Fall Festivals!

I know it's still summer, but there's nothing more exciting than autumn and the festivals that come with it.

I was reminded that this special time of the year is quickly approaching when I received a flyer at work from Covenant Church United Methodist, 1526 Skeet Club Road, High Point, N.C. The church will host a fall festival Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring barbecue, music and games.

When I worked as a reporter in Grayson County, Va., I got my fill of festivals. It seemed like I was going to a festival every weekend to snap pictures of pumpkin paintings, lawn and tractor races and music jams.

Some festival in that area include the Grayson Highlands State Park Fall Festival, Mouth of Wilson, Va., Sept. 27-28; the Mountain Foliage Festival, Independence, Va., Oct. 10-11; and the Whitetop Mountain Sorghum Molasses Festival, Whitetop, Va., Oct. 12.

The festivals at the state park and in Whiteop feature yummy molasses and apple cider made in traditional ways. Spectators can watch as the molasses is stirred in a huge vat over a fire and visit a site, not too far from the park, where maple trees are tapped. In Whitetop, the apples are squeezed using an old apple press and you can get fresh apple cider by the bottle for usually a $1.

The festival in Independence is something not to miss either. One of the biggest attractions is the annual privy race. For those who don't know, privy is another word for outhouse. Old outhouses or replicas are attached to wheels and a team races down Main Street with a person sitting, er, uh, on the throne. It's a hoot.

But the potty race isn't the only thing the festival has to offer. There's also the annual Potty Princess Beauty Pageant, where the men pull on wigs and skirts to compete for the crown; a pumpkin pie cook off, vendors and music.

In my hometown of Asheboro, N.C., there's the Fall Festival on Oct. 4-5. This features music and vendors and usually draws quite a crowd. I have very many fond memories of this festival. Many of the natives claim it's not fall without first visiting the festival.

If you enjoy fall and its plethora of festivals as much as I do, I encourage you to check some of these out this year. If I stumble across anymore, I'll let you know!

Also, feel free to post your own recommendations.