It seems like as soon as schools starts back, which can be as early as the second week of August, Starbucks kicks off the fall season with Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Before you know it, EVERYTHING is pumpkin-flavored and the Halloween decorations are out. And while I love a Starbucks latte as much as the next person, these are not the things that symbolize fall to me. Fall is a unique time in Virginia – one filled with special sights, sounds and smells that bring back memories.
The following list is a few of the things that make fall one of the best times of year here in Virginia. And while these aren’t all unique to our state, they certainly add to the beauty.
- College Football
Tech Sports / flickr
Jake Thiewes / flickr Whether you’re a Hokie, a Wahoo, a Keydet, a Duke Dog or a Spider (among others!), it’s hard not to get a little excited about football season. The tailgates, the energy and the team spirit are part of what fall is all about.
- Apples EVERYWHERE
Valerie Hinojosa / flickr Apples are an intrinsic part of Virginia fall. Here are some of the ways you can enjoy apples this fall…
Apple Picking
Valerie Hinojosa / flickr Fall is the time to get out there and hand-pick the sweetest, juiciest apples you can find. Try pick-your-own apples at Carter’s Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville and Marker-Miller Orchards in Winchester. HINT: Should you have to climb a tree to find the best one, go for it. It will taste that much better for the effort you put in.
Apple Cider
Waldo Jaquith / flickr From farmer’s markets to roadside stands to your local grocery store, this is the time of year when cider starts showing up everywhere. Try it hot, try it cold, or try making your own.
Apple Cider Donuts
Valerie Hinojosa / flickr These could have been grouped in with Apple Cider, but they truly deserve their own category. For some of the best in the state, try the The Apple House in Linden or Carter’s Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville.
Apple Butter
m01229 / flickr Usually not too far off from the apple cider at your local market or grocery store, you’ll find this culinary treat making a stronger appearance once the days get cooler. For apple butter making demonstrations and sales, try the Shenandoah Valley Apple Harvest Festival on Septemeber 19, join in on the Apple Harvest & Apple Butter Festival at Drumheller’s Orchard in Lovingston or head to Syria for the annual Graves’ Mountain Lodge Apple Harvest Festival .
- Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes and Hayrides
carobe / flickr You already know that the kids WILL pick the biggest pumpkin on the farthest side of the patch (and YOU will have to carry it back to the car). But that’s half the fun, isn’t it? Follow it with a laughter-filled run through a corn maze and an itchy, scratchy, but somehow exhilarating, hay ride…and you might just have the perfect fall day. Try Cox Farms in Centreville or Chesterfield Berry Farm in Moseley.
- Ghost Walks
Colonial Ghosts / Facebook Yes, you can do these year-round, but they’re all the better with a chill in the air and Halloween just around the corner. Try Colonial Ghosts in Williamsburg, one of the Top 10 ghost tours in the nation according to “US City Traveler.”
- Leaves, leaves, leaves…
Matthew Paulson / flickr I agree, they are not so much fun once they’ve fallen and have to be raked. But until that time, the fall foliage in Virginia is unparalleled. Take a drive along the Skyline Drive or visit Mabry Mill a little farther south at Milepost 176.1 off of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Two Words: Fall. Festivals.
Thomas Cizauskas / flickr Harvest festivals, apple festivals, music festivals, arts and crafts festivals, wine festivals and of course, Oktoberfest. I would argue that fall may be the best festival season of all. Be sure to check out your local listings for upcoming events near you. (Shown here is the Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest in Arlington)
- Crisp nights = bonfires
Will Marlow / flickr The days finally start to cool down and that means, come nightfall, there will be a chill in the air. There’s no better way to offset a cool night than with a bonfire, fire pit or chimenea. Whether you’re roasting marshmallows with the kids or enjoying some laughs with friends, fall nights are no excuse to stay indoors.
- Prime hiking season…now, you can’t complain that it’s too hot.
Joe Calhoun / flickr Fall is an ideal time to hit the trails. Check out some of our Virginia favorites for hiking, biking or walking here.
- Birdwatching and Butterflies
mainsail / flickr Every fall, millions of Monarch butterflies, along with songbirds and raptors (birds of prey) by the thousands, gather at the Eastern Shore before heading out across the Chesapeake Bay to winter in warmer climates. One of the best places to see these migrations is at the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge.
- Cheaper beach rentals
Denis Savard / flickr Who says summer is the only time to enjoy the beach? With prices dropping to lower off-season rates, usually beginning in September, fall is an ideal time to find a beach rental. You may not be able to play in the surf quite like you do in summer, but an ocean breeze and sand in your toes makes morning coffee on the deck taste better any time of year. For starters, try searching for rentals at Sandbridge, Chincoteague or Virginia Beach.
- High School Football
Phoebus High School Phantom Football / Facebook High school football will either make you feel really old or just like a kid again. Either way, cheering your local athletes on alongside the community on a crisp, fall night will bring back memories. And thanks to some pretty incredible teams in the state, it’s not hard to find a good game. Check out the Phoebus Phantoms in Hampton. They are listed as the state’s most dominant team by the football ranking site MaxPreps.
