Facebook Favorites: Fall Festivals
Check out the favorite festivals of Fall.
The Festival Acadiens et Creoles was started in 1972 as a way to keep Cajun culture alive. It has since grown to become a 3-day event that features music, food and crafts reflective of the area's traditions. Organized into mini-fairs, this year's event includes the Louisiana Craft Fair, Bayou Food Festival, Culture Sur La Table, La Place des Petits and Festival de Musique Acadienne.
A fun family event, the Pumpkin Festival has a jam-packed line-up of events. They include a children's costume parade, pumpkin bowling, a craft fair, storytelling, musical performances and food and craft vendors. The centerpiece of the event are the 2 pumpkin towers, which are made up of lit jack-o'-lanterns.
The festival brings the best of string strummin' to Mulberry Mountain. The lineup includes Yonder Mountain String Band, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Railroad Earth, 7 Walkers, Emmitt-Nershi Band, The Ben Miller Band and Corey Smith. In addition to the musical performances, the event has workshops and contests. Be sure to look for the special kids' area which offers free lessons in painting, tumbling and dance, as well as face painting.
This festival was created in 1990 to celebrate the city of Linz, and it has since become a tradition. The event includes music, literature, art and children's programs. During the weekend, tours of the Lentos and Nordico museums and the Ars Electronic Center are given. The cultural breakfast is also a popular part of the festival.
Each year, hundreds of hot air balloons take to the sky to celebrate ballooning. The balloons come in all shapes and sizes. Visitors can walk among the balloons and chat with the pilots. Those who want to take to the air can sign up for a ride with the official vendor Rainbow Ryders.
Started as a marching band competition, the Maple Leaf Festival is now an 8-day event. The schedule includes a family-fun walk, beauty pageants, baby and toddler contests and lip sync competitions. The last day of the festival has arts and crafts, car show, petting zoo, food and entertainment. It all concludes with the largest parade in southwest Missouri.
Diwali
Celebrated throughout India, the holiday marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. "Diwali" means "row of light," and symbolizes goodness over evil, light over darkness. The 5-day festival includes special meals, parades of statues of Hindu goddess Lakshmi, fireworks, bonfires and dipa lights decorating houses.
The tag-line for this festival is, "Music. Food. Large Men Throwing Stuff." The event includes a Celtic market, along with meeting spots for various clans. There are competitions for highland dance, fiddle, harp and the throwing of hammers and pitchforks. This year's featured bands are Albannach and Barleyjuice.
The Texas Renaissance Festival is the largest one in the nation. The 55-acre village has costumed performers, more than 340 shops, 200 daily performances and games of skill. Theme weekends include Oktoberfest, Pirate Adventure, All Hallows Eve and Barbarian Invasion.
The first Circleville Pumpkin Show was held in 1903 when the mayor put a display in front of his place. The event has since grown to become the sixth largest festival in the US. The 4-days includes parades, Miss Pumpkin and Little Miss Pumpkin shows, largest pumpkin competition, demonstrations, performances and a 5-mile run. You can also see the world's largest pumpkin pie.
Ganesh Chaturthi
This event is done in celebration of Lord Ganesha's appearance on earth. It is observed for 10 days. Celebrations include statues of Lord Ganesha being placed outside homes and throughout the city. People gather in the streets to pray to Ganesha, sing and dance.
Held the first 2 weekends of October, this festival has lots of activities and entertainment. This year's lineup includes clowns, Native American dancers, ballet performances, a petting zoo, apple bobbing, pie-eating contests, karaoke, pottery making and a car show. An apple cider press is still used today, and there are plenty of apple desserts and products for sale.
This 10-day event is held each October to celebrate the 32 covered bridges in Indiana's Parke County. In Mansfield, visitors can get a taste of history with the Roller Mill and an old-fashioned covered bridge, both on the edge of Big Raccoon Creek. The bridge was built in 1867 and is the longest one in the county, spanning 247 feet. The festival includes food vendors and entertainment by singer John D. Baker.
Thousands of pumpkins are displayed throughout the zoo at the Spectacular. Each jack-o-lantern is carved with images of people, places or scenes. This year's festival theme is "A Journey Around the World." It will include scenes from the 7 wonders of the world, as well as nations around the world. The event's famous centerpiece is the Laughing Tree made of glowing jack-o-lanterns. The pumpkins featured go from tiny sugar pumpkins to giant gourds that weigh up to 1,600 pounds.
The 10-day festival is a celebration of German culture combined with Texas fun. The event has food, rides, special events and Alpine and Bavarian entertainment. Highlights include the sausage offerings along with the world's largest beer bottle collection.
This art show has been going on for 54 years. It started out as a way for 5 neighborhood associations to raise money, and has now become one of the biggest events in the art community. Artists apply and a jury selects those who can show in different categories. Visitors can purchase pieces, as well as participate in the entertainment and gala.
The Fall Festival is one of the largest events in the country. It includes parades, food, entertainment, amusement park rides, Queen Contest, Tug of War, an amateur hour and a Youth of the Day program to honor young people making a difference. The event is run by the West Side Nut Club, a civic-minded group that looks out for the interests of the town.
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