I love apple cider doughnuts and pumpkin pie as much as the next person, but fall flavors have so much more to offer. From cocktails to small plates, here's your guide to tasting the season in Charlotte.

🍕 The beloved pumpkin pizza is back at Inizio.

🌆 Nuvole Rooftop TwentyTwo will launch its fall menu Oct. 1. It'll range from a seasonal sangria to a seafood mac.

🍷 Starting Sept. 16, Dilworth Tasting Room is serving up fall and winter cocktails with names as creative as the drinks.

• Case in point: The "SERIOUSLY FOLKS! RYAN REYNOLDS' FAVORITE PUMPKIN SPICE ESPRESSO LATTE MARTINI!!!!" is made with Aviation Gin (Reynolds' brand), pumpkin spice purée and espresso.

☕️ Stable Hand has several seasonal coffees, like a carrot cake Mont Blanc latte and a spiced pear and bergamot espresso soda.

🥘 Customshop is serving a squash dish, with caramelized onion yogurt, golden raisin and dukkah.

🏈 Angry Ale's is offering a tailgate takeout special for football season.

🍺 Sycamore is among several local breweries offering fall brews.

Fuel up with this guide and then head out for fall fun. From pumpkin patches to corn mazes, I've got you covered on where to go.

Pizza joint PIE.ZAA and singles social club Connecting Charlotte are teaming up for a friendship and singles mixer tomorrow from 3-5pm.

• It's open to adults of all ages.

What to expect: Games, group activities, huge slices of pizza and plenty of chances to meet new people.

• 3–3:30pm: Check in, grab a slice, mingle.
• 3:30–4:15pm: Games and rotating group activities.
• 4:15–5pm: Open mingling.

If you go: PIE.ZAA (1440 S. Tryon St.) is hosting the mixer.

• Tickets are $18 and include entry, activities, a pizza slice and match notifications sent after the event by Connecting Charlotte.

More ways to meet people in Charlotte

The 19th annual Potter's Market at The Mint returns to Mint Museum Randolph Saturday, Sept. 27.

What to expect: The one-day pottery sale will feature more than 50 North Carolina potters, with visitors able to purchase ceramics directly from the artists.

• There will also be pottery demonstrations, live music, a beer garden and local food vendors.

Between the lines: This year's market falls on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene. In support, over 30 artists from Western North Carolina will be among those featured.

If you go: Tickets start at $25.

• The market runs 9am-4pm on the lawn of Mint Museum Randolph (2730 Randolph Road).

Starting in October, Front Porch Sundays will permanently expand to include both Atherton and the Design Center (where the heart wall is) in South End.

Between the lines: The open-air market is one of the city's most popular and regularly draws shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Until now, it stretched from the fairy ring (mushroom) lights outside Atherton to the rail trail behind Trolley Barn.

What to expect: 100+ small businesses selling everything from clothing and jewelry to food and home decor.

What they're saying: "August's market saw over 10,000 attendees and was quite packed. We knew the expansion was imminent," says chief retail strategist Jordan Dollard.

If you go: The expansion won't bring additional vendors but rather more space for foot traffic and guests to shop.

What's next: Front Porch Sundays runs every first Sunday of the month, April -Dec. The remaining dates for this year are Oct. 5, Nov. 2 and Dec. 7.

• Here's a visual of what the updated market will look like.