I love summer more than anything. My motto is: “The hotter, the better”. And I mean every word of that…. Until Fall arrives.

Fall in Missouri is like this end-of-season gift that we’re blessed with right before the hell that is a Missouri winter hits. Around here, Fall brings cooler temps, sunnier days and all those special October things we all love (hello pumpkin spice, hayrides and bonfires).

To make the most of your Mid-Missouri Fall, check out these 5 things you should do/see before Old Man Winter begins to arrive!

The Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival

The Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival graces us with its presence the second weekend in October every year. Hartsburg is the smallest dot on the map, just off Highway 63 between Columbia and Jefferson City. I tend to be a little biased because I’m a Hartsburg resident but in all seriousness, people from all corners of this state FLOCK to the ‘burg for Pumpkin Fest. Our small town of 106 residents grows in size to about 10,000 people over this weekend. Aside from hundreds of vendors, you can eat all the eats from funnel cakes to loaded dogs to fried Oreos. Don’t forget to catch live music all day Saturday and Sunday at the pavilion (right next to the choo-choo train), do some pumpkin bowling and pet the animals down on the trail, have a drink out front of the Hartsburg Hitchin’ Post and just enjoy your drive to get here. Typically, your wait to drive into the ‘burg will be at least an hour but with our town being along the Missouri River bluffs, you’ll have the fiery colors of Fall to check out while you wait.

For more information on the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival, click here.

Have all the drinks at Oktoberfest

If you’ve not yet been to Hermann during October, you simply don’t know what you’re missing! Every weekend in October, Hermann gets a little wild and crazy with Oktoberfest. Every brewery, winery and each business in between, participates in this larger than life wine crawl, of sorts. The wine will be flowing heavy on these weekends! As a bonus, the foliage colors on the drive to Hermann are normally nothing short of spectacular mid-to-late October, depending on the rainfall that year. Get a two-for-one with the scenery and fun on this trip! Stay safe and depend on the town trolley to get you from one winery to the next. Make sure and check out the downtown businesses and grab some good grub and a local eatery in between.

Plan your Hermann Oktoberfest trip, by learning more here.

An underdog in the Oktoberfest world is the Jefferson City Munichburg Oktoberfest, which takes place the last Saturday in September. Located in the ole Munichburg district, you’ll find weiner dog races, a car show, vendor booths, festival food and the beer garden with live, local music!

Find more information here.

Pumpkin Patch for the win!

If I didn’t have children, I admit I’d totally be that creeper mid-thirties woman hanging out in the pumpkin patches alone. I don’t care; there’s nothing that says, “Fall’s Here!” any louder than checking out your local pumpkin patch. Us Mid-Missourians are lucky enough to have several of the best right in our own backyard, so to speak. So go on, grab your jacket and boots and go for a hayride, pick your own pumpkin, pet the animals and get your Fall on!

Jeff City’s Fischer Farms, dedicated their corn harvest to a corn maze picture in dedication to the flooding and tornado destruction that JC endured this year. I love them for this and think you will too. For hours of operation, click here.

Lloyd’s Pumpkin Patch in Ashland is an up-and-comer but they’ve already added so many things that you won’t want to miss. Hayrides, hot cocoa, corn mazes, corn bins, pumpkin picking, kiddie rides and the like are waiting for you at Lloyd’s. Check out more information about Lloyds by clicking here.

Just north of I-70, you’ll find the cutest little pumpkin patch at Peach Tree Farms. Open through the entire month of October, you can do all the pumpkin patch things here! Read more about Peach Tree Farms, by clicking here.

Race through the corn maze at Shryock’s Farms

Shryock’s Farms is the local OG of Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze/Fall Goodness in Mid-Missouri. Located in Callaway County (my hometown county, thank you very much), this farm is a working farm that brings you the best and biggest corn maze every year. Each year, they bring a new theme to the farm. See what’s happening this year by clicking here.

Search out the best Fall foliage

Depending on the rain levels throughout the year, Missouri can have some of THE BEST Fall foliage, in my opinion. The fiery reds and fierce oranges and bright yellow colors give me all the warm and fuzzy feels throughout the whole season. If you have a boat, you should jump on the Missouri River or Osage River (or your favorite river close to home) and get some of the best scenery up close and personal. Or, drive to Hermann and see the hills on fire as you wind through the backroads on your drive. Wherever your Fall takes you, be sure and enjoy the views while they last!

Fellow Missourians, what’s your favorite Fall activity?