The leaves have finally turned from their summery green color to bright yellow, orange, and red. The air gets colder, the rain beats down harder, and the sun sets earlier. Fall is officially here. As fall sets in, homework loads can build up, making it hard for students to enjoy festivities. But homework is no excuse to miss out on all the fun fall traditions. Let us find out what Issaquah students are doing this fall!

One of the most common activities students said they do every fall is get a big pumpkin, whether from the store or pumpkin patch, and carve it. Freshman Ella Rosenkranz says, “My family and I go to Fall City Farms every year to get our pumpkins, and I always get the biggest pumpkin I can find.” Finding the perfect pumpkin and the perfect carving idea is always a struggle, but senior Hannah Young says, “I like to stick with the traditional happy face pumpkin, because it’s just so cute!” On the other hand, junior Maddie Chapman got creative this year and says, “I decided to carve the Chick-Fil-A logo.” Not everyone is a fan of going to the pumpkin patch, but corn mazes are also a fall favorite. Freshman Ben LaFramboise says, “Our family doesn’t have any fall traditions, but if we did, I think I’d like going to the corn maze because they seem fun.” Corn mazes are always a fun place to go with friends and you can spend hours getting lost in them before you finally find the exit.

One of my personal favorite parts of fall is the food! There are some foods that are only available during fall, such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks or special Halloween cereals, that you may look forward to every year. Other classic fall items such as turkey, mashed potatoes, apple cider, and pumpkin pie will never get old. Sophomore Sarah Burke says, “It’s hard to choose a favorite food, but I’d have to go with pumpkin pie and whipped cream.” Rosenkranz said the highlight of her annual pumpkin patch trip is definitely “the fresh donuts from Fall City Farms.” Rosenkranz continues, “As a family we like to carve our pumpkins and then bake the insides of our pumpkins with some seasonings for an easy fall treat.” If you are looking for a new tradition, you will have to try baking the insides of your pumpkins this year.

Although many people think of eating turkey and being surrounded by crowds of friends and family for Thanksgiving, others have traditions out of the norm that I think we will all be jealous of. Senior Tyler Reese said, “I’ve been going to Disneyland every Thanksgiving with my family since as long as I can remember.” Although Reese misses out on turkey and homemade pies, I would say going to Disneyland every year is a cool tradition. It is always fun to hear about new traditions to try and so maybe you could try Young’s family tradition this year. Young said, “My dad loves to make new dishes every year, but one of his favorite non-traditional Thanksgiving dishes is a shrimp and rice dish called paella.” Another tradition that is celebrated throughout Mexico and the United States is Dia de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, on November 1. National Geographic writes that although the name might sound like it is a sad holiday, the day actually celebrates the lives of deceased ancestors with food, huge parties, and activities to recognize the continuum of their ancestors’ lives beyond death. Whatever traditions you celebrate, food, family and fun are always included, so pick your favorite one and get going!

While some students like the warm, fuzzy feelings surrounding family gatherings, others are all about embracing spooky season. Sophomore Hunter Scheppat says, “I’m not a fan of haunted houses because they’re too scary, but I love to watch scary movies with friends and see how they react.” According to a Mental Floss article, haunted houses first became popular around 1969 with Disneyland’s then brand new Haunted Mansion, so we can all thank Disney for this now popular tradition. Although not everyone can make it to Disneyland every year to satisfy their spooky wishes, many students enjoy going to the local Nightmare at Beaver Lake, which provides a family scare or full scare option, depending on how intense you want your nightmares to be. Any weekend night from Oct. 11 to 31, you can see the bright search lights across the sky, letting you know that the Nightmare at Beaver Lake is open. Junior Ethan Medeiros said, “I love going to the full scare Nightmare at Beaver Lake with my friends and watching scary movies. My favorite scary movie would have to be ‘Scream.’” I will never understand how people find joy in being scared, but if that is for you, head on over to the Nightmare at Beaver Lake for a good time.

Whether you are looking forward to spending time with friends and family, seeing the leaves change colors, eating your favorite fall foods, watching scary movies, or braving a haunted house there is something for everyone, so why not embrace a new tradition this year?