Fall is my absolute favorite season, but it feels like young families get to have all the fun. Whether it’s apple-picking excursions with the kids, or scooping up all the best pumpkins in the patch with your adorable family, it’s just too much cute for me to handle. And why should you and your crew of little clones have all the good times?!

Well, it’s time to reclaim this autumn season, childless adults like myself. So let’s enjoy the cool whether, sport our flyest sweaters and get our drink on. Here are some of the activities I’ve found that cater to the 21 and older crowd:

Becker Farms: This is a win for everyone. Becker Farms hosts a fall festival every weekend in September and October, featuring hayrides, a corn maze and other family activities. Oh yeah, and there’s a brewery! According to the brewery page, there are two seasonal beers served up this time of year—a blueberry wheat and pumpkin ale. The Pumpkin Fiesta, which I plan to attend this weekend, offers free live music from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There’s a wine tasting for $2 and beer tasting for $5. This will be my first time visiting Becker Farms as an adult, and I’ll probably be tipsy tweeting, so follow along if you’d like. 

McKenzie’s Hard Cider: I’m crazy for hard cider, but I’d never tried McKenzie’s before. I guess I’d never read the label at close enough range to realize that this hard cider company is based right in Western New York—West Seneca, to be precise. It’s a Mayer Bros. product. Who knew?! So here’s an excuse to drive out to the Cider Mill, pick up a couple dozen doughnuts and some locally brewed hard cider. McKenzie’s will also be available at the Holiday Valley Beer and Wine Festival. Speaking of which ...

Holiday Valley Beer and Wine Festival: Holiday Valley, Ellicottville Brewing Company and Southern Tier Brewery are hosting the eighth annual festival Nov. 11 and 12. Sample all sorts of local craft beers and wines, many of which are products of upstate New York. Advance tickets are $40, and you can find all the relevant info on the official site. There are also additional opportunities for fall fun, including a beer tasting dinner Nov. 11 for $65 (reservations required). And because you’re either (a.) childless or (b.) leaving the little goobs at home, make a weekend out of it. There are plenty of convenient overnight packages available.

Turkey Trot: This annual Thanksgiving Day race sponsored by the YMCA began in 1896—yeah, it’s that old a tradition! It’s an 8k run—so just about 5 miles—and it ends with a party at the convention center. Of course there will be beer—that’s the only reason I run races in the first place. There’s also a designated family party area for anyone running with kids. This race typically reaches its registration max early, so sign up as soon as possible. It’s $25 to register through Oct. 31. If you’re not sure you’re ready to run, don’t worry. You have more than a month to lace up your sneakers and get a few practice runs in. There are some helpful running groups in Western New York, too. I know Fleet Feet on Delaware Avenue, in Buffalo, hosts free weekly runs. And some gyms have running clubs for beginners through advanced runners. Shout out to my gym, Southtowns Fitness, for putting together an awesome little runners group.

Have any other autumn activities for the more mature crowd? Share in the comments below. We’ll add ‘em to the list.

Photo courtesy of Flickr / Betsy Weber.