As the fall season sweeps us up and we fall back into the things that bring us the most comfort, there’s undeniably one show that brings us the cozy autumn vibes — Gilmore Girls. From the cozy vibes, drama with a touch of comedy and — who are we kidding — love interests that are definitely not bad to look at, we envy the lives of Rory and Lorelai Gilmore more than we’d like to admit. While you may not be the manager of your local inn, and you might not be in the middle of a high school love triangle, there’s still plenty of ways to channel that Gilmore Girls energy this fall right here in Cincinnati.

Browse Bookery Cincy’s Selection for your Next Fall Read Nothing says Rory Gilmore quite like leaning into your inner bookworm. Curled up in bookstores, on the couch or sitting outside waiting for Dean to finally tell her he likes her, Rory never went on any adventure without the perfect read by her side. Bookery Cincy has the perfect selection of all genres so you can grab your timeless favorite, or even grab one of the books featured in the show, like Ulysses by James Royce or South and West by Joan Didion. Photo: facebook.com/BookeryCincy
The Governor 231 Main St., Milford Brothers Paul and Neil Barraco had been working in fine dining for years when they returned to their East Coast roots to open a classic diner with a modern twist. The mission of the Governor is to offer the perks of fine dining — locally procured meat and produce, a menu made from scratch, a carefully designed cocktail list — at a medium price point in a laid-back environment. The menu at the Governor features cuisine ranging from Asian to Italian to classic Americana, and all-day breakfast. Photo: Savana Willhoite Photo: Savana Willhoite
Grab Your Favorite Pizza and Have the Ultimate Night in If there’s one thing Rory and Lorelai loved, it was relishing in the occasional night of laziness. Whether they were celebrating the end of a busy week or mourning the end of a relationship, all was healed with one thing: good pizza. The Greater Cincinnati area is chock-full of options for your next night in, from Taglio and A Tavola’s elevated twist on the classic slice, to Goodfellas and LaRosa’s for that timeless taste. Bonus points if you throw on your favorite rom-com (maybe not so many bonus points if you invite your daughter’s current crush over to join). Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Spend the Weekend at One of Fairfield County’s Bed and Breakfasts So many of the most iconic scenes from Gilmore Girls took place at the Independence Inn, with its cozy rooms, delicious food and that hometown vibe you can’t quite find anywhere else. Ohio’s Fairfield County, just a two-hour drive from Cincinnati, is home to some quaint and cozy bed and breakfasts that come close to replicating the Independence Inn vibe. The Dum-Ford House, a bed and breakfast restored from a house built in 1834, features warm and inviting rooms and a delicious gourmet breakfast you can enjoy in the formal dining room that just might match up to a classic Sookie dish. If you haven’t had enough of this adorably autumnal town, check out their list of Autumn Experience events happening all throughout October. Photo: Provided by Josie Wadlow
Head to One of Greater Cincinnati’s Many Autumn Festivals Stars Hollow is just one of those towns where fall never really ends, and, honestly, why would we want it to? Nothing quite beats the iconic episode featuring the Stars Hollow Autumn Festival, with the perfect array of fall foliage, beautifully orange pumpkins and plenty of fall treats. The Greater Cincinnati area is home to tons of autumn festivals for you to capture that experience. Check out Bloom and Berries Farm Market’s Fall on the Farm Festival throughout the month of October, featuring a petting zoo, hay rides and a market to shop for your seasonal must-haves. Photo: facebook.com/bloomsandberries/
Pop Into the Riverside Antique Mall and Channel Your Inner Mrs. Kim With a New Trinket If there’s one thing Mrs. Kim did best, it was collecting beautiful antique treasures (and micromanaging her daughter, Lane), but mostly the collecting. Columbia-Tusculum is home to the Riverside Centre Antique Mall, 22,000 square feet of treasures from the floor to the ceiling. From antique furniture and clothing to vinyl records and handmade candles and jams, find the perfect piece to bring home with you. Photo:
Sip, Bite and Stroll at Findlay Market 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine At more than 150 years old, Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest continually operated public market. Go for the farmers market, butcher shops, flower stalls, OTR Biergarten and eclectic eats. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Shop Locally for the Perfect Rory-Inspired Cable Knit Sweater There’s something so Rory Gilmore-coded about the cable knit sweater, and Cincinnati has a range of places where you can go on the hunt for yours. Looking for something more vintage? Check out Findlay Market’s The Daily Vintage and make your way through the number of racks of clothing dating back to the ’60s and ’70s, or shop locally at Covington’s Handzy Shop + Studio, though it may be hard to resist bringing home more than just a new sweater. Photo: Maija Zummo
