SPOKANE, Wash. — It all happened so fast. One minute we were battling the 90-degree heat. Now, it’s rainy and chilly.
Monday at 12:50 a.m. marked the start of fall in the northern hemisphere and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere.
On this date, the sun's direct rays will be right over the equator. It's when the entire planet has roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of nighttime. From here on through spring, we will have more nighttime than daylight.
If this bums you out, don't worry. Fall also means means pumpkin patches, scary movies and hot cider galore.
Here are our top five things to do in the Spokane area this fall.
1. Picking apples, pumpkins and more at Green Bluff
If you haven’t been to Green Bluff, fall is the perfect time to go! There are so many farms that offer apple picking, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and hay rides.
Some places serve breakfast and lunch. This makes it easy to make a day out of your trip. There are also breweries and wineries to stop by as well!
Beck's Harvest House hosts its Fall Harvest Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Pumpkin donuts are served from 10 to noon on Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the weekend.
The festival featuring food trucks, a giant corn maze, apple and pumpkin picking, face painting and more runs through Oct. 27.
Walters' Fruit Ranch offers some of the biggest pumpkins on Green Bluff with five patches to pick from, pony rides and apple orchards, among many other activities.
Live music and hard apple cider is popular with adults who visit the farm. Slices of homemade pie and ice cream and delicious cinnamon rolls are up for grabs at the Orchard Cafe.
Walters' is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
2. Get your scare on
Starting Oct. 3, Silverwood transforms into Scarywood. There are ghouls and goblins around every corner. The entire park is decorated for Halloween!
Scarywood is open Thursday throuscarywoogh Saturday in October.
Thursday hours are 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday hours run from 7 p.m. to midnight.
3. Check out the beautiful fall colors
One of the best parts of fall is when the leaves change colors! You can check them out at any of Spokane’s beautiful parks, including Finch Arboretum, Manito Park and along the Centennial Trail.
Check out Visit Spokane’s fall colors page for a full list of the best spots.
The leaves started changing color in early September, but expect them to peak in the Spokane area between Oct. 5 and Oct. 12.
4. Get your drink on
Fall isn’t just for Halloween. It’s also time for Oktoberfest!
Spokane Oktoberfest is held at CenterPlace Regional Event Center Sept. 27-29.
You’ll find German food, dancing, games and, of course, BEER! There are both outdoor and indoor beer gardens.
Oktoberfest runs from 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
You can buy tickets online or at the door from $10-30.
5. Grab a cup of coffee
Coffee warms the soul during the fall and there are so many local shops to hit up in Spokane, from The Shop in the Perry District to Revel 77 on the South Hill.
And of course, if you're a PSL fan, Starbucks has already started serving its famed Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Are you celebrating fall? Share your photos by using #KREMweather on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or email us at pics@krem.com.