not remember exactly what you did on October 14th, but they might hear a song and immediately think, “We used to listen to this every Halloween.”
That’s pretty cool.
Here is my playlist:
Football helps
Duh.
If you’re a football family, October basically takes care of itself. Sunday morning Packers then Sunday afternoon Rams. Coffee. Maybe a breakfast burrito. Football on TV. Kids running around the house. Some kind of food on the grill.
That’s fall. It doesn’t matter that you can still wear flip-flops.
You can manufacture the feeling.
And honestly, Southern California has one huge advantage over most places: you can actually be outside.
You don’t have to spend the entire season bundled up inside. Take the football outside. Set up a little backyard hangout. Let the kids throw the ball around. Have dinner outside for no reason. Put on a movie after dark.
That’s your fall.
Don’t be afraid to make October a little ridiculous
This is probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned as a dad.
Kids don’t need you to be cool. They need you to participate.
So yes, put the Halloween decorations up. Yes, carve the pumpkin. Yes, buy the stupid Halloween pajamas. Yes, make the hot chocolate even though it’s 78 degrees. Yes, go walk around the neighborhood looking at decorations. Yes, put on the Halloween movie.
You don’t have to explain why it’s ridiculous.
Just enjoy it.
Because eventually your kids aren’t going to be asking you to do these things anymore.
That’s the part nobody really tells you.
You think you’re creating traditions for your kids. You’re also creating memories for yourself.
The SoCal version of a cozy night
One of my favorite things about Southern California is that you can still have an outdoor evening in October.
And I think this is where you can really create that fall feeling.
After dinner, get everybody outside. Turn on the patio lights. Light the fire pit if you have one. Grab some blankets. Make popcorn. Let the kids run around for a while.
Then put on a movie.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can throw a portable projector against the garage wall, back fence or bed sheet and suddenly your backyard feels like an event. The kids will think you planned some elaborate family movie night.
You don’t have to tell them it took about 12 minutes to set up.
That’s the beauty of being a dad. We’re allowed to take credit for things that are actually pretty easy.
A few things that make October better
If I were putting together a little Southern California dad kit for October, I’d keep it simple.
A good cooler,
reusable water bottles for the kids,
a blanket you don’t mind getting dirty,
a wagon for when someone inevitably decides they’re too tired to walk,
a portable speaker,
some decent outdoor lighting,
a fire pit or patio setup if you’ve got the space,
and maybe a little outdoor projector if you’re really committed to the backyard movie thing.
And coffee.
Obviously.
I’ll link some of the stuff we actually use — or things I’d genuinely recommend — rather than filling this post with 47 random Amazon products nobody needs.
Because that’s another thing I’ve learned: you don’t need more stuff to have better family experiences. It can turn into clutter quickly.
You just need a few things that make the stuff you’re already doing easier.
Let Southern California be Southern California
After 39 years, I’ve stopped wishing October looked different.
Because when I think about the Octobers my kids are going to remember, I don’t actually think they’re going to remember the weather.
They’re going to remember pumpkins. They’re going to remember Halloween. They’re going to remember football. They’re going to remember running around outside after dinner. They’re going to remember Dad making popcorn. They’re going to remember staying up a little later than they were supposed to because there was a movie playing in the backyard.
They’re going to remember the beach. They’re going to remember the ridiculous decorations. They’re going to remember that October felt different.
And maybe that’s the whole point.
You don’t need changing leaves to make memories. You don’t need 45-degree mornings. You don’t need a cabin in Vermont.
If you’re a dad in Southern California, you’ve already got most of what you need.
The weather is good. The kids are probably/should be outside. There’s probably a pumpkin patch somewhere nearby.
And if all else fails, turn the AC down to 67, put on a flannel and pretend.
Happy October, dads.
Now go make some memories.
And bring water.