Perfect Fall Weekend in Greater St. Cloud

Fall into autumn in Greater St. Cloud with the perfect weekend getaway! Autumn is a great time to visit the Granite City, and there is so much cool-weather fun to be had here for family weekends, romantic getaways, girls trips, and more. Apples and pumpkins, cider & comfort food, spooks & shopping sprees – find all the joys of the season right here!

Collegeville Orchards
Apples & Pumpkins, Please

Gone are the days of watermelons and sweet corn, the fruits and veggies of this season are apples, pumpkins, and every squash in between. There’s just something magical about a cool, sunny day spent strolling through an orchard or picking the perfect pumpkin. Good thing there are several ways to enjoy this autumn pastime in Greater St. Cloud.

Harvest your own apples and browse the shop for fun fall treats at Fairhaven Farm. Grab some gourds and feed the friendly furry farm folks at Collegeville Orchards. Navigate the maze and bounce on the giant inflatable pillow at A & G Produce. Find all this fall fun and more at a local orchard or pumpkin patch!

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve

Color Watch from Every Angle

While we love the green trees and blue waters that dominate summer, here in Greater St. Cloud we long for the ambers, golds, maroons and rusts of fall. Searching for the best rainbow route in the area? Look no further than these colorful trails that you can experience in a number of different ways.

Glimpse the maples over glistening still quarry waters at Quarry Park & Nature Preserve. Take in the red oaks on the Mississippi Riverbanks from the seat of a kayak rented from Clear Waters Outfitting. Bike the Beaver Island Trail for the best stretches of warm glowing color. Catch the fall colors all over Greater St. Cloud this fall!

Dolsie’s Lunchbox Grille

Comfort Food? You Betcha.

Don’t get us wrong, we love some summer grilling as much as the next Midwesterner, But when the temps dip, we automatically start craving something heavier, warmer, and, well, more Minnesotan. Satisfy your comfort food cravings at these and many more restaurants this season.

The cool temps have a way of telling us just what we’re craving, whether it’s a cauldron of Shepard’s Pie from Olde Brick House, or a delightful sandwich from Jules’ Bistro. Taste the flavors of the season with hot bowl of chicken wild rice soup from Dolsie’s Lunch Box Grille for lunch followed by a fillet of walleye and a fresh-from-the-oven famous giant popover from Anton’s Restaurant for dinner.

Pantown Brewing Company
Sip What Warms Your Soul

We are not too shy to admit that we love our pumpkin spice here, but we also love a number of other flavors that are synonymous with the best season of fall. Whether it’s coffee, beer, cider or wine, we’ve got what it takes to warm your soul.

Warm things up with a piping hot latte from Rock Creek Coffeehouse. Cool things down with a refreshing Oktoberfest brew from Pantown Brewing Company or Beaver Island Brewing Company. Change things up with a taste of delicious hard cider brewed in the hills of St. Joseph at Milk & Honey CidersClass things up with a tasting at #TheFunWinery, Millner Heritage Winery.

Copper Pony

Shop the Season

Raise your hand if the orange decor and blanket scarves come out on September 1st! We know it’s not just us. ‘Tis the season for all things pumpkin, flannel and cozy, and we’re not complaining. Capture the essence of fall at home and in your wardrobe when you shop these and more Greater St. Cloud stores. First deck the halls with all things fall after a trip to Modern Barnyard. Then shop for the perfect autumn-scented candle and apple pie dish at Copper Pony. And finally, find the cutest knee boots and MN hoodies for your orchard date at Crafts Direct. 

Get a Little Spooky

As we approach the month of October, there is usually just one thing on the minds of thrill-seekers and kids alike: Halloween. Whether you’re into getting scared silly as you’re chased by a masked, chainsaw wielding crazy person or you’re more of the trick-or-treat, look how cute my cat costume is type, we’ve got something to get you in the spirit in Greater St. Cloud.

Join the ghouls, ghosts and creatures of the nights for a hayride through the haunted woods at Molitor’s Haunted Acres. Or you can quietly crawl through the creepy corn field at the Harvest of Horror.