Jen

I am in Florida (yeah I know we can't vote correctly) and would like to experience something I have heard of - autumn. There is a rumor that the weather actually gets below 70 degrees and leaves turn colors in other parts of the country.

I am looking for places preferably in the Midwest or East to travel to in October for a weekend. I would LOVE to go to some fall festival or fair.

Open to any suggestions!
Thanks in advance!

info

Louisville, KY is in the general direction you wish to travel. There is a big outdoor art show there the weekend of Oct.4-6. More than 700 artists will be exhibiting. You could visit Churchill Downs, too.
The leaves turn beautiful colors most years, but this year because of the very hot and dry summer in the midwest the colors might not be as spectacular as usual.

ttt

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xxx

Not sure how far East you mean. In Pa. there is an event called the Apple Festival in Peddlers Village located around New Hope. I think it is the first weekend in Nov. There is a web site. Check it out.

don

I agree with info about the art fair in Louisville. The St. James Art Fair is best fall festival I have ever been to. It is so names because it started as an art fair on St. James Court (a very lovely area with lots of trees and large Victorian homes) but has since expanded to where it covers over a dozen city blocks. The booths are all juried and you can find anything from the arts and crafts stuff to some really serious art. A great time and something to put you in a real fall mood.

Dave

Covered Bridge Festival
Parke County, Indiana
October 11-12
http://www.coveredbridges.com/

Covered Bridge Festival
Ashtabula County, Ohio
October 12-13
http://www.coveredbridgefestival.org/

deevee

The art festival in Louisville sounds great but I don't think you'll get the nip in the air you're looking for there. It's too far south.

The Covered Bridge Festival in Parke County,Indiana is gorgeous but if you really want a taste of smalltown midwest autumn come to Kendallville, Indiana the first weekend of October.

We have an Apple Festival that is centered around 1836 - the year the town was settled. All vendors and performers are required to wear period costumes. The booths must be either tent or wood - no pre-fab glitz, no visible electrical equipment.

We have musicians, storytellers, puppeteers, cloggers, magicians, craft demonstrations, straw mazes, hayrides and FOOD! You can eat your way straight to heaven here, and do so among some fine, friendly people.

I guarantee the leaves will be turning and the kettle corn will be popping. I am 99% certain it will be below 70 degrees. Bring a jacket and come on up!

Sarah

NY Film Festival is on last few days in September than firt two weeks October.

joy

My parents live in Louisville and I can highly recommend the St. James art fair also. I usually try to go back home at that time. I now live in Atlanta. Weather can range from needing a sweater to wearing shorts. Also during that weekend there is an apple festival at Stumbler's Orchard, in southern Indiana (crafts, hayrides and the such) which is just a short drive from Louisville, and usually there's a large flea market out at the fairgrounds. Octoberfest used to be that weekend also, but I'm not sure if they have it anymore or not.

Sara

Door County, WI (if you look at a map of Wisconsin as resembling a glove, Door Cty would be the thumb)is very beautiful and quaint especially in the fall and has 3 fall festival in September and 4 in October in this 1 county. Look at www.doorcounty.com and click on the "Fall Festivals 2002" link on the right side of the main page.

hiker

Keene, NH pumpkin festival
Southingon, CT Apple Harvest Festival
The Big E (starts this weekend)

cd

Hi Jen!
I agree with Dave. The Covered Bridge Festival in Southern Indiana is great! It runs this year Oct 11-20 and you will love it! check out:
Parke County, Indiana
http://www.coveredbridges.com and click on "Where To Go" Some of our favorites are Mansfield, Bridgeton and Billy Creek. (You need a few days) Weekends are very crowded so if the weekdays are available to you, you would enjoy it a lot more as weekend traffic around the festival sites is awful.

ky_woman

The official name of the art show is "The St. James Court Art Show" and this will be its 46th year. The artists and fine craftspersons are from all over the country.
www.stjamescourtartshow.com
Louisville's Octoberfest is being held the same weekend to coincide with the art show.

Jen

Thanks so much for the replies! Will look into all of them. Any more ideas?

Andy

NYC has the COLUMBUS AVE Street Fair-it is usually end of Sept and cover street from Columbus and 60th all the way up to 80th st---FABULOUS-fun-=typical NY atmosphere-lots of outdoor cafes to break up the walking and tons of stuff to buy- along with a fabulous flea/antique mkt at a school on Columbus and 77th-

Wear is ideal--usually lt sweater weather---

To see the leaves change, and much cooler weather, I would head up to Massachusetts---possibly in the Berkshires area

Jim Rosenberg

Minocqua, WI— More than 1,400 pounds of choice top round roasts (70 beef roasts, 16-20 pounds each) will be cooked by Lakeland area businesses on their storefront sidewalks in competition for best taste, presentation, and appearance, Best Chef, and Spirit awards, at the 38th Annual Beef-A-Rama/Colorama, Saturday, Sept. 28, in Minocqua, sponsored by the Minocqua-Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Area Chamber of Commerce.

A traditional "thank you" from area businesses for customer patronage throughout the year, Beef-A-Rama involves the beef roast cook-off (complete with costumed chefs and creative displays), complimentary snacks and fall shopping specials, celebrity beef judging, "Parade of Roasts," and famous beef sandwich sale (while they last). Nearly 3,000 beef sandwiches are served in just over one hour each year.

Don't miss it!

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Marie

I grew up going to a Covered Bridge Festival also, so I'll tell you about that one. The Madison County Iowa Covered Bridge Festival - held in Winterset, Iowa on the 2nd full weekend of October each year (Oct. 12 & 13 this year).

Madison County is well known because of the book and movie set there. But the covered bridge festival has been held for over 30 years. Even before the book, the Festival would draw 30,000-50,000 attendees.

The highlights of the festival:
- Winterset's downtown is built on a town square around a courthouse. The square is closed off during the festival. Set up around the courthouse and square are booths that sell either food or crafts. Everything sold has to be homemade - nothing manufactured. Some sellers wear period costumes. There are demonstrations of many of these crafts (candlemaking, sheep shearing, wood carving, etc.)
- During the festival there is constant local entertainment on the steps of the courthouse. Singers, choruses, spelling bees, storytellers, etc.
- An antiques show and sale
- A quilt show
- And, on Sunday, an antique car parade
- Tours of the covered bridges
- Tours of the John Wayne Birthplace Museum
- Tours of the movie sites (Roseman bridge, Francesca's house)
-The historical complex is open for touring - includes a museum, a post office, a restored late 1800's mansion.

Note: As some Fodorites may have already heard, one of the covered bridges (Cedar Bridge) was burnt down by an arsonist just last week. That still leaves 5 bridges - and Cedar Bridge will be rebuilt.