There’s nothing quite like fall in Virginia. Mild weather and gorgeous landscapes are a pleasant respite from the heat of summer and the subdued calm of winter. These months tend to be full of festivals, outings, and traditions that take advantage of such a gorgeous time. There are so many seasonal adventures to enjoy, including a wide range of fall activities for seniors that make the most of autumn no matter your age.
Here at Branchlands Senior Living, we take every opportunity to get out and do things together in the autumn. Our residents have been on outings to local orchards like Carter Mountain and Dickie Brothers, as well as breweries and wineries like Mount Ida or Three Notch’d. Every year we drive up into the mountains of Shenandoah National Park for vibrant views, and we also celebrate close to home with our annual Fall Festival.
Below, we’ve gathered a few suggestions for the perfect fall day trips, experiences, and moments to enjoy while the season lasts—most of them based on the kinds of activities Branchlands residents enjoy doing each fall!
Fall Traditions
The sights and smells of fall are sweetly nostalgic. Capture some of that magic at a local farm or orchard by going pumpkin picking in one of their patches. This classic family-friendly tradition is a great excuse to get out and moving, while also bringing home a perfect jack-o-lantern pumpkin to help grandkids carve before Halloween.
In the Charlottesville area, Chiles Peach Orchard and Liberty Mills Farm are the most popular farms for picking pumpkins. They also offer other fall activities too, including hot cider, corn mazes, apple picking, baked treats, fresh produce, and more. Certain locations and activities might be more daunting than others—like uneven or muddy terrain picking apples on the side of Carter Mountain—but there’s so much else to see and enjoy browsing the country store, sitting outdoors for frequent live music, or taking a hayride around their fields.
The Fall Festival at Branchlands
At Branchlands, we have our own tradition each year: the Fall Festival! Our outdoor party for residents and their families brings people together with live music, tasty treats, and fun games and activities. The best part, though, is the wonderful sense of connection and conversation between neighbors and relatives. As an event that draws in far-flung families and gathers everyone together, there’s a uniquely uplifting energy at the Fall Festival every time.
There are a lot of other unique traditions in this area that make for great fall activities for seniors. Try all sorts of apple treats at the Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival in October, including local crafts, farm tours, and musicians. Or grab a stein and a pretzel at Richmond’s authentic German Oktoberfest, complete with traditional music and dancers. Of course, a tradition is just something we like enough to do every year—anything you enjoy doing can become a fall tradition!
Enjoying the Leaves
“Leaf peeping” is a cute term for people who travel up and down North America, following the changing of the leaves every autumn. Luckily, we don’t have to go far for one of the most spectacular leaf shows in the country! The trees near Branchlands reach their peak color in October, and there’s so many local ways to take it all in.
Shenandoah National Park is only half an hour from Branchlands, and features some of the Appalachian Mountains’ most spectacular views. The Park offers numerous trails for all skill levels, interpretive centers, and the Big Meadows Lodge. Each fall, Branchlands residents take a trip to the Lodge for lunch above the foliage.
Don’t fret if you can’t handle a mountainous hike: one of the best ways to enjoy the leaves is by staying in your car! Conveniently off the highway outside Charlottesville are the southern entrance of Skyline Drive, and the northern entrance of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Both are famous scenic drives whose frequent vistas, pull-offs, and pho-ops highlight the beauty of fall in Virginia.
Note: if you plan any fall activities for seniors that take place in a National Park, look into NPS’ Lifetime and Annual Senior Passes! Anyone 62 or older can enjoy Parks for a fraction of the usual entrance pass.
There’s plenty of “leaf peeping” that can be done in town as well. Charlottesville is full of trails, including the Saunders-Monticello Trail, which features boardwalks and gravel paths with minimal inclines to accommodate people of all mobilities and wheelchairs. Nature walks are great for both physical and mental health, and an opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the world around you. And if you’d like to keep the spirit of autumn with you, try pressing particularly beautiful leaves to scrapbook or make crafts with!
Day Trips
There are so many small day trips we mean to make “one of these days,” but can’t help putting off. The weather is often at its best in fall, so you should make certain to schedule fun outings before things get too cold or gloomy in winter! With kids back in school, plenty of venues are free of crowds during this lovely time of year and make for a perfect weekday visit.
Cultural experiences, like visits to museums, historic sites, and the theater, are ideal ways to experience the breadth of a community. Combined with lunch or dinner, a day out on the town makes for an enriching and interesting fall activity for seniors. Charlottesville hosts a number of destinations, including Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, the McGuffey Art Center, and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Live performances in town range from popular modern artists at the Ting Pavilion downtown, to local theatre at Live Arts.
Autumn Coziness at Home
Sometimes it’s rainy, or blustery, or just not the right day to go out for whatever reason. The season can be enjoyed just as well from inside, though! Fill your home with the smells of autumn: scented candles and hot tea do a good job, but nothing replaces the smell of fall baking. Enjoy the comforting aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and apples, and share a home-baked treat when you’re done!
Branchlands residents stay active with fun indoor fall activities for seniors. Poker, bridge, dominos, and bingo are all popular social pastimes here that get people smiling together around a table. Many of our residents are adept billiards players in the pool room, while others prefer our regular arts and crafts events. With earlier sunsets and chillier nights, staying in with a game, a book, or a movie is a cozy, pleasant treat this time of year.
With the gorgeous landscapes, plentiful things to do, and cool-not-cold weather, it’s no wonder fall is the most popular season in America. There’s plenty of fun things to do as a senior, with events and locations accommodating people of all ages. Best of all, for residents, Branchlands’ concierge shuttle system means getting to any kind of activity in town is a stress-free experience, especially for group outings. Seniors can also utilize Charlottesville Area Transit’s fare-free buses as a convenient way to get from place to place.
Regardless if you’re out and about alone or on a Branchlands outing, we hope you get a chance to try some of these fall activities for seniors here in the Charlottesville area!
