Pumpkin Patches and Corn Maze in West Virginia!

Spend an evening on the farm where visitors can take a hayride through the patch to pick a fresh pumpkin and try their skills at the 10-acre corn maze. (A 2-acre corn maze is available for children.) Also on tap are antique tractor train rides, campfires, pre-picked produce, pony rides and a petting zoo.

Admission is $6 for the corn maze, $3 for the hayride and $2 for the antique tractor ride. Group rates are available. Hours are 4-10 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays and 1-10 p.m. Sundays.

For more information, call 304-772-3131 or visit Wild and Wonderful West Virginia or www.ByrnsideBranchFarm.com

10 Fall Festivals in the Mountains of Western North Carolina!

Oktoberfest October 2 - 4 Annual festival featuring a variety of musicians, food and craft vendors, raffles, and children's activities. Free.

PeanutsTM The Great Pumpkin Patch Express: October 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25: Meet Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy, and select your own pumpkin. Enjoy hayrides, live musical entertainment, story telling, hay bale maze, bouncy horse, apple cider, peanuts gift shop, face painting, petting zoo and trick or treating!

Madison County Heritage Festival - October 3: Annual celebration of Madison County's music, crafts and culture. Demonstrations of spinning wool, blacksmithing and apple butter making. Food vendors, 4-H exhibit and the famous Bailey Mountain Cloggers performance.

Fall Harvest Festival, Cherokee Mill October 10: Features a variety of activities, including demonstrationsfrom blacksmiths, corn-husk doll makers, local artisans and Cherokee crafters.

Harvest Festival at Raffaldini Vineyards Tour all five of the Vineyards of Swan Creek and enjoy two days of wonderful, award-winning wines, great music and entertainment, complimentary seasonal refreshments and great gift ideas while overlooking the beautiful and scenic Swan Creek AVA

Harvest Festival and Antique Tractor Show October 16 - 19 Old-fashioned bonfire, food, crafts and entertainment. The County Fair will offer competition and exhibits of jams, jellies, pies, cakes, quilts, needlework and much more.

17th Annual Fall by the Tracks October 17: Includes 65 artisians, the opening of the caboose museum, crafters demonstration, face and pumpkin painting, cake-walks, local honey, food, Fresh made, while you watch, apple cider from our own antique apple press and more!

Lake Eden Arts Festival October 15 - 18 A weekend celebration of world folk arts: music concerts, dancing, handcrafts, healing arts, poetry, kidventures and workshops. Beautiful mountain camp setting with lakes and camping.

Annual Pumpkin Fest October 23 - 24: Festival along Main Street. Crafters, Famous Pumpkin Roll, Live Music all day, Pie Eating Contest, Games, Costume Contest and Parade, Food.

Halloween Fest in Transylvania October 31: Tiny Tot Pumpkin Bowl, Cookie Decorating, Face & Hair Painting, Ghoulish Golf, & Spooky Hay Maze!

Try the Blue Ridge Parkway For Fall Color Viewing

Soon the leaves will turn gold and red, and the hillsides in Western North Carolina will burst into color. Autumn brings scenic spendor, but in mountain country, it's nothing less than spectaular. The color change starts in the higher elevations, spreading to mid-mountain, and finally to the valleys, and that makes viewing time a lasting one.

Some of the best panoramas are seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs for 251 miles through the heart of Western North Carolina's mountains at elevations up to 6,000 feet or more. According to the U.S. National Park Service, this roadway is the most visited unit of America's National Park System and offers numerous pull-over spots for motorists to admire the majestic scenery. The best viewing is mid-October.

Grandfather Mountain offers views with easy access that are unmatched in peak season. The sweeping curves of the Blue Ridge Parkway's Linn Cove Viaduct set against the reds, yellows and oranges of the hillside are particularly photogenic.

In the town of Sylva, on Fisher Creek Road, Pinnacle Park provides visitors a brilliant fall kaleidoscope. Or park near the top of Whiteside Mountain, close to the town of Cahsiers, to admire the autumn views and sheer cliffs, or walk the two-mile hiking trail there. And in the waterfall country west of Hendersonville, lovely views of cascading waters alongside vivid foliage are abundant. Along Lake Lure's 21 miles of tree-line shores, the fall panorama can be seen from miles arond.

Fall Color

Fall color typically begins in early October and lasts for as long as six weeks. While the region is currently experiencing summer-like weather, cold fronts are on the way and leaf color changes are in the very early stages. Floridians seeking mountain color changes and cooler temperatures should be making plans now to visit the mountain and lake regions for a showcase of deep colors during the middle to latter part of October. The diversity of plants and trees, along with the changing terrain in the Appalachian Mountains, cause vibrant colors and typically a longer fall season. Visit www.FloridaHalfbacks.com to find your place in the mountains!

Preview of Fall Color

Mid-September through October is when the color change in the deciduous trees really begins. If you’re looking for fall color, check out these scenic mountain drives:

· Blue Ridge Parkway
· Cherohala Skyway
· Big Walker Mountain Scenic Byway
· Mountain Waters