Fall Date Ideas in Omaha: 9 Cozy Ways to Spend the Season

Fall just might be the best season for a date around here (and I’m not only saying that cause it’s my favorite season). The weather finally chills out, everything smells like cider, and you’ve got a good reason to snuggle up together to stay warm.

Here's a whole batch of fall date ideas around Omaha to get you planning.

Pick apples at an orchard

Peak fall is filling a bag with more apples than you possibly know what to do with. If you want the full apple experience, drive down to Nebraska City for the AppleJack Festival. It takes over the whole town across two September weekends, with apple picking at Arbor Day Farm, Kimmel Orchard, and Union Orchard, plus a parade, craft vendors, cider tasting, and food everywhere you look. It's about 45 minutes south of Omaha, so make a day of it.

Sip your way through a local winery

Fall patios hit different with a glass of wine in hand. Cellar 426 in Ashland is perfect for this, with a big deck looking out over the valley, and hard cider if wine isn't your thing. Bella Terre over in Glenwood, Iowa does wood-fired pizza if you want to make it dinner too.

Cellar 426 Winery

1005 Prairie Agate Dr, Ashland, NE 68003

Bella Terre Vineyard

23375 Barrus Rd, Glenwood, IA 51534

Take a fall foliage hike

The leaves always seem to peak for about five minutes tops so catch them while you can. Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue has boardwalk trails that are easy on tired legs. Hitchcock Nature Center in Honey Creek does a hawk watch in the fall, where you can climb up and watch thousands of hawks and eagles stream south for the season. Neale Woods is quieter if you want fewer people around.

Fontenelle Forest

1111 Bellevue Blvd N, Bellevue, NE 68005

Hitchcock Nature Center

27792 Ski Hill Loop, Honey Creek, IA 51542

Neale Woods

14323 Edith Marie Ave, Omaha, NE 68112

Rent a bonfire for a group date

This is the move when you want to bring the whole friend group along. Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch is one of the local patches that rents out bonfire sites all fall, and staff start the fire and provide the wood so you just show up. You'll usually need a group of around 15 and a reservation, and you can bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks. Pack blankets, hot cider, and everything you need for s'mores.

Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch

11001 S 48th St, Papillion, NE 68133

Get a little spooky at a haunted house

If your idea of romance is grabbing onto each other while someone in a mask chases you, this one's for you. Omaha has a handful of haunted attractions that open up in October. See my full list of ‘em here.

Take a sunset ride on the daisy train

Skinny Bones Pumpkin Patch has a daisy train: a tractor-pulled wagon that carries you through fields of flowers. They also have the BEST sunset view around, so if you time it right, you get a dropdown gorgeous view of the sun dropping down over the fields. Go Thursday through Sunday when they stay open late enough to catch it, and give yourself time to wander through the rest of the patch and pick out a pumpkin while you’re there.

Skinny Bones Pumpkin Patch

3935 NE-133, Blair, NE 68008

Do a soup or chili crawl

Pick two or three spots and split a bowl at each. It's the cold weather version of an ice cream crawl, and a great way to eat your way across a neighborhood. The Old Market is one area where you can park once and hit a few.

Le Bouillon

1017 Howard St, Omaha, NE 68102

Jackson Street Tavern

1125 Jackson St, Omaha, NE 68102

Gather

1108 Howard St, Omaha, NE 68102

Hit a fall festival or market

Fall is easily the best season for festivals and markets around here. There's a little bit of everything, whether you're into Junkstock for vintage finds, Oktoberfest for beer and brats, or the Tacos and Tequila Festival for exactly what it sounds like. I keep a running list of fall events around Omaha so you can find one for whatever weekend you're free.

Catch the farmers market before it closes

Most markets wrap up for the season around here, so grab those last few weekends. Wander, pick up something fresh, and cook a meal together with whatever you find. It's my favorite kind of low stakes plan. See my roundup of farmers markets in the area and find one near you.

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Fall Date Ideas