Best Fall Dates in Shakopee
From bustling fall festivals to low-key hangouts, here’s how to enjoy the autumn season with your special someone in Shakopee.
Explore a magical bygone era.
Travel back in time together to the fantasy realm of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. With live jousting, 16 stages of live entertainment, tasty eats, and an artisan market featuring 250 vendors, the festival offers something for everyone. Visit during Wine, Chocolate & Romance weekend (September 20-21, 2025) for a free vow renewal ceremony at the festival’s chapel.
Scare yourselves silly.
Brave scare zones, haunted mazes, and thrill rides at ValleyScare, Valleyfair’s terrifying Halloween event. Expect to encounter creepy costumed performers throughout the park and scary live entertainment. Spooky themed foods and cocktails will also be available.
Pick a bushel of apples.
Stroll through the picturesque orchard at Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest and hand-pick your own fresh apples. Different apple varieties ripen throughout the season, including Honeycrisp, Zestar!, Cortland, Haralson, Regent, and many more. After you’ve picked your fill, stop by the country store for apple cider donuts and a glass of Minnesota-brewed hard cider.
Find your way through a corn maze.
Work together to navigate through the corn maze at Sever’s Fall Festival. If you successfully complete the Corn Maze Challenge, you could win $500. The festival also features seasonal eats like kettle corn, caramel apples, and roasted corn, plus an artisan market with handicrafts from local vendors.
Admire fall leaves.
Take a romantic hike to appreciate the colorful foliage. The mile-long River Trail at The Landing boasts scenic views of the Minnesota River. Explore a diverse landscape of floodplain forest and oak savanna at the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, which is also a great spot for wildlife and bird watching. Other area parks with wooded hiking trails include Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, Clearly Lake Regional Park, and Spring Lake Regional Park.
Cozy up with a warm beverage.
Counter the chill in the air with a coffee date. Coffee Ta Cream serves flavored hot cocoa, specialty mochas, and chai lattes, plus classic espresso drinks. Badger Hill Brewing offers a full coffee menu, including seasonal specials like a caramel apple latte and seasonal cold brew flight. The menu at Shakopee Brewhall features warm spiced apple cider as well as fall-themed coffee drinks available as a flight.
Sip a seasonal brew.
Toast fall with a locally-brewed craft beer. The rotating taps at Mana Brewing include seasonal beers, and the taproom’s pizza and cocktail menus also feature seasonal specials. Shakopee Brewhall serves creative fall-themed brews as well as traditional styles. Stop by Badger Hill Brewing for a pint of their bestselling Oktoberfest, a traditional märzen.
Plan a couple’s getaway to Shakopee this fall! Shakopee is home to Valleyfair, Canterbury Park, and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. It’s also conveniently located to area destinations like Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and Mystic Lake.