Cooler Days Bring Warmer Colors

(Photo courtesy of Visit Lake City) Days are cooler, but colors are warmer

By PAT GARRY Guest Contributor

Fall is the perfect time to travel; the traffic is lighter, the weather is cooler, and the scenery is unbeatable. Between the fiery reds, vigorous golds and the blissful, blustering breezes, it is the ultimate season. Whether you prefer to hike, bike, walk, run, drive, take a cruise, or hop a horse-drawn wagon, don’t miss out on unforgettable tours through a rainbow of colorful fall foliage in Minnesota this year. Here are some places to capture the colors, so take out your camera and take in the crisp, Minnesota autumn air.

Fall Foliage & Fun, St. Peter

St. Peter is situated in the Minnesota River Valley, so the community and surrounding landscape offer wonderful views of brilliant fall colors. Much of the valley is protected from wind, so the leaves and colors stay around for a while.

Halfway between St. Peter and Mankato, check out Seven Mile Creek Park, which includes over 600 acres of beautiful forest.

Ed Lee is the St. Peter Chamber of Commerce and Tourism director. He said a key fall event in the community is the Halloween Fun Run, as it invites participation from all ages and walks (and runs) of life. The course takes participants through the heart of the city, which is filled with color changing trees. The St. Peter Halloween Fun Run 5K and Lil Monster Dash, in its 16th year, takes place Saturday, Oct. 29 from a course that begins at St. Peter High School.

At the Gustavus Arboretum, enjoy games, activities, music, food and lots of fall foliage at the Arboretum Fall Fest. Have a fun-filled day on the beautiful grounds of Arboretum with lots of activities for all ages: pet real alpacas, go for a hayride, hunt for treasure, play games, explore the Arb, learn from nature discovery activities, and much more.

The Halloween Fun Run is 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, and follows a course through urban forest of parks and neighborhoods that are a bright bouquet of autumn glory. Here are some win-wins with the Halloween Fun Run: Getting out exercising in the crisp fall air, embracing the Minnesota climate; it’s fun for organizers and for participants; it promotes wellness, togetherness; it showcases the St. Peter community — businesses, neighborhoods, parks, Gustavus, and the high school to a good audience.

Beauty & Glory of Northfield

Northfield has a number of fall events perfect for enjoying the fall views.

Bridgewater Farm Pumpkin Patch is owned by John and Else

Larson. Bridgewater Farm has been in operation almost 20 years and has been around hosting fall fun all of those years. Pumpkin patch and fall fun activities open weekends, running through Oct. 30; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Open MEA Thursday and Friday, Oct. 20 and 21 from noon to 5 p.m. They offer a newly designed giant 6-acre corn maze, kiddie corn maze, hayrides, barnyard animals, jumbo slide, trike derby raceway, corn box, barrel train rides, straw mountain, jumbo yard games, and more. All inclusive admission: 2 and under, free; 3 and over, $10.

Fireside Orchard is celebrating over 50 years of growing some of the finest apples in the region. Open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; they grow 27 favorite Minnesota varieties, such as Honeycrisp, SweeTango, and Zestar, Haralson, and Fireside, as well as other popular apples like Cortland, Regent, Keepsake, and McIntosh. Come stroll through the rose gardens, admire the fall colors all around, and let your senses be amazed. Enjoy watching the Koi fish and wildlife at the pond. Sit, relax, and watch the sun cross the sky from the gazebo. Or play yard games with the family on the south lawn.

The Riverwalk Market Fair Fall Celebration is Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. At the market, you will find local artists with incredible wares, including pottery, jewelry, carved wood, granite charcuterie boards, and more. There will be food to delight your taste buds, and farmers with products such as organically grown vegetables, seasonal jams, freshly baked breads, yarn spun from their own sheep’s wool, and goat milk soap. They also have live music, an educational experience, and more each week.

