Date Night Ideas for Autumn in Austin
Fall in love with these unique and seasonal suggestions for spicing up your next night out
Treat your special someone to something out of the ordinary on your next date night. From romantic autumn walks through pumpkin patches and sultry jazz performances to evenings made for magic and photos worth remembering, we’re sharing a mix of simple yet elegant ways to add a little sparkle and romance to your next night out.
Fall for the glow
Embrace the magic of autumn at Pumpkin Nights Austin, happening Sept. 19 through Nov. 2, where you and your date can wander a half-mile path through nine immersive pumpkin lands filled with luminous art installations and larger-than-life displays that bring a playful, spooky-season glow to the evening.
Capture the moment
Turn a night out into something you can actually keep forever at Lumiere Tintype Photography, tucked into the courtyard at Justine‘ Brasserie on East Fifth Street. Using the centuries-old wet-plate tintype process, photographer Adrian Whipp creates handmade portraits on metal plates, giving couples a tangible memento and a digital scan as well. The portrait takes about 20 minutes to shoot and roughly an hour to process, so make an evening of it with dinner or drinks at the Justine’s while you wait. An insider’s trick is to show up early! Sometimes they allow for walk-ins since their calendar is often fully booked.
Enjoy a jazz show at Nica on 4th
Step into Nica on 4th, an elegant, postwar-inspired craft cocktail bar paying homage to “The Jazz Baroness,” Pannonica de Koenigswarter, where timeless cocktails and superb live jazz set the stage for an evening of music, conversation and a little old-world romance.
See art after dark
Spend an evening surrounded by sculpture, music and the gardens at UMLAUF After Dark, the museum’s every-other-month evening series that brings the grounds to life after hours. The October edition falls on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with live music, food, specialty cocktails and the museum’s permanent and rotating collections creating a more relaxed alternative to the traditional gallery date.
Hear a concert by candlelight
For the dreamiest date night, dress to the nines and enter a beautiful historic mansion that is decorated with hundreds of glowing candles. The drama and romance of such a setting will sweep your date off their feet. But there is more to enjoy than just this alluring ambiance. You’ll be delighted to hear a lovely string quartet perform a live concert featuring a variety of music styles. At a Candlelight Concert, you can choose your concert tickets based on musical theme from such choices as The Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald, even Halloween tunes, too.
RELATED: Candlelight Concerts Enchant Austin Audiences
Leave room for magic
Disappear into Room 725 at Fairmont Austin for Austin’s Theatre of Magic, an intimate close-up magic and illusion experience tucked away on the hotel’s seventh floor. With performances every Saturday at 5 and 8 p.m., the experience brings some old-school mystery to date night, with world-class magicians performing at close range and specialty cocktails adding to the speakeasy atmosphere. The series runs through Oct. 17, making it an especially fun way to turn an autumn Saturday into something unexpected.
Rent a retro boat for a lakeside ride
Take your date on a cruise around Lady Bird Lake in style. Retro Boat Rentals ATX offers vintage boats that are a perfect fit for two. These colorful, mid-century boats feature beautiful details and have been restored with electric motors so that they are quiet and environmentally friendly, allowing for easy conversation with your sweetie. Let the beauty of Austin’s skyline impress your date as you travel along the water.
Laugh into last call
Make a night of it at one of Austin’s comedy rooms, from the old-school theatricality of Esther’s Follies to nationally touring stand-up at Cap City Comedy Club or East Austin Comedy Club. Pair the show with dinner or drinks nearby, then settle in for an evening where the only thing you have to plan is when to stop laughing.
More Ideas for Fall Date Nights:
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17 Picturesque Patios for Outdoor Dining in Austin
Plan an Autumn Adventure at These 6 Central Texas Pumpkin Patches
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