Fall in the Golden Triangle never seems to arrive on schedule and once it does, don’t blink. Our northern neighbors might scoff, but when the high temperatures don’t make it out of the 50s, we consider it to be winter. Brrrrr.
Although climate change has taken some of the certainty out of predicting seasonal weather, we can rest assured that we’ve seen the last of temps in the 90s and days when the highs reach 80 will be more of a sprinkling than a steady diet.
That means cool, crisp mornings and evenings sandwiched around balmy afternoons. Leisure time spent indoors seems a terrible waste of such weather.
The unpredictable arrival of fall weather last week was perfect timing for the Seventh Avenue Heritage Festival, which drew folks to the outdoor concerts that are the highlight of the festival celebrating the neighborhood’s historically Black roots.
Oktoberfest celebrations were held in Starkville, Columbus and at Columbus Air Force Base. MUW’s iteration of the season will be held Friday on the Shattuck Lawn, a celebration that features carnival-style games and other assorted entertainment, including a Halloween costume contest for kids.
Fall festivals, haunted houses, pumpkin patches and other outdoor events dot the calendar in October and November. Farmers markets offer plenty of seasonal vegetables, so get ‘em, while they last.
For arts/crafts lovers, the season means the return of the Kentuck Arts Festival in nearby Northport, Alabama. The two-day festival (Oct 14-15 this year) has its roots in folk art and features 270+ artists, live music, spoken word, activities for children, folk and contemporary craft demonstrations, food trucks, and local craft brews. Kentuck has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Southern Living, American Style Magazine and National Geographic Traveler. In 2018, the Festival was named 5th in the nation (based on artists’ self-reported sales) in the category of Classic and Contemporary Craft Shows by Sunshine Artists Magazine.
Of course, you don’t need a scheduled event to take advantage of the wonderful weather. The trails and paths at places such the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge, Plymouth Bluff, Columbus Riverwalk, Ola J. Pickett Park in Caledonia and Lake Lowndes were surely made with this kind of weather in mind. Even the sidewalks in your neighborhood invite you to get out of the house for a pleasant hour.
It won’t be long before we will consider the weather more foe than friend.
For now, though, the weather is almost perfect for any sort of outdoor activity.
We encourage you to enjoy it while it lasts.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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