There are so many great opportunities for Travel Nurses and Professional Healthcare Travelers to take in local fall festivals if that is what makes you happy. I have a done a little research and here are a list of a few with links to their sites if you would like more information about them.
How about the Pumpkin Festival in New Hampshire? Pumpkins abound at the weekend festival in Laconia October 12 and 13 this year. There are 40,000 plus visitors to this festival in good years with a beer garden, live music, lots of kid stuff and a jack-o-lantern tower. www.nhpubmpkinfestival.com
Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, Washington is very unique. Leavenworth is a small Bavarian style town and offers Oktoberfest activities, live music in tents and food in outdoor spaces all around town each weekend in October of this year.
There is a hot air balloon festival in Glens Falls, NY in late September. The Adirondack Balloon Festival in the 20-23 or September and you can even ride in a hot air balloon if you like or just watch all the beautiful colors and lights from the ground.
In Dallas, Texas there is a month long celebration "Autumn at the Arboretum". It runs from September 22 through October 31 and features a village constructed completely from 75,000 pumpkins, squash and gourds.
At the Sonoma County Harvest Fair on October 6 and 7 in Sonoma, California you can expect to see the World Championship Grape Stomp where anyone can join in. There are of course, also award winning wines, cow-milking contest and winery competitions.
On the weekend of October 12-14 this year in Greenville, South Carolina, you can find Fall for Greenville. Sample over 40 of Greenville's restaurants and listen to lots of live music.
If you've always wanted to pick some apples you can check out the National Apple Harvest Festival the first two weekends of October in Arendtsville, Pennsylvania.
How about the Hood River Valley Harvest Fest in Hood River, Oregon? This annual event happens this year on the weekend of October 12-14 and features family friendly activities, live music, seasonal food and local arts.
Who needs a reason to go to Hawaii? Well if coffee is your thing, maybe the Kona Coffee Cultural Fest in Kona, Hawaii this November would be the place for you to visit on your next travel assignment. Farm tours, art shows and coffee cupping competition are just a few of the festivities in store in the oldest food festival in Hawaii.
Are you a fan of fresh pecans? Well if so, there's always the North Carolina Pecan Harvest Festival in Whiteville, North Carolina. It takes place this year from October 26 – November 3 and includes parades, house tours and musical entertainment.
St. Charles, Illinois is home to the Scarecrow Festival the first weekend of October. There is a petting zoo, crafts show, live music and you can vote for your favorite handcrafted scarecrow.
Covered bridges have a festival all their own in the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival. In Winterset, Iowa on the 14th and 15th of October you can celebrate the cultural heritage of Madison County's six covered bridges with a parade, entertainment and games. Five of these bridges are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Celebrate the annual movement of the sheep from the mountains to their winter pasture. The streets fill up with sheep on the weekend of October 12-14 this year in Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley, Idaho during the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival.
Another pumpkin festival can be found in Circlevile, Ohio from the 17-20th of October. The Circleville Pumpkin Festival boasts parades and tasty fall treats and features street decorations consisting of more than 10,000 pounds of pumpkins.
Alaska in the fall might be nice? The Alaska Day Festival in Sitka, Alaska runs from October 10 through the 18th this year. This is an annual event commemorating the day Russia signed over claim of Alaska to the United States in 1867. There are exhibits and displays, historic sites, dancing, kayak races, interpretive programs and much more celebrating the diversity of the Alaskan people.
Timberfest held the first weekend of October this year celebrates the local culture with lumberjack competitions, games, arts and crafts, a parade and fun for all ages. The 35th Annual Timberfest can be found at the Grant County Courthouse Square in downtown Sheridan, Arkansas.
So there's a lot of great ideas. I'm sure you can find many more if you care to dig deeper. If you plan on making it to any of these great festivals it's time to get busy lining up your travel assignment. If you need help with that just click here to fill out our Request For More Information form and we will put you in touch with some of the top agencies in the field today. Safe Travels!
Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network
