fter the sun has beaten down on the Blackland Prairie all summer, the cracks seem so large they could swallow a car. Have no fear, though. At some point, September will bring that slight dip in the morning temps telling all that fall is scheduled for arrival.
For those looking forward to glorious autumn days with clear blue skies made for picking out the perfect pumpkin, it’s just a few weeks down the calendar.
If a seasonal brew means fall, local breweries are rolling out the Oktoberfest cans.
FALL FEST AT SWEET EATS FRUIT FARM
Visitors can get their pumpkin-spice latte fix at the Fall Fest at Sweet Eats Fruit Farm, also known as Sweet Eats Adventure Farm & Petting Zoo near Georgetown. It opens for the season at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, and is a fall favorite for the greater Austin area.
The simmering weather might still scream summer, though the ever-popular pumpkin house will glow in its cheery orange, thanks to its construction from scores of pumpkins. The house is surrounded by a pumpkin patch ripe for picking.
The first pumpkin order is scheduled to arrive around Sept. 6, according to Katherine Way, Sweet Eats operation manager.
“Our pumpkin patch is revamped this year and better than ever,” Way said.
According to Way, the venue will include photo set-ups for a perfect fall picture.
Pumpkins can be purchased from four mini pumpkins for $5 to larger gourds, including the Cinderella and Fairytale varieties available to buy by the pound.
The corn maze is another top activity at Sweet Eats Farm. With stalks towering over everyone, maze-goers can pace back and forth looking for each other or the exit.
In October, the maze gets a flashlight makeover on Friday and Saturday nights.
Wagon rides are a perennial favorite at Sweet Eats Fall Fest. Visitors will find the rides departing every 30 minutes during the week and continuously running from Friday through Sunday.
“This year we have all-new food outlets serving a wide variety of carnival food like funnel cakes, fries, tots, milkshakes, hamburgers and, of course, pizza,” Way said.
For adults, beer, wine and seasonal apple cider mimosas will be available from Rooster’s Roast at the Sweet Eats General Store. Also located inside, the Sweet Eats Bakery will be whipping up cakes, cookies, cheesecakes, edible cookie dough, pies, scones, cake pops, doughnuts and macarons.
Dessert lovers will find pumpkin-styled items along with seasonal flavors, baked in-house.
The outdoor destination offers farm animals, from its free-roaming chickens to the pig races starring “Kevin Bacon” and “Lindsey Loham.” Sweet Eats offers unlimited pony rides and a giant petting zoo.
The Sweet Eats play area is covered with a tree canopy and offers lots of ways to climb and leap, including a couple of jumping pads, the tire pile and slide along an obstacle course and a climbing wall. During the weekends, the candy cannon comes alive, shooting sweets to kids from the back of a 1940s firetruck.
In October, Sweet Eats adds fireworks both Friday and Saturday nights. In addition to those extravaganzas, several shows are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, from the Wild Things Zoofari with lemurs and monkeys to Pistol Packin’ Paula, the gun-toting stunt show.
Located at 14400 E. Texas 29, Sweet Eats Fall Fest is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 9 until Nov. 13, with extended hours in October.
General-admission tickets are required to visit for everyone 2 years and older and available online. Parking is free.
For more, call 512-766-3276 or visit https://www.sweeteats.com/.
OKTOBERFEST AT RENTSCH BREWERY
To celebrate fall, Rentsch Brewery in Georgetown will hold its Oktoberfest Party noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. All can enjoy outdoor seating at picnic tables under a shade tree with barstools perched on the surrounding deck.
Brewed just for the fall season, customers can enjoy a traditional pint at Rentsch Brewery.
“Oktoberfest is a Märzen lager, tasting of toasted malts and a hint of caramel,” said Matt Davis, the Rentsch Brewery taproom manager.
In addition, Rentch will brew up an Apple Strüdel Oktoberfest.
It’s a “spiced-apple cider infused into the Oktoberfest beer, with the same toasted malts and tasting slightly sweeter, like a beer-apple-pie hybrid,” Davis added.
The Oktoberfest lager is available at the brewery for two to three months. The apple strüdel is more limited and available for about a month, he added.
During the Oktoberfest party, Check Point Germany food truck will be selling its German favorites and The Oinkmobile will have its pulled pork. Both will be parked onsite.
It’s not a party without live music, so Rentsch Brewery will also have a brass band.
The brewery is located at 2500 N.E. Inner Loop. For more, call 512-688-5046 or visit https://rentschbrewery.com/.
GANG OF FIVE ART EXHIBITION
After a summer hiatus, the McCrory Timmerman Gallery opens its creative year with its first show of the season. The Gang of Five is the artistic cumulation of five working artists who have shared creative ideas since 2008.
In a collaborative project, one artist starts the round-robin process with a work in progress. It is passed from artist to artist, each layering their vision to the piece.
The Gang of Five opening artist reception is 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at the gallery, 112 W. Second St., Taylor.
The Gang of Five show runs until Oct. 14. It is free to enter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY HOMECOMINGS
Fall is football season. From Hutto to Taylor and Thrall, Friday night football games draw a crowd:
THRALL HIGH SCHOOL
The Thrall Tigers will face off against the Florence Buffaloes on Sept. 8 at Tiger Stadium. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at 201 S. Bounds St. in Thrall.
HUTTO HIGH SCHOOL
The Hutto Hippos take to the field in a matchup against the Midway Panthers on Sept. 22. The contest is 7:30 p.m. in the Hutto Memorial Stadium, 573 Chris Kelley Blvd. in Hutto.
TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL
The Taylor Ducks hit the field against the Davenport Wolves Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Taylor Stadium, 355 FM 973 in Taylor.
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