The Best Cities in America for Family Fall Activities, Ranked

Autumn weekends bring beautiful leaves and fall festivities, and potentially more seasonal fun depending on where you live.

Some locales go all out for fall family activities, like pumpkin patches and farm trips. It also helps when your region has perfect fall temperatures!

But which cities are best for autumn-themed events? Chicco analyzed several municipalities to discover the best places to visit to make the most of the season.

FARMS AND FARMERS MARKETS

New England cities have the best fall-themed events, ideal for the whole family. If you live in New England, you're in luck; many cities rank among the top five. 

Providence, Rhode Island, took the top spot, boosted by its proximity to farms popular with fall crowds. The city is particularly lucky to be close to pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes, and apple orchards for picking. Providence also topped the list of fall event internet searches, and like several other cities on the list, it benefits from amazing fall weather, with average temperatures around 55 degrees.

Second-place Hartford, Connecticut, also benefits from local farms, with 2.31 farms per 100,000 residents. That compares to a national average of only 0.56 farms per 100,000 residents. If you can't make it to a farm, the city also hosts Harvest Glow Hartford, an indoor fall fest featuring pumpkins, lights, and other family fun.

Connecticut is also home to third-place Bridgeport, which scores well for pleasant fall temperatures and farm tourism, including pumpkin patches and other exciting activities.

Springfield, Massachusetts, took fourth, thanks to its farmers' markets (2.01 markets per 100,000 residents) and fall enthusiasm. Springfield earned second place for internet search intent around fall activities.

Fifth-place New Haven is the last of the three Connecticut cities ranked among the top five. It benefits from having the second-highest number of farmers' markets with 1.97 markets per 100,000 residents. The city also landed among the top five spots for pumpkin patches with 1.97 patches per 100,000 residents.

OUTSIDE OF NEW ENGLAND

The list also had its fair share of seasonal surprises! Fresno, California, secured sixth place (despite not being a typical northern state) for changing leaves and apple cider. But it's also near farms, which carried it to the top five cities with farm tourism.

Akron, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio, also made the top 10 best cities for fall activities. The state benefits from pumpkin patches and an extra dose of fall enthusiasm. Akron and Dayton, Ohio, also top the list of cities with access to pumpkin patches. 

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