As October 8 rapidly approaches, the question heard around campus these days becomes more urgent: “what are you doing for Fall Break?” If your answer is “hanging out in St. Louis,” boy, do we have some ideas for you!

Illustration by Sophie Leong

Want to go camping over fall break but don’t have a car? Take advantage of the crisp weather and clear skies by hammocking or laying out on Mudd Field at night. With enough blankets, raw s’more materials, and ghost stories, you can harness the best parts of camping while not having to drive hours to a site. I’d highly recommend either the hammock poles by the DUC or the center of Mudd itself for the best stargazing positions — the poles by the ginkgo trees, unfortunately, are brightly lit from a nearby lamppost, which is less-than-ideal for your night vision. You might even be able to catch the Draconid meteor showers, which are supposed to peak on Oct 8 (the first night of break!). 

– Via Poolos

Illustration by Sophie Leong

It’s never too early to start getting ready for Halloween — the spookies are just around the corner — and in Godfrey, Illinois, the preparations have already begun. Just 45 minutes north of campus is the Fall Corn Festival and the Great Godfrey Corn Maze. The haunted maze is open on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8, from dusk until 10 p.m. All participants must have flashlights because surviving the five-acre maze seems unlikely without one. So if you want an adrenaline rush (one not caused by midterm stress), pack your bags and head up to Godfrey for a night that will undoubtedly have you shivering from fright until you are back home. 

– Avi Holzman 

Go to a sports game! The Cardinals host a playoff series starting on Oct. 7 that runs at least through the 8th and possibly into the 9th (depending on how they do). Playoff baseball tickets cost an arm and a leg, of course, but watching the game at Ballpark Village outside of Busch Stadium is both fun and free. The Blues also have their final preseason game at home on Oct. 8, against the likely league-worst Chicago Blackhawks, so if preseason hockey is your thing, those tickets may be easier on your wallet. 

– Danny Graziano 

To find art, music, gardens, and, best of all, food trucks, go to the Historic Shaw Art Fair. It’s open Saturday, Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or Sunday, Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. right next to the Botanical Gardens! If you’re looking for some fun (potentially scary?) music, you can listen to Murder City Players on Saturday afternoon or Missouri Hellbenders on Sunday morning. You can also find fun prints if you want to make your dorm walls a little funkier! I’d recommend going to look for cool rings — art fairs always have unique ones. 

– Lily Taylor

Are you an early bird that has yet to take a trip to the Arch? This fall break is the perfect opportunity. With an expected forecast of crisp, sunny mornings all weekend long, there is no better time to explore downtown St. Louis with the company of (almost) fall foliage. If you don’t have a car or aren’t an avid biker, don’t worry — the metro from University City will get you there in two stops. Since it wouldn’t be right to make this trip on an empty stomach, make a stop at Pharaoh’s Donuts on the way for a freshly-made donut and morning beverage of your choice. 

– Anika Chatterjee 

With crisp and clear weather during fall break, the walk through Forest Park to SLAM is lovely. (Madi Hermeyer/Student Life)

Many students only discover Art Hill after the first big snow, when everyone treks over with whatever makeshift sled they’ve created to fly down the hill to the Grand Basin in Forest Park. But there’s no need to wait until campus has frozen over to go explore the St. Louis Art Museum. Admission is free, so there’s no guilt about “making your money worth it.” You can pop in for 20 minutes and take a spin around the Modern Art Wing, or you can make a day of it, wandering through the sculpture garden and crossing into smaller, more hidden exhibits like the Ancient Egyptian room. Just a short jaunt from campus, walking to SLAM is the perfect way to get outside, get off campus, and explore one of the many St. Louis museums. 

– Alice Gottesman