Salem is synonymous with spookiness so it should be no surprise that autumn is an excellent time to pay a visit. Though there are haunted happenings like ghost tours year-round, October and its neighbouring months make visits to the Salem Witch House and Old Burying Point Cemetery extra spooky and special. New England’s autumn leaves and brisk air also help set the scene for a memorable experience.
Wisconsinites hold their autumn harvest season in high esteem and the Bayfield Apple Festival has been a state-favourite for over half a century. This small town showcases its love for the fruit with an apple peeling contest, apple pie and dessert contest, a parade and so much more. Each year, the event even crowns an Apple Festival Queen, but you won’t need her majesty’s permission to sample some of the festival's produce.
The Aloha State may not be the quintessential pick for an autumn getaway, but there are plenty of reasons to trade pumpkins for pineapples. With summer holidaymakers back home and snowbirds not yet flocking this far south, late September through early November offers fewer crowds to contend with. Persimmon picking and ghost tours go hand-in-hand with humpback whale watching and surfing to create a visit that’s unique but includes the hallmark Hawaiian experiences.
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The Adirondack Balloon Festival makes it effortless to embrace a fall festival without filling up a whole day’s schedule. Balloon flights take off at sunrise and at sunset, and since the festival has free admission, it’s easy to show up on one of the four September dates (22-25) to watch them sail over the Adirondacks. Some pilots allow visitors to book private rides for an unforgettable view of the region.
Fans of slow travel, picturesque views and Rocky Mountain roaming would do well to take a train ride through the Colorado mountains during autumn. The Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs between the two cities and offers a spectacular sight of the San Juan National Forest as it wears a yellow coat of vibrant autumn leaves. This historic steam train ride is a breathtaking journey lasting under four hours each way.
Texas’ largest festival celebrates the state's Spanish heritage during Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The two-day event across San Antonio features the Spiritlandia River Parade, the Catrina Ball and live performances at the Muertos Fest. Honouring tradition as well as loved ones who’ve passed, this colourful celebration includes children’s activities and is rated as one of the best cultural festivals in the country.
Cape May’s quintessential beach town makes it a summer favourite, though those in the know flock to New Jersey’s shore for a special autumn occurrence. It’s one of the top birding destinations on the continent where over 400 species migrate for the season. From hawks and ospreys to peregrines and other birds of prey, the Cape May Fall Festival (13-16 October) celebrates an amazing opportunity to spot these migratory birds.
Motor City makes the most of its pre-winter weather, especially during the final days of autumn. For decades Detroit has hosted America’s Thanksgiving Parade Turkey Trot, which consists of three races: 6.2-mile (10km), 3.1-mile (5km) and one-mile (1.6km). Many participants compete in full costume, and you don’t need a sleek pair of trainers to join the celebrations. Simply watching the race and the parade that follows is a great way to enjoy Detroit’s seasonal festivities.
Usually celebrated in the days surrounding the autumnal equinox, the McClure Bean Soup Festival & Fair (12-17 September) is a tasty way to bid farewell to summer and lap up the first flavours of autumn. This annual event started way back in 1883 exclusively for Civil War veterans. Today, the public is more than welcome to eat their fill of bean soup and crackers while learning about the history of Pennsylvanian agriculture.
Great Smoky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited in the country and a great time to explore it is during the Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival. This 12-week festival starts in September and ends in November with towns like Gatlinburg, Sevierville and Pigeon Forge each embracing fall-themed displays and activities. Of course, a drive or hike into the national park is also a must-do.
There’s a reason why Pacific Grove earned the nickname 'Butterfly Town, USA'. Each year, thousands of monarch butterflies call this California town home. They typically arrive in mid-to-late October for a four-month stopover en route to Mexico. It’s free to visit the Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary throughout the season, though it’s the first Saturday in October that the town celebrates the flight with a butterfly parade.
Pumpkin lovers take note: Illinois harvests more pumpkins than any other state. Turn an autumnal visit to the Prairie State into a jaunt around some of the best acreages within its borders. Goebbert’s has an autumn festival with family-friendly attractions like a giant pumpkin slide and a haunted house, while the Great Pumpkin Patch boasts 300 varieties of pumpkin, mazes and wagon rides.
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The Honobia Bigfoot Festival is one of the more unusual ways to embrace autumn in Oklahoma. One of the largest sasquatch festivals in the country, this family-friendly event features live music, face painting and a Bigfoot conference. Hear stories of sasquatches around the campfire or hike around the acreage appreciating the multicoloured autumn leaves – and keep an eye out for the festival’s eponymous creature.
An adorable traffic jam awaits in Ketchum during the Trailing of the Sheep Festival. This celebration of shepherds and sheep takes over the towns of Ketchum and Hailey in early October, hosting nearly a week of events focused on sheep herding. Sheepdog trials, lamb-focused cooking lessons, a wool festival, cheese making classes and more fill the schedule. The week culminates with the big sheep parade down Ketchum’s Main Street.
