Fall in Chelsea isn’t a season you have to leave the city to enjoy. Between a packed calendar of free outdoor programming, a couple of underrated waterfront walks, and no shortage of local spots to warm up with a good meal, there’s enough here to fill every weekend through November. Here’s a starting list.

Get Outside

Chelsea’s best-kept secret for a fall walk is Mary O’Malley Park, tucked into Admiral’s Hill at the base of Broadway and Spruce Street. The state-run waterfront park is bordered by the Island End and Mystic rivers, with paved walking and jogging paths, a playground, tennis courts, picnic areas, and sweeping views of the Boston skyline and the Tobin Bridge — free parking included, and dogs are welcome.

For something shorter and more urban, the Chelsea Greenway is a compact paved path running from Eastern Avenue along Chelsea Creek up toward Chestnut Street, just blocks from City Hall, the Chelsea Public Library, and the shops around Bellingham Square. It’s short — well under a mile — but it’s a pleasant, easy stroll to bookend a trip downtown, especially once the leaves start turning.

Seasonal Foods

The Chelsea Farmers Market runs every Tuesday from 3 to 7 p.m. on the City Hall plaza at 500 Broadway through October 20, with fresh produce and a rotating lineup of vendors, organized by Chelsea’s Public Health Department alongside GreenRoots and The Trustees of Reservations. It’s the easiest way to stock up on fall produce before the season winds down.

For something heartier, Chelsea’s longtime institutions are well suited to cooler weather: NewBridge Cafe on Washington Avenue has been serving its famous steak tips since 1975, Café El Dorado on Broadway turns out Colombian staples like pandebono, empanadas, and arepas con queso, and Katz Bagel Bakery on Park Street — home of the original pizza bagel since the early 1970s — has been a neighborhood fixture since 1938.

Mark Your Calendar

The city’s Autumn in the Square series takes over Chelsea Square every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday through November 1, with free outdoor movies, live music, and more. Standout dates include the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival on September 26, Noche de Impacto for Hispanic Heritage Month on October 3, and a dog-friendly Barktoberfest — complete with a puppy costume parade and beer garden — on October 10. The season wraps with a Día de los Muertos ofrenda display and procession running October 30 through November 1.

Bring the Kids

Families looking for something hands-on can head to the GreenRoots Teaching Kitchen on Pearl Street, which hosts a free weekly cooking class every Wednesday, plus periodic kid-to-kid sessions where children cook alongside other kids, as part of the nonprofit’s food justice programming. Registration is required, and classes run in multiple languages.

Autumn in the Square also has family-friendly fall staples built in: a Trunk or Treat on October 30 ahead of Halloween, plus the Barktoberfest costume parade for families with dogs in tow. And with a playground built right into Mary O’Malley Park, an outing there can double as both a walk and a stop for the kids to burn off energy.

Support Local

Rounding out the season, a few Chelsea shops are worth a visit as the weather cools. John’s Pizza on Central Avenue — a family-run institution since 1978 — is a reliable stop for hand-tossed pizza and calzones. Stop & Compare, founded by Cuban immigrants Al and Betty Calvo, remains a go-to for fresh and culturally specific groceries. And if fall means more time on two wheels before the weather turns, Wildcats Bike Repair on Williams Street can get a bike tuned up and ready for crisp-weather rides.

Between the walks, the markets, and the festival calendar, there’s a full season’s worth of things to do without leaving city limits.