A Palm Beach Kind of Fall: Your Guide to Autumn in the Palm Beaches

This month has been a stormy one. I’ve enjoyed falling asleep at night to the sounds of raindrops on my rooftop, and waking up, yes, even at 5am like I did yesterday, to bright flashes of lightning and loud roars of thunder outside my bedroom window. Thankfully our toddler tends to sleep through it and our two adopted pups don’t mind the drama, otherwise these experiences may not be quite as relaxing for mom and dad. All this to say, fall is just around the corner, right? While our South Florida weather disagrees, there are still ways you can enjoy the sights, smells and tastes of the season.

While fall in the Palm Beaches may not mean bundling up in a sweater and a scarf to go apple-picking and enjoy a hayride, it is absolutely still fall. Even without piles of leaves to jump in (do you remember those days?), there are still plenty of places to go, people to see and pumpkins to pick out. You just have to know where to look. And part of it is playing pretend and making your own fun.

A Dachshund in a pink harness stands beneath a croton shrub with vivid red, orange and yellow leaves, bringing autumn colors to a sunny South Florida day.

First, here are a few places you must visit if you’re spending the season here.

A Palm Beach Kind of Fall: Five Places to Go

1. Bedner’s Fall Festival, Boynton Beach

Runs from October 3 through November 1, 2026. Go for the pumpkins (but shhhh! They don’t actually grow here) and stay for the tractor ride. Bedner’s gives us a festive farm in which we can indulge our autumn ambitions, even if everyone is sweating through their linen. Wear something breezy, because the pictures won’t show the temperature. I am so grateful I took my daughter last year because despite the heat because our pumpkin patch pictures are the cutest. Go for a few hours, get the photos and stop in the farm market on your way out and pick up dinner items so you don’t have to cook. Festival details⁠

2. The Gardens GreenMarket, Palm Beach Gardens

The season starts on Sunday, October 4 from 8am to 1pm at Palm Beach Gardens City Hall. Make a Sunday morning market visit part of your seasonal routine. This is a place where you can pick up something for dinner and flowers for the table. I’ve been shopping this market for the past ten years and I absolutely love the vendors, from my favorite produce stand to the pasta maker to the popsicle lady and the people who make the world’s best apple cider doughnuts, Palm Beach Cider Doughnuts. Shop local, because this is where you will find some of the best food and drinks in the county. I could go on and on, but trust me on this one. Market details⁠

3. West Palm Beach GreenMarket

Once voted best in the country, the West Palm Beach GreenMarket is a wonderful way to start your Saturday and celebrate fall. Make finding Palm Beach Cider Donuts your first order of business, then browse with no particular agenda. Many of the vendors at the Gardens GreenMarket also sell and serve at this market, and it’s such a spectacular crowd. Enjoy! Meet the market’s food vendors⁠

4. Pumpkin Towne

Opening October 7, this patch has been bringing fall to South Florida since 1989. This is for when you want a pumpkin-patch outing without committing to a full day outing. Let everyone choose a pumpkin and take the annual photo. The slightly crooked pumpkin your child insists on bringing home will probably become your favorite. Locations and seasonal information⁠

5. Trader Joe’s

If you know you know, but yes, a grocery store makes the list. A fall trip to Trader Joe’s is practically a seasonal outing of its own. I just took my daughter and we had so much fun browsing the expansive pumpkin and gourd selection. I snagged some seasonal treats, including pumpkin spice waffles, cinnamon doughnuts and apple pie spread. I recommend arriving with a list (we needed milk and eggs, too) and allowing for a small amount of seasonal nonsense. Explore the fall collection⁠

Five Ways to Make Your Own Fall at Home

1. Bake Mom’s apple crumb pie

Make the pie, brew some coffee or stir up a batch of warming cocktails and invite someone over for a slice. You don’t need to host dinner to have people over. Warm apple pie is a complete invitation. Here is my favorite recipe.

2. Paint pumpkins by the pool

Spread paper over an outdoor table and bring out the little pumpkins. Pink and cream would be lovely, although the toddler art direction may take things elsewhere. Let it. Have fun and keep the wet wipes nearby.

3. Give the house a little autumn atmosphere

Place a fall-scented candle under a candle warmer and pour yourself some apple cider. Over ice is entirely acceptable. We live here; we know what we’re working with.

4. Have a fall movie night

Choose something nostalgic, pop some popcorn and make the couch inviting, full of fluffy pillows and a big blanket for snuggling up. For children, homemade paper movie tickets turn watching a movie into an occasion. For adults, a phone left in the other room helps.

5. Make s’mores after dinner

Use the first pleasant evening (Bueller?) as your excuse to sit outside a little longer. No fire pit? Oven s’mores count. The point is to turn an ordinary night into something pretty extraordinary with the people you love the most.