Tailgate for a Bengals or University of Cincinnati Football Game One of the best Gilmore Girls episodes features Rory, Lorelai, Richard and Emily dressed up in their best Yale attire to tailgate for the Yale-Harvard football game. We’re not sure if it’s the delicious grilled food, Bloody Marys or Emily’s seemingly perfect tailgate attire, but we’re here to channel that energy. Cincinnati has plenty of options to spend your next weekend morning tailgating with your friends and family. Head down to The Banks to tailgate for the Cincinnati Bengals or the University of Cincinnati’s campus for the next UC game. Photo: Aidan Mahoney
Take in the Fall Foliage with a Walk Along the Ohio River Some of the most tearful and sweet moments came from Rory and Lorelai walking with seemingly no destination through Stars Hollow, sharing secrets and enjoying each other’s company. If you live near the city, grab a walking buddy and head down to Smale Riverfront Park for a scenic walk along the river, across the Roebling Bridge or through your neighborhood to take in the fall foliage (and get your steps in). Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Second Story 100 W. Sixth St., #2, Covington Covington’s Second Story bar, the latest vision from Lost Co., is an artistic, Southern Gothic oasis for every sort of reveler. Located on the second floor of a former Covington firehouse, the bar’s main space is a large room with stylish and comfortable seating, dazzling chandeliers and hand-painted murals, complemented by large windows. It also brings some garden vibes indoors, featuring a giant artist-created tree “growing” behind the bar that houses bottles of spirits. On the menu, patrons will find cocktails with a variety of bases, not leaning on any one spirit too much. Drinks are made with housemade syrups and housemade tonic and feature amari, which are herbal liqueurs that typically come from Italy and France. There’s even a housemade version of “Fireball” cinnamon whiskey. And like the views through the windows in the main space, the cocktail menu will change seasonally, offering guests fresh experiences with multiple visits. Photo: Courtesy of Second Story
Esquire Theatre Photo: Emerson Swoger
Hocking Hills State Park 19852 State Route 664 S., Logan, Ohio Distance: About 2 hours 30 minutes This park includes stunning cliffs, waterfalls and hemlock-shaded gorges. There are many biking and hiking trails for exploring the park’s natural beauty, as well as a 17-acre lake where you can boat and fish. Photo: Katherine Barrier
Visit a Pumpkin Patch or an Apple Orchard Gilmore Girls just wouldn’t be Gilmore Girls without its array of fall decor and foliage to accompany it, and Cincinnati has plenty of options for you to find your next centerpiece, or even your next fall snack. Visit McGlasson Farms, Burger Farm & Garden Center or browse CityBeat’s list of pumpkin patches for other local pumpkin patch inspiration. Photo: mcglassonfarms.com
No. 8 Best Bookstore: Shake It Records 4156 Hamilton Ave., Northside Photo: Mike Spitz
Enjoy a Local Performance from Playhouse in the Park or the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Lorelai loved any opportunity to get involved in her community, even if it meant participating in the 24-hour dance marathon or the Festival of Living Art. But, if being on the stage isn’t your thing, the Greater Cincinnati area has plenty of options to be in the audience. Check out the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to get in the spooky season spirit, or gather the whole family for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Tomás and the Library Lady. Hailey Bollinger
Devou Park’s Gravity Hill Ridgeway Court, Covington Has gravity in Covington gone haywire? On Ridgeway Court in Devou Park, it’s said if you stop at the second telephone pole, put your car in neutral and take your foot off the brake, your car will roll uphill. While the phenomenon seems supernatural, it’s actually just an optical illusion. Gravity hills, like the one in Covington, are created by an obstructed horizon, which makes it difficult to determine the slope of a surface. So, it may appear the slope goes upward when you’re still really just working with the force of gravity and not the force of the paranormal. Photo: Jesse Fox
No. 6 Best Bakery (Sweets): The Cheesecakery 4825 Whetsel Ave., Madisonville Photo: Adam Doty
Spend the Weekend in Augusta, Kentucky, a.k.a. the Gilmore Girls-Inspired Town What if we told you that you can spend the weekend in a mini Stars Hollow, just a short 45-minute drive away? Augusta, Kentucky, better known as the Gilmore Girls-inspired town, has everything short of Rory and Lorelai themselves. Hop on the ferry and visit the Youngblood’s Corner Cafe for the Luke’s Diner vibe, get coffee at the General Store, head to the local library and take in all the fall vibes with a walk along the Ohio River at sunset. Photo: Predhead, Wikimedia Commons
Take Up Knitting as a New Fall Hobby with Stitch Yarn Studio Nothing says the fall season is here like attempting to take up a new hobby to keep you busy on those chillier weekends, and we’re inspired by Lorelai and Sookie’s Stars Hollow knit-a-thon. While their hobby only lasted an episode, you can find plenty of supplies at Covington’s Stitch Yarn Studio to make sure your hobby lasts the whole season. Photo: facebook.com/stitchyarnstudio
Fall in South Royalton, Vermont, the site of Gilmore Girls’ credits’ opening scene Photo: Anthony Quintano/Wikimedia Commons