Ever wonder what becomes of all the pumpkins that aren’t sold before Halloween? I sure didn’t, that is until last weekend, while picking pumpkins at a pumpkin patch in Buda. It turns out that all of the leftover pumpkins at this and other patches get shipped to San Marcos, where they’ll take a 100-foot nosedive from a hot-air balloon. When I found this out, my mind automatically flashed back to a segment I saw years ago on the Late Show with David Letterman where Dave would drop televisions and other random objects out of a high-rise building. Jack-o’-lanterns going ker-splat on steaming hot asphalt? Sign me up! Luckily for myself and other pumpkin pitchers, I’ll get the joy of saying “Sayonara” to my fruit (that’s right, it’s a fruit, it has seeds) this Saturday, November 3 during the first annual Great Texas Pumpkin Drop. Ten dollars takes me up in a tethered hot-air balloon and allows me to toss my pumpkin overboard into the asphalt abyss that is the McCoy’s Building Supply parking lot. For $15, you can go up in a cherry picker in a game of pumpkin target practice (winner gets an iPod)! Pumpkins are provided, or you can bring your own. Proceeds go to True Vineyard Ministries, Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps people living in third-world countries affected by HIV and other illnesses. I think it’ll be a smashing good time.

The Great Texas Pumpkin Drop is from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at McCoy’s Building Supply, 1200 N. Interstate 35 in San Marcos (at the intersection of I-35 and Texas 12), 4 to 8 p.m. $10-$15. For more information, call 512/557-7734 or go HERE.

OK, now here’s an area a lot less famous for foliage, but it’s often just breathtakingly beautiful – and such a well‑kept secret, unless you’re one of the weekend motorcycle touring fans of the backroads in North Texas. It’s Texas 4 in Palo Pinto County, reaching north from the town of Palo Pinto (the county seat, 12 miles west of Mineral Wells) toward Graford and south toward Santo. You can lose yourself in the wonder of the scenery as you follow the two‑lane ribbon’s rises and dips and twists through a little range called the Palo Pinto Mountains. Fans of this area will tell you it’s as pretty as some of the best Hill Country scenery in fall. Out in that neck of the woods, you can go hiking and rock climbing at Mineral Wells State Park, or take your canoe and paddle down the Brazos River. When you’re hungry, check out the recently reopened Palo Pinto Café, along with the chicken‑fried steaks at Mary’s in Strawn and the fabulous T‑bone steaks up at the Wildcatter Ranch near Graham.

Where’s your favorite place to see fall foliage in Texas?

Of course, plenty of Texans will argue that the best leaf-peeping is in the Piney Woods. Roaming the region to enjoy this year’s foliage will be a bittersweet experience, though, as East Texas has lost one of its greatest proponents of all things beautiful and intriguing. Last April, East Texas Tourism Association’s Howard Rosser died of a heart attack, so this is the first season we’ll have to endure without his wonderful photographs. In his honor, we’ll still go in search of the best breathtaking drives throughout a wide sweep of landscape east of Dallas to the Louisiana state line, and from the Red River clear down to Beaumont. You’ll see gorgeous scenery throughout that quarter of the state at any time of year; when the hardwoods change color in the midst of all those evergreens, it’s magical.

To see photos of last year’s glory, including cardinal-red sumac and crape myrtles gone scarlet everywhere, visit the East Texas Tourism Association’s Web site at HERE. Look for sweet gums turning coppery around Winnsboro and Lake Bob Sandlin State Park, and yellow hickory near Linden and Daingerfield State Park. You might catch rusty dogwoods around Palestine and a profusion of orange, gold, and red among the pines in Big Thicket National Preserve-area towns like Livingston and Woodville.

This new burst of cool weather could mean wonderful things for fall foliage. While the jury is still out on whether the torrential summer rains drowned our chances of brilliant color this fall, we’re keeping our fingers crossed. None of the experts will promise anything – they never do, those stinkers – but we do know where to look in case the leaves decide to do their annual autumn dance. We know that prime time for wandering country roads in search of turning leaves is typically late October through at least mid-November and possibly even Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 22 this year. For an overview of state parks with a history of good foliage, go HERE. The most popular perennial pick is Lost Maples State Natural Area, about 85 miles northwest of San Antonio. A prime spot for hikers in search of moderate challenges, this rocky, hilly park is a magnet for leaf peepers on weekends in fall (big hint: go on a weekday, as the park closes the parking lot when it’s full), thanks to the isolated stands of big-tooth maples that glow with gorgeous reds and golds while changing, keeping company with yellowing walnut and pecan trees. I like wandering this part of the Hill Country, too, driving the insanely scenic stretch of RR 337 that reaches from Vanderpool (five miles south of the park) to Leakey (pronounced “LAY-kee”). Hairpin turns give you dramatic views of craggy, scrubby hills, some 2,100 feet high. If you want something good to eat, head to Lost Maples Cafe in the town of Utopia; if you want a clean, basic cabin on the Frio River, head to Neal’s Lodges. I also like the Frio Canyon Lodge in Leakey, a renovated 1941 motor lodge covered in limestone.

