25 Orlando dates you'll actually want to go on this fall

Join the party at Alive After 5

Take a trip to Sanford to enjoy food, music, craft beer and shopping at Central Florida’s largest recurring street party. It takes place the second Thursday of every month and is free to the public. More information here
Photo via Alive After 5/Facebook

Eat and drink your fill at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Experience flavors from around the world with your ticket to Epcot through Nov. 12. This festival includes live music, culinary demonstrations, cheese seminars, food and drink pairings and more. More information here
Photo via Epcot - Walt Disney World/Facebook

Listen to some tunes at Art & Music in the Park

Go over to Casselberry’s Lake Concord Park to experience live music, local vendors and a food truck bazaar. This free event takes place on the second Friday of every month. More information here
Photo via Adobe Images

Listen to live music at Casa Feliz

Historic home museum Casa Feliz presents “Music at the Casa” every Sunday from 12-3 p.m. You can enjoy everything from harp music to flamenco guitarists, then take a tour through the house. Though it is free to the public, they accept donations. Find the 2018 music schedule here
Photo via Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum/Facebook

Catch the Shit Sandwich Comedy Showcase

This free stand-up comedy showcase is one of the best in town. It takes place on the first Saturday of every month at The Bull & Bush Pub. More information here
Photo via Jon Yehling

Catch an outdoor movie

Make this classic date option a little more interesting by catching an outdoor movie screening. Free showings of movies such as “The Goonies” and “Incredibles 2” will be available in the Orlando area for the rest of the year. Find movie showings here
Photo via Harry P. Leu Gardens

Get boozy in Thornton Park at the 2nd Thursday Wine & Art Walk

Head to Thornton Park on the second Thursday of every month for the 2nd Thursday Wine & Art Walk, where $15 gets you a glass and a map of all of the businesses offering wine tastings. Along the way, listen to live music and view local artists’ displays. More information here
Photo via Orlando Weekly

Enjoy your favorite brews at Sanford Beer Week

A modified couch race and a beer fest are only some of the events happening during Sanford Beer Week. Lasting from Nov. 13 through Nov. 19, celebrate your love for beer with a variety of free drinking events across Sanford. More information here
Photo via Historic Downtown Sanford/Facebook

Go on a camping trip to Rainbow Springs State Park

Though Dunnellon is about an hour and a half drive away, the beauty of Rainbow Springs is well worth the drive. The park’s campground has 60 sites for tent and RV campers. And while there, you can enjoy the springs, nature trails and tubing. Prices vary depending on the dates you choose. More information here
Photo via Florida State Parks

Share some laughs at SAK Comedy Lab

This improv comedy club has been making people laugh for nearly 30 years. Many comedians, such as Wayne Brady, even got their start at this place. Prices vary depending on the show. Find comedy show dates here
Photo via SAK Comedy Lab/Facebook

Get in the fall spirit with Long & Scott Farms Corn Maze and Fall Market

This Mount Dora farm is offering two corn mazes as well as fresh food. The Fall Market & Cafe is open Tuesday-Thursday and offers fresh fruits and vegetables as well as “farm-fresh breakfast” and signature sandwiches. The maze will be open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 9. Corn maze admission is $12. More information here
Photo via Long & Scott Farms/Facebook

Pet some adorable fluffballs at Cat Cafe

Journey down to Clermont for a cat-lover’s haven. Sip on some coffee and, for an $8 fee, pet and play with the cutest adoptable cats.More information here
Photo via Orlando Cat Cafe/Facebook

Feel cultured at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum

Want to discuss complex issues on your date? Well art is a great medium to do so. This is especially true for Rollins College’s Cornell Fine Arts Museum, which is currently showing exhibitions like “Dangerous Women” — art selections centered around biblical women — and “Fake News? Some Artistic Responses,” which focuses on attacks on the media throughout history. Find all current exhibitions here
Photo via Cornell Fine Arts Museum/Facebook

Stargaze at the Emil Buehler Planetarium

Seminole State College’s planetarium offers interactive shows and “full-dome video presentations” perfect for any science enthusiasts. You can also stop by different locations around Central Florida for “Telescope Thursdays,” where you can observe the different objects in the sky. Adult admission is only $6. More information here
Photo via Emil Buehler Planitarium at Seminole State College/Facebook

Get the Greek sponge experience at Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs is a beach town on the Gulf Coast, about two hours from Orlando, which was settled by Greek sponge divers in the early 1900s. Their legacy still remains, as this city features an abundance of authentic Greek restaurants and natural sponge vendors. The saganaki -- or imported flamed cheese -- at Hellas Bakery & Restaurant is worth the drive alone. More information here
Photo via Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks/Facebook

Get some comfort food by the beach at The Beach Bucket

One great thing about Florida is that you can still go to the beach in the fall. Though it’s a bit of a drive, enjoying some food by the beach is well worth the trouble. We recommend The Beach Bucket Bar & Grill in Ormond Beach because it is a bit more hidden (due to it being located right behind a resort club) and because of its direct, unobstructed beach view. Also, they feature live music and fire pits for those colder fall nights. More information here
Photo via Beach Bucket/Facebook

Learn about the city you live in with a tour of Downtown Orlando

Whether you’re in the mood for a historic tour, gallery tour, food tour or even a ghost tour, there is a tour for anyone’s taste. Be a tourist in your own state for a day. Prices vary depending on the tour selected. More information here
Photo via City of Orlando - Government/Facebook

Take a short road trip to St. Augustine

Just under two hours away from Orlando, St. Augustine is the oldest city in the US, founded in 1565. It is home to a Spanish stone fortress from the 17th century, many quirky shops and restaurants, museums and more. It is the perfect place to enjoy a nice stroll through history. More information here
Photo via St. Augustine, Florida/Facebook

Take a wildlife walk at Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge

Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge in Orlando offers a Wildlife Walk with general admission (which is $5). This is a guided tour in which you will see over 30 different wildlife species while learning fun facts about them. Enjoy some fresh air in the great outdoors while also learning more about rehabilitating animals and the environment. More information here
Photo via Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge/Facebook

Lose yourselves in the Harvest Holler Corn Maze

Located in Lakeland, this family-owned farm offers a corn maze every weekend through Nov. 11. There is also a variety of additional family-friendly activities offered, such as a pumpkin patch, hay ride, live farm animals and MAWMAW’s Country Store, where you can purchase homemade jams. Adult admission for the corn maze is $10.50. More information here
Photo via Harvest Holler Corn Maze/Facebook