Fall is officially here, and you can’t hide it in Buffalo. It’s getting chilly outside; the Bills are playing, and the leaves are just starting to change. Fall is, of course, a beautiful time in this part of the country.
But after such a fun summer that ended with me losing my job, fall this time around feels a bit cloudy. However, I don’t want to sit in that gloom, as it won’t change my situation.
Instead, I’m going to approach fall the same way I approached summer, with a mission to have fun, and I’ll try to make the most of it.
I really enjoyed tackling my personal summer bucket list, so I made another one for fall. Here’s what I’m planning to do:
☕ Have a seasonal coffee drink
At the risk of being banned from society, I’ll say it: I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin spice. I do love pumpkin pie, and I used to be that person who would look forward to the PSL release, and I’d get one every Friday. But that was in 2008.
Now, I prefer other fall flavors (apple – not in coffee, though; caramel, cinnamon, etc.). Two coffee shops near me have delicious-looking seasonal options, including a salted caramel dark chocolate latte (Undergrounds) and a maple cinnamon latte (Tim Hortons). Yum!
🐯 Cheer on the LSU Tigers!
Last fall, I put a majority of my football fan energy into the Bills. And it was a lot of fun! But, as an LSU alumnae, my heart is always going to be more with college football. In years past, I dedicated my Saturdays to watching “College Game Day” and watching college rivalry games all day. I missed that energy last fall.
Although I’ll still keep up with the Bills (and wear my merch) on Sundays, I’m putting my fan energy back into college football! There’s truly nothing like it; the season is in full swing, and it’s been so much fun already.
🍂 Find the perfect autumn street
After taking several historic home tours in Buffalo this year, I noticed certain areas of the city that will look really pretty come autumn. Now that it’s here, I’ll be on a mission to find them. I’m imagining a street you’d see in a Nora Ephron movie; you know, like the movie poster for “When Harry Met Sally.”
This idea also sparked another, which led me to create a Fall Photo Challenge for my Etsy shop. Being on a mission to find something will encourage me to get outside, even when the crisp fall days starts to feel a little too cold.
🍎 Have hot apple cider
If I’m not gonna have apple in my coffee, then hot apple cider is necessary. Last year, one of my favorite booths at the farmer’s market offered hot apple cider, and you could flavor it with various syrups and spices, and it was so good – I’m still thinking about it almost a year later!
If I can find a good apple cider donut, too, I won’t be mad about it.
🎷 Listen to live jazz
Buffalo has a bustling jazz scene! Over the last year, I’ve caught some of it live, but only by accident. This time I’m approaching it with purpose. There’s a pretty robust calendar for it, but I feel like there are also several restaurants that feature regular live jazz.
🍴 Have lunch at a cute cafe
Every Thursday, when I go to Main Street for a taco salad, I see this little cafe across the street that looks so cozy. It’s the City Fare Cafe, and it looks like they serve soup, salad, and sandwiches with flavors and specials that change daily.
I’m excited to try it out; maybe it will become a new regular spot!
📖 Read in a coffee shop (or outside if it’s not too cold)
When I lived in Louisiana, I spent so many days reading in coffee shops! The coffee shops near my Buffalo apartment aren’t really set up for this (either they have very few seats or none at all), so I think I’ll have to venture out and try a new place.
I have a stack of fall reads (my list is here), so I’m not short on material; that’s for sure.
🍿 Have caramel corn
This one feels a little out of sorts for me, but there is a booth at the farmer’s market that always sells various types of popcorn, and every time I walk by, I’m tempted to buy some. Why haven’t I done it yet? I’m not sure, but fresh caramel corn just sounds so cozy and autumnal; it would make the perfect reading snack!
🥘 Make soup, stew, gumbo, or chili (or all of them!)
I was looking forward to a lot of things when I moved to Buffalo, and one of them was having a reason to make cozy meals. Living in the South, I still made chili and soup, but it never felt quite right. Last fall and winter, I made tomato soup from scratch many times, and it really is so nice!
I’m looking forward to making more of these this year; there’s nothing like breaking out the crockpot, having it on all day, and then finally getting to eat what’s inside for dinner.
🍸 Get a martini
This is another one that will be a bit of a stretch for me; I’m more of a beer or tequila drinker. But, when I was imagining what I wanted my fall to look like, an icy cold martini in a cozy bar sounded perfect.
I’m not going to limit myself to a dirty vodka martini; it will be whatever sounds good, wherever I end up.
🔥 Find a bonfire or a fire pit
What’s cozier on a chilly autumn night than an open fire? Of course, there’s a chance a new friend could invite me to a bonfire, but several bars and restaurants have fire pits! Off the top of my head, I know Resurgence Brewing Company and the VUE Rooftop Lounge both have fire pits; a nice cocktail, little warmth from the fire… sign me up!
🥊 Punch + kick a punching bag
Since losing my job, I’ve felt a lot of anger and frustration… and I recalled when I used to regularly take kickboxing classes in Louisiana. So, I recently ventured to the gym in my building and, to my delight, they have a punching bag! I still have my wraps and gloves; I just have to muster up the courage to actually go downstairs and do it (why are these things so difficult for me?).
👻 Do something spooky
I honestly have NO idea what this will be; I’m too scared for haunted houses or corn mazes. I took a downtown ghost tour in January, and I enjoyed it. Maybe a cemetery tour? I’m open to ideas if you have them; just nothing too frightening!
And that’s my 2026 personal fall bucket list! It’s in my Notes app on my phone, which is not as cute as what I’m selling in my shop, but it gets the job done 🙂
What are your plans this fall?
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