Fall On Cape Cod

Soak up Fall on Cape Cod, also known as the Cape's Second Summer! After Labor Day, the local vibe is low-key and autumn bliss is on the horizon. Visitors can expect fewer crowds, warm temps, a chill vibe and fun outdoor adventures all the way through October.

Not only is the fall a golden opportunity to take advantage of off-season lodging rates and less crowded restaurants, it’s also the perfect time of year for outdoor activities. Relax at the beach, where you can park without a sticker, soak up the warm water temps and stroll miles of expansive shoreline. Explore Cape Cod’s waters and unique ecosystem on a kayak or paddleboarding excursion and glide past marshes, rivers and secluded barrier beaches abundant with active wildlife.

When the weather cools and Mother Nature turns up the color, behold the peninsula’s spectacular fall foliage from one of the Cape’s scenic golf courses (with plenty of tee times to suit the day’s plans), or go off the beaten path on a fall hike ablaze with autumn’s rich colors (great fall hikes include the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp in Wellfleet and Nickerson State Park in Brewster).

Fall is festival season on Cape Cod! At the Harwich Cranberry & Music Festival in September, enjoy artisan vendors and live on-stage entertainment. The Tennesse Williams Theater Festial is held in Provincetown, where Williams spent several summers working on his classic plays. Experience the best in craft beer at the Cape Cod Brew Fest in Falmouth, shop local at Love Local Fest on the Hyannis waterfront, and toast to Fall at Mashpee Oktoberfest. In October, the festival fun continues with such events as Vinegrass Music Festival at Truro Vineyards, Yarmouth Seaside Festival, Wellfleet Oyster Fest, and Chatham’s wildly creative Pumpkin People in the Park (October 14-31). For more Fall events, visit our Events Calendar.

Autumn is also prime time to visit Crow Farm in Sandwich to pick-your-own apples, Cape Abilities Farm in Dennis for monster mums and pumpkins, and Coonamessett Farm in Falmouth for hayrides, pumpkin picking and fall treats.  Thanks to an abundance of Farmers’ Markets on the Cape, you can get all that and more - including homemade breads, locally-grown pumpkins and handmade crafts.

And make sure to save time to admire the seasonal contrast of vibrant blue ocean, shimmering gold foliage, and scarlet-drenched cranberry bogs on Cape Cod. Leaf peeping is at its finest along the Cape’s historic Route 6A, traversing 62 spectacularly scenic miles from end to end.