Looking to get in the fall spirit? These 14 things to do in RI will put you in the mood

Katie Landeck, Providence Journal
Updated ·6 min read

When the kids head back to the classrooms and the first leaves start to change on the trees, it’s time to start daydreaming about fall in New England.

In Rhode Island, there's plenty of fall charm to go around, with farms to visit, woods to hike, Colonial neighborhoods to stroll through and quite a few seasonal events.

If you’re looking to get a taste of fall this season, here are 14 ideas for places to go or things to do that will put you in the mood.

Leaf peeping by a covered bridge

The Swamp Meadow covered bridge in Foster is down a dirt road which is the continuation of Central Pike after the intersection with Foster Center Road or Route 94, south of Route 6.
The Swamp Meadow covered bridge in Foster is down a dirt road which is the continuation of Central Pike after the intersection with Foster Center Road or Route 94, south of Route 6.

Rhode Island may not have many covered bridges, but you don't need that many to get in the spirit of the season. Our pick is the Swamp Meadow covered bridge, a 40-foot-long replica of a 19th-century wooden bridge that was completed in 1994 and located at 105A Central Pike in Foster. It crosses Hemlock Brook, and the woods around it are lovely during the fall.

Go apple picking

The apple trees are ready for picking.
The apple trees are ready for picking.

Rhode Island has plenty of apple orchards to choose from if you want to pick some apples to make a pie or maybe a cobbler. Jaswell’s Orchard in Smithfield’s “Apple Valley” was recently voted one of the top 10 in the country by USA Today if you need help narrowing down one to visit.

Visit the Providence Athenæum

The Providence Athenaeum
The Providence Athenaeum

If there were ever a poet who understood fall, it was Edgar Allen Poe. The Providence Athenæum, 251 Benefit St., was one of his favorite places when he moved to Providence in 1848 to court wealthy widow Sarah Helen Whitman. Their engagement might not have worked out, but the Providence Athenæum has stood the test of time. Be sure to spend some time walking around the Benefit Street neighborhood when you visit.

Go for a hike

The boardwalk along the Audubon Society of Rhode Island's Claire McIntosh Wildlife Refuge. Providence Journal File Photo/Kathy Borchers
The boardwalk along the Audubon Society of Rhode Island's Claire McIntosh Wildlife Refuge. Providence Journal File Photo/Kathy Borchers

Fall is one of the most beautiful times of year to take a hike. There are quite a few trails to consider. If you’re looking for a true hike in the woods, try Wetamoo Woods in Tiverton. If you’re looking for an easy-to-walk-on path, consider the Claire D. McIntosh Wildlife Refuge Boardwalk in Bristol, or Lincoln Woods in Lincoln.

Do a Providence Ghost Tour

Providence Ghost Tour guide Charlene Pratt stands on Meeting Street at Congdon, pointing out sites of ghostly interest on the East Side.
Providence Ghost Tour guide Charlene Pratt stands on Meeting Street at Congdon, pointing out sites of ghostly interest on the East Side.

It’s the spooky season soon, so there has to be at least one ghost-related thing on this list. Take a walking tour by lantern light with Providence Ghost Tour and learn more about the city’s history and ghostly residents. Tickets start at $25.

If you’d rather not go on a tour, consider visiting one of the historical cemeteries in Providence. Swan Point Cemetery is beautiful, and H.P. Lovecraft is buried there.

Pick your pumpkin

The pumpkin patch at Trinity Church in Newport.
The pumpkin patch at Trinity Church in Newport.

You need a few pumpkins to decorate your front steps and carve closer to Halloween. If you’re looking for a farm experience, check out Adams Farm in Cumberland, which has a huge pumpkin patch to pick your perfect pumpkin from, farm animals to pet, a corn maze to solve, a hay mountain to climb, games, food and walking paths. General admission is $13.  If you’d rather pick from pre-cut pumpkins, consider making a trip to the pumpkin sale at Trinity Church in Newport, when they open for the season. While there, take a stroll through the Point neighborhood to soak in the season.

Take a fall lighthouse cruise

The Rose Island Lighthouse is one of the ones you will see on the tour.
The Rose Island Lighthouse is one of the ones you will see on the tour.

