It’s here. It is now appropriate to wear scarves, boots, pick some pumpkins, ready your Halloween costume. Welcome to fall.
Oktoberfest kicked off last weekend. Check out the full experience at Appalachian Brewing Co. and Lancaster Brewing Co. The restaurants of The Hershey Lodge also have impressive Oktoberfest menus (I sampled some of the one at the Hershey Grill — delicious!). All run through Oct. 4.
Local brewfest, Central Pennsylvania Oktoberfest picks up where the restaurants left off. Celebrate the final day of Oktoberfest with a daylong craft beer festival capped by a the annual Run for the Laurels at Hollywood Casino. This event is a product of Hershey Harrisburg Craft Beer Country. Enter to win tickets here or here.
When then-Gov. Rendell opened up the state slogan contest, I really wanted Pennsylvania’s to be, “We have all four seasons.” It’s a special thing to experience distinct seasonal transitions, most parts of the country don’t really get this. And this year we’re expected to have a record showing in terms of foliage. Get out there and see it! Grab your camera, and capture the color. Try a Fall Foliage cruise aboard The Pride or take a scenic road trip.
This is also when I annually pimp my husband’s homebase: The PA Wilds. Beautiful foliage awaits along the Quehanna Highway as you make your way to Elk Country. Check out the Elk Country Visitors Center, then drive around to viewing areas to sneak a peek at the largest natural elk herd east of the Mississippi.
It’s harvest season! Pennsylvania has a wonderful apple industry. Oh, to drive through Adams County! Grab your reusable bags and get picking. Read these tips first. Oh yeah and you won’t want to miss the 50th annual Apple Harvest Festival the first two weekends in October.
Here’s what other Pennsylvania goodies you can find on nearby country roads, plus what to shop for at area farmers markets.
Pennsylvania Apples – Harvest from GK Visual on Vimeo.
More Pennsylvania harvest products? Don’t forget about our ever-growing wine and beer trails. Check ’em out:
- Mason Dixon Wine Trail
- Hershey Harrisburg Wine Country
- Hershey Harrisburg Craft Beer Country
- Susquehanna Ale Trail
Oh, and of course don’t forget about our growing hard cider industry! Drink local, friends!
One of these years, I swear I’m going to do one of these cool haunted something-or-others. I’m just such a wimp. I love these breakdowns that fellow scaredy-cat and PennLiver Julia Hatmaker did on Field of Screams and Jason’s Woods. Also to check out: The Farnsworth House in nearby Gettysburg and The Accomac Inn’s ghost dinners. This year on Halloween, there also will be ghost tours of the John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion in Harrisburg.
Chill out. Hate pumpkin beers? Pumpkin Spice Lattes give you hives? How ’bout some quality relaxation in the form of pumpkin treatments at The Chocolate Spa at The Hotel Hershey — I think that’s something we can all get behind. And it’s about this time they begin offering these sweet treatments. Choose from Pumpkin Spice Scrub, Pumpkin Souffle Wrap, The Great Pumpkin Facial or Fall Pumpkin Package (all of ’em!). Available starting Oct. 1.
What’s on your fall must-do list?
