Apple cider, pumpkins, corn mazes, haunted houses, flannel shirts and fairgrounds. These are just some of my favorite words related to my favorite season. From the time the first leaf falls to the first snowflake’s appearance, I get in full fall mode. What does fall mean to me, and what am I most excited for?
The Bloomsburg Fair
The PA State Fair, also known as the Bloomsburg Fair, is one of my absolute favorite things about fall. I wait all year for it to come around again. For me, this event combines so much of what I enjoy about the season. I take one whole afternoon to be with family and friends there. Throughout the day, we eat our way around, visit all of the animal exhibits, and look through all of the shopping options from RVs to hand-made decorations. Here are some of my absolute must-do’s and must-try’s at the Bloomsburg Fair, which runs from September 21st to September 28th this year:
- Apple dumplings
- Benton Cider Mill apple cider (we get a few gallons to go, and normally a glass for ourselves)
- A visit to the agricultural building to see the biggest produce winners and winners of the baking contests
- Gyros
- Homemade pierogies
- Seeing the dogs and horses in the animal exhibit buildings
- Corn on the cob made fresh and dipped in melted butter
- Homemade pumpkin ice cream made right in front of you
Roba’s Family Farm
Going to pick a pumpkin to carve into a Jack-O-Lantern has been a yearly tradition for me for as long as I can remember. Now, Todd and I share that tradition and go to Roba’s every year to do just that. Besides just picking pumpkins to carve later, we also play some games while there, watch the dog show, watch a pig race, eat apple cider donuts, and get apple cider slushies. We also walk around to enjoy the awesome views and atmosphere.
Knoebels Amusement Park
The last two years, Todd and I have joined some of his family for Halloween-themed camping at Knoebels, a free-admission amusement park that is beyond adorable and incredibly fun. The park at this time of year is decorated for Halloween, but it is not very scary (unless you ride the antique cars at night). Mostly it is just a great family atmosphere with great snacks, great rides, and we love camping here around this time of year to see how some fellow campers decorate their sites for the season. Our favorite thing to do here is walk Flynn around at sunset for some soft ice cream by the arcade!
Susquehanna Brewing Company Oktoberfest
SBC is my favorite beer ever. I love flavored beer, and I am very picky about it. It needs to taste more like the flavor added, and not so much like the beer itself. SBC always does a great job at this, and Oktoberfest is a great time to go and try out their seasonal offerings. Oktoberfest is where I always pick up their pumpkin beer, my favorite pumpkin-flavored beverage. It is not pumpkin spice, which I prefer. It is instead a sweet pumpkin that reminds me of pumpkin pie filling. The other great parts about Oktoberfest are that you get a commemorative souvenir beer mug, there are food trucks and lawn games everywhere, and dogs are allowed on the patio (so Flynn gets to come with)! If you’re not a pumpkin fan, they have a ton of other options on tap and in cases, including Todd’s favorite beer: the Oktoberfest.
Other Little Things I Love About Fall…
- Sipping apple cider while around a fire enjoying the brisk weather
- Eating pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving
- Running through piles of leaves
- Driving back roads to see all of the colorful leaves on the trees
- Spooky movie nights with friends
- Drinking hot coffee instead of iced coffee
- Roasting marshmallows for s’mores
- Wearing cozy flannel shirts and scarves