If you’re looking to get out on the water but don’t want to be cold, take a fall lighthouse cruise out of Newport. The cruises don’t start running until November from the Coastal Queen, which has a weatherproof lower deck and a covered upper deck. Coastal Queen Cruises will give you a view of the Rose Island Lighthouse, Castle Hill Light, Goat Island Lighthouse and more. Tickets start at $33. If a cruise isn’t your thing, you could always just visit one of the lighthouses.

More: There are 21 lighthouses in Rhode Island. What to know and which ones to visit

Catch the fall migration

Charles Clarkson, director of avian research at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, offers practical tips for catching sight of visiting bird species during the fall migration.
Charles Clarkson, director of avian research at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, offers practical tips for catching sight of visiting bird species during the fall migration.

There are two different migrations to check out.

If you’re an angler, the pods of migrating striped bass, bluefish and bonito feast on schools of bait fish as they migrate south making for prime fishing. There are plenty of stops from Sakonnet Harbor in Little Compton to the Charlestown Breachway to drop a line and try your luck.

And if fish aren’t your thing, then there’s the fall migration of birds. Head to places like Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge in South Kingstown or the Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge in Exeter to spot some birds before they head South for the winter.

What to know: Fall bird migration is in full swing in Rhode Island. Here's the best birding spots.

Attend a fall festival

Giant pumpkins and squash vying for top honors sit on pallets at the 2017 Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers' annual weigh-off.
Giant pumpkins and squash vying for top honors sit on pallets at the 2017 Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Growers' annual weigh-off.

Starting Labor Day weekend, there are enough festivals happening in Rhode Island to attend a different one every weekend all the way through to Halloween. If we had to narrow it down to just one with the strongest fall vibes, it would be the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off & Fall Festival at Pasquale Farms in Richmond on Oct. 7. After all, they will have pumpkins weighing up to 3,000 pounds.

Get lost in a corn maze

In a past year, a corn maze at Salisbury Farm in Johnston raised awareness of hemophilia and other blood disorders. [Courtesy of Salisbury Farm]
In a past year, a corn maze at Salisbury Farm in Johnston raised awareness of hemophilia and other blood disorders. [Courtesy of Salisbury Farm]

Test your sense of direction and take on the challenge of one of the area’s corn mazes. For an experience that has stood the test of time, check out the giant corn maze at Salisbury Farm in Johnston. If you want to add a bit of challenge, head to one of their moonlight maze nights and see how you do in the dark.

Cheer for your team at Friday night football

It’s the season for football games and Friday night lights. Support your local team and your community at the same time by heading to one of the games, getting a snack from the concession stand, tapping your foot along with the pep band, and, of course, cheering on the players. Who knows? You might even see one of the early games of the next football star.

Sip a glass at a local winery

A crisp glass of wine pairs well with a crisp fall day. Head to a local vineyard to enjoy the changing colors of the grapevines and indulge in a tasting. Leyden Farm Vineyard & Winery in West Greenwich offers a perfect setting.

Attend a WaterFire event

WaterFire Providence is among the many charms of the artsy, approachable, diverse foodie haven.
WaterFire Providence is among the many charms of the artsy, approachable, diverse foodie haven.

The crackle of the fire. The smell of smoke. The glimmer of the flame against the water. WaterFire is always a spectacular and creative event, but it shines in the fall months. Check the schedule at waterfire.org and head to downtown Providence for an evening out.

WaterFire Providence 2023: WaterFire Providence 2023 season includes 10 lightings. Here's the schedule and some tips

Go to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo

Roger Williams Park Zoo's Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular continues nightly from 6 to 10:30 p.m. through Oct. 31.
Roger Williams Park Zoo's Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular continues nightly from 6 to 10:30 p.m. through Oct. 31.

Thousands of pumpkins illuminate the trail at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence to create a Halloween experience like no other. This year, the wanderlust theme will take attendees on a European vacation, a safari, to the Pyramids of Giza and down Route 66. The event is rain or shine and tickets can’t be rescheduled so think about that when purchasing. The event will light up the park daily from Thursday, Sept. 28, through Tuesday, Oct. 31, 6 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for children.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Fall Bucket List: Leaf peeping, apple picking, pumpkins to get in mood