Virginia Harvest Celebrations, 2011

  Along with the ever-growing crispness of the weather and the emerging tones of red, brown and gold, autumn also brings forth a myriad of harvest festivals. Each festival retains a common theme while managing to be entirely unlike all of the others, so if you enjoy the spicy scent of apple cider, the rustic charm of hayrides and corn mazes, and the jaunty tunes of bluegrass bands, then proceed to the lovely little list below:   Fall Harvest Family Days at Mount Vernon- This is a wonderful family event with horse-drawn wagon rides, a straw maze, colonial games, and demonstrations of candle making.   Carter Mountain Orchard Apple Harvest Festival, Charlottesville, Va- This festival features apples, cider, homemade donuts, pumpkins, apple butter and bluegrass and is located near Monticello.   Fall Farm Festivals at Sky Meadows State Park, Delaplane, Va- Celebrate the harvest with living history demonstrations, corn mazes, and a pumping patch!   Fall Festival at Massanutten, McGaheysville, Va- Reach your party destination with free chairlift rides, and then enjoy crafts, wine tasting, a beer garden, and plenty of children's activities!   Fall for Fairfax KidsFest, Fairfax, Va- Enjoy juried crafters, ethnic foods, music and kids' crafts!   These are only a few of the long list of harvest festivals and celebrations coming up in Virginia. For a more complete list, click here! [caption id="attachment_452" align="aligncenter" width="300"] © Jarek Tuszynski[/caption] By Tara Stoll