Fall in the Carolinas is great for weekend escapes: Room rates dip faster than temperatures along the coast; Western North Carolina and upcountry South Carolina are magnets for leaf-peepers.
Thing is, a spate of bum weather can ruin those trips, and finding the best spots for leaves varies from day to day and mile by mile.
But autumn is awesome for festivals – the weather is less torrid than in summer and North and South Carolina stage an incredible variety of festivals. Here are seven.
Oktoberfest
Oct. 12-14, Hickory: The three-day downtown event has five stages with music ranging from rock to polka. The main stage is in an enormous beer garden. Vendors sell everything from bratwurst to barbecue. Also here: amusement rides in the kids’ area. Olde Hickory Brewery is a block or so away, and The Old German Schnitzel Haus, down on U.S. 321 Business, is considered one of the very best German restaurants in America (Reservations: 828-325-0800).
Info: hickoryoktoberfest.com
LEAF Festival
Oct. 18-21, Black Mountain: The Lake Eden Arts Festival is perhaps the premiere cultural outreach event in North Carolina and is held on the grounds of the late/ historic Black Mountain College (instructors included Albert Einstein and Buckminster Fuller). The nonprofit festival held every spring and fall on park-like grounds, blends arts, awareness and education. The 57 live performances this fall range from Mickey Hart (ex of the Grateful Dead) and his band to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band to the Chirgilchin group (featuring north-of-Mongolia throat singing). Juried artists will display their work; a “healing arts” area features massages and workshops. Per-day tickets (including all shows) are $45; $35 for ages 10-17; multiday packages available.
Info: theLEAF.org
Wooden Boat Show
Oct. 20, Georgetown, S.C.: This free show, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along the waterfront and four blocks of Front Street, features boat exhibits, a boatbuilding competition, children’s model boatbuilding and lots boats on display. Last year, 125 anchored at the dock. There will be maritime art and crafts and nautical food (shrimp Creole, seafood chowder) at this fundraiser for the S.C. Maritime Museum.
Info: woodenboatshow.com
Carolina Balloon Fest
Oct. 19-21, Statesville: Oct. 19 and 21 feature a mass ascension of hot air balloons at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 20 brings a fly-in and competition at 8 a.m. and fly-out/competition at 4:30 p.m., followed by a balloon-glow display at dusk. You can go up 100 feet in a tethered ballon ride ($10; $5 for 12 and younger) and even take a balloon ride (usually 45 to 60 minutes in duration; $225) around dawn or dusk. There are three to five bands performing each day, and Oct. 20-21 also include daylong samplings of North Carolina-made wines and beers (cash bar). Opening day (a Friday) festival admission is free; $12 ($6 for ages 6-12) the other days. Note: Balloon activities are contingent on weather.
Info: carolinaballoonfest.com
Barbecue Festival
Oct. 27, Lexington, N.C.: The town has a valid claim to being the barbecue capital of the world, and this all-day pig-out is the centerpiece of its Barbecue Month. An eight-block stretch of Main Street is set aside for tents and pedestrians. More than 400 exhibitors sell crafts, fudge, sauce and other wares. More than 15,000 pounds of barbecue – all made Lexington-style (tomato-based sauce) – is sold. There’s also a barbecue competition and live entertainment.
Info: barbecuefestival.com
State fairs
Mid-October, Columbia and Raleigh: The rivalry between the Carolinas surfaces every October when the siblings stage their state fairs – at the same time, with similar admissions, midways, ag displays and competitions and grandstand shows (heavy on country music).
The N.C. State Fair is Oct. 11-21 in Raleigh; adult admission: $6/advance, $8/gate; $10-$20 for headliner concerts in the fairgrounds’ Dalton Arena. Info: ncstatefair.org
The S.C. State Fair is Oct. 10-21 in Columbia; adult admission is $7/advance, $10/gate; $15-$20 for headliner concerts in the fairgrounds’ Pepsi Grandstand. Info: scstatefair.org
