There is a moment each autumn when Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, seems to pick a favorite color. Orange fills Gies Memorial Stadium on Fighting Illini Saturdays, pumpkin patches outside town, and the trees lining trails across Central Illinois.
Follow the color, and a weekend can take some surprising turns. You might start Saturday surrounded by football fans and end it sipping beer made with grain that’s grown nearby. The next morning could bring apple picking, goat cheese, a farmers market, or even an encounter with an Alaskan reindeer.
“There’s a real energy to the community,” says Cristy Gillespie, director of marketing for Experience Champaign-Urbana. “The leaves are absolutely lovely. It’s like the whole city is orange.”
Here are 10 ways to turn that autumn energy into a weekend worth the drive.
1. Kick off the weekend with Fighting Illini football.
A fall trip to Champaign-Urbana deserves at least one experience revolving around Fighting Illini football. Students, residents, and returning alumni fill restaurants before kickoff, while tailgates spread around campus, and orange and blue take over the community. “The whole town seems to be in orange and blue,” Gillespie says. “The restaurants and sidewalks are full, and the students, residents, and returning alumni come together as one big joyful community.” Even away from Gies Memorial Stadium, she says, visitors can hear the marching band and drumline carrying across town. Start downtown with breakfast or brunch, and then make your way toward campus to experience one of Champaign-Urbana’s signature fall traditions.
2. Plan a family outing at Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch.
Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch makes fall easy for families who want to spend an afternoon outdoors without committing to just one activity. The Champaign favorite brings several seasonal traditions together at one destination, with plenty of options for younger visitors. “You can pick your own apples and pumpkins, stop into their Flying Monkey Café for apple cider doughnuts and slushies, and let the kids go through the corn maze, take a pony ride, and play in the bounce house,” Gillespie says.
3. Visit the nationally recognized Great Pumpkin Patch.
Nearby Arthur is home to one of the region’s biggest autumn attractions. The Great Pumpkin Patch grows hundreds of varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds, turning a familiar seasonal tradition into an impressive display of colors, sizes, and varieties that visitors may have never before encountered. “They have hundreds of varieties of squash, gourds, and pumpkins, as well as an Amish bakery with life-changing pumpkin cookies,” Gillespie says. “It’s almost like a rite of passage every fall.”
4. Meet the goats behind Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery’s acclaimed cheese.
Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery offers a closer look at Champaign-Urbana’s agricultural and culinary connection. Its goat dairy produces cheese that Culture magazine has ranked as one of the top cheeses in the world, Gillespie says, and Caprae, their onsite restaurant, uses local ingredients. “You can sit outside on the patio, enjoy a glass of wine and charcuterie board, and listen to live music,” Gillespie says. “It’s perfect for those fall nights when the weather’s still warm.”
5. Kiss a reindeer before Christmas.
Reindeer might sound like a December attraction, but Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch offers one of the area’s more unusual autumn outings. Its herd of Alaskan reindeer welcomes visitors during the fall, when the ranch also draws guests to its sprawling corn maze. Bring a graham cracker and enough courage, Gillespie says, and a particularly friendly reindeer might provide a memorable vacation photo.
6. Let local farms plan the route.
Travelers who want to dig deeper into the agricultural scene can sign up for the CU on the Farm Experience Pass, which connects 15 area farms and experiences. Options include u-pick outings, farm dinners, distillery tours, and encounters with alpacas, goats, and reindeer. The pass gives families a ready-made route into Champaign-Urbana’s agricultural scene, connecting visitors with local farms, producers, and experiences across the region.
7. Enjoy a taste of Champaign-Urbana’s farms.
Champaign-Urbana’s agricultural story continues across its restaurant scene, where chefs source locally grown ingredients and build relationships with the people producing them. The Space in downtown Champaign, for instance, puts a creative spin on the connection, pairing locally sourced ingredients with an experimental menu and an eclectic lineup of live entertainment. “The chefs are outstanding, and they’re super innovative,” Gillespie says. “They’ve forged relationships with local farmers, and they’re transparent about where they source their food and why they use specific ingredients.”
8. Sip beer brewed close to home.
Riggs Beer Company brings Champaign-Urbana’s farm connection into the glass. The family-owned, Urbana-based brewery grows wheat on its own farm for its German-style beers while using sustainable practices and solar power. Its traditional, German-inspired beer hall offers a laid back place to spend a fall afternoon, with yard games and a family-friendly atmosphere. “Riggs is a small, sustainable farm powered by solar energy, and it grows the wheat used to make the beer,” Gillespie says. “The owner also collaborates with the University of Illinois on agricultural projects, so it’s a great example of how farming, innovation, and the local food and drink scene come together.”
9. Spend Saturday at Urbana’s Market at the Square.
During its outdoor season, Urbana’s Market at the Square brings together more than 70 vendors, alongside food trucks, entertainment, and activities for kids. Markets also take place throughout the surrounding communities on different days, giving visitors plenty of opportunities to browse what’s being grown and produced locally. “Some of our farmers don’t offer agritourism experiences, so the market is where you get to meet them,” Gillespie says. “You can ask how they grow their produce, learn about their farms, and discover another side of agriculture.”
10. End among the autumn leaves.
About 30 minutes away, in Monticello, Illinois, Allerton Park & Retreat Center trades game-day crowds and busy orchards for wooded trails, gardens, art, and a historic mansion surrounded by Central Illinois farmland. Autumn brings another reason to explore the property, as fall color spreads across its trails and grounds. “It’s like a beautiful European estate set among cornfields and prairie,” Gillespie says. “The leaves are gorgeous, the trails are picturesque, and you can stay there overnight.” Visitors can also explore The Farms, Allerton’s folk school, where classes cover such interests as stained glass, fiction writing, and music, adding an unexpected creative experience to a weekend outdoors.
While there are 10 ideas on this list, the best Champaign-Urbana weekends leave room for more: a farm stand on the way, a restaurant recommendation, or an extra hour on the trails—which could end up being the most memorable part of the trip.
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of Experience Champaign-Urbana. To learn more and plan your visit, head to Experience Champaign-Urbana.
