Fall is right around the corner

Let’s face it, if you’re not located up in North Florida, you don’t get many seasons, especially if you’re in Miami. But that doesn’t mean the festivities and seasonal fun of fall are nonexistent. Despite a far less dramatic change of season, it definitely gets cooler, and that’s the perfect time to enjoy some of these local fall events.

When you want to be scared, probably the most famous attraction is Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando. At night, the theme park’s streets come alive with hordes of horrible creatures and themes from various horror flicks. Haunted houses and creature-filled “scare zones” take over, making for an authentic horror movie experience for the person that enjoys a scare.

If you’re not into scares, then how about a little holiday cheer with bright lights? St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, is always an attractive place to visit but never more so than during the Nights of Lights. The small city’s best-known event this year runs from Nov. 19 to Jan. 31 where more than three million lights adorn every corner of the historic district. There’s even a Christmas tree in the downtown center’s main plaza, and trains and trolleys offer special seasonal tours.

What’s fall without a local farmer’s market offering up fresh produce and good eats? Some of the best farmers’ markets’ is located in downtown Sarasota on Lemon Avenue and State Street.

Open every Saturday, year-round, produce and services from dozens of farmer style vendors take over a 5,000 square foot setting. If you’re a pumpkin fanatic, then the Coconut Grove Pumpkin Patch Festival is every fall lover’s fantasy!

The event features pumpkin picking, pumpkin painting, and delicious pumpkin beer. The Pumpkin Patch Festival is where the pumpkin lover can indulge in all of the quintessential fall festivities, even in sunny South Florida.