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Summer's
over, and if you planned correctly, you're
all rested up for the most strenuous - and
wonderful - time of year. Fall festivals.
They're starting and they're all over the
place. The weather is cooling down, the
leaves are turning and the roads are less
congested; all these make the fall a perfect
time for travel.
The
various fall festivals are one of my own
very favorite RV travel destinations - the
colors, the flavors, the excitement in the
air - all combine for the perfect vacation
experience. Originating from age-old harvest
celebrations in agrarian areas, these festivals
give us a great reason to get out and discover
the heritage of different communities throughout
the country.
To
help celebrate the start of fall, here is
a list of select North American Fall Festivals,
arranged alphabetically, by state. As with
last year's list, the 2007 Festival list
is based on recommendations of the Society
of American Travel Writers.
California
Oktoberfest by the Bay
October 12 - 15, 2006
San Francisco, California
Over
40,000 people descend on Fort Mason overlooking
the San Francisco Bay in what's considered
the largest Oktoberfest west of the Mississippi
River.
Celebrating
in the true tradition of Munich's famed
Oktoberfest, the festival includes nonstop
music, dancing, singing, and the very best
in German food and drink. The world renowned
21-piece Chico Bavarian Band headlines the
stage.
Phone:
888-746-7522
More info: www.oktoberfestbythebay.com
Florida
"DING" DARLING DAYS & 75th
FEDERAL DUCK STAMP CONTEST
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE WEEK
October 8 - 14, 2007
Sanibel Island, Florida
"Ding"
Darling Days in mid-October signals the
long-awaited arrival of fall with opportunities
to finally get out and go birding, kayaking,
fishing, and hiking without withering in
the Florida heat and humidity. Named Sanibel
Island's premier birding festival and eco-event,
the weeklong festival features a kids fishing
day, nature photography seminar, noted wildlife
authors and speakers, and a free family
fun day with tram tours of "Ding"
Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The event
also includes free food, wildlife presentations,
arts and crafts, and the introduction of
the year's Federal Duck Stamp artist.
Phone:
239-472-1100
More
info: www.dingdarlingdays.com
Georgia
25th annual Duluth Fall Festival
September 29 & 30, 2007
Duluth, Georgia
Held
on the last weekend of September, the Duluth
Fall Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary
this year. The roots of the festival stretch
back much farther, to 1962 in fact, when
the first festival was held.
The festival begins Saturday morning with
a huge parade, followed by the official
opening ceremony after which entertainment
takes over. The life of the festival is
on the town streets, and the Festival weekend
will be filled with an incredible variety
of food, crafts, games, and entertainment
for all ages to enjoy. There are two areas
for kid's games and rides, so this is definitely
a festival for the whole family. And, of
course, the most tempting thing of all is
the FOOD! About fifty food booths will be
selling everything from bar-b-que to hot
dogs to funnel cakes to ice cream, plus
much, much more!
Duluth,
Georgia is located 25 miles Northeast of
Downtown Atlanta.
More info: http://www.duluthfallfestival.com/
Indiana
Indiana Covered Bridge Festival
October 12 - 21, 2007
Parke County, Indiana
The
50th annual festival celebrates Parke County's
many covered bridges in eastern Indiana.
View over 30 covered bridges; enjoy shopping,
crafts, food, and more. The fall foliage
is spectacular, the bridges are charming
and there are lots of activities in communities
across the county. Daily bus tours leave
the Rockville, Ind., square and provide
a guided tour of the region's covered bridges
and historic structures. A full schedule
of entertainment is included.
Parke
County in eastern Indiana is also the covered
bridge capital of the US. The 51st annual
countywide festival that always starts on
the 2nd Friday of October, unites 9 communities
throughout the county, offering a wide variety
of antiques, arts and crafts produced by
local artists and artists and a variety
of foods guaranteed to please just about
everyone's palate.
For
those not traveling by RV, bus tours leave
the square daily to take you on guided tours
of the county's communities and famed covered
bridges.
Phone:
765-569-5226
More info: www.coveredbridges.com
Nebraska
September 15-16, 2007
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Celebrate
the fall apple harvest at the 39th Annual
AppleJack Festival 2007, hosted in Nebraska
City, well-known for its apple orchards,
and hometown of Arbor Day. Activities include
the Applejack Parade and Apple Jam Fest
with family entertainment, crafts, classic
car show, flea market, 5K run/walk and an
apple pie baking contest. While there visit
the Arbor Day Farm Tree Adventure or take
in the winery tour via historic trolley.
Phone:
800-514-9113
More info: http://www.nebraskacity.com/new/applejack.html
New
Hampshire
Keene Pumpkin Festival
October 20, 2007
Keene, New Hampshire
Thousands
of twinkling jack o'lanterns line the streets,
curbs, benches and everywhere else in Keene,
New Hampshire, in the southwest part of
the state.