Keepsake Cidery in Dundas is open weekends throughout October with Friday Night Cookouts (4-9 p.m.) that feature guest chefs cooking outdoors and live music, Saturdays (noon-8 p.m. that) feature live music from 4-6 p.m., and Sundays (noon6 p.m.); orchard and cidery tours the first Sunday of the month, Oct. at 2 p.m. and a Jazz Brunch the third Sunday Oct. 16; opening early at 11 a.m., brunch til 2 p.m. with the normal local food menu available all other times. One of the most popular events is Thanksgiving Market Sunday, Nov. 21 from noon-5 p.m., featuring local vendors/products and foods for Thanksgiving. The event also features natural ciders from regional apples and a food menu featuring local producers, in a beautiful orchard setting along the Cannon River Wilderness Area. They also sell local products, including their own organic apples.

Lake City

Fall is a wonderful time to visit southeastern Minnesota. The bluffs are covered with gorgeous trees, and as the leaves fall, one can more easily spot the eagles all along the Mississippi River (along Highway 61). From Lake City, you can find days and days worth of beautiful drives, perfect for leaf peeping. Whether you enjoy twisting your way through bluffs on county roads or hugging Lake Pepin on Highway 61, you can’t beat Lake City for amazing colors and vistas. And there are plenty other activities to enjoy in the area, too.

Lake City Fun Times is Lake City’s premier autumn event, taking place Oct. 1 and 2. This 2-day hootenanny is family friendly and super fun. This year, the festivities will include an old-fashioned block party, right downtown on Washington Street.

Celebrate the apple harvest and the creative community at Johnny Appleseed Days, Oct. 8, 11-2, (Patton Park); Touch A Truck is back. Join for loads of activities for kids of all ages. Ambulances, firetrucks, busses; Remember when the big rigs conjured up all sorts of big feelings? Relive those with your family in Lake City Oct. 8, when kids (of all ages) can experience what it’s like to sit in the cab of a big truck Oct. 29 from noon-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m.

Are you ready for a real Halloween scare? Have you watched all the Friday the 13th movies? Do the woods at night kind of freak you out, but you kinda like it? Well, don’t miss this one day haunted trail in Lake City’s beautifully spooktacular Hok Si La Park from 6-9 p.m. Not sure if it’s quite right for your littlest ones? Don’t worry, come down for some milder daylight fun from noon-3 p.m.

Fall Fest — OK, real talk; there’s no better place to experience the colorful season than on the shores of Lake Pepin in Lake City. Don’t believe it? Well come experience in in all its red, gold, and orange glory with a month of family friendly weekend celebrations throughout October.

Lark Toys in Kellogg continues to offer an 18-hole miniature golf course into October until the ponds freeze. The inside Carousel runs every 30 minutes during open hours (9:30 to 5). The museum is for many, a trip down Memory Lane, where guests express delight at spotting some of their favorite toys from childhood and sharing them with children and grandchildren.

Whitewater State Park

Whitewater State Park-Guided Shinrin-Yoku Walk takes place Sunday, Oct. 2, located in the driftless region of southeast Minnesota, an area missed by recent glaciers and known for its dramatic landscapes, unique geology and diverse ecosystems, including hardwood forests and bluff prairies.

Visitors enjoy hiking, camping, year-round trout fishing and year-round naturalist programs. In autumn, maple trees along the Coyote Point Trail shimmer with orange and yellow colors while the oaks on many of the bluffs are ablaze with golden and maroon hues. The fall colors combined with the dramatic bluff land landscape provide stunning scenery.

During the Guided Shinrin-Yoku Walk, you will immerse in the hardwood forest using your five senses while moving slowly. The practice of Shinrin-Yoku, also known as forest bathing, originated in Japan and has been shown to provide health and wellbeing benefits.

Historic Forestville

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There is a lot to see in just a small area in Historic Forestville.

All events occur on the 18-acre site. Some of the highlights are the last concert of the summer concert series with Becky Schlegal, and back again are some fan favorites, with the Apple Cider Pressing, the Apple Butter Boil and the Guided Cemetery Hike on the last day of public tours for the year Oct. 22.

In the visitor center, there are also some popular refreshments available for purchase. They include ice cream, Spring Grove soda, old-fashioned treats like candy sticks and Cracker Jacks, and hot drinks such as coffee and hot chocolate. 