Feel the ground rumble in South Dakota’s Custer State Park during the Buffalo Roundup Festival. This annual tradition stretching back to the days of the Old West involves cowboys and cowgirls rounding up over 1,000 buffalo and culling the park’s herd size to a healthy limit. Visitors can watch and even participate in the herding. The accompanying arts festival also offers a glimpse into Native American and Western culture.
While there are technically a few family-friendly events like the Bahama Village Goombay Festival, the majority of Key West’s Fantasy Fest is for adults only. A naked bike ride, burlesque shows, bar crawls and clothing-optional pool parties are just some of the grown-up gatherings on the late-October calendar. More modest activities like live music, parades and fundraisers for local charities are also on the itinerary.
Ohio’s sole national park is a spectacular place where early-birds and late-risers can marvel at the changing leaves throughout October. Different species of tree in Cuyahoga Valley National Park shed their green colour each week, so earlier in the month you'll see maple trees turning red while later visits bring yellow witch hazels. The bright reds and deep browns around Brandywine Falls make for an excellent hiking destination. Remember your camera.
Bar Harbor’s tourist season reaches its end in October, opening up an opportunity to roam around the Maine town without the heavy crowds. Though much of Bar Harbor closes down mid-month, the businesses that are still open tend to offer end-of-season discounts. Nearby Acadia National Park also keeps some roads open to visitors. Visiting Bar Harbor in late September, however, offers a chance to experience the Acadia Night Sky Festival.
The alpine village of Helen comes with plenty of Bavarian-style fun during Oktoberfest. Each year, beer and bratwurst fill this small town in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Main Street makes for an easy walk end-to-end, allowing visitors to park their cars and indulge in the bier halls, food stalls and many arts and crafts tables. Oktoberfest runs from September through October with different celebrations each weekend.
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Hold the cheese during an autumn trip to Warrens; the last full weekend in September is dedicated to cranberries. The Warrens Cranberry Festival hosts three full and free days of arts, crafts and cranberries. Over three miles (4.8km) of shopping booths sit alongside food stalls selling everything from cranberry coffee to deep-fried cranberries on a stick. Local cranberry marsh tours help officially start the harvest season.
Just west of St Louis and providing a gateway to the Missouri Ozarks, the city of Eureka takes the Halloween season seriously. The Scarecrow Festival takes over the town for the entire month of October. Dozens of scarecrows line the streets, yards, schools, businesses and churches, offering tonnes of fun selfie stops. The month is filled with family-friendly activities including a three-mile (5km) walk or run, a corn maze, trunk or treat and parades.
Take a step back into the 18th century and see what life was like in Fort Ouiatenon during the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon. Once a gathering spot for French settlers and Native Americans, the banks of the Wabash River now play host to an annual historical re-enactment. Authentic food, storytelling, tomahawk throwing, live performances and military demonstrations fill the schedule for this cultural, family-friendly festival.
Wine may have put Sonoma on the map, but it’s also certifiably cider country. Autumn is a wonderful time of the year to pay a visit to Sonoma County and drink in the harvest season. Gorgeous autumnal hues give vineyards and orchards a warm glow, creating a perfect setting for sipping fresh cider. Many hard ciders are made with local heirloom apples so prepare for a more complex taste.
Despite being certifiably southwestern, New Mexico’s landscape features autumn colours that would give New England a run for its money. A tank of gas is all you’ll need to enjoy a scenic autumn drive through the state. Sandia Crest Scenic Byway provides mile-high views of the colourful countryside and the hillsides flanking the Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway run crimson and gold in late September.
Nebraska may be the Cornhusker State, but Illinois knows a thing or two about celebrating the crop as well. Corn Fest takes over Grundy County in late September and it’s the annual event that locals break out their best jeans and flannels for. Family-friendly parades, crackerbox derbies, pie eating contests and the scarecrow stroll kick off the autumn season with plenty of fun on and off the cob.
As autumn comes to a close, Florida finally embraces the cold weather and prepares for the holiday season. St Augustine kicks off its months-long celebration Nights of Lights in mid-November (lasting until the end of January) and it makes the nation’s oldest city feel truly autumnal. Thousands of lights adorn the city’s bars, boats, B&Bs and more. This annual event offers a cheery, free way to bid farewell to autumn.
Stowe, Vermont, is a classic autumn destination for leaf lovers and pumpkin pickers alike. With Mount Mansfield State Forest adorning the Stowe area with red, yellow and orange leaves, you’ll instantly sense autumn in the air. And you’ll see it, too, at the Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival. This unique gathering features live music, a chilli cook-off and groups hurling pumpkins through the air with homemade trebuchet launchers.
Now take a look at New England's best attractions to enjoy this autumn