Festivals, Foliage, and Old Houses

I was starting to think it would never get here; that I was stuck in some sort of “Groundhog Day” world of endless days with temperatures in the high 90s, but I can sense that autumn is right around the corner. I realize some people like extremely hot weather, but if I wanted 100 degree days on a regular basis, I’d move to Arizona, Florida or south Texas. I don’t mind high 80s and

low 90s and I’ve even gotten used to Virginia’s high humidity over the years, but my old house doesn’t have central air-conditioning and this summer of 100 degree temperatures has been brutal.My time of the year is fast approaching though as this past weekend had days in the 70s and the nights in the 50s made for perfect sleeping weather. Autumn is a great time to enjoy the outdoors while working on those restoration projects that can be completed over the couple of months before the temperatures really drop and that chair in front of the fireplace starts looking like the place to be. Autumn is also a good time to journey around the countryside drinking apple cider, looking at old houses, and enjoying the fall foliage and festivals that will soon be everywhere.Fall Festivals and Old HousesFall festivals and old houses seem to go together like turkey and dressing; if you find a fall festival, there’s a good chance it will be located in a historic area full of old houses. Ocean Grove, New Jersey is an area known for their beautiful Victorian homes and they have their annual Fall Harvest Festival scheduled for October 9th, but if you want to see the insides of some of the historic houses, you might have to wait for the Victorian House Tour in December.The 40th Annual Algonquin Mill Fall Festival will be in Carrollton, Ohio from October 8th through the 10th. The festival features arts and crafts and the homes and buildings of a restored pioneer village; just the food they have listed makes it sound like it could be a great family weekend trip. St. Charles, Illinois has their Old House New House Home Show running from September 25th through the 26 and there should be plenty of information and demonstrations for restoration enthusiasts.Even if there isn’t a fall festival in your neck of the woods, this can be a perfect time of the year for a day trip of viewing beautiful foliage and old houses. Head over to Tacoma, Washington and take a look at all the American Four Square old houses that have been restored or spend a cool Autumn afternoon visiting the Old West End in Toledo, Ohio and its large collection of Victorian homes.