Have you found yourself just longing for a visit to the 16th century? If so, you’re in luck, as it’s coming back to life for eight weekends during the Texas Renaissance Festival, which runs through November 25 in Plantersville. The 54-acre spread – located about 60 miles northwest of Houston – offers an English village in full celebration mode. Comedy, juggling, and sword-fighting plus acrobatic, musical, and dancing acts of the period cover 27 entertainment stages, and there’s a full-on jousting tournament, too. If you’re hungry, there are 60 food sites, as well as the $95 King’s Feast, a package that includes festival admission and a six-course prime rib meal with all the food, beer, wine, ale, and soft drinks you can quaff, plus a two-hour variety show. You could do all your holiday shopping at the faire, too, as there are more than 300 places to buy old English-style wares. And no, you don’t have to show up in costume, but you’ll fit in well if you do. Plus, it’s a good excuse to talk funny and call your wife a “wench” or your husband a “knave.”
For more information, or to purchase tickets, go HERE or call 800/458-3435.

We get so caught up in the spring and summer food festivals – celebrating the strawberries in Poteet, blueberries in Nacogdoches, and watermelons in Luling – that we almost forget about the fall harvest. Well, they’re sure not forgetting it up in Gilmer, located about 120 miles northeast of Dallas between Gladewater and Pittsburg. Since 1935, this town has been having quite a time honoring the fall crop during its East Texas Yamboree, doing all kinds of fun stuff like staging the Yam Queen’s parade, an antique-and-classic-car show, barn dance, fiddlers’ contest, a gospel-music stage, and much more. It’s such a big deal that the yam pie contest has been noted on the Food Network’s All American Festivals program. If you miss this weekend’s annual hootenanny, you can catch all the fun on Yam Cam, found with more details HERE or by calling 903/843-2413. Just be sure you don’t call it the sweet-potato party, because then you’ll show your utter lack of savvy. A visit HERE will tell you that “the true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato.” While that may be so, I’ve found you can use baked mashed yams the same way you would baked, mashed sweet potatoes in recipes for biscuits, waffles, and pies. So go on, yam it up.

If you like small-town festivals, here’s one more to add to your list: the Fine Arts Festival in Buda. Scheduled for this weekend (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday), this annual event brings more than 50 artists to this main-street town located 15 miles south of Austin to showcase their paintings, jewelry, ceramics, photographs, drawings, and more. When I attended last year, the “big-top” tent where it is housed wasn’t overly crowded like festivals in larger cities tend to be, enabling me to talk one-on-one with some of the artists, and really get a feel for their creations. Food vendors will also be on site, but I recommend crossing Main Street and eating lunch at one of the local restaurants, such as the Primrose & Fine Lace Tea Room (tea for two is served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and a pot of tea) or Big Oak Bar-B-Que (pulled-pork, homemade potato salad, brisket, etc.) If a snack is more your choice, try the Coffee Nut Bookshop, where you can snuggle up with a steaming mug of gourmet coffee and a handful of fresh-roasted almonds and pecans while browsing the store’s comprehensive selection of rare and used books.

Buda also has a number of great gift and antique shops that I have come to rely on over the years, especially during the holidays. For instance, last fall I was in search of a pitchfork to weave with a chain of dried leaves to decorate my front yard. The shiny new ones at Home Depot just weren’t cutting it, so I found the perfect rusty, vintage one at Buda’s Old 1898 Store, an antique lover’s paradise. (Seriously, you can spend hours in there and barely skim the shop’s dusty surface). I can also count on Raby’s Roots, a home décor shop, to find something charming and unique to decorate my home during Christmastime. And, if all else fails, I know that I’ll find something special at the arts festival.

To get to the Fine Arts Festival in Buda, take I-35 to Exit 221 (Main Street) and head west. For more information, call the Buda Chamber of Commerce at 512/295-9999 or go HERE.