By Tara Turner

As leaves begin turning shades of yellow, orange and red and the air starts cooling down, college students can pull out scarves and sweaters and venture away from campus to take full advantage of the fall activities Boston has to offer.

Experiencing autumn in the suburbs may be different, but students can still get the “fall experience” in the city. Fall in Boston may mean apple and pumpkin picking, finding a unique Halloween costume, tasting fall brews and relishing in cooler weather before the New England winter kicks in.

Take your pick

Pumpkin and apple picking are two popular fall activities. Sophomore biology major Erin McMahon said it was one of her favorite things to do back home. Unfortunately, some students don’t partake in picking pumpkins while in the city because it usually requires driving out to a farm or an orchard.

For those without a car, Allandale Farm in Brookline is a great alternative. It may be Boston’s last working farm, according to the farm’s website. The farm has a selection of pumpkins, flowers, apples and other fresh produce to pick. On weekends Allandale Farm offers hayrides for $1.

To get to Allandale Farm, students can take the 51 bus from Forrest Hills and get off at the Center and Weld Street stop. Then walk to Center Street and take a left onto Allandale Road. The farm’s address is 259 Allandale Road.

For students who don’t want to travel as far, the Boston Pumpkin Festival is another option.

In 2006, Bostonians carved and lit 30,128 pumpkins at City Hall Plaza to smash a previous Guinness World Record. The event helped raise awareness and funds for Camp Sunshine, a camp and charity that raises money for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, according to the organization’s website. This year carvers hope to do it again.

The Boston Pumpkin Festival will take place Oct. 18 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at City Hall Plaza and is a free event which includes face painting, games, live bands, gourd bowling, pumpkin seed-spitting and a pumpkin maze. There will also be vendors selling pumpkin pie and ice cream, as well as other food. Students may bring their own pumpkins or get them there, and at the end of the night, after the pumpkin lighting, thousands of carved pumpkins are up for grabs.

Rachel Sterbenz, a middler communications studies major, said she enjoys watching the people who go all out for the fall festivities.

“The crazy talent that some people have for pumpkin carving never ceases to amaze me,” she said.

Trick or Treat Fashion

Michael Letellier, a junior economics major, said that when it comes to October, the activity that stands out most is getting dressed up for Halloween.

“Whenever I tend to go and shop for costumes, it’s couture or bust,” he said.

For students looking to get a head start on shopping for unique Halloween costumes, they have a few choices in and around the city. The Garment District, located at 200 Broadway St., Cambridge, extends its closing time from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. starting Oct. 10. The store may be a place to go for inspiration, according to the company’s website.

The store has a “dollar-a-pound” section where visitors can sift through used clothes. The District also shares a space with Boston Costume, which has been renting and selling costumes since 1965, according to the company’s website.

For students who don’t want to hop on the T, they can walk to Dorothy’s Boutique at 200 Massachusetts Ave. The store’s slogan is “if we don’t have it, you don’t need it,” according to its website, but it’s a popular shop and students shouldn’t wait until it gets too close to Halloween to buy a costume.

Octoberfest

For beer lovers, Friday and Saturday will mark Harpoon Brewery’s 19th annual Octoberfest celebration.

Admission is $15 for students ages 21 and over, but the festival will consist of a “wide selection of fresh Harpoon beer, plenty of German food, the best chicken dancing this side of the Alps and the famous keg bowling game,” according to the Harpoon Brewery website. And if visitors bring a designated driver, Harpoon will give him or her complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and allow them to participate in the rest of the festivities. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday at 306 Northern Ave.