Fall isn't complete without a PUMPKIN FESTIVAL!
Written: Oct 06 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Family fun for all ages -- good, clean, old-fashioned fun!
Cons: Good, clean, old-fashioned fun is hard to find these days...
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| UNovelGirl's Full Review: South Carolina |
Review Topic: Events & Festivals
What better way to celebrate Fall's induction than to revel in the changing faces of Mother Nature while attending an old-fashioned pumpkin festival?
All-American, old-fashioned, and good, clean, down-home fun, pumpkin festivals abound in the mountain region of the eastern United States around October. This time of year draws throngs of tourists scrambling to get a glimpse of the intense color of the mountain leaves from majestic mountain peaks -- and with the holidays upcoming, the smell of pumpkin pies baking fills the air, and pumpkin patches dot the side of highway roads. Better yet, there isn't a weekend in all of October that you won't find at least one annual fall festival happening somewhere along your path. So pack your bags! What are you waiting for?
You won't find a better time of year to take a roadtrip to the High Country. There are several scenic byways running the foothills of the Georgia and South Carolina mountains, and no matter what option you choose you can rest assured the scenery will be breathtaking. (Byways can be located by doing a search online for <drum roll> "scenic byways" + "South Carolina")
Where can you find a seasonal festival taking place this time of year?
Pumpkinfest -- Pickens, SC: What better place to hold a pumpkin festival than a town named after the almighty gourd itself? Pumpkintown's annual Pumpkin Festival is held the second weekend of October (this year it's October 13), and includes a wealth of activities for people of all ages. Activities are kicked off with a Pumpkin Day parade, complete with marching bands, parade floats, antique cars, and horse-drawn carriages and wagons. And where else these days can you find honest-to-goodness, real old-fashioned sack races, three-legged race, and egg toss contest? Why, there's even a greased pole climb -- whatever that is! Arts and craft booths also abound, as do pumpkins in every size, shape, and color. Don't miss the annual contest for largest and heaviest pumpkins grown by locals. The record so far is in the several hundred pound mark -- WOW, I wouldn't want to carve THAT one!
The festival is held on the grounds of the Oolenay Community Center, on South Carolina's Highway 135, approximately 1/4 mile from where SC HWY 135 and HWY 8 intersect.
Oktoberfest -- Walhalla, SC: Every third weekend in October (this year it's October 20-21) the town of Walhalla, SC plays host to the annual Oktoberfest celebration. In recognition of the town's German heritage, German music and foods are aplenty, along with arts and crafts booths, children's rides, hot-air balloon rides, and a splendid fireworks display. I hear they have pumpkin pies galore, too!
For directions, or for more information, contact the Walhalla Chamber of Commerce at (864)638-2727.
Georgia Apple Festival -- Ellijay, GA: October 14-15. Not exactly a pumpkin festival, this is an annual event centered around apples, another great fall staple. Over 300 vendors with handcrafted items (crafts, artwork, and so on), live entertainment, a parade, and an antique car show. Couple that with some down-home southern-cooked food, and you've got the makings of a great weekend event! Stop by the pumpkin patch on your way out and pick up a bushel of apples and a couple of gourds for carving and pie-making!
Big Pig Jig (I jest you not) -- Vienna, GA: Thursday - Saturday, October 19-21. This is an annual fall festival complete with BBQ cook-off, pie-baking contest, golf tournament, parade, beauty pageants, a 5K run, arts and crafts, children's rides, carnival, taste-testing at a wealth of booths set up for you try, and two big stage shows with live entertainment. What more could you need?
Gold Rush Days -- Dahlonega, GA: By far, the largest arts and crafts festival in Georgia. You'll find traditional southern festival activities such as a liar's contest (?), crosscut sawing, clogging, bluegrass and gospel music, and an ocean of good food, including funnel cakes, seafood delights, fried chicken and ribs! For more information, visit www.dahlonega.org!
Whether you're out for a weekend getaway or an extended vacation in the Southeastern U.S., be sure to stop by at least one country festival (there are many, many more that are not listed here), and pick yourself up a little bit of American nostalgia. Spend some quality time with your kids. Kick your heels up, and let your hair down. Experience Southern hospitality at its finest.
A weekend at Six Flags may cost you a bundle, and your children may or may not remember it later on in life. But a weekend full of three-legged races with mom and dad that was spent in small-town American is something your children will take with them forever.
Recommended:
Yes
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UNovelGirl
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Location: Florida
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