US Fall Traditions

With September well under way, the weather is cooling, the leaves will soon be changing, and before we know it the last signs of summer will be gone. Fall in New York City and the Tri-State area is beautiful, and for many New Yorkers, their favorite time of year. Without the humidity of the summer months, but before the real chill and bad weather of winter, it’s a great time to explore the city’s parks, enjoy the cozy atmosphere of beer gardens and coffee shops, and attend some of the last outdoor performances of the year.Americans traditionally mark the fall season from Labor Day through Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) – after that, the “holiday season” of Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year leads into winter proper.  Still, there’s a lot to pack into these months, with traditions, holidays, and sports all worth paying attention to. New York International gives you our guide to fall in NYC!Apple picking is a fun family tradition for many American families. Outside of NYC, many farms and orchards often invite you to “pick your own.” Orchards will ou.pen their doors for you to pick your own crop straight from the trees – you will be charged by weight when you leave. Apple pie, spiced apple cider (a non-alcoholic drink in the US), apple pancakes, and all varieties of apple-related products are more common in stores and cafes during fall. Other fall related tastes include nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.For pick your own farms in the Tri-State area, why not try out the following?New York’s Hudson Valley: Fishkill FarmsOrganic, ecological, and beautiful. Every Saturday and Sunday through October 14 is a “Fall Harvest Festival,” with hayrides, BBQ, and entertainment. The fruit is fresh, and grown to be sustainable and as healthy as possible, without the use of synthetic pesticides.  Be sure to check their pick-your own FAQs.Middlefield, Connecticut: Lyman Orchards.Through October, you can pick almost 100 different varieties of fruits, Pick-Your-Own staff are on hand to guide you, and you can drive through the orchards to find the spot that’s right for you. Lyman’s 24-hour hotline will be able to tell you how the conditions are when you plan to visitColt’s Neck, New Jersey: Eastmont Orchards.Owned by the same family since 1923, Eastmont Orchards offers apple, peach and pumpkin picking. Their crop is ripening early this year, so the sooner you get there, the better! Also be sure to check out the organic and whole foods store just down the road, Delicious Orchards, for a fantastic spread of fall food, freshly baked desserts, and tempting goodiesAlways call ahead before you go picking – fruit crops can ripen early and end up not being fit, or might not be ready to harvest yet. It’s also worth bearing in mind that you’re paying for the experience just as much as the fruit – don’t be surprised if the bag of apples ends up costing a bit more than you would expect in a supermarket. Even so, it’s a great way to have some fun in the fresh air, and end up with some delicious, fresh fruit at the end.Pumpkins – specifically the large, orange variety most common in the US ripen just in time for the fall months. They have a firm place in US fall traditions, and you’ll see pumpkins, and pumpkin-flavored things more and more from now on. Pumpkin pie is a quintessential US dessert this time of year, along with pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin spice coffee, and more!Pumpkin picking goes hand in hand with apple picking for many in the US As with the orchards, it is a fantastic day out for kids and adults alike to choose their own pumpkins which will usually be made into jack-o-lanterns later. Pumpkin picking farms also often include corn mazes and “hay rides,” - trips around the fields in a wagon filled with bales of hay pulled by a tractor. It’s not exactly comfortable, but is a big hit with children. Pumpkins also have a large part to play in Halloween celebrations.Halloween in the US is unlike anywhere else. Though this yearly celebration of ghosts, ghouls and all things spooky – originally from the Celtic festival of Samhain – is known and marked in plenty of other countries, the modern festival as we know it originates from the US and continues to be celebrated with much more color, noise and enthusiasm than in Europe. There are plenty of Halloween traditions it’s worth knowing about.Jack o’ lanterns. Take a pumpkin, cut the top off, scoop out the insides, replace with a candle, and carve a face into the side – you have a Halloween pumpkin! The original idea comes from Britain and Ireland, where turnips would be carved to scare away evil spirits.  Settlers in the “New World” found the native pumpkins much easier to carve, and nowadays there are almost unlimited creative possibilities. Some will place the pumpkin outside their door, some in a window, but most pumpkins share the ghoulish face leftover from the original tradition.Trick or treat! On Halloween, in the evening, children often go around their neighborhood, visiting houses and calling out “trick or treat!” The idea is simple: you give the child a treat (candy) and they leave you without playing a trick. It’s a good idea to have a bowl of small chocolates and candy ready to give out. The children will dress up in costume to earn the treat, and it can be a great sight. In reality, tricks are very rarely played, and any criminal damage should be reported to the police. It’s not very likely though – the threat is an empty one, and for the most part the children are young and accompanied by their parents.New York’s Halloween Parade, held on the 31st, has become a huge spectacle. Starting at 7 p.m. on 6th Avenue south of Spring Street, the Village Halloween Parade will feature hundreds of giant puppets, more than 50 bands, artists, dancers, and performers from all over the city and beyond. It’s a creative, vibrant parade, and you can catch it on television if you want to avoid the crowds and the crush.Football - Fall in the US also means the start of the football season. From late-August to December and into January, the National Football League (NFL) games generally fall on Sundays and, increasingly, Mondays. High school games are often played on Friday nights, and college-level football is organized on Saturdays. Fall also sees the end of the baseball season. Historically, football and baseball were often played on the same local fields – thus, the calendars were organized to prevent clashes, and fall has now become the official start of the football season.Around this time, US schools and colleges also have "homecoming" celebrations or parades, often based around a football game. This annual welcoming back of former alumni to the school can be a pretty colorful affair, with dancing, marching bands, and often the crowning of a "homecoming queen" (or king). Visiting a college town, such as Princeton, NJ, can be a fun way to see some local color.Thanksgiving - This annual holiday is probably the most celebrated holiday in the US – a time for family, rest, food, and a time to give thanks for everything you have. We look forward to this fun holiday in November and will write more about Thanksgiving traditions when it gets closer.