Residents from the town and surrounding
communities carve elaborate pumpkins by
the tens of thousands and display them downtown
for one day only. The 2003 event set a Guinness
record with 28,952 lighted jack o'lanterns
on display. People come for the pumpkins,
great food and a great mardis gras atmosphere
in autumn. The surrounding region offers
mountain hiking, historical sites and spectacular
fall foliage.
Phone: 603-358-5344
More info: www.pumpkinfestival.org
New
Mexico
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
October 6 - 14, 2006
Albuquerque, New Mexico
This
is undoubtedly the granddaddy of fall events.
With October comes crystal skies and perfect
ballooning weather due to a phenomenon called
the "Albuquerque Box." This combination
of weather patterns and geographic landscape
occurs in the fall and allows balloonists
to control and even retrace their adventure
in the skies. Balloons, balloonists and
spectators from around the world descend
on Balloon Fiesta Park in their thousands
every year to view take part in the festival.
The Park covers over 200 acres and can accommodate
over 700 balloons plus vendors selling everything
from traditional New Mexican food to balloon
memorabilia.
You
can park your RV in Fiesta Park's RV facilities
within walking distance of the launch field.
Be sure to book early - this show is very
popular and availability in all areas is
limited.
For more RV booking info: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/Guests/Travel_Help/rv.php
Phone:
888-422-7277
More info: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/Balloon_Fiesta/schedule.html
North
Carolina
Brown
Mountain Lights Festival
September 14-16
Linville Falls, North Carolina
Celebration
of the mysterious colored lights that have
appeared for centuries upon a nearby ridge
top.
This year's festival will be markedly different
from the one before in that it will focus
solely on the lights, since the county heritage
component has moved to another community.
As in last year's fest, however, mountain
music will be an eminent feature joining
a lecture series throughout Saturday to
celebrate what is perhaps the most famous
of North Carolina's natural mysteries.
Activities are in the center of the Village.
Phone:
828-766-6284
More info: http://www.linvillefallsvillage.com/BrownMountainLights07.pdf
The
Woolly Worm Festival
October 20 - 21, 2007
Banner Elk, North Carolina
Woolly
Worm races determine the official caterpillar
used to predict the severity of forthcoming
coming winter weather. It is very simple
- the caterpillar that climbs a three-foot
length of string fastest is the winner.
Few experiences in life can produce the
absurd euphoria that comes from cheering
for a caterpillar to climb a string. It
is so indisputably ridiculous that it is
completely liberating! And the $1,000 first
prize that accompanies the prestige of having
your worm used to pronounce the official
winter forecast doesn't hurt either. Races
start around 10 a.m., and each heat consists
of 20 worms. Good Luck!
In
addition to the worm races, the festival
features crafts, food vendors, live entertainment
and much more. Last year's event attracted
an estimated 20,000 fans and 1,000 woolly
worm race entrants.
The
event is held in the mountain town of Banner
Elk along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North
Carolina. Click here
for more Blue Ridge - North Carolina
touring ideas.
Phone: 828-898-5605
More info: http://averycounty.com/?subPage=40
Nova
Scotia
Pumpkin Fest in the Annapolis Valley
October 1, 2007 to October 31, 2007
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
October is Pumpkin Fest in the Annapolis
Valley - a month of food, fun and family
events to celebrate our harvest season.
Join us for Pumpkin fun, Pumpkin food, Pumpkin
art and fresh Valley Pumpkins!
Toll-free: 1.877.999.7117
More info: http://www.valleypumpkinfest.ca/
www.novascotia.com
Oregon
35th Annual Corvallis Fall Festival
September 22 & 23, 2007
This
year, the city of Corvallis celebrates its
150th birthday, and this will be highlighted
at the Corvallis Fall Festival, one of the
Northwest's premier arts and crafts fairs.
The festival will feature music and other
entertainment throughout the weekend - so
hop into your RV and head to where the action
is.
More
info: http://www.corvallisfallfestival.com/
West
Virginia
Mountain State Forest Festival
September 29 - October 7, 2007
Elkins, West Virginia
Now
in its 71st year, the Mountain State Forest
Festival is the oldest festival in West
Virginia and attracts over 200,000 people
to the mountain town of Elkins. The festival
features eight days of dances, carnival,
arts and crafts, weaving and quilt exhibits,
wood chopping, archery and horse pulling
contests, gospel sings, Irish road bowling,
scenic train rides and more.
Phone:
304-636 -1824
More info: http://www.forestfestival.com
Wisconsin
45th Annual Bayfield Apple Festival
October 5-7, 2007
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Touted
as Wisconsin's leading festival, Bayfield's
popular festival typically attracts more
than 60,000 visitors to the picturesque
town of 686 people built on a hillside overlooking
the Apostle Islands.
Over 45 orchards and food booths sell apples,
apple desserts and apple delicacies during
the three-day event in this picturesque
town on the shores of Lake Superior. Other
activities include entertainment, street
performers, carnival, boat parade, apple
pie and apple dessert baking contest, traditional
fish boil dinner and the annual Apple Dumpling
Gang contest for children.
Phone:
800-447-4094
More info: http://www.bayfield.org
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