Autumn Leaves Festival
Mount Airy, North Carolina
If the small Blue Ridge Mountains town of Mount Airy reminds you of Mayberry, there’s a reason for that: Andy Griffith grew up in Mount Airy and modeled much of “The Andy Griffith Show” on his childhood experiences in the town.
Tourists love visiting Mount Airy year-round, but the biggest draw is during the Autumn Leaves Festival, when some 200,000 people visit for three days over the second weekend in October.
“This is our 48th year, and we have approximately 230 craft and commercial vendors,” said festival director Yvonne Nichols. “We have local food, like the collard green sandwich, which is a big hit here. And we have bluegrass and old-time gospel music performed by local musicians. We’re well known for our bluegrass music in this area.”
The festival takes place throughout town in the shadows of the surrounding mountains, which are covered in brightly colored fall foliage. Musical performances take place at the downtown bandstand.
In addition to enjoying the scenery, local food and local music, groups that visit the festival can learn about some of the local craft traditions.
“Many of our crafters demonstrate the talents that have been passed down to them through the years,” Nichols said. “We have one gentleman who does face jugs — a form of pottery — who has been here for probably 30 years. We have another lady who does wood-burning stained glass. Her dad actually started this at the beginning of the festival.”
Festival attendees will also find lots of textile crafts and jewelry for sale, as well as plenty of Mayberry-themed artwork.
— www.autumnleavesfestival.com —
Sonoma County Harvest Fair
Santa Rosa, California
Vintners, brewers, farmers and food lovers from throughout California’s famous Sonoma region come together for three days on the first weekend in October to celebrate the best products from the area.
“The harvest fair has been here in Sonoma County for over 30 years,” said Katie Young, deputy manager of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. “It celebrates the bounty of our grand harvest. We’re a huge wine region, so it’s an opportunity for guests to taste some of the best wines produced here, as well as local brews and food. Our lifestyle here in Sonoma County is very farm-to-table, and the harvest fair highlights our season of growing.”
The centerpiece of the fair is the Grand Tasting Pavilion, which features about 150 Sonoma County wineries, breweries and cideries, as well as innovative cuisine prepared by area chefs. The pavilion also highlights the winners of the annual wine and food competitions that take place as part of the festivities.
After getting their fill, visitors can take part in a number of entertaining and educational activities at the fair.
“We have an awesome world-championship grape stomp,” Young said. “People dress up in costumes and stomp grapes in teams. We weigh the juice to see who has stomped the most. There’s a big bleacher section where people come and watch and cheer them on.”
Groups can also attend demonstrations by artisans and chefs that cover topics such as backyard farming, wine pairing, and home beer or cider brewing. And the Wine Country Marketplace offers visitors an opportunity to purchase the fair’s medal-winning wines to take home.
