Relaxing Activities for the Autumn and Winter Season
The weather is cooling, the days are shortening, and the time to sip hot coffee, play in leaves, and embrace the holiday spirit is in full swing. As students begin to prepare for finals and college, their lives are becoming more hectic, and their shoulders are growing heavier with the burden of stress. This is why we find it crucial that students have the opportunity to unwind, divert their minds away their worries, and participate in all the autumn and winter has to offer.
During the autumn season, students can go apple picking at Howard’s Orchard, a grove in Tucson that is home to an extensive selection of tomato plants, peach trees, and, of course, apple trees. Visitors are welcome to enter Wednesday through Saturday mornings in order to have their chance at finding the best of this orchard’s delicious apples.
Pumpkin patches are also open for students to visit and immerse themselves in the autumn spirit by slipping on their jackets, grabbing their cameras, and taking stylish photos. At Schnepf Farms (located in Queen Creek) and Mother Nature’s Farm (located in Gilbert), students have the option to browse the patches and purchase their own pumpkins, which they can use to make pumpkin pies and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Another option students can consider for the autumn season is to attend an autumn-themed fair or festival. From October 1 to November 4, Vertuccio Farms will be holding its Annual Fall Festival and Corn Maze, where activities such as pumpkin bowling, mini zip lining, and mule-pulled wagon rides are available. During this event, students can visit the pumpkin patch and grab fair-styled foods, like kettle corn and pizza. Another autumn-themed festival students can attend is the Arizona Harvest Festival located in the downtown Chandler area, taking place on November 11 from 9AM to 4PM. At the Arizona Harvest Festival, a vast selection of local and artisan products and goods, activities like a pumpkin pageant and a pie-eating contest, and seasonal foods are available for ACP students to enjoy.
When autumn passes and winter begins to set in Arizona, students can immerse themselves in winter spirit by pulling on their winter boots, ordering coffee from the holiday menu, and attending special winter events. Taking place on November 10 in Glendale, the 22nd Annual Holiday Open House is available for people to browse various shops, purchase appetizing holiday treats, view festive-themed trees trailing throughout the town, and enjoy a synchronized storefront lighting ceremony. 
In addition to this Glendale event, students have the option to snuggle up in their scarfs, slip on their skates, and participate in Downtown Phoenix’s CitySkate Holiday Ice Rink, which will occur on November 23. During this event, people can skate throughout a rink decorated with a massive holiday tree and thousands of bright, shining lights, meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, visit the Alternative Black Friday Vintage Market, watch professional figure skating performances, and view the Official Tree Lighting Ceremony.
Students can also take the more simplistic route and gather their friends for a winter-themed cook-off. They can also take a step further by bringing out soft blankets, watching holiday movies, and challenging each other to a battle of the strongest in games like “UNO”, “Apples to Apples”, “Monopoly”, and “Bananagrams.”
Some delicious recipes to consider for this fun activity will be listed below. The links to these recipes are embedded in the food title:
ACP students, relax your shoulders, give your brains a break, and take advantage of the autumn and winter season while it’s here!
