As household budgets tighten across Maryland, a new survey finds most families are rethinking how — and whether — they spend money on fall activities this year.
The survey, conducted by financial media company MarketBeat, polled 3,011 families nationally to gauge how the cost of living is shaping seasonal plans. Among Maryland respondents, 65% said financial pressure is making traditional fall activities unaffordable, and more than half, 57%, said they expect to spend less on fall outings this year than in years past. Only 5% plan to spend more.
The squeeze is already changing where families look for things to do. Nearly half of respondents, 48%, said they’ve actively searched for free fall activities because of the current cost of living, and 67% said free admission will be either extremely or very important in choosing which events to attend.
Families are also willing to travel to avoid paying for admission. Nearly a quarter of respondents, 24%, said they’d travel more than 50 miles to reach a free event rather than pay for a similar one closer to home, while 34% said they’d go between 26 and 50 miles.
When it comes to what makes a free activity worth attending, practicality outranked photo opportunities. Respondents ranked family-friendly programming highest (21%), followed by entertainment (19%), proximity to home (17%) and scenery (13%). Only 1% cited photo opportunities as their top priority.
The survey also found strong appetite for more government-backed free programming: 81% of respondents said local governments and community groups should offer more free seasonal events while households remain under financial pressure.
“Inflationary pressure is not confined to financial charts or economic reports, but it shows up in the everyday decisions families make,” said Matt Paulson, founder of MarketBeat, in a statement. “What these findings show is that families are not willing to give up the experiences and traditions they look forward to each fall. Instead, they are becoming more selective about where their money goes and actively seeking better-value alternatives.”
Local options for Southern Maryland families
MarketBeat’s release highlighted several statewide festivals as top free picks, but all are located hours from Southern Maryland — in Catonsville, Garrett County and Hagerstown — making them impractical day trips for most local families. Closer to home, Calvert County maintains an updated Pumpkins & Farm Fall Fun guide listing seasonal activities at local farms, several of which offer free admission with paid add-ons for items like pumpkins or hayrides. St. Mary’s County’s tourism office also maintains a fall trip-planning guide with local seasonal events.
