Awesome Autumn

It would take a true curmudgeon not to glory in the fall that nature has served up this year. The days have been sun-drenched and pleasantly warm; the nights crisp and cool and color is building in yards and on the hillsides as autumn applies a paint brush dipped in russets, oranges, reds and—for just the right accent—the feuille mort of leaves gone by.

The days beckon us to get outside, to enjoy the last burst of seasonal pleasures before the days shorten and turn cold.

Serendipitously, this is one of the busiest times of the year in the tristate region as towns and villages plan a panoply of activities to entice visitors.

The region is dotted with towns of exceptional beauty and what could be more pleasant than a weekend afternoon strolling along leaf-strewn sidewalks, enjoying the pleasures of a small-town festival. Columbus Day (also known as Indigenous Peoples Day) presents particularly rich possibilities for this diversion.

Salisbury CT for instance, has invited guests to its annual Fall Festival for nearly seven decades and it is set this year for October 11th and 12th. The event features live music, a craft fair on the green, seasonal foods, hayrides and activities for children. There is a scarecrow contest to judge the creative efforts of local residents while businesses add to the flavor of the event with sales for bargain hunters.

Down in Washington CT both aspects of the Columbus Day holiday will get due attention. The town will hold its Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 12th, from noon to 5 PM at the River Walk Pavilion, 11 School Street in Washington Depot. The free community celebration features live music, food vendors and family activities. There will be artists, artisans, train rides, fire truck tours, scarecrows and other family-friendly fun.

Just outside of town, theInstitute for American Indian Studies will hold its annual celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day celebrating native culture and lifeways including demonstrations of Native American life in a replicated Algonkian village.

The IAIS Indigenous Peoples Weekend takes place Friday, October 10th, and Saturday, October 11th, from 11AM to 4PM at 38 Curtis Road in Washington. The event is included with regular museum admission.

While AIAI celebrates America’s original inhabitants, Torrington commemorates the Italian heritage first carried to these shores by Columbus. The Torrington chapter of Unico National is holding an Italian-American Street Festival Sunday, October 12th, from 3PM to 8PM on Columbus Day weekend. It will be held at Franklin Street Plaza in downtown Torrington and will feature a high-end Italian car show, a bocce tournament, Italian music supplied by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin tribute singers, a DJ, a magician and, of course, tons of different Italian foods.

By the 1840s, Germans had joined the cavalcade of immigrants to the New World and would eventually become the largest self-reported ancestral group in the United States. Warren will pay homage to this segment of the population with an Octoberfest, its annual community fundraising event for the Warren Volunteer Fire Company and Social Services.

It is planned for Saturday, October 18th, from 10:30AM to 4PM at Warren Woods Town Park and features a 5K Cider Run/Walk, food vendors, tastings from local breweries, wineries and cider makers, displays by local artisans, live music, games and activities for children.

Also celebrating on October 18th, is Falls Village which will hold its annual free Fall Festival that day on the Town Green. For one afternoon, the town green becomes a hub for hayrides to the pumpkin patch, a pie-baking contest and live folk music. Local cooks will serve chili and burgers while kids can participate in old-time activities such as sack races and stuffing scarecrows.

Moving north, Columbus Day weekend in the greater Berkshire region offers several autumn events and activities, with the main local event being the annual Harvest Festival at the Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge.

The Harvest Festival takes place on the grounds of the Botanical Garden with more than 80 artisan and farm vendors selling crafts, plants and produce. There will be live folk and bluegrass music and food trucks while kids can romp through a hay maze, take a hayride or join a pumpkin-decorating session.

Garden staff will also host a plant sale and a greenhouse treasure hunt. The festival helps fund the garden's horticulture and educational programs.

Only four minutes away from the Botanical Gardens is Naumkeag, 5 Prospect Hill Road, the historic Gilded Age “cottage” now maintained by the Trustees of Reservations. It is noted for its large gardens and, during October, fills the landscape with its Incredible Pumpkin Show. The event features elaborate displays of more than 1,500 carved pumpkins, seasonal treats and other fall activities.

Due to its popularity, parking is via shuttle and advance tickets are required, as many nights sell out.

Even farther north is the Columbus Day weekend celebration in Adams MA where the RambleFest offers two events. Saturday, October 11th, from noon to five a street festival will be held at 3 Hoosac Street. The free festival offers music, food, live musical acts, local craft beer and wine, produce, outdoor recreation and craft exhibitors. Activities include a toasty campfire with marshmallows, pumpkin decorating and other activities for the kids. Historic train rides are available on the Berkshire Scenic Railway right across Hoosac Street at Adams Station.

On Monday, October 13th, the Greylock Ramble, brings a hike to the summit of Mount Greylock on the Cheshire Harbor Trail, the gentlest path to the summit. Free shuttles take hikers from the Adams Visitor Center at 3 Hoosac Street to and from the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center between 8AM and 4PM. Using the shuttle is strongly recommended as parking near the trailhead is very limited.

Over in New York State, one of the nation’s most famous fiber festivals, the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, takes place on Saturday and Sunday, October 18th and 19th. It draws thousands of knitters and fiber artists to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck where barns are filled with sheep, alpacas, llamas and angora rabbits. More than 200 vendors sell yarn, fleece and woolen craft and attendees often show off their own hand-knit creations.

Even textile-impaired visitors who cannot knit a stitch will find plenty to enjoy. Pet an alpaca, watch sheep-shearing and herding demos and cheer on the leaping llamas on their obstacle course. Indulge in lamb barbecue or eat apple cider doughnuts between browsing.

Then, for a change of pace, wander over to the Rhinebeck Aerodrome, 9 Norton Road in Red Hook, for its Fall Festival on Saturday and Sunday, 10:30AM to 2:30PM. Face painting, pumpkin painting and coloring pages will be available before the air show. Aviators will fly their vintage planes in an airshow at 2PM each day, complete with pumpkin bombing.