- Brunswick Stew
tvbadgenews / flickr For me, it’s hard to think of fall in Virginia without thinking of Brunswick Stew. Whether it was watching my grandfather stir his giant kettle over a low fire in the backyard or helping to sell quarts of the stew for high school fundraisers, Brunswick Stew was a part of fall for as long as I can remember. Celebrate this long tradition at events like Taste of Brunswick Festival coming up in October.
These are just a FEW of our favorite fall things. What are yours? Let us know what you love the most about fall in Virginia in the comments below!
Tech Sports / flickr
Jake Thiewes / flickr
Whether you’re a Hokie, a Wahoo, a Keydet, a Duke Dog or a Spider (among others!), it’s hard not to get a little excited about football season. The tailgates, the energy and the team spirit are part of what fall is all about.
Valerie Hinojosa / flickr
Apples are an intrinsic part of Virginia fall. Here are some of the ways you can enjoy apples this fall…
Fall is the time to get out there and hand-pick the sweetest, juiciest apples you can find. Try pick-your-own apples at Carter’s Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville and Marker-Miller Orchards in Winchester. HINT: Should you have to climb a tree to find the best one, go for it. It will taste that much better for the effort you put in.
Waldo Jaquith / flickr
From farmer’s markets to roadside stands to your local grocery store, this is the time of year when cider starts showing up everywhere. Try it hot, try it cold, or try making your own.
These could have been grouped in with Apple Cider, but they truly deserve their own category. For some of the best in the state, try the The Apple House in Linden or Carter’s Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville.
m01229 / flickr
Usually not too far off from the apple cider at your local market or grocery store, you’ll find this culinary treat making a stronger appearance once the days get cooler. For apple butter making demonstrations and sales, try the Shenandoah Valley Apple Harvest Festival on Septemeber 19, join in on the Apple Harvest & Apple Butter Festival at Drumheller’s Orchard in Lovingston or head to Syria for the annual Graves’ Mountain Lodge Apple Harvest Festival .
carobe / flickr
You already know that the kids WILL pick the biggest pumpkin on the farthest side of the patch (and YOU will have to carry it back to the car). But that’s half the fun, isn’t it? Follow it with a laughter-filled run through a corn maze and an itchy, scratchy, but somehow exhilarating, hay ride…and you might just have the perfect fall day. Try Cox Farms in Centreville or Chesterfield Berry Farm in Moseley.
Colonial Ghosts / Facebook
Yes, you can do these year-round, but they’re all the better with a chill in the air and Halloween just around the corner. Try Colonial Ghosts in Williamsburg, one of the Top 10 ghost tours in the nation according to “US City Traveler.”
Matthew Paulson / flickr
I agree, they are not so much fun once they’ve fallen and have to be raked. But until that time, the fall foliage in Virginia is unparalleled. Take a drive along the Skyline Drive or visit Mabry Mill a little farther south at Milepost 176.1 off of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Thomas Cizauskas / flickr
Harvest festivals, apple festivals, music festivals, arts and crafts festivals, wine festivals and of course, Oktoberfest. I would argue that fall may be the best festival season of all. Be sure to check out your local listings for upcoming events near you. (Shown here is the Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest in Arlington)
Will Marlow / flickr
The days finally start to cool down and that means, come nightfall, there will be a chill in the air. There’s no better way to offset a cool night than with a bonfire, fire pit or chimenea. Whether you’re roasting marshmallows with the kids or enjoying some laughs with friends, fall nights are no excuse to stay indoors.
Joe Calhoun / flickr
Fall is an ideal time to hit the trails. Check out some of our Virginia favorites for hiking, biking or walking here.
mainsail / flickr
Every fall, millions of Monarch butterflies, along with songbirds and raptors (birds of prey) by the thousands, gather at the Eastern Shore before heading out across the Chesapeake Bay to winter in warmer climates. One of the best places to see these migrations is at the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge.
Denis Savard / flickr
Who says summer is the only time to enjoy the beach? With prices dropping to lower off-season rates, usually beginning in September, fall is an ideal time to find a beach rental. You may not be able to play in the surf quite like you do in summer, but an ocean breeze and sand in your toes makes morning coffee on the deck taste better any time of year. For starters, try searching for rentals at Sandbridge, Chincoteague or Virginia Beach.
Phoebus High School Phantom Football / Facebook
High school football will either make you feel really old or just like a kid again. Either way, cheering your local athletes on alongside the community on a crisp, fall night will bring back memories. And thanks to some pretty incredible teams in the state, it’s not hard to find a good game. Check out the Phoebus Phantoms in Hampton. They are listed as the state’s most dominant team by the football ranking site MaxPreps.
tvbadgenews / flickr
For me, it’s hard to think of fall in Virginia without thinking of Brunswick Stew. Whether it was watching my grandfather stir his giant kettle over a low fire in the backyard or helping to sell quarts of the stew for high school fundraisers, Brunswick Stew was a part of fall for as long as I can remember. Celebrate this long tradition at events like Taste of Brunswick Festival coming up in October.
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