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Autumn in the Mountains
Written By: William McReynolds - Highlands Plateau Audubon Society | Issue: October - 2022
October whispers at dawn yet explodes in color with the sun’s zenith.
October is a harvest month. The main local crop is autumn mountain beauty. Having sown our hopes for lush fall color, we now reap the beauty thereof: the reds and yellows of the towering leaves and lingering summer flowers, fall fruit and vegetables, fresh northern air, and the tableau of “Leaf Season in the Mountains.” Autumn settles softly upon the forest from the top down. First are the barely perceptible changes in the treetops. We feel a quickening of the senses. Darkness lingers in the morning and arrives stealthily in the late afternoon. The flora is in the afterglow of summer: the reds deepen; the colors become more saturated, a muchness of themselves. Beautiful overtakes pretty in autumn. All this grace and glory is the occasion for street parties, seasonal festivals. Fall festivals blossom across North Carolina in October, in many townships and counties, celebrating everything from wooly worms to indie films and, most of all, Appalachian culture. Here are a few favorite public events: The All Hallows Eve Downtown Halloween Festivities or “Downtown Trick or Treat” appears October 31st on Main Street in Highlands from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Expect music, a DJ, dancing, hot dogs, candy and elaborate costumes on children, adults, and pets. The Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival is held over three days October 7-9 from 10:00 A.M.to 5:00 P.M. on the Village Green at 160 Frank Allen Road. This well-attended party features 100 artists and vendors, live music, food, and a juried art show. The Sapphire Valley Arts and Crafts Show appears on the athletic field at 127 Cherokee Trail on October 1-3 from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Children’s games are featured as well as folk art and crafts, live music, and food. Colorfest in Dillsboro on October 1 from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. features Front Street lined with artisan booths with local art, food and live music. Dillsboro is a destination for the Smoky Mountain Railroad and a passenger train will be in town for 90 minutes beginning at 1:30 P.M. If you’re willing to travel, you can attend a large street festival, the Waynesville Apple Harvest Festival, on October 15, complete with hundreds of vendors, local food galore, live music, contests, cloggers, local arts and crafts. In October, we celebrate autumn in the mountains.
