9 ways to fake fall in New Orleans (or anywhere it's still 90 degrees)
If you believe shop displays, coffee shop menus, and email marketing campaigns, September marks a magical page of the calendar. In just a single day, September 1 moves us from deep-summer August to soft-focus autumn. A brand new season! Suddenly we’re supposed to be swathed in sweaters and fuzzy socks, sipping steaming mugs and admiring the hazy light filtering through golden foliage. .
Maybe this kind of September actually manifests in some places, but in New Orleans September may as well be August 32-62. The air still feels like warm pudding. Sweaters and jeans? No ma’am. Nonetheless, if you daydream of a proper autumn like I do, we’ll have to do what New Orleans does best: improvise.
Here are nine ways to fake fall in New Orleans this fall.
Use color, not wool.
Instead of mourning the dearth of sweater weather, participate in fall fashion with lightweight cottons and poplins rendered in rich colors. Reds, golds, yellows, and chocolate browns all signal the season. If you want to get a little closer to the textures of autumn, suede accessories (a belt, bag, flats, or even sandals) can add autumn vibes without suffocating you.
Use scent to invoke the season.
Once I read a tip to light a lemon-scented candle when you don't have time to clean your house because the smell signifies fresh and clean. You can employ the same trick for fall with candles scented like apple, caramel, or cinnamon.
Ice the spice.
No need to deprive yourself of pumpkin spice/cranberry crush seasonal specials—just order them iced. Many sweet-forward flavors actually taste wonderfully bright and complex on ice. At some snowball stands, you can even order fall flavors like cheesecake or marshmallow, or add fall-appropriate toppings like condensed milk or candy corn.
Pour something amber.
A good bourbon is like a bonfire in a glass: warmth, weight, and a little ceremony in the signature color of fall foliage. We enjoy Barrel Proof, the Sazerac Bar, or Sazerac House.
Enjoy a moody indoor happy hour.
New Orleans has countless wonderful patio and courtyard bars that capture the laissez-faire delight of the city. But we want to capture fall, so let's go inside where there is frosty air-conditioning, dim lighting, and cozy wood paneling. A few favorites for intimate, tucked-in vibes: The Columns, Delachaise, Bouligny Tavern, Bar Epilogue (located inside the Garden District Book Shop), Bar Tonique, Elysian Bar.
Fake a fall hike.
City Park has zero mountains, bluffs, or even hills, but you can stroll the stunning live oak alley and storybook lagoon bridges to feel like you've gone somewhere far away and idyllic. P.S. If you really want elevation, try climbing Monkey Hill inside Audubon Zoo or any levee.
Take a golden hour sunset streetcar ride.
Streetcars have curved rooftops that offer shade, but you'll also benefit from the canopy of massive, ancient live oaks draped across St Charles Avenue. My favorite part is watching how the leafy branches and historic mansions glow in the golden-pink afternoon light.
Eat a giant snowball.
Hear me out: consuming a large enough snowball can give you a solid half-hour of being legitimately freezing. That cold window represents your chance to grab a flannel shirt or jacket and actually wear them.
Swap beignets for muffins.
Beignets will always reign supreme in New Orleans, but to amp up fall vibes, swap in a seasonal apple or pumpkin muffin. I will never turn down any baked goods from Ayu Bakehouse, La Boulangerie, Hivolt, or Z'otz.
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